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An all-star team of firefighters will meet their Scarboro counterparts â€" featuring several ex-pros in their line- up â€" December 29 in Richmond Hill Arena. The benefit game will see game proceeds going to the aid of Muscular Dystrophy. Gametlme is noon_ hour._ Beat Hamilton Scarboro has been league champ in the hockey league which includes firemen teams from across the province including Richmond Hill. That‘s when Richmond Hill’s Brian Burgess took a pass from Rod Chap- Hamilton jumped in front halfway through the first period and held that lead until the 18-minute mark of the second. The Richmond Hill Firefighters hockey team continued on the winning ways last week defeating Hamilton Firefighters 6-2 in Richmond Hill. The team has several ex-pro's in the lineup plus players who have played in Richmond Hill with the junior Rams. Ex-Rams are Rick Stillaway and Bruce Vass, both excellent players. Vass went on from Richmond Hill to play for the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA junior league. V. v. .v..°..-. éobdgé-le is the goalie for Scarboro. Other forwarst are Doug Menard He starred for the Toronto Marlies a (Quebec Ramparts). John thinski. few years back before going onto Galt Jim Tanner, Rick Stillaway. Carl I think I‘ve written this column before. About the financial plight of the Richmond Hill Provincial Junior A hockey Rams. Or almost any other junior club these days what with generally poor (not to say awful as far as the Rams are concerned) spectator attendance. This particular outburst on my part was inspired by the Rams’ public plea last week for a one-time only $9,000 grant from the Richmond Hill Parks and Recreation Com- mittee. PREJUDICED FOR I'll have to confess at the outstart that I‘m prejudiced in favor of the Rams‘ general well-being having observed them since their inception in 1967 (before that as a Junior C entry). I like the idea of having a junior hockey club in the community and agree it does provide a potential outlet for graduates of the Richmond Hill minor hockey system to apply their talents which might otherwise be denied them. BEST WISHES So I‘m not going to dwell on the validity of their request for the $9,000 grant. There’s no arguing they need it. I wish them well. But I will toss out some random thoughts about the general hockey situation here regarding the Rams. They may or may not be valid. The Rams‘ even when they were among the top four clubs in the league. never (or very rarely) broke down the doors with spectators. They did have their. faithful following. of course, but there were almost always a lot of gaps in the crowd. I could be wrong but the attendance this season seems to be at an allâ€"time low ebb. And getting lower; It seems simple to me. No one, but no one, supports a losing team these days. Certainly not in Richmond Hill. And I doubt anywhere else with the exception of the Toronto football Argos. What to say about it? The Rams are in the entertainment business and, obviously, what they are providing hasn‘t been impressive enough to rouse any semblance of widespread fan support. GOOD HOCKEY This I’m sorry about because the hockey provided is-as good or bad as you get anywhere these days and that includes some of those alleged NHL and WHA games between the lower-rung clubs. Some not so lower- rung ones, too. My question is: How can you blackjack people into coming out to a hockey game if they don’t want to? You can’t, you don't have any right to do it. If you're in business you can’t‘ sports Rams run into double ls What‘s worse than running up againSt muster 14 players, including the two goals am We.” DO!“ Levac and Dino . .. .. r\ .. n .. . ‘ . ‘v .. n . Mannlucn unth cunolnc tn Mann *' , m,A___~_.- A... n Tunnrlnu Firemen win again in best season yet filly Eihtral Firemen play benefit hockey Wednesday, December 14, 1977 Rams in trouble On the following faceoff Jim Lawson carried the puck in on net and his shot was kicked onto Blair Robson’s stick who passed it to David Sephton who fired it into the net. The third period saw Richmond Hill catching fire with Dennis Buck man and Larry Shier and fired the puck past the Hamilton goalkeeper. C|assified to play Senior A hockey. EX-MARLIE Another exâ€"Marlie is Moe Zubatiuk, a defenceman who has played in Scotland and then with Johnstown of the International League. Other defenâ€" cemen are Vass. Roger Holmbrook, Dave Winkley and Bob Winton. Perhaps the strongest part of the Scarboro team is its forward line led by Doug Keeler and Lee Park. the top two scorers in the league. Keeler played junior in Niagara Falls and Ottawa before turning pro. He went on to play in Omaha (Central League), Providence (American League) and Kalamazoo (International League). Parker played his junior ho’ckey in Brampton and went on to Long Island of the Eastern League. COMMUNITY OWNED In their presentation to parks and recreation, the Rams made a point of saying they are “the only team of the existing 11 franchises which is community owned