For more see page 11 CITIZEN SPORTS FAX LINE 562-7453 E-Mall pgcnews@prg.southam.ca Carter feels Wheel pain Eng/Paulson win team event at UNBC skating/cycling relay by BRIAN DREWRY Citizen staff Rumon Carter knows no pain like the Wheel Thang. And that’s saying a lot about the grueling inline skating/mountain biking event held Sunday at UNBC. “This is about the most pain I’ve been in after a race,” said Carter, who won the individual advanced class in a time of two hours one minute 13 seconds. And Carter is not your everyday racer. He’s one of Prince George’s best cyclists, coming off helping a local foursome win the second annual Sea2Summit race in Whistler earlier this month. “To tell you the truth. Putting Citizen photo by Dave Milne Rumon Carter takes the lead in the inline skating half of Sunday. Wheel Thang relay at UNBC. Carter edged out Doug Dewar in the advanced individual category. mountain biking right after a grueling roller blade race is harder on the back and legs than the Sea2Summit,” added Carter. “At least the Sea2Summit was spread over two days.” Despite the sore limbs Carter managed to beat John Tolkamp’s winning time from last year’s Wheel Thing by more than four minutes. Tolkamp wasn’t around to push Carter because of duties with the national team in Quebec. “Not having John here didn’t make it any less painful,” Carter laughed. “But it was a lot of fun. Cycling on the (Cranbrook Hill) Greenway is just great.” Carter was second into his skates behind team event competitor Matt deNys after a 13-kilometre trek around UNBC. That gave Carter a big lead over advanced runner-up Doug Dewar as they headed to Forests for the World for the mountain bike portion. “I just helped organize the event last year so this year I dusted off thj* blades and figured I would give it • go,” added Carter, who got a $25 gift certificate for Buffalo Brewing Company for his efforts. The individual beginner winne# was Gareth Dyer who finished g shortened version of the course ig 52:09. « Chris Doucette was the individuaS intermediate winner with a time df 1:30:00. J In the team events, Team Dalla) (Dallas Eng and Chris Paulson) woq the advanced event, while Petrop* umpers (Ryan Veitch and Kieren O’Reilly) took the intermediate race] Clanwallace (Justin Grieves and Mark Kubert) was the top finishing beginner team. Forty-four competitors took part in the event, an increase of four over last year. See page 10 for further results. SEE YOUR BC FORD AND MERCURY DEALERS. P.G. to host 2000 women’s nationals? Citizen staff What was reported in Citizen last June is likely to be made official today. At a news conference this afternoon at the Civic Centre, Prince George is expected to be named host for the 2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts national women’s curiing championship. Members of the host committee will be in attendance to announce the event, which will be held in late February, 2000. The Multiplex would play host to the matches, while Kin 1 is expected to house the popular Heart Stop Lounge. HOCKEY WHL • Sunday results Portland 3 Cougars 2 Calgary 4 Lethbridge 3 Saturday results Saskatoon 4 Prince Albert 2 Kootenay 4 Red Deer 2 Portland 7 Kelowna 4 Medicine Hat 3 Lethbridge 2 Seattle 5 Kamloops 4 Swift Currents Moose Jaw 2 TVi-City 7 Spokane 2 Brandon 7 Regina 4 BCHL Sunday results Vernon 5 Langley 1 Victoria 5 Nanaimo 3 Saturday results Spruce Kings 12 Merritt 6 Penticton 5 Langley 4 Burnaby 3 South Surrey 1 Victoria 6 TVail 3 Quesnel 5 Powell River 1 BASEBALL American League Sunday results Toronto 2 Detroit 1 Boston 6 Baltimore 4 N.Y. Yankees 8 Tampa Bay 3 Chicago White Sox 7 Kansas City 6 Minnesota 6 Cleveland 2 Anaheim 4 Oakland 2 Texas 12 Seattle 6 Saturday results • Toronto 5 Detroit 4 (13 ings) Seatde 5 Texas 2 National League Sunday results St. Louis 6 Montreal 3 Florida 6-3 Philadelphia 5-7 Adanta 7 N.Y. Mets 2 ^Cincinnati 4 