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THE MILLENIUM SQUAD:
Meet the new Waxers The team is made up of a good mixture of veterans and first-year players, youthful players and older players. The coaching staff has done its best to create a team that can play any style necessary. The South Division will be extremely competitive and the teams play in a wide variety of arenas from the cavernous Pickering home rink to the cozy Wexford digs. The Waxers boast a lineup featuring seven 1983-born players, seven 1982-born players, five 1980-born players and five players bron in 1979. The players suting up for the 1999-2000 Waxers hail from all over, with players from Markham all the way to Langhorne, Pennsylvania and Anaheim Hills, California. The leadership for this year's squad will come from a variety of sources, however, the Waxers have named 3-year veteran Kevin Tompkins as Team Captain. Kevin will be helped out by the four Alternate Captains: Chris Petracco, David Colucci, Rob Mazzuca and Lawne Snyder. Because we provided you with an earlier article about our returning veterans, we take this opportunity to introduce our fans to our newcomers. In goal, Unionville resident Chris DelRosario steps up from the Markham Waxers Bantam team where he played in 1998-99. Del is a quick and agile goalie who was used last season by the Waxers on more than one occasion so he is no stranger to goalie coach Jeff Laceby. Look for Del to make the best of his chances between the pipes this season. On defense, there are three new faces joining the four returnees. Locals Mike Stoyan (brother of returning blueliner Alex Stoyan) and Mike Harding both played last season with the Markham Waxers Midget team. Playing similar styles, Harding and Stoyan play a conservative and physical game. The third newcomer on the blueline is Mike Carlesimo who toiled last season for the Toronto Young Nationals Bantams. Mike is a calm and patient defenseman who will be a solid contributor at both ends of the rink this season. Up front, eight first-year players join the squad and will complement the strong returning corps at forward. James Regan makes the jump from North Toronto Minor Midget AA and brings a feisty game to the centre position. Strong on his skates and smart both with and without the puck, look for Regan to adapt to the Junior game quickly. Pat Ferris joins the team from Langhorne, PA after playing last season with Buck's County. A powerfully strong centre, he has already earned the nickname "Crash" for his reckless abandon driving the net. Pat will add a physical presence up the middle this year. The other American is Donald Johnson, who came to the Waxers from Anaheim Hills, CA where he played both ice and roller hockey. His coach in roller hockey is Waxer and NHL alumnus Jim Thomson. Donald has a terrific touch around the net and with his size look from him to be a permanent fixture in the slot. Jesse Olden makes the jump to the Waxers after playing last season with the North York Canadians Bantams, the GTHL Champions and Kobe Cup participants. Jesse is a tireless worker who will finish every check, is an asset at both ends of the rink and has a history of showing up big in the big games. Greg Chambers moves to the Waxers after playing last season with the Toronto Red Wings Midgets. A big guy with incredibly soft hands, Greg has a heavy shot and an uncanny knack of finding pucks that no one else seems to locate. An excellent goal scorer but a player who is extremely unselfish with the puck as well. Jason Young was a teammate of Chambers last season and will play the left side for the Waxers this season. Jason can contribute to all aspects of the game and in all zones with his great combination of speed and desire. Paul Robinson will also suit up on the left wing after spending last season with the York Simcoe Express Bantams. Paul is a powerful skater who is great at blowing by defensemen to the outside and bulling his way to the net. Smaller in stature, Paul will surprise many with his power. Paul shows a good touch around the net and moves the puck in a quick, creative manner. The final newcomer to the forward corps is Ryan Steane, a Unionville resident who played last season with the Wexford Midgets. Big and strong, Ryan causes a lot of traffic in the front of the net and is hard to move out of the slot. An up and down style winger, Ryan is very responsible defensively and will certainly chip in at the offensive end as well. As mentioned previously, the veterans will be expected to be leaders and role models for these newcomers to the Waxers, however, the first-year Waxers will certainly do their part to make an impact this season. The future looks bright for this collection of newcomers, and in turn, the Markham Waxers in teh 1999-2000 season.
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