Saturday, January 11, 1992 @

Tlooked at my calendar Wednesday
morning and there, penciled in beside
make dentist appointment,was Rebels
column.

“Oh no,” I said to no one in particu-

When I wrote that reminder in
November I was expecting to write a
column about the revamped Rebels. A
refreshingly positive column about
the team’s great new coach, a revital-
ized organization and a winning hock-
ey team that fans just can’t wait to get
in to see.

I mean, before the season started I
picked the Rebels to win the Kootenay
International Hockey League’s West
Division. Thank God nobody remem-
bers that. And so much for my predic-
tions. (I’m also dead last in the staff
hockey pool).

“Just pretend you didn’t see thé cal-

think you have it in for the hockey -:
team are only going to have that mis-
guided opinion confirmed i in their own
minds if you write acolumn about the
team that is anything less than a ref-
erence letter.

And who needs negativity at atime
like this? The recession they told us
was over isn't. All hell looks like it’s go-

endar reminder,” I said to myself. You .
~| know damn well those people who

ing to break loose in what was the
USSR. The Castlegar-Robson ferry’s
gone for good and the President of the
United States barfed at a state lun-
cheon in Japan. I’m depressed enough
without talking about the Rebels.

“T’ve got it,” I said. Damn the torpe-
does and go with what you were orig-
inally planning to do with this column.
There has to be a lot of positive ele-
ments in our Junior B hockey team,
doesn’t there? Sure there does. You
just have to look at it in a certain way.

Okay, so the coach and a couple of
players quit at the worst possible time
for the team. But golly gee Beaver,
perhaps their life experience will be
more gratifying and productive in a
different location. Gosh Wally, some-
day they might even lead our country
from economic malaise and figure out
who really shot JFK.

Can't argue with that.

Perhaps the team will benefit from ‘:.

the departures in the sense that it will
become a stronger, more tightly-knit
unit with the loss of people it had come
to know and love.

Be positive ‘til it frurts, 4 is my mot-
to. Are you buying it?

is then:

Okay, so the Rebels are on their

worst losing streak of the season and

Pass the barf-bag, please

Free
Agent

Ed MILLS |

has a better chance of winning the
Lotto 6/49, twice, then finishing first
in its division. But, holy positivity Bat-
man, isn’t that exactly.the kind of stuff
that builds character in a team? Isn't
the team’s current situation the stuff
dreams are made of? The classic rags

to riches story, the worst-to-best sce-

narios. Isn’t it true, — as Ghandi or
somebody like that once said — that
the Rebels have no where to go but up
now, that the team’s future is as bright
as it can be? I mean, isn’t it always
darkest before the dawn? °

Tm rolling now.

Okay, so there’s been some on and
off-ice disciplinary problems with

some players. But, heh, heh, boys will
be boys and sometimes they just have
to sow their wild oats before they grow
into handsome young men with
spunky wives and lovely, well-behaved
children.

Dale Carnegie doesn’t have a thing

-on me.

This here, Billy Joe Bob, is a talent
laden team, chock-full of as yet un-
tapped potential. As long as they keep
plugging away, keep their noses to the
grindstone and give 110 percent every
night, they'll be fine.

Only a naysayer would venture a
comment suggesting there’s no evi-
dence the team is any better than its

record and placement in the standings -|

indicates. A truly positive person with
- the bluest of auras, like Mother Tere-
sa and myself, would say the Rebels
just haven’t got the breaks — a couple

_of bad bounces. You know, if one of |~__ =H

those goalposts had been a goal, if we
didn’t have those injuries and if those
darn refs would see both teams out
there the Rebels are a first-place team
instead of a last place team.

I don’t know about you, but my
mother told me this would happen if
I ate too many sweets. Uh, excuse me
George, could you pass the barf bag,
please? :

CLEANING HOUSE

Banjo
3ina

News Staff

: What a difference a new

’s makes it

row in "92

Wash.

year makes in the Castlegar
Recreational Hockey League.

Banjo’s Pub, which spent
most of the 1991 portion of the
season in the CRHL base-
ment, made it three wins in a
row in the new year Tuesday
with an 8-2 victory over Wood-
land Park Shell at the Com-
munity Complex.

The win keeps Banjo’s in
first place in the five-team
league, five points ahead of
Shell and Castlegar Pressure

Larry Price had a goal in
each period and set up anoth-
er to lead Banjo’s.

Wayne Salekin

But it wasn’t until the 15-
minute mark of the third be- _

CASTLEGAR RECREATIONAL
HOCKEY LEAGUE TO JAN. 6

w
Banjo’s Pub 13
Pressure Wash 11
Woodland Park Shell 10

fore Shell would beat Banjo’s

Se.
9 127 goaltender Rick Rogerson
7 e na again, as Kelly Keraiff scored

from Kevin Gay and Al Con-

News photo by Ed Mills

* Second John Horcoff chokes up on the broom while sweeping an opponent's rock through the
* fouse. Horcoff plays on one of two Castlegar rinks competing ‘in the Zone 1 Men’s Curling
. Playdowns eedecabe — at the Castlegar Curling Club today and tomorrow.

321
220

Kootenay Computers 9 9

Castlegar Sports 9 10 roy.

Wayne Salekin also had a

hat trick for Banjo’s, while Rob Py, 28Si8t; while Adrian

Arisman had a goal and four Wayne Zino, Bob Essaunce

assists. : and Frank Costa had two as-
Arismanscoredearlyinthe ict, Gaal

second to break a 1-1 tie, then Tim Hareotf took the loss in

Banjo’s broke it open with
unanswered goals.

