The Shiretown Blogger: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Woodstock Slammers to face Campbellton Tigers in MHL playoff action

The Woodstock Slammers are preparing to face the Campbellton Tigers in MHL playoff action.

Due to the fact that the Slammers clinched the President's Cup on February 4th, the top squad in the Meek Division and MHL will have the coveted home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

The series between the Slammers and Tigers will be a seven game series, with four of the games being hosted in Woodstock.

COME ON OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR SLAMMERS AS THEY FIGHT FOR THE KENT CUP!

Playoff tickets will be on sale Wednesday, February 29th and Thursday, March 1st from 6 to 8 pm both nights.

Dates: March 3rd, March 7th, March 11th, and March 16th

Package Cost Breakdown: Adult - $13.50 ($54.00 for package of four tickets)

Seniors and Students ages 13-18 - $11.50 ($46.00 for package of four tickets)

Students ages 5-12 - $7.00 ($28.00 for package of four tickets)

Walk-in Prices:

$14.50 - Adult

$12.50 - Seniors and Students ages 13-18

$8.00 - Students ages 5-12

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Slammers shut out Western Capitals in blasting 8-0 victory

Slammers defenseman Sam Caldwell seen here in action
against the Summerside Western Capitals on Friday, February
24th. The Slammers blasted the Western Capitals 8-0.

The Woodstock Slammers played their final home game of the 2011-2012 campaign against the Summerside Western Capitals.

The Slammers blasted their PEI rivals 8-0 in a shutout victory.

The contest was an exciting one. The Slammers played hard to keep their rivals off the board.

A crowd of 1,022 attendees helped to enrich the atmosphere which cannot be described in mere words.

With one goal and four assists (five total points), Tim Campbell led the Slammers in Friday night's game. Philip Fife pitched in with two goals and one assist.

Campbell opened the scoring nearly four and a half minutes into the game. Ben MacSwain increased the lead to 2-0 just over four minutes later. Brett MacLean scored the third Slammers' goal at 11:52, and Nick Huard made the score 4-0 at 15:51.

Summerside changed goaltenders after only twenty minutes. Landon Noel started in net for the Western Capitals, but was replaced by Jared Kelly, who played the remainder of the game. Noel stopped 11 of 15 shots faced, while Kelly refused 20 out of 24 shots in relief of Noel. Woodstock's Sam Renault only faced sixteen shots, stopping all of them in the shutout victory.

Philip Fife scored only fifty one seconds into period two, then scored a power play goal at 3:42. Woodstock scored only once, despite having four power play opportunities.

Robert Visca slipped a shot past Kelly at 13:08.

Period three was scoreless, but Connor Tresham scored a shorthanded goal at 16:32 in period two, sealing the Caps' fate.

Tim Rose and Ben Berisha worked to solve their problems on the ice at 8:37 in the third period. Both were issued fighting major penalties.

Slammers associate coach Kyle Adams assumed
the role of top dog on Friday night. Adams was acting
in the place of head coach Jason Tatarnic, who was unable
to be behind the bench in Friday night's game due to a game
misconduct received on Wednesday, February 22nd. Adams
is seen here speaking to Chris Rygus.

Andrew Schriver

Sam Renault stopped all 16 shots faced on Friday night

Sam Caldwell

Sam Renault leans over to pick up a water bottle which had
been tossed to him from the bench during period three.

Andrew Schriver

Tim Rose

Mackenzie Brown

Sam Caldwell

Sam Renault

It is important to have a trainer on the bench
to assist in times of need. Here, equipment
manager Mike Burrell is tending to Jake Logan.

Bradley Greene

Bradley Greene

Sam Renault

Slammers warm-up

Philip Fife chuckles at Ben MacSwain

The Slammers had two special guests watching
the game from the nosebleed section. The two fools,
Andrew Garnett and Scott Dunlop, were camping out
indoors in the civic centre rafters. The two fools
organize Woodstock's Relay for Life and were
kick-starting their fundraising efforts Friday night.

The Woodstock Slammers will face the Miramichi Timberwolves in their final game of the 2011-2012 regular season at 7:30 pm on Saturday, February 25th. The results of the game will be posted in an upcoming post on The Shiretown Blogger.

With files from www.themhl.ca

Slammers defeat Tigers in make-up game

Tim Campbell scored a power play goal for the Slammers in
Wednesday night's game against the Campbellton Tigers. The
Slammers defeated the Tigers 5-3.

The Woodstock Slammers defeated the Campbellton Tigers 5-3 on home ice on Wednesday, February 22nd.

The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday, February 1st, but was postponed due to inclement weather.

Andrew Langan had one goal and three assists - the most points in Wednesday night's contest. Nick Huard and Zach Shannon each had one goal and two assists.

