SPORTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OF
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ac
      here
      is
      something
      very
      exciting
      about
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      American
      Hockey
      League.
     
    

    
     
      When
      the
      Civic
      Centre
      hosted
      two
     
     
      American
      Hockey
      League
      games
      between
      the
     
     
      St.
      John’s
      Maple
      Leafs
      and
      the
      Moncton
     
     
      Hawks--the
      farm
      teams
      of
      the
      Toronto
      Maple
     
     
      Leafs
      and
      the
      Winnipeg
      Jets--on
      the
      fifth
      and
     
     
      sixth
      of
      March,
      near-capacity
      crowds
      packed
     
     
      into
      the
      Civic
      Centre
      for
      both
      games.
      The
     
     
      weekend
      proved
      that
      hockey
      is
      more
      important
     
     
      to
      many
      Islanders
      than
      storm-warnings.
      The
     
     
      fans
      were
      impressed
      with
      the
      action
      in
      both
     
     
      games;
      fighting
      is
      still
      a
      crowd-pleaser
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Charlottetown.
      St.
      John’s,
      the
      ‘‘home’’
      team.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      for
      the
      weekend,
      won
      both
      of
      the
      games
      to
      the
     
     
      pleasure
      of
      the
      crowd.
      The
      baby
      Leafs
      are
     
     
      returning
      to
      the
      Civic
      Centre
      on
      the
      eighteenth
     
     
      of
      March
      for
      a
      game
      against
      Island-favourite
     
     
      Rick
      Vaive
      and
      his
      Hamilton
      Canucks,
      the
      farm
     
     
      team
      for
      the
      Vancouver
      Canucks.
     
    

    
     
      I
      found
      both
      of
      the
      games
      to
      be
      very
      exciting
     
     
      and
      a
      lot
      of
      the
      excitement
      came
      from
      the
     
     
      players.
      I
      have
      seen
      live
      National
      Hockey
     
     
      League
      action,
      and
      some
      of
      the
      players
      in
      that
     
     
      game
      are
      well-known
      to
      most
      people
      who
      fol-
     
     
      low
      hockey.
      Guys
      like
      Brett
      Hull,
      Raymond
     
     
      Bourque,
      Cam
      Neely,
      Craig
      Janney
      and
      Adam
     
     
      Oates
      were
      on
      the
      ice
      that
      night.
      It
      was
      a
      great
     
     
      game;
      Brett
      Hull
      scored
      a
      hat
      trick
      and
      broke
      a
     
     
      goal-scoring
      record.
      I
      could
      hear
      Cam
      Neely
     
     
      yelling
      at
      some
      of
      the
      other
      players.
      :
     
    

    
     
      But
      the
      AHL
      games
      were
      equally,
      if
      not
     
     
      more,
      exciting.
      No
      real
      stars
      play
      for
      either
     
     
      team.
      The
      Leafs’
      Yannic
      Perreault
      is
      Toronto’s
     
     
      superstar-in-the-making,
      but
      he
      really
      was
      not
     
     
      all
      that
      impressive
      in
      the
      two
      games.
      Kent
     
     
      Manderville
      played
      for
      the
      Leafs;
      he
      helped
     
     
      Canada
      wina
      silver
      medal
      in
      the
      last
      Olympics.
     
     
      Russ
      Romaniuk
      was
      on
      the
      ice
      for
      the
      Hawks;
     
     
      fans
      saw
      a
      lot
      of
      Romaniuk
      on
      CBC
      during
      the
     
     
      Playoffs
      last
      season.
      Not
      very
      many
      of
      the
     
     
      players
      are
      well-known
      to
      anybody
      outside
      of
     
     
      AHL
      fans
      or
      an
      NHL
      team
      fan
      who
      takes
      the
     
     
      time
      to
      know
      the
      team’s
      prospects
      or
      veterans.
     
    

    
     
      So
      why
      were
      the
      games
      so
      exciting?
      I
      think
     
     
      part
      of
      the
      excitement
      comes
      from
      knowing
      that
     
     
      these
      are
      the
      players
      who
      will
      someday
      cause
      an
     
     
      impact
      in
      the
      NHL.
      For
      example,
      if
      Perreault
     
     
      becomes
      the
      player
      the
      Leafs
      are
      hoping
      he
      will
     
     
      become,
      it
      will
      be
      exciting
      to
      remember
      him
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      live
      games
      from
      the
      Civic
      Centre.
      ‘‘I
      saw
     
     
      Perreualt
      play
      once
      when
      he
      was
      just
      a
      kid.’’
      In
     
     
      the
      case
      of
      Russ
      Romaniuk,
      he
      became
      more
      of
     
     
      a
      hockey
      player
      in
      life;
      seeing
      him
      on
      CBC
      does
     
     
      not
      matter
      anymore.
      I
      am
      not
      saying
      that
      seeing
     
     
      tomorrow’s
      stars
      is
      more
      exciting
      than
      seeing
     
     
      today’s,
      but
      watching
      tomorrow’s
      stars
      elicits
      a
     
     
      feeling
      that
      the
      NHL
      cannot
      offer.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Ottawa
      Senators’
      organization
      has
      con-
     
     
      ditionally
      promised
      to
      give
      Prince
      Edward
      Is-
     
     
      landers
      their
      own
      AHL
      farm
      team.
      If
      3,000
     
     
      Islanders
      show
      their
      interest
      in
      the
      Senators’
     
     
      farm
      team
      (‘‘interest’’
      being
      defined
      as
      a
      fifty
     
     
      dollar
      pledge
      made
      before
      the
      end
      of
      March--
     
     
      one-tenth
      of
      the
      cost
      of
      a
      season’s
      ticket),
      then
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Senators
      will
      move
      their
      farm
      team
      to
      the
     
     
      Island
      for
      next
      season.
     
