SPORTS Sports Dept. Jeff Gabert 365-5579 he Castlegar Su Ww ESDAY, January 4, 19 Starting to roll The Rebels have begun a roll that might end with a KIJHL championship JEFF GABERT Sun rts Many people are hoping 1995 will bring drastic and beneficial changes in their lives. Rebels, in general, have always been agents of change but the group of Castlegar hockey players who call themselves the Rebels don't want to‘change a thing and hope to continue their 1994 winning ways well into the new year. ‘They ended-off“94-with-a-7-3 drubbing of the Spokane Braves last Friday night and look to have a solid hold on first place in the KIHJHL's South Division. They are nine points up on the second place Rossland Warriors with 15 games left in the season and they are looking to use those remaining games to prepare for the playoffs. Friday’s game was an excellent opportunity for the Rebels to start the puck rolling towards the play- offs with the last place Braves taking to the ice of the Complex. The Rebels were still missing a few of their starting players because of extended Christmas vacations, but Bill Phillips and Darren Belanger were called up from the Castlegar Midget team to fill the positions. Head coach Garry Sauert's biggest problem on the night was a thin defence. He had only two defenseman (Grady Moore and Jeff Evdokimoff) dressed for the game and that number eventually dropped to one after Moore was éjected for fighting in the second period. But the Rebels adapted by putting Mike Hunter and Kevin MacGillvray back on the blue line. It seemed many Rebel players other than Moore had some end- Wade Burt is one of the Rebels young guns this season as evidenced by this skillful snipe on Spokane's Brain Powers. Burt had two goals Friday. pose of. Todd Doyle and Jeff Moffat were also sent to the dressing room after some knuck- le aerobics. Doyle must now sit out this Friday's game against Beaver Valley because he picked up his third-fighting misconduct of the season. Coach Saver isn’t keen on the fighting but says his team won't shy away from playing tough. “We don’t encourage it [fight- ing},” said Sauer. “If the game is going rough we'll play a physical game but we'll play clean. But it was entertaining for the fans and overall [Doyle’s suspension] is our son. Basically it’s part of the game and sometimes it’s necessary.” With the loss of key veterans like Doyle and Darren Pottle, who was sent off for hitting from behind, many of the younger players were forced to step. their game up. Wade Burt led the charge with two goals and even the two Midget players managed to add a couple assists. Defen- sively, the Rebel goal was almost SUN SPORTS PHOTO / Jeff Gabert “Les has improved a 100 per- cent since the beginning of the season,” said Rebel goaltending coach Randy Kirby. “He’s getting the basics down now and he’s doing great for a kid who’s never réally been taught. He made the big saves when he had to tonight, he just got tired near the end.” ~ The Rebels are now looking ahead to two tough home games against Beaver Valley and as g der Les Barry carried a shutout into the 11 minute mark of the third peri- od. Barry faced 32 shots on the night and has showed steady first fighting susp this sea- ip all season. Cc Valley this the Complex. They have handled Beaver Valley with case this sea- son but have been beaten in both See ROLLING 10A of-the-year aggression to dis- Sicamous Eagles Golden Jr. Rockets Revelstoke Grizzlies — As of December 30th, 1994 — GP WwW L_ T POINTS 50 Columbia Valley Rockies- 41 North Okanagan Kings 38 21 6 Sidelines A Deposit on a Bright Hockey a : The only thing kids love doing more playing hockey is open- ing up Christmas gifts. But seeing as how Christmas only comes once a year, they have a lot more time to play hockey and they always try to ize the enjoy If you have wi d any young players of the Castlegar Minor Hockey Association you will certainly notice how energized they are and also how well they are dressed. That's because every year they hold a massive bottle drive to fund new uniforms and goalie equipment to make Castlegar's budding NHL stars shine brighter. The bottle drive this year will be January 7, 1995 starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 1:30 p.m.. So keep yur bottles by the door, and support Castlegar minor hockey. Helping out Sergey An article in The Castlegar Sun ‘on Dec. 14 entitled “Giving the gift of friendship” showed the amazing reception of Ukrainian hockey phenom Sergey Varlamov into our commun)- ty. Many people banded together to buy him new hockey equipment and have also helped him become better aquainted with our society. Most of those were named in the article and accompanying photo but some were forgotten. Those unsung heroes are Martin Sanders, Billy Voykin, Pete Saliken, Brian Bucci, Mike Davidoff and Pete Evdokimoff. This list will undoubtedly continue to grow as Sergey mects many new friends during his time in Canada and the Kootenays. Racin’ Big Red Mountain Racers, in a ciation,-are gearing up to host the event once again this year on Jan. 7 and 8 at Red Mountain. It will be a good opportunity to see a whole new crop of fine racers from the mountain that has produced Olympian skiiers like Nancy Greene-Raine and Kerrin Lee-Gart- ner. Races staft each day at 10 a.m.. For more information, call Red Mountain at 362-7384. Castle Bow! Results, Dec. 19-22 Mon. Golden Age Wed. Mixed 7-9 L.H.S. Madge Hollington 277 L.H.S._ Charlene McIntosh LH.T. Molly Bonderoff 633 L.H.T. Charlene Mclntosh M.H.S. Walter Kinakin M.H.S. Bob Branning M.H.T. Walter Kinakin M.H.T. Bob Branning Mon. YBC Seniors ‘Thurs. Mixed 7-9 LHS. Stacey Planidin LHS. Velda Handley LH.T. Stacey Planidin L.H.T. Velda Handley M.H.S. Derek Handley MHS. Roland Handley M.H.T. Derek Handley M.H.T. Jim Feeney Mon. Mixed 7-9 LHS. Irene Conroy LHT. Irene Conroy M.HLS. Dave Shalanski M.H.T. Dave Shalanski Tues. Coffee L.H.S. Muriel White L.H.T. Muriel White ‘Tues. Mixed 7-9 LHS. Maroélle Wright LHT. G Akselson MHS. J jetsko MHLT. Alex ikoff Key: L.HLS.