For Campbellton, Stephen Groom led with two goals and Kodi Estey racked up three assists.

Wednesday's game served as the second military appreciation event of the season for the Woodstock Slammers. Woodstock and Carleton County's military expert, Aaron Bouma, was presented with a plaque depicting a tank and a replica tank in appreciation for the work he does to preserve the history of significant battles and support the armed forces.

Aaron Bouma

Woodstock's mayor, Art Slipp, also was recognized prior to the game for the work done by the town of Woodstock to support Canada's troops.

Mayor Art Slipp (right)

Woodstock Slammers general manager Danny

Braun (middle) was presented with a plaque in

recognition of the Slammers' support of the troops.

Nick Huard opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal scored at 9:55. Zach Shannon scored on the power play at 19:45, increasing the advantage to 2-0.

The first goal of period two was netted by Stephen Groom at 7:27, getting the Tigers on the board. Woodstock's Tim Campbell restored the Slammers' two-point lead at 12:35. Alex Cameron reduced Campbellton's deficit to one at 8:10 in the third period, making the score 3-2.

Stephen Groom slipped another shot past Sam Renault fifteen seconds later at 8:25, tying the game at three.

Andrew Langan broke the tie at 12:01 to place the Slammers back in the lead. With nearly one minute remaining on the clock, Philip Fife scored on a vacant Tigers net to seal Campbellton's fate.

If emotions haven't been high for the Slammers all season, they were high during the third period of Wednesday night's game. Chris Rygus was sent to the penalty box for tripping at 12:47 in the third period.

Slammers head coach Jason Tatarnic debated the call with referee Matt Forrester. Tatarnic had a legitimate reason to be unsatisfied with Forrester's decision - Forrester had been on Campbellton's side of the red line and wasn't in the correct position to make the call. However, Tatarnic was issued a bench minor as a result of his protesting.

Rygus also was involved in a scrum following a whistle with Campbellton's J.J. Allison. Both were issued minor penalties for roughing after a whistle and delay of game - a total of four minutes each.

Allison and Nick Huard were involved in a fight at 13:40. Huard was the clear victor.

Linesmen Adam and Ryan Springer work to separate Nick Huard

and J.J. Allison on Wednesday night. Both received fighting major

penalties and game misconducts.

At the sound of the buzzer ending the third period, MacKenzie Keirstead shot the puck towards Slammers netminder Sam Renault, infuriating Andrew Langan. A fight erupted in front of Campbellton's exit tunnel between Langan and Keirstead.

The head coaches of both squads received game misconducts as a result of the melee. Keirstead was issued an instigator minor and fighting major penalties, along with a game misconduct and ten-minute misconduct. Langan received a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and a ten-minute misconduct.

Colton Stairs was given a charging major and game misconduct as a result of being the third player to get involved in the incident.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Slammers play final home game of season tonight

The Woodstock Slammers will be back in action tonight to face the Summerside Western Capitals in their final home game of the 2011-2012 season.

The game begins at 7:30 pm at the Carleton Civic Centre, so come on out and support your Slammers!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Woodstock teen counting down days until fight

A Woodstock teen is counting down the days remaining until a big event this weekend.

Jake Cunningham

Jake Cunningham is preparing to face Zach Smith in a junior amateur fight on Saturday, February 25th. The event will be held at the Old Cosmo on Main Street in Moncton.

Cunningham, age 16, is a grade eleven student at Woodstock High School.

Cunningham's fight will consist of three rounds. Each round will be three minutes in length.

The MMA event, which is operated by Canadian Cage Rage, is titled "Brawl at the Bar." The doors will open at 6 pm on Saturday night, and the event begins at 7:30 pm.

Cunningham will have many friends and family members on hand at the fight to cheer him on. He expressed gratitude in the endless amount of support he has received leading up to the big night.

"[The] support is great!" Cunningham told The Shiretown Blogger. "Everyone is really confident in me and I love how they support me, even if they can't attend."

Cunningham is also looking forward to the fight.

"I'm excited. Its a whole new mindset, and an amazing one.[Its almost like] tunnel vision. All I can do is focus and be confident, which is what I plan to do."

"I am looking forward to the experience. I'm sure it'll be unreal."

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Provincial securities commission emphasizes importance of knowing risks when borrowing money to invest

The New Brunswick Securities Commission issued a warning in a press release published by Communications New Brunswick about the importance of knowing the risks when borrowing money to invest.

"There are substantial risks and investors need to know all of the facts before deciding if borrowing money to invest is right for them," explained Rick Hancox, who serves as the New Brunswick Securities Commission's executive director. "Ultimately, investors should know who they are dealing with and fully understand what they are investing in."

