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Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports D E F E N C E R E S T S 27 | Friday, November 15, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" T H E Blades find unique way to win Oakville outshot 136-71 over past three games, all victories Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor Oakville Beaver fter getting outscored 29-13 during a recent 1-4 stretch, the Oakville Blades were searching for answers. The Ontario Junior Hockey League squad believes it has found one: Give up more shots on net. That might be a sardonic way of looking at the Blades' new approach, but the numbers speak for themselves. Since overhauling its systems a week ago, Oakville has been outshot 136-71 in three games -- and won them all by a combined score of 12-3. "It's working for us," said Blades goaltender Evan Buitenhuis. Buitenhuis could be seen as the biggest reason why. The 20-year-old Burlington resident stole a win for the Blades last Thursday in Kingston, when Oakville was outshot 54-16 by the host Voyageurs, yet prevailed 6-2. And he was sharp once again Monday, kicking out 36 shots in a 4-0 shutout of the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots. Not to be outdone, Oakville backup netminder Brendan McGlynn stopped 45 of the 46 shots he faced in a 2-1 victory over the Orangeville Flyers last Friday. Blades head coach Kevin Gomes is quick to credit his goaltenders for Oakville's recent success, but suggests his team is also playing better defensively than the shot counts might suggest. "In this system, we are giving up shots, but a lot of shots are coming from the outside. It's important where those shots come from," he said. "I think we really have cut down on high-quality chances against." Those who pick the three stars at Blades home games seem to agree. Despite his shutout performance Monday, which included 18 saves in the first period when the Blades were Evan Buitenhuis catches his breath during a Ontario Junior Hockey League game earlier this season. The Oakville badly outplayed but still managed to take a Blades goaltender has been particularly busy of late, including a 52-save effort in a 6-2 win over the Kingston 1-0 lead into the intermission, Buitenhuis Voyageurs last week. | photo by Keith White -- OJHL Images was relegated to third-star status. A "Last year, (an outing like that) didn't get me any stars," Buitenhuis said with a smile. "We're doing a lot better job clearing the front of the net." Regardless of how the Blades (11-8) have done it, the three straight wins have been a nice confidence boost for a young team that found itself in danger of falling below .500 a week ago. "A lot of guys were getting a little down on themselves," said Blades forward Dalton Bew, who was part of a Cobourg Cougars team last year that started the season with one win in 15 games, then eventually swept first-place Trenton in the opening round of the playoffs. "I told them about my year in Cobourg, and I think it stuck with a lot of guys. Four or five games is no big deal." Bew, a New Jersey native acquired by the Blades at the end of September, has also keyed Oakville's improved results of late. He had a goal and two assists in Monday's win and now has points in seven of his last eight contests. "I'm really comfortable here. I love it. Coach gives me a good role, and I work as hard as I can," the 19-year-old said. Tonight (Friday) at 7:30, the Blades host the North York Rangers, the squad that eliminated Oakville from the playoffs last spring. In that six-game series, the Blades were outshot 207-168. Perhaps Oakville should be hoping for more of the same tonight. Special Olympians bound for nationals Six members of the Oakville Butterflies rhythmic gymnastics team have qualified for next year's Special Olympics National Summer Games. Stephanie Vandamme, Sarah Lisi, Sofia Dershko, Annick Leger, Shannon Ross and Emily Boycott are part of the 353-athlete Ontario squad that will compete in the national Games next July in Vancouver. Oakville residents Stephanie Anderson (swimming), Stephen Anderson (athletics), Ryan Twiss (10pin bowling) and Dylan Hansen (10-pin bowling) also qualified. Athletes earned spots on the Ontario team through their performances at the Provincial Spring Games in Kingston and the Provincial Summer Games in York Region. More qualifiers for the Ontario squad will be named today (Friday). The National Summer Games is a qualifying event for the 2015 World Summer Games, which will be held in Los Angeles. Pictured from left to right, Oakville Butterflies rhythmic gymnasts Stephanie Vandamme, Sarah Lisi, Sofia Dershko, Annick Leger, Shannon Ross and Emily Boycott have qualified for next year's Special Olympics National Summer Games. | photo submitted