Jim Nazaroff scored for
Shell at the midway point of
the first period, converting
passes from Benton Hadley

and t Tos nents 22-9.

Aaron Postnikoff scored
Banjo’s other goal and added

net for Shell, which is 1-1 in
~ new year and 10-11-2 over-

opie Ale aks cates, Ban-
jo’s has outscored its oppo-

ec. 4 1

y 11,1992"

@ Battle for first place
between Selkirk and
Castlegar lives up to
advance billing in
Kootenay West League

Ed Mills
SPORTS EDITOR

If you want the real story on
the Kootenay West Men’s Bas-
ketball League, it definitely
depends on where you look.
| Alook at the standings will

is easily the class of the league
with its 6-0 record.

At the opposite end of the
spectrum in the standings sits
RHC Realty with its 0-7 sea-
son mark.

But only a trip to the
Selkirk College gym Tuesday

the reality of the league. And
v that reality, in a word, is pari-
i ty.

| That parity was highlighted

; in a pair of overtime contests
| in the first league games after

the holiday break.

In the feature game, Castle-
gar Realty beat second-place
Selkirk College 87-81, while
Cowan Office Supplies denied
RHC its first win of the season
in a 69-65 victory.

The battle for first. place
lived up to its advance billing
as Selkirk built a 40-35 half-
time lead in its quest to avenge
its only loss of the season.

But for the second straight
meeting between the two

{ News Staff

here.

drive.

children.

about competitive racing.

the series Feb. 16.

the hustle of the tracks.

Cc

teams, Castlegar Realty out-
lasted Selkirk in overtime.
As he did the first time they
met, Wayne McCarthy did the
e for Castlegar with 30
points to lead all scorers.
John Ritchie had 19 points
for Castlegar, including two
free throws with 10 seconds

tell you that Castlegar Realty .

night would offer insight into—

The ski season isn’t coming — it’s already

That’s one of anumber of pitches the Castle-
gar Nordic Ski Club is using to attract mem-
bers during the final stage of its membership

The club is hoping to meet and surpass last
year’s membership total of 233 adults and 76

Among other things, the Club offers in-

struction on equipment and training for eyery-
one from beginners to those who are thinking

In the later category, the second leg of the
Kootenay Cup — a series of races sponsored by
cross-country ski clubs in Castlegar, Nelson

and Rossland — is set for the Blackjack area
Jan..11-12. The Cup race will be held in con-
junction with trials for the B.C. Winter Games

team. 2
The Castlegar Club hosts the final race in

Hi On the lighter side of the sport, club presi-
dent Dennis Holden is staging a mystery tour
} Jan. 26. The tour includes some of Holden’s fa-
| fa vorite off-track ski areas, for those who prefer
a) the beauty and peace of back-country skiing to

Club memberships and rental equipment
~ can be picked up at Mallard’s Ski and Sport in
astlegar.

left in the game that tied it at
7.

KOOTENAY WEST MEN’S BASKET-

BALL LEAGUE
W LPts

Castlegar Realty 6 0 12
Selkirk College 5§ 210
Cowan Office Supplies 3.3 6
Winlaw Pistons : 244

Wade Forester canned 23
points for Selkirk, which drops

who had 13 points and kept his
sense of humor for RHC.

Just like Selkirk, RHC had
a chance to win it with time

ing out in regulation, but
missed two free throws and a
rebound from the second free
throw.

“Our games are all very
close,” Zaitsoff said. “We feel
very encouraged. It could go ei-
ther way anytime.”

As he’s done all season for
Cowan, Chad - Coupland
burned up the court, hitting
consistently from the outside
for 30 points.

. “From where he shoots it’s
almost not worth going to
check him,” Zaitsoff said. “I
mean, he shoots from four-feet
outside the three-point line.I

Standings don’t tell story in men’s ball

to 5-2 on the season but re- think what you have to do is
mains in second place in the deal with the people who give
five-team league. him the ball.” _

Selkirk had a chance to win Garrett Turta chipped in
it in regulation, but missed a with 18 for Cowan, which
layup with two seconds left. evened its record at 3-3 and re-

“He was double-teamed
when he shot the ball, it wasn’t
an easy shot,” said Castlegar’ ‘Ss
Brian Turlock, who also had 19
points.

“Both teams missed a zillion
shots over the whole game
that would have decided a bit
earlier. So you can’t put the fo-
cus on that one shot,” he said.

In the other game, Eli
Soukeroff had 22 for RHC,
which came closer than it has
all season to its first win.

“We're just setting those
guys up, everybody makes the
playoffs,” said Norm Zaitsoff,

mains alone in third place.

It was Cowan’s second win
in three overtime games this
season.

RHC was down by 14 points
points at one point in the first
half but went into halftime
leading by a basket.

- The Winlaw Pistons, who

had a bye Tuesday, are back on
the court at the college this
Tuesday against Castlegar Re-
alty in the 7 p.m. game. Cowan
can climb within a two points
of Selkirk when those two
he. play in:the 8:30 p.m.

Castlegar Nordic Club gets
word out on ski season

News file photo
Castlegar Realty’s John Ritchie sank a pair of last-minute free
throws Tuesday night that sent the game against Selkirk College
into overtime, where Realty won it.

The Castlegar Nordic Club offers a variety of
fun and instructional programs for cross-coun-
try skiers of all abilities and experience.

‘|

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