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“I was twoâ€"and-a-half years old,” he said in an interview in the dressing room of River Oaks Arena. “I was the little white ghost.” This weekend, the Oakville resi- dent, along with his senior pairs part- ner Jodeyne Higgins, is pleased to be coming back as the guest act in the club’s much awaited ice show. The ice show â€" which also fea- tures the club’s provincial champion and national calibre precision skating teams (three teams made it to the national championships this past weekend) â€" is on tap at Oakville Arena this Satmday (April 9) at 1:30 and 7 pm. and Sunday at 1:30 pm. More than 500 skaters wiil take part in a production so involved that it is held only once every two yeaxs Sean Rice fondly recalls the first time he did the Oakville Skating Club’s ice show. This year, the pair, who will skate twice in each of the three shows, fell to a sixth place finish at the nan‘onal championships in Edmonton which meant they did not advance to the Winter Olympics or the World Championships. Midgets bagin Air Canada Cup tourney tomorro Last year, the pair finished third at the nationals and 10111 at the subse- quent world championships which were held at Hamilton’s Copps Coliseum. . Oakville Blades give important lesson in Friday night exhibition match at Oakville Arena Rice and Higgins gusst at Oakville ice show The Oakvile Blades helped prepare the Oakville triple-A midget hockey team for the all-Ontario champi- onships, which get underway tomorrow, with an exhibition match last Friday night. (Photo by Barrie Erskine) Higgins said she’s confident the duo can “equal or better” that result, although it certainly won’t be an easy The two are certainly painting this "PRE-RETIREMENT PLANNING 101 " TUESDAY APRIL 12 8:30 am -10 am Aimed at working people between 40 and 60 concerned about maintainin their lifestyle in retirement. All classes will be eld in the offices of ScotiaMcLeod. Enrolment fee $15 (course materials included). No charge to customers of ScotiaMcLeod or Bank of Nova Scotia. NEXT COURSE "ESTATE PLANNING 100'_' Thursday, April 21 CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION MM‘I‘“ MM IFJINANCIIAIL. PLANNIING ScotiaMcLeod Trusted investment advice since 1921 PRESENTS 845-3824 0045000 842-9000 700 KERR STREET, OAKVILLE CO-SPONSORED BY TEMPLETON year’s slight dip in it good light. Rice called it' “a blessing in disguise because it made us take a look at our- selves. It made us see what we need- ed to improve on.” Equally as important, he said, it also gave them an opportunity to spend a bit of time with their families and recharge their batteries in order to take another run at the champi- onship. And that run starts sooner then most people would think; Right now â€" believe it or not â€" they’re enjoy- ing a month off, and have limited nearly a dozen ice show requests to three â€" their home show at the Preston Figure Skating Club, the Oakville Skating Club show and a Senior pairs partners Sean Rice and Jodeyne Higgins. ’ SPORTS At the moment, they’re even hold- ing down regular jobs â€" Rice is a cleaner at the Syl Apps Youth Centre and Higgins works as a dental secre- tary for Rice’s parents. But as soon as April comes to an end, their arduous journey to next year’s Canadian championships begins with a typical daily itinerary that includes six hours on the ice and two hours dry-land training â€" with Week-long breathers at the end of both spring and fall. final one in Wheatley, near Wmdsor. Their first chance to see how all the training is stacking up comes at the end of summer at the annual Summer Skate competition in Thornhill. “And then, hopefully, we’ll be fortunate enough to be selected for international competition between October and December,” said Rice. The two believe they have already made some big stn'des. Rather than mope around after failing to advance beyond the nation- al competition in Edmonton, they went right back to work in an empty arena with their coach. Another, far more subtle task, was their overall skating. “Speed, flow. quietness you can’t hear us now â€" we’re like cat burglars,” laughed There were “a few things in par- ticular” they needed to nail down for the good of their competitive careers. One of them was he double axle. “At the Canadians we were just learning it,” said Higgins. It’s not actually fair to say Rice is coming back for next weekend’s show because he has never left. He still retains membership in the Oakville Skating Club and enjoys dropping by whenever he can (and wishes it were more) to give the kids aboosL MONARCH m ' W995 The Milleroft Difference! HE 0A] OakVI e 5 national bronze me I precision skating team. Front row: Jill Miller, Tami Wilkinson, Lai McLellan, Terry Gardner, Gail Smith, Carrie Markow-Ichelson, Julie Bowling, Tamara Koivu, Lea: McLellan, Fran McLellan, Sandy Fritz and Kim Wallace. Centre row (left to right): Brenda Brad (coach), Diana Brethour, Marianne Lyon,'Erika Skala-Black, Heather Fenton, Tara Patry, Brel DesRosier, Kerri McDonald, Nancy Carter, Noreen Taylor, Pat Hopkins, Kim Wylie (assistant coach): Mike Miller (manager). Back row: Darlene Kretzchman, Carolyn Lewicky, Pam Ruebush, Marcy De V Kathy Dawson, Heather Rapson, Monica Horvath, Bernadette Meisch and Karen Percy. Oakville’s triple-A midget hockey team, which kicks off the Air Canada Cup