West Island sports highlights

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

With 2006 coming to an end, let’s look back at local sports stories that made headlines.

In hockey, the Lac St. Louis girls’ peewee squad went undefeated in the Dodge Cup provincial hockey tournament in the Outaouais to become the third girls’ all-star team to capture a provincial crown since the prestigious tournament began in 1978. Meanwhile, defenceman Marc-Édouard Vlasic’s Quebec Remparts defeated goaltender Josh Tordjman’s Moncton Wildcats in last May’s Memorial Cup junior hockey final. Vlasic, a Beaconsfield native, would go on to secure a spot in September with the NHL San Jose Sharks while Tordjman, a Kirkland native, is now with the American Hockey League San Antonio Rampage.

In baseball, the bantam AA major (second-year players) Lakeshore-Trois-Lacs Yankees captured the Montreal Metropolitan Baseball League championship. It was the third title for a Yankees organization that had never ever won one heading into this season. The mosquito and peewee minor (first-year players) Yankees also won crowns. Meanwhile, Pierrefonds resident Dan Nathan became the first manager to ever lead a Lac St. Louis provincial bantam squad — which included Pierrefonds resident Shasha Lagarde of the Lac St. Louis Cardinals, who would go on to be named bantam AA player of the in Quebec — to a gold medal and consequently a trip to the national championships. At the university level, Kirkland resident Michael Tomasetta enjoyed a tremendous Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association championship tournament in Nepean, Ont., both on the mound and at the plate to help lead the McGill Redbirds to a national title.

In football, the bantam AAA North Shore Lions captured an unprecedented 29th provincial title while the North Shore Chargers captured their first-ever Montreal Metropolitan Senior Football League provincial championship. Meanwhile, Pierrefonds resident Sammy Okpro received his second-consecutive Canadian Interuniversity Sport first-team all-Canadian defensive award.

In soccer, the Lac St. Louis Lakers boys’ AAA under-18 Blue side and the Dorval-based Eurocan Dorval Outremont United over-35 women’s squad won gold at respective national club championships while the under-16 boys’ Lakeshore United AA club side won gold at the Saputo Cup provincial tournament. As well, Ile Bizard resident Jonathan Bourgault made the Canadian men’s under-20 squad and participated in two international caps while Baie d’Urfé native Rhian Wilkinson continued to be a big part of the Canadian senior women’s team. On the university scene, Kirkland’s Shari Fraser of the McGill Martlets earned first-team all-Canadian status for the second consecutive season while Senneville’s Jamie Scholefield of the McGill Redmen and Pointe Claire native Katherine Baker of Memorial University, were named second-team all-Canadians. Finally, in high-school action, St. Thomas defeated Macdonald to capture gold in the Greater Montreal Athletic Association final.

In basketball, the midget AAA Brookwood Lady Bullets and John Abbott Islanders men’s AA squad captured provincial titles while the juvenile AA West Island Lakers’ girls, bantam AA Brookwood girls, and bantam AA Ile Perrot boys captured playoff championships.

In rugby, the Dollard des Ormeaux-based Montreal Barbarians capped off one of its most successful seasons as a club. Its men’s premier side captured a division title as well as Quebec and Bardon Cups while its premier women’s side also won a Quebec Cup.

In outdoor swimming, Dollard-based Elm Park Pool won the North Shore Aquatic Association Big Meet division A final for the seventh consecutive season while the Ile Perrot Aquatic Club captured its second consecutive Association of Lakeshore Pools section A final. In synchronized swimming, Beaconsfield’s Camille Bowness of the Dollard Synchronized Swimming Club earned a prestigious spot on the national under-15 squad and will compete at the upcoming Canada Winter Games.

In ringette, Pierrefonds’ Carolyn Bogusz was inducted into the Canadian Ringette Hall of Fame in the athlete category while finally in sprint canoeing, Pointe Claire native Tom Hall of the Pointe Claire Canoe Club paddled second on a Canuck crew boat that captured silver in the C-4 1,000-metre event, behind perennial powerhouse Germany at the International Canoe Federation Senior World Championship regatta in Szeged, Hungary.