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Wolves take the challenge The Waterloo Minor Bantam Wolves are turning Japanese this week as part of the Toyota Challenge ey may call it "aisuhoâ€" VI‘l:ee" in Japan, but the Waterloo Minor Banâ€" tam Wolves will find out it‘s the same game they play here. And that‘s not all the Triple "A" hockey team will find they have in common with their hosts in Tomakomai on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. as they take part in the Toyota Hockey Challenge this week. Although the formal culâ€" tures of Canada and Japan are quite different, the youth culâ€" ture is much the same with the predominance of western influence. Waterloo Major Midgets win backâ€"toâ€"back Alliance titles So in addition to visiting a Buddhist temple and receivâ€" at would you say W{ilht}lll a hockey team that‘s compiled a record of 51 â€"3â€"4, earning 106 of 116 possible points, while capâ€" turing three tournament titles and the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario Championship? They‘re just getting started. On the road Friday night, the Midget Triple "A" Waterloo Wolves defeated the London Ir. Knights 4â€"1 to complete a four game sweep of their bestâ€"of seven league championship series. With the win. the Wolves have earned a trip to the provincial championships in Irenton March 29 to April 4. in their second trip to the provincials in as many years, Waterloo will campete in a By Bos VRrBANAC Chrontcle Staff ing a traditional blessing, the group of boys aged 13 tol4 will visit Mos Burger, Japan‘s version of McDonald‘s. And it won‘t be the only thing the boys have to comâ€" pare. The Japanese boys will take their style cues from the Canadian kids to see what the hot fashions are in North America. While the Wolves will in turn get a chance to see how the Japanese players live and play Canada‘s national game with a combination of organâ€" ization. speed and discipline. "I wouldn‘t mind seeing that from my own team," laughed Wolves head coach Mark Stuebing. "It doesn‘t always work that way." It‘s the first time a Waterâ€" loo team has earned the trip roundâ€"robin tournament with representatives from Northem Ontario, Greater Toronto, Ottawa District, the OMHA, and the host team from Quinte. The champion will represent Ontario at the National Midget Hockey Championships to be held in Kenora in late April known as the Air Canada Cup. In winning their second straight Alliance league chamâ€" pionship, Wolves head coach Randy Harbach praised his team for their work ethic. "You can‘t ask for more from plavers," he said. "They come to play every night, and that is a coach‘s dream. They work hard and they want to win." Test Drive Elmira! 2004 Initiation Feae Deferred in the four times local squads have played for the Toyota Cup. Waterloo surprised Kitchener in December to earn the weekâ€"long trip. Mari MacNeil, one of the team‘s guides from Toyota Canada, said she‘s looking forward to some of the culâ€" ture shock the Waterloo boys will experience when they see how things are done in Japan for the first time. Like going to the commuâ€" nal baths which had a lot of the local boys worried. But in the end, they‘ll also find how much they have in common. "A lot of friendships will continue out of this trip and that‘s the purpose of this whole thing," said MacNeil. And win they do. in the regâ€" ular season, the Wolves comâ€" piled a record of 22â€"1â€"3, and outscored their opposition 137 to 35. Their record in tournaâ€" ment play was an equally impressive 18â€"2â€"1, as they took home the gold in the Kitchener Blueline. Waterloo Gold Puck and Burlington Golden Horseâ€" shoe tournaments. In the playâ€" offs, the Wolves swept Kitchenâ€" er, Sun County and London for a record of 11â€"0, including three shutouts. The secret to the Wolves‘ success is really no secret at all. As Harbach said, "They listen. They work as a unit. We roll four lines and just out work the apponent. "That‘s our goal." SPORT Vikings bide their time Il'~. tough to live in the shadâ€" ow of a glant. Just ask Jack, who only became lamous when he climbed up that beanstalk. The WCJ Vikings have had their own juggernaut to slay over the past few years, with sixâ€"footâ€"five Sarah Pavan and her Forest Height Trojans dominating local and provinâ€" cial senior girls volleyball play the last three years. The Trojans continued that domination last week, winning their third consecuâ€" tive OFSAA title in their home gym last Friday. <â€"â€" The only consolation for the Vikings was that they reached the consolation finals before bowing out to Hamilâ€" ton‘s Bishop Ryan. But that doesn‘t mean they didn‘t have a successful seaâ€" son, winning a silver medal at CWOSSA en route to their allâ€" Ontario berth. And with Pavan off on a full scholarship to the University of Nebraska next year, it levels the playing field for other teams. _ There should be no more goliaths around. _ â€" But Vikings head coach Leslie Strickler said competing against the best also raised the level of play for her team, and they surprised the eighthâ€" ranked team, Mississauga‘s Gordon Graydon, to start the tournament at Grand River high school last Wednesday. The Waterloo Major Midget Triple "A" Wolves won their second consecutive Alliance title Friday By Bo# Visanac (hrronscle Statl g 0O L F C J U Bb 669â€"1652 40 Eldale Rd. Elmira www.elmiragolfclub.com E L M I R A WCi‘s Michelle Joslin returns a service in OFSAA volleyball play against Chatham Kent last Wednesday. "The one thing about playâ€" ing against Forest Heights is that nobody else seems to hit as hard," said Strickler. "So the girls say, ‘Oh, we can defend against these teams."" And that trial by fire should serve the team well next year with most of her tearmn intact for next season. "As a whole, we feel pretty good about next year," said Strickler. "We‘ll be out of the shadow of Sarah. "We finished second to them in WCSSAA over the last two years, and second to them www.rwwaterloo.com CLICK HERE Yolkswagen New & Cortified Preâ€"owned Cars Volkswagen Waterloo at CWOSSA, so I think it‘s going to be wide open next year." _ Getting a taste of allâ€" Ontario â€" competition . is becoming old hat for some of the Vikings too, like May Kotâ€" sopoulos who has competed provincially in the past year in track, basketball and volleyâ€" "I don‘t mind being back," said Kotsopoulos about anothâ€" er OFSAA berth. "But 1 really looking forward to track where I think I can medal after finishâ€" ing second last year. "But this is fun too." 3 Just 10 minutes north of Waterioo Hwy. 85