    

    
     
      But
      the
      Canadian
      government
      has
      already
     
     
      set
      the
      precedent
      for
      allowing
      more
      senators
      on
     
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      than
      the
      number
      allotted
     
     
      by
      our
      population;
      it
      was
      part
      of
      the
      agreement
     
     
      with
      which
      the
      Island
      entered
      Confederation.
     
     
      According
      to
      this
      federal
      precedent,
      the
      Sena-
     
     
      tors’
      organization
      should
      concede
      to
      putting
     
     
      their
      farm
      team
      on
      the
      Island
      even
      if
      the
      num-
     
     
      bers
      are
      not
      high
      enough;
      that
      is,
      if3,000
      people
     
     
      do
      not
      pledge
      to
      the
      season’s
      ticket.
      Perhaps
     
     
      John
      Ferguson
      should
      be
      made
      aware
      of
      this
     
     
      fact.
      @
     
    
   
   
    
     
      U.P.E.1.
      sports
      scene
     
     
      comes
      to
      an
      end
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Todd
      Petrie
     
     
      he
      1992-93
      athletic
      season
      came
      to
      an
     
     
      end
      last
      Saturday
      as
      the
      U.P.E.I.
      Lady
     
     
      Panthers
      lost
      to
      the
      University
      of
      To-
     
     
      ronto
      82-58.
      The
      A.U.A.A.
      champions
      won
      the
     
     
      right
      three
      weeks
      ago
      in
      the
      A.U.A.A.
      playoffs,
     
     
      which
      they
      hosted,
      thanks
      to
      a
      thrilling
      91-87
     
     
      win
      over
      the
      St.
      Fx
      Lady
      Xaverians.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Panthers
      went
      to
      Victoria
      on
      a
      winning
     
     
      streak,
      but
      the
      competition
      in
      BC
      would
      be
     
     
      provided
      by
      some
      of
      the
      top
      women’s
      basket-
     
     
      ball
      teams
      in
      the
      country.
      Many
      of
      this
      year’s
     
     
      Top
      Eight
      finalists
      also
      participated
      in
      last
     
     
      year’s
      CIAU’S,
      hosted
      at
      the
      Sports
      Centre,
     
     
      including
      the
      Winnipeg
      Wesmen
      and
      the
      Victo-
     
     
      ria
      Vikes.
      The
      Victoria
      squad,
      last
      year’s
      win-
     
     
      ners,
      went
      through
      their
      second
      consecutive
     
     
      perfect
      season,
      posting
      a
      20-0
      record.
      But,
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Western
      League
      finals,the
      Vikes
      were
      upset
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Winnipeg
      and
      would
      advance
      to
      the
      Nationals
     
     
      only
      as
      the
      host
      squad.
      The
      lady
      Panthers,
     
     
      widely
      assumed
      to
      be
      seeded
      eighth,
      breathed
      a
     
     
      sigh
      of
      relief
      as
      Victoria
      was
      yanked
      from
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      number
      one
      position.
      Since
      the
      eight
      seed
      would
     
     
      play
      number
      one,
      U.P.E.I.
      would
      not
      play
      Vic-
     
     
      toria
      in
      the
      opening
      round.
      Nevertheless,
      Win-
     
     
      nipeg
      received
      the
      number
      one
      posting,
      thanks
     
     
      to
      winning
      the
      Western
      League
      championship
     
     
      and
      a
      32-1
      record,
      and
      would
      face
      the
      Panthers
     
     
      in
      the
      opening
      round.
      The
      Panthers,
      huge
      under-
     
     
      dogs
      heading
      into
      the
      game,
      played
      well
      and
     
     
      kept
      pace
      with
      the
      Winnipeg
      team.
      But,
      the
     
     
      Wesmens’
      superior
      offensive
      skills
      outmatched
     
     
      U.P.E.I.
      and
      they
      went
      on
      to
      a
      decisive
      96-80
     
     
      win.
      The
      Panthers,
      out
      of
      contention
      now
      for
     
     
      first
      place,
      were
      relegated
      to
      the
      consolation
     
     
      round
      against
      the
      other
      first
      round
      loser,
      Uni-
     
     
      versity
      of
      Toronto.
      On
      Saturday,
      despite
      Lori
     
     
      Knickle’s
      22
      points
      in
      her
      final
      game
      as
      a
     
     
      Panther,
      lost
      82-58,
      and
      the
      Panther’s
      highly
     
     
      successful
      year
      was
      over.
      In
      a
      rematch
      of
      the
     
     
      western
      League
      final,
      Winnipeg
      played
      Victo-
     
     
      ria.
      In
      the
      final
      game
      the
      Wesmen
      proved
      their
     
     
      earlier
      victory
      over
      Victoria
      was
      no
      fluke
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      continued
      on
      next
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
      17