Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada • 11

Sports Armstrong sponsor gets stamp of disapproval NEW YORK The U.S. Postal Service spent an estimated $6 million this year to sponsor Lance Armstrong's professional cycling team. The financially troubled agency may have been better off using the money to keep mail rates down and improve employee morale, several sports marketers said. Armstrong, a cancer survivor who won his third straight Tour de France last Sunday, has been used in only two major advertising campaigns by the postal service in the past three years. Meanwhile, U.S.

President George W. Bush saluted Armstrong at the White House Friday, saying the cyclist had laid claim to his latest title in mountain stages where "the heart is tested." 76ers ship veteran Hill back to Cavaliers CLEVELAND Tyrone Hill had his only all-star season in Cleveland and his best years with the Cavaliers, who are hoping he has at least two more good ones left. Hill, an n-year veteran forward who helped get Philadelphia to the NBA final last season, was traded back to Cleveland on Friday in a five-player deal with the 76ers. The Cavs sent forwards Matt Harpring and Cedric Henderson and centre Robert Traylor to the 76ers for Hill, who played with the Cavs from 1993-97, second-year forward Jumaine Jones. The Sixers also traded forward Roshown McLeod to Boston for forward Jerome Moiso.

The teams also swapped first-round draft picks. Oilers wrap up Niinimaa for another three years EDMONTON The Edmonton Oilers re-signed defenceman Janne Niinimaa to a three-year contract worth US, avoiding arbitration. Niinimaa established career highs with 12 goals, 34 assists and 46 points last season, while playing in all 82 games. Meanwhile, unrestricted free agent goaltender Bob Essensa, dumped by the Vancouver Canucks earlier this summer, signed a one-year deal worth $600,000 with the Buffalo Sabres. The New Jersey Devils named Jay Leach an assistant coach to Larry Robinson, Bobby Carpenter as head coach of the team's AHL affiliate in Albany and former goaltender Chris Terreri and Geordie Kinnear as assistant coaches in Albany.

Canada falls short in battle with Aussies THESSALONICKI, GREECE Canada dropped its second game at the eight-country Samartzidas Cup junior men's water, polo tournament, losing 9-6 Friday to Australia. The Canadians, tuning up for the world junior championships next week in Turkey, take on Egypt in today's final round-robin game still in contention for a spot in the semi-finals. Aaron Feltham of Ottawa scored two goals for Canada. Vladimir Cosic of Calgary and Kevin Mitchell, Iain Lark and Pieter Uni, all of Vancouver, added one each. Canada trailed 5-3 at the half and 8-4 after three quarters.

I Italy clinched top spot in the Canadian pool, beating Egypt 8-2. Egypt and Australia are 1-1. F4 CALGARY HERALD Saturday, August 4, 2001 STORM Blue Jays release Jesic comes to the rescue in OT mmim v- I Menace defender Brady Demling is taken down by Calgary's Conrad Chala in Ij; Calgary roars PDL final SCOTT CRUICKSHANK Calgary Herald This summer marked the Calgary Storm's unveiling. And now the expansion outfit, in its very first stab at things, has pushed its season to the absolute limit -f- all the way to the Premier Development League's final. Damir Jesic scored twice Friday to propel Calgary to a 2-1 overtime decision over the host Des Moines Menace of 1,500 fans at Cara McGrane Memorial Stadium.

it's a tremendous relief," said Jesic, still sounding winded. "You should see the guys and the coaching Staff" Tiiat dramatic semi-final triumph, on' hot and muggy night, earned the Storm a berth in the PDL's championship match. "Coming into this weekend, that was ouf goal not to say that we overlooked (Friday's) game. But this was our No. 1 priority," said defender Brian Newmarch, adding that his team will have no problems shaking off the draining overtime match.

"Actually, it was in our favour to battle and grind this one out. We can carry that momentum, for sure." In the day's other semi-final, the Westchester (N.Y.) Flames dispatched th Sioux Falls (S.D.) SpitFire in onesided fashion 5-1. Today's gold-medal tilt will be telecast live on Fox SportsWorld at 6:05 p.m. MST. A handful of Calgary pubs plan to show the contest.

"I think that's really cool that everyone back home can catch the game if they want," said Newmarch. "We like to put up a performance for them, something to give back to them." But it wasn't easy for the Storm, as it needed nine minutes of extra time to put the Menace out of its misery. Spying a cross from Nick Zuniga, Jesic out-hustled the Menace goalkeeper to the ball and headed it neatly into the net from close range. "We fought very hard," said Jesic. "I really want to congratulate our guys for the effort they put in.

It was a very tough game. We came out playing hard; that's what got us the win, I think." The Storm had opened the scoring in the 34th minute when Jesic easily converted a cross-box pass using his noggin on this one, too from fellow midfielder Jamie Auvigne. "I think we played composed soccer," said Newmarch. Calgary took the 1-0 advantage to the locker-room at the intermission. But the hosts knotted the game two minutes into the second half, and the teams chugged towards overtime the Storm's first ever.