- Ladies High Score LHT.- Ladies High Total M.HS.- Mens High Score M.H.T.- Mens High Total L.H.4.- Ladies High Four M.H.4.- Mens High Four + no leagues bowled between Christmas and New Year's. The next full report will be next week. CASTLEGAR REBELS Rossland Warriors G.F. Border Bruins pok Braves Mike Hunter of the Rebels shows ex-Rebet coach Wayne Saliken a new trick during the annual Rebel/Ex- Rebel game held last Wednesday at the Complex. shootout losses are cou Beaver Valley Nite Hawks 2 POINTS 19 41 16 «12 32 9 11 18 22 re 18 0O| 18 25 16 16 Note: Shootout wins are counted as two-points and a win while inted as one-point and a tie. COMMERCIAL HOCKEY INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS NAME TEAM GOALS | ASST | TOTAL N. Hyson Dexters 28 57 85 D. Kazakoff Sports Centre 35 67 D. Knowler Dexters 29 53 K. Kazakoff Dexters 26 52 G. Campbell | Sports Centre Bd Ea 49: D. i Pressure Wash 21 45 W- Saliken Dexters 22 44 C. Mercer Sports Centre 21 43 Usually January means sports exhaustion for hard-core fans. Usually the action is spectacular, the plays are spell-binding and the feats are stupendous. Usually the remote control needs new batteries and the easy chair a little grease. But 1994 was not a usual year. And if there was any year in sports more unusual than last year it will probably be this year. It’s really too bad because everything seemed so perfect at the beginning of last year. The Winter Olympics‘ were bound to light up our life, the Blue Jays and Expos both had strong clubs and the Vancouver Canucks finally showed their potential. But just like Elm Street before Fred, it was all one big illusion that has now turned into a house of horrors. Elvis Stojko lived but it was an attempted triple klutz team who attacked Nancy Kerri- gan that made headlines. The Expos were hot but not éven a dip in the Columbia will cool you off any quicker than a good labor strike, and the situation in baseball is still extremely frigid. Then came magical Bure and the upstart Canucks. They lost to the Rangers in seven but vowed to be back They still aren't back, eyen though the riot police might be ready for them this time with a new stock of holstered camcorders The only true savior was football. The Lions proved the Canadian style is as unpre- dictable as it is exciting in winning the only. professional Cup awarded in Canada last year and it may be the'only one this year as well, But, as any good American will tell 1995: a sporting year best forgotten? you, you can fit more in a bowl than a cup, so don’t expect to see many more. That is if we see anything ‘at all in 1995. Usually sports prognosticators are coming out of the woodwork giving their perilous predictions for the new exciting sports year. But those sports analysts can't seem to see the forest through the trees this year and it JEFF GABERT isn’t Stephen Owen’s fault. The big stories of *95 won't be found in hard fought champi- onships but rather by sneaky tactics in Amer- ican courtrooms. A quick look at the most interesting sports action of-the year-isn’t all that encouraging. Orenthal .will try his open field moves on twelve of his peers, baseball owners will try to keep a .500-batting average while striking out the player’s union and Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow will take fighting in the game of hockey to a whole new level. No blood, unquestionably no guts and def- initely no glory. We are facing a referendum this year and I’m not talking about the one Chretien’s worried about. It’s much more important than that. It’s time for the fans to decide what we want from sports. As impossible as it seems, the Ford Bronco must be forgotten,.the salary cap must be buried and the games. must go on. Sports are and will always be an escape from the daily pressures of life. Fans don’t care about money and they don’t care about the admissibility of DNA evidence. They care about the championship team, the hard- fought victory and the unbelievable plays. The revolution has already begun with one of the most successful World Junior Hockey Championships ever and it should continue with some exciting basketball-and maybe a few descent NFL games. And for dessert maybe *95 will include another heart- pounding Canada Cup series. Many people don’t even miss hockey and baseball at this point and it is really unlikely they will. This may not be the best vear for sports of all time but it should be a year that proves that the true sports fan is indestructible. And after all is said and done, the fans will flock back to baseball and hockey in record numbers. They