Hey sports fans, it's time to take a quick look at the movers and shakers in our local sports scene.
I'll start with club hockey first. The 2007 Bianco's
Audiotronic SPAD Hockey Tournament, is starting today and
running until Saturday, Jan. 27. Over 240 non-varsity hockey
players from universities and colleges from across Ontario are
competing. The event is being hosted by Laurentian University's
Sports Administration program (SPAD).
On top of great hockey, there will be several
interesting events within the tournament, including a skills
competition at the Sudbury Arena on Friday at 2 pm. Anyone
interesting in checking out the tournament will find games at
the Sudbury, McClelland and Countryside Arenas. This is the
third year the tournament has been revived since being
abolished in 1999 after a 29-year run. For more information,
visit
www.spad.ca
.
Now, let's dip into the national scene. Sudbury's Zack Stortini
finally tasted some NHL action this past weekend, as he was
called up by the Edmonton Oilers to play against Calgary.
Stortini was a fearsome presence in the game and tried hard to
make an impact. He was looking for a fight, but no one with
Calgary would give him a go. One thing that really stood out
was how much Stortini's skating has improved. He was really
flying out there, and it could be only a matter of time before
the big man sticks for good in the NHL. He certainly has the
work ethic for the pro ranks. Even Don Cherry and Ron MacLean
talked about Stortini's efforts on the Coach's Corner segment
on Hockey Night in Canada.
Now, let's take a look at figure skating. Sudbury's Jeffrey
Buttle won his third straight Canadian Men's title at the 2007
BMO Canadian Championships in Halifax. Buttle will now suit up
for Canada at the upcoming International Skating Union World
Championships in Tokyo, Japan from March 19 to 25.
Now, it's time for some curling. The Tracy Horgan Rink from the
Idylwylde Curling Club has made the M&M Meat Shops Canadian
Junior Curling Championships, which will be held in St.
Catherines from Feb. 3 to 11. This is the third time the Horgan
Rink has made it, and they're hoping the third time's a charm
as they have yet to leave a big mark in past national
championships. The Horgan Rink consists of skip Tracy Horgan,
third Amanda Gates, third, second Tara Stephen, and lead
Stephanie Barbeau. The Idylwylde is hosting a send-off party
for the team on Monday, Jan. 29, starting around 7:30 pm.
Tickets are $10 and are available at the door.
Now, onto girls' hockey. There's a hot race sizzling in the
senior girls' Division II scoring leaders. Three players have
stepped up to try and take the scoring crown. As of Monday,
Jan. 22, L'Horizon's Micheline Frappier had made a lot of noise
recently with 41 points in 11 games. Frappier has been on fire
in her last six games, producing 17 goals and 28 points,
setting an incredible pace. Not to be outdone are
Confederation's Jessica Schroeder, with 45 points points in
nine games to lead all scorers, and Champlain's Julie Hebert
with 36 points in nine games.