Pittsburgh 1 ‘Houston 4 Chicago Cubs 3 (11 inn) Colorado 9 San Francisco 8 Los Angeles 2 Milwaukee 1 Arizona 3 San Diego 2 Saturday results Montreal 7 St. Louis 6 FOOTBALL CFL Sunday Result Saskatchewan 27 Calgary 22 Saturday Results B.C. 34 Hamilton 31 Toronto 30 Edmonton 29 NFL Sunday Results Arizona 20 St. Louis 17 Denver 38 Washington 16 Green Bay 37 Carolina 30 Jacksonville 27 Tennessee 22 Kansas City 24 Philadelphia 21 New Orleans 19 Indianapolis 13 (OT) Oakland 13 Dallas 12 Pittsburgh 13 Seatde 10 New York Giants 34 San Diego 16 San Francisco 31 Adanta 20 Minnesota 31 Chicago 28 Baltimore 31Cincinnati 24 m BASEBALL: National League wild-card tiebreaker - San Francis co Giants at Chicago Cubs at 5 p.m onTSN (Cable 16). FOOTBALL: NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions at 5:20 p.m. on ABC (Cable 8). Morrow gets his digs in on Hawks leave Cats winless by JIM SWANSON Citizen Sports Editor PORTLAND, Ore. - The sign was there, prophetic as can be. “P.G.’s sorrow, we have Morrow.” The fans at Portland’s Memorial Coliseum know what Brenden Morrow is capable of. The first-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 1997 scored a pair of goals to lead the Winter Hawks to a narrow 3-2 win over the Prince George Cougars. In a game dominated by extra-man goals; Morrow showcased a quick release in providing the difference in the game. From the slot, iMorrow wired a snapshot past Cougar? netminder Scott Myers mid-way jhrough the third period. Morrow’s four goals in two games have helped the Hawks start defence of their Memorial Cup championship with a perfect opening weekend. The Cougars have a tie to show for the first two games. “We lost quite a few goals and assists with (Marian) Hossa and (Todd) Robinson being gone, so some of us guys are picking it up until the rookies feel like they have the jitters out in this league and can start playing up to par,” said Morrow. “There’s no pressure on us at all, there’s a lot of talk that we’re going to fall down because of all the guys we miss from last year.” Indeed, whenever Portland created a scoring chance, Morrow was in the middle-of it. The Winter Hawks scored the lone goal in a pedestrian first period. Cougars defenceman Jeff Zorn took an early penalty for hooking, and Morrow converted unassisted when he poked a loose puck past Myers. After struggling in the game’s first 30 minutes, the Cougars used the hard-work method to get themselves on the scoreboard, sweating it out on a couple of second-period power-plays. The Cats’ goals were remarkably similar - Ian Walterson’s point shot was deflected past screened Portland netminder Shaun Lee by Tyler Bouck, and Jeff Zorn’s long offering had eyes through traffic to give Prince George its first lead. Portland drew even at 2-2 early in the third when Hawks’ defender Harlan Pratt beat Myers from point-blank range, the fourth man-advantage goal of the contest. Pratt, 20, was picked up by the Hawks just before the season from the Regina Pats. For the second straight game, the Cougars neglected to put much pressure on a rookie goaltender. Lee, a 17-year-old freshman who is taking the place of injured Spruce City resident Jason LaBarbera, faced littie heat from Prince George except on the powerplay and finished with 30 saves. Myers was solid in stopping 28 shots. “We started off a little slow and we worked hard there on the powerplay Cougars, a to get a lead,” said Bouck, the Cougars’ captain. “Before the game we said with the rookie goalie we should shoot the puck a lot more, but we didn’t. I guess wti have to start driving wide and thrbw-ing it on net. “We need to work on that in practice and I’m sure we’re going to come around.” The Cougars pressed late for the equalizer, but couldn’t score with Scott Myers on the bench. KITTY LITTER: Scratched for the Cats were Garry Toor, Mike Bayrack, Dan Hamhuis, Dustin Ernest and Adam Loncan. The latter