will ride the roller- coaster of emotion once more and they will put this time of turmoil behind them. _ So here's to 1995 - the year of the sap who will always adapt and never die. h D. Weir Pressure Wash : 23 43 K. Keraiff Koot Computers 22 38 ae a ¢, CASTLEGAR REBELS vs BEAVER VALLEY Friday, Jan. 6 at 8:00 pm, Complex @ CASTLEGAR REBELS vs COLUMBIA VALLEY Saturday, Jan. 7 at 8:00 pm, Complex VOLLYBALL SLAMMIN' ¢ SAINTS-on break until Jan. 19 BASKETBALL JAMMIN' ¢ SHSS SR. GIRLS vs SALMO Wednesday, Jan. 4 at SHSS Gym, 5:00 pm ¢ SHSS JR. GIRLS vs MT. SENTINEL Monday, Jan, 9 at SHSS Gym, 4:00 pm ¢ SHSS JR. GIRLS vs ROSSLAND Wednesday, Jan. 11 at SHSS Gym, 4:00 pm If you have a sideline, call Jeff at 365-5579 Wednesday, January 4, 1995 The Castlegar Sun you beat him too. Tiny talented tackler! Steven Accardo shows Ivo Amaral a thing or two about tackling tenacity in indoor soccer. Ivo along with-his brother Herb and father Carlos have been coaching young kids of all ages at a special two-hour practise every week at Twin Rivers Elementary School. The practises are free and open to all interested in getting out of the house and playing some indoor soccer. The empha- sis is on fun and girls as well as boys are encouraged to participate. The sessions begin again on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. and will run every Wednesday until March. If you are interested just show up on Wednesday and maybe Ivo will let SUN SPORTS PHOTO / Jeff Gabert 100% B.C. OWNED & OPERATED = - “Are you tired of _ TURKEY? Look what . IGA has for you , J From Deli Buy 100g. of any regular priced luncheon meat. . Get 100 g. of cooked ham for 4 O. Reden. ¢ MICRO- . WAVE POPCORN 297 g. box /100 g. 538 Submitted There have been big changes to the 1994-95 curling season, due to the new “Season of Cham- pions” format introduced nation- ally by the Canadian Curling Association. The format changes the schedule for most national events, spreading out the champi- onships over a three month peri- od, and increasing the television coverage for the sport There has, been some impact .on the curling competitions is B.C. that lead to these national events. Many regional and provincial playoffs have been moved to earlier time slots. It may take pne season of play to test out the new schedule, and let curling clubs avoid conflicts with their local bonspiels. The one thing that hasn’t changed is that the BC championships will still be held throughout the province, involving communities of all sizes in the hosting of these major competitions. The first was the BC Mixed championship held Dec. 9-11 at the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver. In prior years, this event has been held in Febru- ary, so the teams were preparing months earlicr. + The senior men and women also faced off before Christmas in the provincial championships. The senior men played in an eight team triple knockout event, Dec. 16-18 in Castlegar. The senior women’s event went Dec. 12-18, in a 10 team round robin- format at the Duncan Curling Club. Most seniors had their competitive curling season over before the New Year, leaving them more time for club and bonspiel play. January is the month for com- petitive junior curling in B.C., The big change for junior curlers is that the eligibility requirements were revised this year to bring Canadian rules in line with World Curling Federation regulations. Junior curlers.can now be up,to 20 years of age (an increase of one year). Junior women go to the Langley Curling Club from Jan. 9-15, while the junior men are in Prince Rupert from Jan. 13-15. B.C. women curlers assemble at the Delta Thistle Curling Club, Jan. 23-29, for their 10 team round robin championship. This event is always competitive, with many former provincial, national and world champions competing in regional play each year. B.C. teams havé proven to be the best in Cana- da seven times in the 34 year histo- Silver Rattle ANTIQUES ___ Bast atiches to all for 1998 301-11TH Ave. (Tuups Buioine) 365-5191 Upcoming curling events ry of the national event, second only to Saskatchewan at ten wins. Check out-the action in Delta, as the teams battle for the right to carry B.C.’s colors to the Scott Tournament of Hearts this season. You're invited to “test your Brier seat” when the men take the ice in Kamloops, Feb. 16-19. The 1996 Labatt Brier (Canadian men's curling championship) will be held in the same new arena as this year’s provincial event. The defending men’s BC, Canadian and Werld Champions, the Rick Folk from Kelowna, hope to be back defending their _provin- cial title. One change with the BC event - it is now sponsored by Safeway, with the previous spon- sor. Labatt’s, providing other forms of assistance There will be over 150 hours of television coverage of national curling events this year. But, with B.C. events located in most regions of the province, curling fans can catch live action close to home during the next few 365-5514 2316 - 6th Ave., Castlegar Coacnes Comments: OF THE Posirion: Wing Ace: 18 Hometown: Kamloops, B.C. Favorite Prayer: Linden WweEeEKk Hesent: 6'1" “with the conversion to defence he played well. If all the guys played with all the heart and desire he brings to the rink not many teams would be beating us.” PANAGOPOULOS | PIZZA PLACE 2305 Columbia Ave fa