And despite protestations that fate had been cruel again to the English Lions, Fleet Street newspapers would have none of it. It kind of makes you wish you were in a more civil place like Canada after all, where even hockey‘s misfortunes can‘t cause a riot. And for those of you that think that overindulgent selfâ€" analysis is a Canadian affliction, one really has to admire the way the Europeans tear themselves apart. With big boys like HMaly, Germany and Spain already knocked out of the tournament, their coaches quickly joined them in the unemployment line. Meanwhile, Beckam went from hero to zero faster than a flubbed penalty kick. And while some might argue the beautiful game‘s relative merits in terms of watchability, there‘s no denying the drama of the second penalty shootout in the quarterâ€"finals. where the Dutch finally topped the Swedes. This was after the hosts from Portugal finally threw off their cloak of invisibility at major championships, and topped Britain, and its petulant captain David Beckam, in penalty shots. For those of you who have been on an extended siesta and missed it, Europe‘s version of modern warfare was being waged in Portugal. But while the Vikings are no longer raiding Dutch territory. their descendanis were taking each other on for soccer supremacy. But after it was all said and done, Canadians still represented v the majority of players who were drafted. as it should be. And those two Russkies look to be pretty good plavers And thankfully. watching all that ice melt in the middle of the summer was interrupted by the third most watched sporting event in all of the world â€" the European Cup. Even worse, the speculation was that for the first time in histoâ€" ry the top two selections would be Russians. I can just see Harold Ballard rolling over in his grave now. entry draft has become. With no bigâ€"name players available {at least no players that anyone other than their parents and their agents would recognize}, the preâ€" draft story was already how few Canadians would be selected in the first round. Then last week the news finally came that Vancouver‘s ‘Todd Bertuzzi would be facing charges in his gooning of Colâ€" orado‘s Steve Moore. While some saw it as a black eye on the game. others wondered why it took the Crown attorney‘s office in Vancouver so long to finally lay charges. No es Now his apparent guilt or innocence is for the courts to decide instead of all the hockey pundits who wait breathlessâ€" ly to pronounce their own verdict. And is anyone getting tired of all the blowhards we now have out there analyzing every miniscule detail of what this team or that team should do, and whether it was a great move or a grave mistake. Uhen talk turned to whether anyone would have a shot at the cup next year with the NHL and its player association squaring off in a possible work stoppage. Is any out one there as tired of all the navelâ€"gazing we do over the state of our national game, hockey, as I am? With the Stanley Cup safely in American hands for anothâ€" er year, the talk two short weeks ago was over when another Canadian team would have a shot at the cup. E * } e o e e urope snow us | Carruthers just biding her time © © ; 1 P h B\.B(IB\'IUIN\M i > in her school, and the sports Ow 0 rlp ] up Chronicle Staff ____ #* § â€" that she played, that earned â€"L k ,.:i her KCI‘s female Athlete of the Ts any onl one there as tired of aill the navel. exrine «ep An Â¥ J P strongest part of * «44 * > E° Aeil â€" Year award recently. That culminated in the annual snoozefest that the NHI 92 Lodge Street, Waterloo 725â€"8643 BOBBY‘S \SToin® \V = «&‘ M ,‘ Â¥ ol :â€"7‘_‘»\ BOB VRBANAC CUSTOMIZED GOALIE TRAINING CAMPS "I soon found out some of my teammates were much better than me at baseball. and that they were going somewhere:; whereas I wasn‘t going anywhere in that sport." And those teams were his last shot at playing for a provincial title. Despite playing on basketball teams at Resurâ€" rection featuring other standout playâ€" ers like Adam Falsetto, his Phoenix have failed to get past the CWOSSA competition, even after winning three straight Districtâ€"8 titles. here is no denying what sport I best fits Resurrection‘s sixâ€"footâ€" four swingman Matt Walker. Basketball has been his preference every since he gave up baseball to focus on a sport that was more tailored to his abilities. And those abilities will be on display over the next few years as the Waterlooâ€"native suits up for his homeâ€"town team, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, this fall. "I used to play on a baseball tcam that won four provincial champiâ€" onships," said Walker. "In Grade 4 we all decided to play basketball. Walker back on track at Resurrection And while her team lost a tough 1â€"0 decision to Grand River in the finals, sans Carâ€" ruthers, she proved an inspiâ€" ration to the team with her refusal to let the injury quench her competitive fire. And it‘s that passion for "I went up for a heade, and when I landed my knee twisted," said Carruthers. "I didn‘t hear the pop. but I knew that something was wrong." But even she was caught by surprise recently, as her body rebelled on her, and her ACL tendon gave out, as the Raiders made an improbable run for a WCSSAA soccer title. The 19â€"yearâ€"old Waterloo native has the ability to see a play develop, or think out a play on the go to break down a defence. It has made her a consummate floor general in basketball, and the backbone of her school‘s volleyball and soccer teams. r l11v strongest part of KCI‘s Elise Carruthers® game, whether she‘s on the court or on the soccer pitch, is her vision. 7Â¥ iz SPORTS By Bos Vrranac Chronicle Staff FUNDAMENTAL TO EXTREME Camp weeks July 5, July 26 & Aug. 23 | M ATERLOO CHRONICLE 2 to 1 Student / Instructor Ratio Stil Available Elise Carruthers was named KCi‘s female Athlete of the Year. Phoenix Athlete of the Year Matt Walker. +e+ Volleyball and basketball had put him in the running for the award last year, but it was track that literally put him over the top this year when he was asked to try out for the high jump. That "It was weird that I was winning as I was leaving the school in OAC and she was winning it coming in as a Grade 9." "Just being nominated was fine by me, although winning was cool," said Walker. "The strangest part was the Grade 9 winner (Maddie Buttinger of Waterloo) was my book buddy in grade school. But that was just the precursor to the biggest award he won that night, as Senior Male Athlete of the Year for his contributions to volleyball, track and field, and of course basketball. So what sport final earned him an invitation to the allâ€"Ontario champiâ€" onships? Would you have guessed track and field? Walker sure wouldn‘t have. But it was his success on the track that finally earned him an invite to OFSAA. as a member of his school‘s 4X400 m relay team. He even won a track award at his school‘s annual athâ€" letic awards banquet. www.vwwaterioo.com That ability to raise her level of play was on display at the WCSSAA Senior Girls allâ€" It‘s the same way she plays basketball. And although her school never got a sniff at a title as the Waterloo Vikings Senior Girls juggernaut conâ€" tinued to roll through WCSSAA league play, there was no disputing her talent, or the way she wouldn‘t let her Raiders teammates defer to anyone. Still recovering from her recent surgery, and just beginning the eightâ€"month rehab it will take to make her left leg stronger than it was before, Carruthers admitted she would have liked to go up to the podium to accept the award without her crutches. But there wasn‘t a dry eye in the place as she hobbled up, winning the award over another standout Waterloo athlete. Miranda Ranieri, because everyone knew Carâ€" ruthers left it all out on the field. CLICK HERE Yolkswagen New & Cortified Preâ€"owned Cars Volkswagen Waterloo Continued on page 22 Continued on page 21