"There was some nervousness," said Jesic. "But we were pumped up, saying, 'We can't lose this game. Let's just go out there and do We were fighting so hard during the season and so hard during this game and we did it. We did. I'll try to get some sleep tonight." Young forward's a class act both on and off the ice along with Anthony Aquino (a fellow camper and former teammate with the junior A' Bramalea, Blues, who chose Boston's Merrimack).

"I played a style of hockey (at Michigan) that's pretty demanding on a young guy. It probably prepared me a little better for something like the world juniors," he said. "And from an educational point of view, I've just been drafted (49th overall by Los An TORONTO Joey Hamilton's much-maligned tenure in Toronto came to an end Friday when the Blue Jays released the right-handed pitcher. Hamilton, 30, was in the third year of a contract that paid him $7.5 million US this season. He was 5-8 with a 5.89 earned-run average.

General manager Gord Ash tried to move Hamilton before Tuesday's trade deadline but found no takers. Hamilton's last start was last Sunday when the New York Yankees peppered him with 10 hits in five innings for eight earned runs. He was booed off the mound. Game Story Oklahoma5at Calgary? The Game Pat Ahearne survived a rocky first inning by escaping a bases-loaded situation and chalked up his fifth victory of the season Friday afternoon -in a Pacific Coast League baseball game. Three perfect innings of relief by Ozwaldo Mairena also was a huge; fact in the triumph over the Red- Hawks, although the left-hander wasn't around for the save.

The Bat 'Paco' Martin tied the Cannons' season high with a four-hit game, including a double that set the table for an extra run in the sixth. Martin now has a modest six-game hitting streak in which he is batting .600 (15-for-25), and has sent his season average to .314. The Rejection Johnny Ruffin, a co-leader in league-saves with 22, has refused his assignment to Calgary by Florida and has opted for free agency. The Can-nons had four mid-season all-stars, but two outfielder Ryan Thomp- -son and, now, Ruffin have left the: -organization within the past week. The Thrill Two Cannons' pitchers, Mike Drum- -right and Benito Baez, are going to Cooperstown, N.Y., this weekend for the annual Hall of Fame Game.

They'll pitch for the Florida Marlins in Monday afternoon's game against Milwaukee. The Notebook The game's key at-bat probably was by Oklahoma's Mitch Simons in the first. But, in a tough eight-pitch at-'-' bat, Ahearne got him to ground to short to end a bases-loaded threat. Another run or two at that stage may have put the Cannons in too deep a hole Calgary was much better than the previous night with runners in scoring position (four-for-10). Ben Candelaria came through twice and Martin and Matt Easter- day once apiece The final of the season's three skills clinics, featuring instruction by Cannons' person-1 nel, is being staged today (9 a.m.-l p.m.) at Burns.

What's Next The series continues tonight (7:05) and the probable staring pitchers are Matt Beech (0-3, 5.70), the RedHawks' left-hander, and Joe Roa (3-5, 3.40). There'll be caps, courtesy Pepsi, to the first 1,000 adults and lunchbags, thanks to Qualico Developments, for the first 500 kids, 12-and-under. Fred Collins Boxscores Friday OKLAHOMA CALGARY ab hbl ab Magruder, cf 5 2 10 Espada, ss 4 0 10 DransfetdtSi 5 0 2 1 4 0 10 Pena.lb 4 0 0 0 McGuire.lb 5 0 0 0 Steed, 4 2 3 2 3 2 10 Sagmoen.rf 4 0 11 Waszgis, 3 112 Ashby.lf 3 0 2 0 Clapinski.dh 3 110 0 0 0 Martin, cf 4 2 4 1 Simons, 2b 4 0 0 0 Candelaria, If 3 12 2 3 10 0 Easterday. rf 4 0 2 2 Totals 35 5 9 4 Totals 33 713 7 Oklahoma 201 100 001-5 Calgary 042 001 OOx-7 E-Elder, Erickson (10). Easterday (1).

DP-Okla-homa 3, Calgary 1. LOB-Oklahoma 6, Calgary 9. 2b-Magruder (9). Ashby (5), Martin (16), Candelaria (12), Easterday (1). HR-Steed (5), Waszgis (18).

SB-Magruder (4). CS-Dransfeldt (8), Espada Ip SO Oklahoma Glynn (L.0-4) Elder Calgary Ahearne (W5-9) Mairena 11 2 9 0 0 Roberts tSJ) WP-Ahearne 2 (7), Roberts (3). HBP-by Glynn (Clapinski, Waszgis). PB-Steed, Waszgis. Alex Dorgan-Ross, Associated Press the first half Friday in Des Moines.

Trapp credits that first year at Michigan 13 goals and 26 points in 39 games for Cammalleri's involvement with the junior Nats program last winter, after he helped Canada win gold as a member of its under-18 team in the summer of 2000. "Mike had the benefit of playing U.S. college hockey against older guys," said Trapp. "I think that experience helped him mature quickly as a player. You have to, or you don't perform well" If his five-foot-nine, 180-pound frame cast any doubts on his chances of making Team Canada last winter, those doubters didn't anticipate Cammalleri's attitude one of the biggest reasons for his making the cut, along with his speed, hand-eye co-ordination, creativity and versatility.