and operated . . . Tickets are available at $2 each (the reds) from any of the parents or players of the Baif team. And a goodly number of these same people have youngsters in the local»minor hockey chain who just might miss an opportunity of some day playing with the Rams if the present situation keeps deteriorating. force people to buy from you‘ or shame them into it, or anything else. If they don‘t want your product you‘re out of business. WANT THEM HERE - I’m not trying to be negative about the Rams. I want them in business here. I just don‘t think enough potential spectators out [here give a damn if they are here or not. Hey, they’re going to be per- forming at Maple Leaf Gardens January 15 (a Sunday) in between periods of the Marlie-Kitchener game. Sounds great. They‘ll be playing Guelph. [SIT PRACTICAL? I just wonder if it‘s practical or possible these days? It seems to me “money” is the game being played in the Provincial A and that it’s the private owners who seem to have it. Pay the bucks and you get the players. Like it or not. And I don‘t like it. And don’t tell me that you could stock the Rams with all local players and make it go I just don‘t believe it. Sad to say, they’d be horrible losers and only the sweepers would be around to watch the agony. Now we come full circle. I don’t have any answers and, quite frankly. I‘m very pessimistic about the Rams. As I said, I don‘t think that people give a damn. If that case, why should the Rams? Note from Ed Sackfield Richmond Hill Cadillac Peewees. Hey, they're going to forming at Maple Leaf “We wish to keep the Richmond Hill Rams Junior Hockey Club as it is. We do not relish the thought that private ownership might occur and the club move out of town to another location.“ They go on to cite such reasons as the desire to “foster and encourage the spirit of amateur hockey in Rich- mond Hill.” No one can argue about the sin- cerity of such an intent or its worâ€" thiness. “Ownership of all other teams in our league is private_with all their personnel either hired or part of the owner’s group. fred' Simpson Section B Hamilton goi a late goal to make the score 6-2. scoring from Pat Goode and Chapman; David Sephton from Burgess and Chapman; A1 “Boomer” McKenzie from Shier and Gary Vass; and Goode from Vass and Chapman. Richmond Hill‘s next home game is December 22 at 10:30 am. in the Richmond Hill Arena. many ‘5 the ‘ the Baif Roncetti, Ron Milroy. Norm Sinclair (Seneca College), Gary Hunter, John Ellery, Eric Cotter and Ennis Bugden. Oak Ridges Dynes Jewellers’ coach Pete Artemchuk is anything but a stand-pat type even though his Mid- Cut 2 players Dynes looking to improve What's worse than running UP againSt muster 14 players, including the two the North Bay Trappers 0“ a TueSday goalies, for the trip to North Bay to night and losing 11-2? begin with. Simple. “It was the emptiest bus we‘ve ever Meeting them the following Sunday taken there'v' added Brookes. and losing 9-4. A ‘ , r The Rams started the game with just That was the rather sad experience of the Richmond Hill Provincial Junior A hockey Rams last week. Among others. If winning hasn't been a problem enough in itself. Rams” coach Ken ‘Satch" Brookes has others to plague CHEERLEADER The forgotten man sometimes is Bob him 2 QUIT HE‘S‘ been” beset““1)y"‘i‘hjufle.s‘ suspensions. and now he‘s lost two more players who decided to quit the team. "Turning in their gear last week were Ken Ham and Randy Hughes:Gu_est_. I “I guess they weren‘t satisfied with the ice time they were getting," was coach Brookes‘ comment. “You always run into situations like this when the team‘s not going too good. Morale gets low." The injury saw John Dewar having to leave Sunday‘s game in North Bay. ONLY 14 PLAYERS That became a major problem when you consider the Rams could only Bayview Secondary's Dave Walker (11) knocks the ball away from Woodbridge 0p- ponent as basketball season gets It was just one of those things for Richmond Hill Rams’ goalie Dan Gunning Tuesday night of last week as witness the above Nice defense Chapman who is the backup goalie and head cheerleader. Coaches are A] Jeflkins‘ Ken Keeley and Don Hay. The as yet un-finalized All star-line- up will include Moe Galand (ex Toronto Marlie); Bob Collins, ex~Oshawa Ontario Junior B hockey team leads the pack in first place. The Rams started the game with just two sets of defencemen and three lines and were down to two defencemen after the game. NEW BLOOD? “We‘re always on the phone looking for some new blood,” said Brookes, “but everyone else is looking for the same thing we are. I “We e§pecially need some big defencemen to 'rhove the opposition out of the way. That’s been our downfall." Despite the gloom, Brookes thought his crippled warriors came up with a “pretty satisfactory performance” in North Bay in the early stages. Noith Bay rapped in five goals in the second and added two more in the third. Leading their offensive with. two The Rams trailed 3-2 at the end of the first period and managed to tie the game early in the second