has a minor knee injury... Portland played without Andrew Ference and Bobby Russell, who remain at NHL camps... The Hawks were showing off the Memorial Cup at a pre-game barbeque. Ed Dempsey’s response? “I’ve had'that thing at my house,” said the Cats’ coach, who has three Memorial Cuj5 rings from his time in Kamloops..] Both teams were 2-6 on the powerplay... The Cougars host Spokane iri the home opener Tliesday. A perfect trio on the pitch for P.G. Croatia Defending champs beat Boston Pizza 1-0 in North Cariboo Senior Soccer League final by BRIAN DREWRY Citizen staff With the likes of Jon Lafontaine, Tien Mueller, Ante Cirko and Tom Brkich, P.G. Croatia is loaded with offensive and defensive talent. But the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League First Division regular season champions can thank the only Croatian player not wearing a checkered shirt for helping them get the playoff tide as well. Ivan Brkich made brilliant saves in the first five minutes and the last five minutes of Saturday’s final to help secure the second straight championship for Croatia. “He’s one of the best and today he showed why,” Croatia coach Nick Vukovic said, after his club edged Boston Pizza United 1-0. Brkich was called ito duty before anyone had worked Up a sweat. Five minutes after kickoff the lanky keeper came charging off his line and col- , lided with Boston Pizza striker Kurt Olineck inside the penalty area. Referee Glenn Thomp^jj&said Brkich purposely fouled th|j(jbrward and awarded a penalty shot; An incensed Brkictfgot back to his line and promptly nmfea great save , to rob Boston Pizza titptain Darryl McEwen of a sure goal. “I didn’t think it deserved a penalty kick,” Brkich said. “And I was just lucky I read (the shot) the right way.” Neither team seemed to want the win after that as the game slowed to a snail’s pace in the midfield. It wasn’t until Croatia’s dynamic duo of Mueller and Lafontaine connected with 12 minutes left that the game began to live up to expectations. Mueller grabbed a loose ball to the side of the net and slid a great feed across to Lafontaine who buried it for his third of the playoffs. That put Boston Pizza into desperation mode and if it wasn’t for Brkich and a little help from his defenders, Croatia might have been looking at overtime for the second straight year. With time ticking down and Boston Pizza all over the Croatia goal, Martin Power pounced on a loose ball 10 metres out and rifled a low shot that had back of the net written all over it. Or so it seemed. Out of nowhere the long arm of Brkich stretched out and just managed to tip it wide. “I just reacted on that one,” added Brkich. “I saw the ball leave his foot and thought oh-oh. Luckily I got a hand on it.” Off the ensuing corner, Croatia’s Fabio Stancati had to clear the ball off the line following a great header from Collin Payne. “We’re very disappointed,” Boston Pizza coach Daren Sears said. “We had high hopes going into this final and we fell short. We can’t say we didn’t have the chances either.” For Croatia, the win means the completion of their much sought after hat-trick. The talented club is the first team to ever win the regular season, the Rec Cup and the playoff titles. “I’m proud of our guys,” Vukovic added. “We didn’t play our best game (Saturday) and we still won. We were short players and using a lot of young guys and we still won. We set very high expectations for ourselves and it’s a great feeling for everyone to live up to them.” P.G. Croatia striker Jon Lafontaine (left) gets to the ball ahead of Boston Pizzat United’s Dallas Guzwell during Saturday's North Cariboo Senior Soccer League Division 1 final at Exhibition Park. Croatia won 1-0. See other story on Page 11* Jk 12 - The Prince George Citizen - Monday, September 28,1998 JIM SWANSON Sports Editor 562-2441 Ext. 400 T0U6H AS FORD F-SERIES: #1 BEST-SELLING LINE OF TRUCKS IN CAN/