"He's a very smart, creative player, but he just wanted to play and he'd play anywhere we put him," said Trapp. Cammalleri's injury probably ended his involvement at this current camp, but he'll head back for a third year at Michigan trying to improve on a 29-goal, 61-point sophomore CCHA season and looking for another crack at the Canadian selection camp in December. ICE CHIPS: With injuries to Cammalleri and Blaine Down (Barrie, OHL), Joel Stepp of the Red Deer Rebels and Chris Thorburn (North Bay, OHL) have been brought in as replacements. first time (in an unfamiliar position, in a new park), the ball usually will find him early in a game," said Cham-bliss. "And that's exactly what happened there." One other ball to right when found, it'll be identifiable by the bruises exploded off the bat of B.J.

Waszgis, a two-run home run off Oklahoma's Ryan Glynn in the third. Last seasoa Waszgis had been behind the plate for several of the righthander's games over in the Texas organization, but that fact didn't help in this at-bat, where the catcher just went with the pitch. "(Glynn) has a real nasty slider and he knows my weaknesses, but this wasn't about having an idea what would be coming," said Waszgis. "I was just looking for a pitch out over the plate and I didn't overswing. I just made contact" And, on the next plate appearance by Waszgis, so did Glynn.

A pitch right on the left elbow. TODD KIMBERLEY Calgary Herald His Canadian Hockey Association report card already boasts some very high marks. But, above all else, give Mike Cam-malleri an 'A' for acceleration. Five years ago, the native of Richmond Hill, started an intense high-school cramming program that allowed him to enrol at the University of Michigan, and play for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Wolverines, when he was only 17. Cammalleri is still reaping the dividends namely, his second consecutive season with Canada's national junior program After helping the Canadians to a bronze medal at the 2001 world championship in Moscow last winter as a dangerous first-line forward, Cammalleri is one of seven potential returnees at the junior Nats' 2001-02 development and evaluation camp at Father David Bauer Arena, a 10-day affair with 45 players that continues through Aug.

10. "It was probably one of the better decisions that I've made in my lifetime," said Cammalleri, 19, on Friday morning as he received treatment for a groin injury sustained in practice Thursday. "I remember I was one of only two 17-year-olds playing in (the National Collegiate Athletic Association) that year, CALGARY Midwest). "But, yeah, it definitely was cool to think that here I was already going to Cooperstown." Easterday's first play, in his first appearance at Burns, wasn't funny. Nor was it Hall of Fame stuff.

"No excuses," said the 21-year-old from Covington, Ga. "I should have made that play. I just pulled up too quick (on the ball), hurrying it to try and get it back in (to the cutoff man). That little gaffe cost Pat Ahearne 90 feet as Chris Magruder, leading off the game with a double, reached third but, as the inning unfolded, it wouldn't be a factor in determining the right-hander's earned runs. An inning later, Easterday produced t'je runs that put Calgary and, co incidentally, Ahearne ahead to stay.

In his first Burns at-bat, Easterday crushed a two-run double to right and it almost was spooky how the game's gods smiled down on him. The balL a ground-rule double that lodged itself under the fence and only geles at the 2001 National Hockey League entry draft in June) and I've already finished two years of university. "It took a lot of night classes, correspondence, the whole bit, to jam four years of school into three. i if Mike Cammalleri It was pretty time-consuming. I remember playing junior (at Bramalea) as a 16-year-old and having 11 classes on the go at one time," recalled Cammalleri "But my parents reminded me that if it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

That really kept me going." During the 2001 world tournament, Cammalleri scored nearly a point a game for Canada four goals and two helpers in seven contests. CHA director of scouting Barry CANNONS inches, if that, from the spot where, an inning before, he'd been embarrassed. "I actually was thinking to myself: 'Here's a chance to erase that (error)," Easterday said of his double, which plated 'Paco' Martin and Ben Cande-laria. "I just put a good swing on a good pitch." It was the first of his two hits in the game and, now, he's batting .273 in Triple-A. And, impressing folks in an ivory tower.

"This young man is very mature in what really is his first full season in pro ball," chirped manager Chris Chambliss. "Just watch him at the plate, the way he takes pitches and waits for one he knows he can hit somewhere. "He's very versatile and he has been outstanding for us." Well, there was that one early in the first "We have a standing joke that, whenever a guy is out there for the Rookie outfielder will never forget Burns debut FRED COLLINS Calgary herald This truly was a dizzying Friday for Calgary Cannons' rookie Matt Easter-day. Within hours, he went from looking for a hole in which to hide, out there in right field at Burns Stadium, to Abner Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y, site of baseball's Hall of Fame. "Easterday committed a fielding error on the first at-bat of a Pacific Coast League matinee against Oklahoma, got himself off the hook almost immediately, in the second inning of Calgary's 75 win over the RedHawks, then had a laugh over a report that he'd be pitching for Florida on Monday afternoon in the annual Hall of Fame Game in upstate New York.

funny because the last time I pitched was in recreation ball," said Easterday, playing only his fourth game for the Cannons since being promoted from Kane County (Class-A,.