May 29, 2010 The Delta Optimist A31
Delta Sports Phone: 604-946-4451
Ice Hawks load up on Seafair talent
The Delta Ice Hawks have turned to the powerhouse Seafair Midget “AAA” hockey team as they begin to piece together their roster for the 2010-11 season. The Pacific International Junior Hockey League playoff finalists have signed four Seafair graduates including affiliate players Ryan Cuthbert and Aaron Merrick who saw plenty of action as call-ups this past season, including the team’s memorable playoff run. Joining them are two other blueliners who played a significant part in Seafair’s success — Andrew Talbot and Taylor Kislanko. Talbot captained the Islanders during the 2008-09 season, leading them to a first place finish at the Richmond Midget International Tournament and a berth into the provincial A1 championships. He spent this past season playing in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Lambeth Lancers. Cuthbert, Merrick and Kislanko helped Seafair put together a standout 2009-10 campaign that included repeating at the Richmond International and returning to the provincials. Including forward Cody Fidgett, who led the PIJHL with playoff goals, Delta will have five Seafair alumni on its roster.
The club also announced the signing of two other affiliate players — forward Jeremy Gossard and defenceman Ryan Procyshyn. Gossard is from Tsawwassen and played this past season for the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Ice Hawks owner George Georgeopoulos is excited with how his blueline is shaping up with the additions of Cuthbert, Talbot, Kislanko and Procyshyn. “All four are big and nasty and will make life very difficult on opposing forwards,” he said. Main training camp is slated for late August. Icing ... The Ice Hawks can boast about having two alumni players advancing to the Stanley Cup final. As a 15-year-old defencman ,Brent Seabrook (2000-01) was named the league’s rookie of the year and led the playoffs in scoring in helping Delta win its first-ever PIJHlL title. A year later, Troy Brouwer (2001-02) enjoyed a solid season with the Ice Hawks that concluded with his team losing in the playoff finals to Abbotsford. Both went on to enjoy outstanding careers in the WHL before being drafted by Chicago.
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TRANSMISSION GOT YOU
Blue Jays win Schillings tourney
PHOTO
BY
MARK BOOTH
Blue Jays catcher Isaac Embree and pitcher Justin McKenzie celebrate getting the final out at the plate as their team hung on for a 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks in an all-Ladner final of the Claude Schillings Memorial Pee Wee Baseball Tournament on Monday at Maple Park.
Collicutt caps university career with national title Tsawwassen catcher helps SFU cap remarkable run at NAIA Championships with game-clinching defensive play Jenni Gaby to secure the win. Oklahoma City stranded 13 runners in total during the game and in three separate innings were able to load the bases. The Clan defence however never buckled. “We had been in these situations before,” said Collicutt of OCU’s three opportunities with the bases loaded. “You take a deep breath in those situations, because we have an outstanding defensive team, and everyone knows where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to do, and we just went out and did exactly that.” Collicutt, who grew up through the Delta Heat rep fastpitch program, added the team’s fifth ever national title was a collective effort involving the entire roster. “Everyone was a part of this win, no one
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These predictions are supplements to and not replacements for the Canadian Tide and Current Tables, which include the only authorized tidal predictions for Canada and are provided by Canadian Hydrographic Service.
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was zoning out during games. When I came out in between innings I had freshman who was doing the books, telling me who was coming up next and what their stats were. We had two freshman pitchers step up during this tournament, we had a freshman score the winning run. Everyone played a role,” said Collicutt, who also went 2-for2 at the plate. “Normally as a freshman, you are scared, but they stayed relaxed, our entire dugout kept their cool. We talked about it last night in the hotel, about how we got here and everything that came before and we felt things were clicking at the right time.” The Clan will be competing at the NCAA Division II level next season as part of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
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Tsawwassen’s Nicola Collicutt conMorgan Softball Complex, it was a colleccluded her university softball career in style tive team effort that enabled them to string Wednesday by helping the 14th ranked together seven consecutive victories, includSimon Fraser University Clan ing four in the championship complete an improbable postbracket. season run to capture the NAIA The clinching win featured national championship. plenty of drama as Oklahoma The Clan clinched the title with threatened to tie the game in the a 4-3 victory over the Oklahoma seventh when SFU executed some University Stars in Decatur, timely defence. Alabama. SFU had entered the With the tying run on second, OCU’s Amanda Howard connected playoffs having lost six of their on a single through the hole at last eight regular season games, shortstop. Tournament MVP Jessie and qualified for the Nationals Nicola Collicutt Harris, charging in from left field, only because the Association of picked up the ball cleanly and Independent Institutions received rifled a one-hopper to Collicut, the senior a second berth. But regardless of how SFU catcher blocked the plate and tagged out got to the friendly confines of the Wilson