Borrowing money to invest is also known as leveraging, and is a legitimate investment strategy. It may appear to be a positive thing, however, it isn't for everyone and may not always turn out as planned.

Borrowing money to invest consists of taking out a loan and using the lump sum to invest money in a mutual fund or other type of investment product, hoping that the investment's returns will be more than enough to pay the loan's interest.

As money is being borrowed to invest, the interest paid on the loan is tax deductible and provides a cash rebate at tax return time.

Leveraging can be done in many different ways, but the concept is always the same.

The biggest problem with borrowing money to invest is the result of a decrease in the investment's value. The returns may not be enough to pay off the interest, so more will be needed to secure the loan and the overall result is a large loan to pay off.

Hancox said that measures do exist to guarantee that leveraging can work.

"There are suitability criteria set out by the industry that your financial adviser should carefully review with you before attempting this type of strategy," Hancox stated. "Investors should fully understand the risks and be extremely cautious if considering borrowing beyond their financial means."

The New Brunswick Securities Commission has outlined the following things to consider before deciding whether to borrow for the purpose of investing.

1) Are you dealing with a reputable and registered investment adviser and firm?
2) Has your adviser reviewed the suitability criteria? Do you understand them and do you meet them?
3) What are your investment objectives? Is leveraging the only strategy that will help you to achieve them?
4) What is your risk tolerance? How much money can you afford to lose?
5) What are the fees for setting up the loan? Are there ongoing fees or fees for early withdrawal from the investment of the loan?
6) Do you fully understand the leveraging strategy? How will you make (or lose) money?

For more information about borrowing money to invest, call the New Brunswick Securities Commission at the toll free number 1-866-933-2222.

The New Brunswick Securities Commission is an independent Crown corporation which oversees capital markets in the province of New Brunswick and controls those who sell and manage securities. The commission's mandate is to protect investors from any unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, along with fostering fair and efficient confidence in capital markets. The commission receives funding from fees paid by employees of the investment industry, which includes public companies, mutual funds, and over 7,000 registered people and businesses.

Source: Communications New Brunswick

Slammers dump Commandos in comeback victory

Ben Miller is seen here carrying the puck, while Tim Campbell watches.
Dieppe's Joel Blanchard (#26) can be seen chasing Campbell. Blanchard
and the Dieppe Commandos were defeated 5-3 by the Slammers.

The Woodstock Slammers proved that confidence is the key to victory on Friday, February 17th when they defeated the Dieppe Commandos in a comeback victory.

After allowing three early goals, the Slammers came back, winning 5-3 in front of a 900-strong crowd on home ice.

Dieppe forward Danny Chiasson opened the scoring only eleven seconds into the contest. Ryan Langan, brother to Slammers captain Andrew Langan, scored on a power play at 4:51, increasing Dieppe's lead to 2-0.

Nearly twenty seconds later, Zach Cahill netted Dieppe's last goal of Friday night's game.

Slammers head coach Jason Tatarnic then called a time-out, telling the team that the Commandos' 3-0 lead was nothing to lose sleep over, and that they had lots of time to come back.

"After the third goal, we used our time-out and stressed not to panic. We [had] 52 minutes to tie the game," Tatarnic stated in a press release on the Slammers' website. "Obviously we didn't have the start we wanted to. We made some mistakes early and the Commandos capitalized."

The Slammers scored only thirteen seconds after the time-out. Bradley Greene got the Slammers on the scoreboard at 5:23. Jake Logan and Tim Campbell provided the assist.

Greene leads the Slammers in goals. The 5'11" centreman, a native of Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, also is leading his squad in points. Greene currently has 66 total points.

Robert Visca scored three minutes after Greene got Woodstock on the score sheet, reducing the deficit to three.

Robert Visca

Robert Visca, right, and Jake Logan chatting it up

Woodstock's Evan Carmody scored the only goal in period two at 6:38.

Robert Visca scored both goals for the Slammers during the third period of play, including Woodstock's game winner. Visca got the rubber past Dieppe netminder Jonathan Waye nearly four minutes into period three, then scored on an empty net nearly with 1:09 remaining on the clock.

With three goals and one assist, Robert Visca led the Slammers in points in Friday night's contest. Bradley Greene helped out with one goal and two assists.

Sam Renault refused 21 of 24 shots faced for the win, while Jonathan Waye said no to 43 out of 47 shots faced, not including the empty net goal netted after Waye had been pulled in the third period.

The Slammers will face the Amherst Ramblers for the final time this season on Saturday, February 18th on the road. This weekend's road trip will also include a stop to Summerside, where the Slammers will face their rivals, the Western Capitals. Both games begin at 7 pm.

Note: The final results of the contest in Summerside were not available at the time of this post's creation.

With files from www.themhl.ca, www.dieppecommandos.com, and www.slammershockey.ca