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Sports Oakville Beaver By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2007 17 Brits enjoy challenge of Canadian teams English minor bantam national team captain Jack O'Donnell has an interesting answer when he's asked how he got into hockey. "I was in Oxford and went ice skating," said the 13-year-old. "Then the Mighty Ducks movies came out. I watched a couple of their videos and liked it." In a country like England, where football, rugby and cricket are king, it likely takes coincidences such as that for youngsters to become interested in hockey. Talking shortly after his team dropped its opening game at the Richard Bell Memorial Minor Hockey Tournament yesterday, 3-1 to the Ancaster Avalanche at Joshua's Creek Arenas, O'Donnell said he is the only person at his school that plays the sport. "They find it really different," he said of his friends. "I don't think they understand how good people are over here." His coach, however, does. Tim Peacock grew up in Canada and played tier 2 junior before moving to England in 1979, and his son, Craig, recently drew interest from several American universities as well as the QMJHL's Chicoutimi "I was in Oxford Sagueneens. and went ice skating. Peacock also coached the English minor bantam team last year, when it Then the Mighty made its first appearance in the Richard Ducks movies came Bell tournament. All the players are difout. I watched a ferent on this year's squad, but Peacock couple of their has tried to pass along some of last year's videos and liked it." experiences to them. "We had to be a little tougher, a lot English captain stronger in our end," he said. Jack O'Donnell "(Canadians) come in and pressure you hard, finish off checks and move the puck quickly. And when they get an opportunity to shoot, they shoot." O'Donnell does have experience playing in Canada, having competed in the Quebec Peewee Tournament earlier this year as well as participating in a hockey camp in Penticton, B.C. Used to dominating his club league opponents back home, he welcomes the higher caliber of opposition. "I'm playing in the best league in England, and it's easy to play," said the utility (defenseman). "This will improve my game and it will show what I can actually do. In England, I can't show what I can do." The English national team is a collection of the top club players in the country. Peacock said the team was formed only a week before the Richard Bell tournament. Thursday, the English played the Oakville minor bantam AAA Rangers in a exhibition pre-tournament tuneup. England rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the third period, but the Rangers scored twice in the final frame to prevail, 5-3. Jake Pitchley (two) and Ryan Webb scored for England, with Tim Berberian, David DePascal, Connor Hakime, Connor Vincent and Erik Matson tallying for Oakville. Competing in the minor bantam AA division, England was scheduled to play the Scarborough Young Bruins yesterday afternoon. The team will finish off its round-robin schedule today with games against RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER FINS WIN: Finland forward Jaakko Lehtila (in white) carries the puck down the ice as Windsor's Glen Croley gives chase yesterday at Joshua's Creek Arenas. Finland opened the Richard Bell Memorial Minor Hockey Tournament with a 4-2 win over the Spitfires in minor midget AA competition. Life on the road fun for Finnish The on-ice competition is only part of the fun for Finland's FoPS-Forssa hockey teams at the Richard Bell Memorial Minor Hockey Tournament. FoPS-Forssa squads have enjoyed limited success in their previous three years in the tournament, with their best showing being a 2-2 appearance in the 2004 event. But the Finnish minor midget AA squad is back in the tournament for the fourth consecutive year, thanks in large part to the hospitality of Oakville residents. "The guys are hosted by families and experience Canadian lifestyle. It's a really good experience for them," said Antii Makinen, whose son Ilmari plays on the team. "This is the thing they will remember from ice hockey when they are in their retirement homes." "It's more than just hockey," added FoPS-Forssa team manager Mauri Salokoski. Good start to tournament FoPS-Forssa got off to a good start in this year's tournament, scoring three third-period goals to defeat the Windsor Spitfires 4-2 yesterday morning at Joshua's Creek Arenas. The team was slated to face the Etobicoke Canucks last night, and continues its round-robin schedule today with games against Oakville (8:30 a.m. at River Oaks) and Gloucester (2:30 p.m. at River Oaks). Finnish coach Jukka Katajisto, using Makinen as an interpreter, said his team wasn't sure what to expect in its opening game. "The boys were really nervous before their first game against a Canadian team," he said. "They were expecting a lot. It's more like team here; in Finland, it's more individual." The FoPS-Forssa team arrived in Toronto a couple days before the tournament, allowing some time to settle in with its billets. The players even engaged in a game or two of street hockey, forward Aleksi Hakala said. The 15-year-old spoke in broken English, but he still had one of the hockey clichés down pat when asked how he felt his team might fare in the tournament. "If we play our own game, we can win the games," he said. "We are good. If we play our own game... we can think about (results) later." The team is in Canada for 10 days. After the tournament, players plan to attend a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning, followed by a Toronto Marlboros contest. FoPS-Forssa already plans to send a team to the 2008 Richard Bell tournament, Makinen said. -- Jon Kuiperij See England page 18 Welcome to Spice Your Kitchen. Making Your Cooking Fun & Easy ing Fu · Knives and Garnishing Tools · Spice Racks · Small Appliances · Cookware and Tableware · Linens, Aprons and Mitts · Bakeware · Barware · Espresso Makers and Accessories Hours: Monday-Friday 10am - 6pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday CLOSED River Glen Mews Plaza 2530 6th Line, Oakville (905) 257-3500