MULTIMEDIA

The Waxers struck quickly when Jason Duffy got credit for a goal, his 9th of the year when the puck caromed off his body behind the Oshawa netminder just past the two minute mark. Derek Doucette and Mark Mitchell picked up the assists.

The Legionaires played with a desperation that befit a club looking to advance in the standings and while most of the Waxers left their game in the dressing room (or so it seemed at times), Rick Marnon was left to fend for himself and often and turned away numerous Oshawa threats. Finally with less than five minutes remaining in the period the Legionaires tied it up after Marnon had made a spectacular stop only to watch helplessly as the resulting rebound was sent over top of him into the cage to tie the score at 1-1. Without the spectacular first period performance of Marnon this game might have been decided in the opening frame and not in the favour of the blue and white.

In the last minute of play of the first, Jason Young made no mistake when he was the recipient of a polite rebound, the puck came right to his stick, along the ice and flat, that goal sent the clubs to their first intermission with Markham on top 2-1. Paul Robinson and Robert Burrows drew the assists.

The Waxers started the second period with a purpose and after controlling the play for almost the entire time since the faceoff to start the frame, Duffy whipped home his second of the night, 10th of the year from Adam Doucette and Mark Menonte.

The Legionaires would recover to nullify the Waxer advantage and the score was tied at 3-3 heading into the third.

It wouldn't take the Waxers long to regain the advantage as Patrick Diotte fired home his first of the year (and his first Jr. A goal) from Kevin Tompkins and Jesse Boucher.

Seven minutes later Kevin Cribari made a great play, firing the puck while off-balance from the left of the Legionaire goal to make it 5-3. Cribari's 19th of the year was assisted by Tompkins and Diotte. That goal would turn out to be both the game winning marker and the final regular season goal of the 2000-01 campaign for the Waxers. Cribari's success is a tribute to his hard-nosed yet simple approach to the game, "work hard, work often and good things will happen", hockey is really a not a complicated matter when approached with that attitude.

Late in the period the Legionaires closed the gap to 5-4 on a powerplay to conclude all scoring.

To say this wasn't a Waxer masterpiece would be an understatement of some magnitude, however, it's a sign of a good hockey club that on off-nights they still manage to do enough to win on the scoreboard.

Also encouraging was the fact that the Waxers received goals from some sources that had been quiet in that department for some time.

Adam Doucette and Duffy were perhaps the two best forwards on the ice, in the first two periods, Doucette appeared at times to be the only Waxer who was willing to pay the price and dutifully finished off his checks all night.

Two outstanding defensive efforts were key to gaining the two points, Albert Ferrante made a great block and then later while the Waxers were working to kill off an extended penalty situation Marnon made a save only to have the puck trickle by him and just as it appeared that it would roll past the goal line for an Oshawa goal, Andy Schofield alertly made the "save of the game" when he slapped the puck out of harm's way and not a second too soon.

Now the Waxers practise as usual on Wednesday evening and following the conclusion of the Ajax/St. Michael's contest they'll finally find out who their first round playoff opponent will be.

Since the New Year the Waxers have streaked to a 9-1-1-1 (20 points out of a possible 26), that recent record is a true indication of the capability of the club as it coincided with the return of many injured players (numerous key contributors). There is no reason for Waxer fans to believe that their upcoming playoff journey will be anything but an extended one (leaving many broken hearts of opposing teams in their wake), our goal remains unchanged from the beginning of the year: Get to the Royal Bank Cup.

It is quite possible (even very likely) that there will not be any delay in launching the first round series there will unfortunately not be a lot of notice with respect to the schedule. We will of course publish the schedule as soon as it has been determined (which of course has to wait until the opponent has been confirmed).

G A M E   S T A T I S T I C S

No.

 G

A

PTS

PIM

PPG

SHG

GWG

TOTALS