Ontario regional tournament in Ottawa tomorrow, suffered its first loss in twenty games Friday night. As if winning a bronze medal at a national competition isn’t enough of a thrill, Fran McLellan had the added pleasure of sharing the moment withher two daughters. The 54-year-old Oakville resident, along with daugh- ters Laura, 30, and Leanne, 23, were part of a 30-member Oakville team that brought back a bronze medal in the adult category at the Canadian precision skating champi- onships held in Verdun, Quebec this past weekend. The Oakville Skating Club, which concludes a very productive year, with its mammoth bi-annual ice show this weekend, was also fortunate enough to send two other teams â€" both of them provincial champions â€" to the national event I Head coach Al Majander, howeyer, felt the 8-3 drub- bing was beneficial in helping the Ontario Minor Hockey Association champions to “mentally prepare” for the allâ€"Ontario championships. The novice team ended up seventh in Canada after a second place finish in their eastem region preliminary pool. ' The competition was certainly as stiff as they’ll find in Ottawa, as their opponents in the special Easter Friday exhibition match at Oakville Arena were the Oakville Blades Provincial Junior A hockey team which put together its own excellent playoff run, defeating Milton and Burlington before finally losing the divisional championship to the Hamilton Kilty Bees in seven games It was “an excellent result” for a team that had never made it to the Canadian finals before, commented coach Brenda Eradica. Although relegated to the consolation round, the senior team came through with a good performance to finish in second place. The Inost valuable lesson of the evening was taught by Dave Dolecki and Frank Ivankovic. “The Blades’ goaltenders,” elaborated Majander,”showed the importance of good goaltending as they stopped the Rangers on four (of six) break- aways.” The silver lining, reflected the coaches, was that the midgets, at least, created the opportunities.” The exhibition game, which also acted as a fundrais- er to help pay for the midgets’ continuing post season success, has hopefully prepared the long-idling team for a tough schedule that calls for two games each day from Thursday through to Saturday. The top two teams in the seven-team tournament will meet in the championship game on Sunday at 1 p. m, with the winner advancing to the national midget Air Canada Cup 1n Brandon, Manitoba from April 19- 24. Skaters bring back bronze medai BURIJNGTON DO YOU PLAYBETWEEN 10 69’ 100 GAMES? 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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1994 , Page 16 ‘ Majander was appreciative of the Oakville B] “for the opportunity to not only tune themselves U} the upcoming Air Canada Cup regional finals also for their support to assist the Rangers in ; fundraising for this important event.” He' also thanked “all of the supporters who att the exhibition game and hopefully watched many “new” Blades who might be on the roster, next ye; For the adult team, a second-place finish in their 1 sent them on to Saturday night’s final round where managed to Iise to the occasion and finish in the med “We definitely clicked on all cylinders,” McLellan, a secretary for a Toronto film She added that there was magic in the air with entire audience â€" and not just the Oakville contingenl “really in to the whole number.” “I know now how young people feel when they p: ipate in a team sport” To add a little flavor, local house league teams e tained the crowd with mini-games prior to each pe The midgets, who are sponsoredby Maple Leaf Ft actually opened the scoring and were deadlocked 2 tie at the end of the first period before the Blades over, ending the second period up 5-2. The Blades’ last goal went into an empty net. Midget scorers were captain Ryan Smith, K Cole and Ryan Goncalves. Notching assists were 1 Hanson, Marcel Kars, B.J. Hamilton, Brent Davis Smith. The icing on the cake, was having two of her dai ters among the 30-member team. Laura graduated week from the police college in Aylmer and has jq Halton Region Police. Leanne is in her fourth yeé Guelph University. The Oakville team, which finished behind the def: ing champion Toronto Cricket Club and the Musk Blades, doesn’t plan on resting on its laurels, am already eyeing next year’s national championship: Calgary. The elder McLellan said she “skated as a youngs and got back into competitive skating seven years ago Cory Waring led the way for the Blades with z of goals while singles went to Mike Tumbull, .‘ Slaney, Mike Byrne, Matt Interbanolo, Jud Riel and Mike Sikora. In the assist department, Sikora led the way w trio for a four-point night. Andrew Shortt contribn pair of helpers while singles went to Kent Willi Matt Honchar, Jud Richards, Matt Interbartolo Cory Waring. The midget team’s schedule in Ottawa is as foll Thundly: at noon against Rideau-St. Lawrence Kings; at 8 p‘.m. ; Wexford Raiders. ‘ Saturday: at noon against South Ottawa Canadians; at 4 pm Sudbury or Kapuskasing. Friday: at 8am. against Kingston Prudential; at 4 pm, against Kit FOR BOOTH INFORMATION CALL SUMMER Hocxm Friday April 8th 6 pm - 10 pm OAKVILLE HOLIDAY IN (QEW at Trafalgar Rd.) WIN SPENDING VOUCHEI Admission: $1.00 SUN 'DAY‘ MAYA“ River Oaks Arena d‘flm Mm't 849-97 12 yum?“ 845-3824 Ami“,