before the roof sagged. “We just refused to be physical in the latter s_t:_ages ‘of the game, we just refused to hit them. That was the story.” underway. The Bayv; won this game 64-45, I theirs 33-32. (Photo Hogg). The Jewellers, who beat Orillia 5-3 One of those things The Ba yview North Bay goal. The goals kept going in as the visitors downed the Rams 11-2. They weren‘t exactly kind when the Rams the fl Seniors midgets Bruce General; Steve Stone, ex-Vancouver Canuck; Mike Black. ex-London Knight; and Don Booth, who coached the Don Mills Flyers last year. Terry Haviland will represent Rich- mond Hill and Bernie Baione will coach the team. IT'S FREE There will be no admission charge to the game. A 50-50 draw will be on sale inside the doors for $1. over the Bum club this week in badminton garr season at Lang: Individual res Ladies Dou Donnie Westcott Freeman winn and 15-5; Jill D: Tanya Savoye w The Rams are iri North York Friday and are back at home the following Tuesday to Dixie Beehives. Coville shored f6r Richmond Hill from Bill Stephenson' and Gallagher; angWOpd from Stephenson and Walker. Addéd is a Richmond Hill midget product of last season, Blair Lewis. “It wasn't so much that Westcott and Harvey didn’t have the ability to make this team,” said Artemchuk. “They are good hockey players. “But we’re looking ahead to the playoffs and we just feel we have to get the best at this juncture. We don‘t want to come up short again this season.” ‘ TOP QUALITY Artemchuk says he’s still on the lookout for some players “but we only want top-quality, people who will fit into our system. This is the time of the year when players are becoming available." Richmond Hill came up with a crushing 16-0 win over _‘the qumanthorpe Assists "Went to‘ Bill“ Covilre; 'Paul Gallagher. two, Dave Forester, a recruit from the minor system, John Olds, Phil Wood and Walker. OOOPS The score tells the story Tuesday night of last week as North Bay led 6-1 at the end of the first period and 9-2 going into the final 20 minutes. Big scorers with three goals each were Bruce Guthrie and Rod Stamler. Scott McGregor got two goals. Gone are Paul Westcott and Shane Harvey. Hill c/obbers foe 76-0 in badminton Artemchuk is very happy with the acquisition of Lewis who he terms “a very fine player". Monday night’s game saw the Dynes have it fairly easy most of the way leading 3-1 at the end of the opening period and 4-2 going into the third. (‘ARNEVALE GETS 3 Mike Carnevale was the triggerman for Dynes with three goals. He Started it all off if] the first period with the first of two Shorthanded goals he managed in the game. Assists on this Jones leads the Rams with 21 goals and 29 assists in 27 games for 50 points. His closest opponent is Phil Wood with 37 points on 23 goals in 25 games. JONES GETS 3 Rams' leading scorer Danny Jones did more than his share getting three of the goals with Mike Walker getting the other one. Monday night after losing 5-4 to Owen Sound, cut two players and added another one; goals each were Doni Levac and Dino Macaluso with singles to Marty Deschamps, Dave Hilborn, Joey Omiciolli, Gilles Crepeau and Neil Belland. ian winning 15-1 -5; Jill Dalton anc Savoye winning 15‘ :5 week in the fifst xton game of the ‘a_t Langstaff. I results ‘ Doubles and Joan saw 15-7 and 0 and 15â€"7. Men’s Doubles â€"â€" Jim and Peter Ho winning 15- 10 and 15-10; Fred Fletcher and Orville Wong winning 15-5 and 15- Mixed Doubles â€" Jill Dalton and Jim H0 winning 15-5 and 15-3; Tanya Savoye and Peter Ho winning 15-11 and 15-3; i'eturned to North Bay on Sunday ‘night. This time the Trappers chalked up a 9-4 triumph. (Photo by Bruce Hogg). Oak Ridges plays in Orillia Sunday. They don’t have a home game scheduled for next Monday night. . . . . the only bright spét of the Jewellers’ trip to Owen Sound last week was the bus ride home. The players celebrated Randy Irwin's 18th brithday by presenting him with a cake and the appropriate can- dles. one went to Brent Dobson and Ian Myles. Orillia madé it cloée oh McDonough’s second goal of the game with 14:44 remaining. The loss to Owen Sound saw Dobson and Sherman scoring two goals each. NOTES Assistant coach Hal Murphy was behind the bench for the Orillia game in the absence of regular coach Artem- chuk who was off nursing a cold Orillia's Bruce McDonough got that one back but then it was Steve Sherman scoring from Dale Roffey and Dobson; and Carnevale from Dennis Limoges and Blair Sutherland. Then it was Orillia‘s Rocky Clarke scoring on a power play effort. That 4-3 total lasted until 30 seconds before game‘s end when Roffey put Sherman in the clear for the clincher. Carnevale got his second shor- thanded goal of the game early in the second period from Dobson and Neal Crockford. Danny Jones Three goals Donnie Westcott and Fred Fletcher winning 15-5 and 15-9; Joan Freeman and Orville Wong winning 15-7 and 15-5. Richmond Hill travels to the Trinity‘Club for its next match. Trinity was the only club last year to take a point from the Hill on its league winning championship march.