PAGE 16, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1987 SPORTS __ Junior skaters defend title Victory! The Whitby Ice Crystals junior precision skating team overcame stiff competition to capture the Canadian title for the third year in a row at the national finals in Laval, Quebec over the weekend. "They were electric," said coach Çathy Dalton of her team members who won their flight and then the final with five first and two seconds from the judges. The Crystals overcame strong performances by Burlington and Unionville, the second and third- place teams overall. "That's the best junior final we've seen for a long time," said Dalton, noting thât teams made very few mistakes. Whitby's . novice team, the Ice Angels, just fell short of giving Whitby another title when they took the silver medal behind first place St. Leonard of Quebec. The Angels had also won the title the past two years. London Ice Picks were third in the novice competition. The Whitby novices had won their flight to reach the final. Dalton said 81 teams took part in the Laval competition. The Whitby teams will now take part in exhibitions and carnivals until the season ends in May. But the skaters will return to the ice in September for team practice, and Dalton already has musical ideas for that next season. Minor atoms win close series A 4-3 win in the fifth and deciding game of the Ontario minor atom final between Whitby and Kit- chener has earned the Whitby squad the title as the best minor atom team in Ontario. The game became necessary af- ter Kitchener tied the series at two games apiece. Whitby had won the first two games then Kitchener won last Wednesday night's game in Whitby 6-5. The series returned to Kitchener where the home team won 6-3, set- ting the stage for the final game Sunday afternoon in Brooklin. Kitchener took a 1-0 lead in the first period. But before the period was over, Andre Marois evened the count, placing a backhander By ROXANNE REVELER The Brooklin Redmen Lacrosse squad will start yet another season next Monday as they open their training camp at the Darlington sports complex. The camp will take up quarters at Darlington until April 27 when the team will move back to Brooklin's Luther Vipond Memorial Arena. And it looks as though this year's camp should be a good one as after a massive recreuiting drive. Some 50 potential players will be vying with last year's roster for a spot on the team. Among those who are expected to show up is western scoring ace Jim Meredith, who last season racked up the Western Lacrosse Association's scoring champion- ship as well as being named its *. most valuable player. Meredith has been a member of the Victoria Pay-less team for the past five years and last season tallied 43 goals and 42 assists for 85 points in the 24 games he played prior to the playoffs. A native of Huntsville, the 6' 190 lb. lefthanded shooter played his junior lacrosse with Rexdale Warriors. Since that time, he has consistently figured in the top five and won accolades for his scoring prowess throughout western Canada. over the shoulder of the Kitchener netminder. The score was tied 1-1 after the first period. Thirty seconds into the second, Tim Chai gave Whitby a one goal lead. Marois and Derek Young assisted. Despite adding another goal in the second by Paul Brooks, the atoms were outplayed by their Kit- chener counterparts. The heroics were left to goalie Stephen St. Amand who made four great saves in a short span to keep Whitby's two-goal lead. The teams went into the dressing rooms with Whitby ahead 3-1. Whitby held off a charging Kit- chener team for much of the third. Kitchener scored a goal with six minutes left to bring the score to 3-2 for Whitby. Whitby regained their two-goal lead a minute later when Andre Marois scored his second of the night. Kitchener, not giving up, then scored their third goal of the night. "I didn't think this would come down to a final game. You have to give Kitchener credit," said atom coach Brian Dillon after the game. "It could have gone either way," he said noting that Kitchener had the better of the play in the second period while Whitby dominated the third. After the game, the team was presented with a plaque as the best minor atom team in Ontario. But sweeter rewards were han- ded out later as team members dug into a victory cake. "You can't tell me that game wasn't exciting," said a jubilant Dillon. MINOR ATOM GOALIE Stephen St. Amand raises his arms in victory after the minor atoms beat Kit- chener 4-3 to win the Ontario atom championship. Free Press photo Craig Talent, Matt Muir, Jon Racicot, Paul Brooks; (back row) manager Stelfa Marois, coach Brian Dillon, manager Gerry Marois, assistant coach Jim Young. Young. Free Press photo Redmen to prepare for new lacrosse season . MEMBERS OF THE Ontario championship minor atom team are: (front row, 1-r) Mike Hogan, Andre Marois, Mike Wye, Stephen St. Amand, Jamie Hogel, Wayne Primeau, Paul Dillon, Timmy Chai; (middle row) Jeff Montaigue, Jimmy Brown, Derek Young, wcla