CRUSHERS Cody Britton leads the rush down the boards in CCHL Junior A hockey action at the Alder Street arena last Friday night. Photo/MIKE MALONEY It was a weekend best described as six of this, half dozen of the other for the Orangeville Crushers.

They shut out Newmarket 1-0 on Friday night, then came up flat on Sunday afternoon in dropping a 2-1 decision to North York.

Playing at home against the previously undefeated Newmarket Hurricanes on Friday night, Orangeville rode the strength of a solid effort from their defence and a stingy Nick Gigone in goal, who turned away all 31 shots sent his way to record the shutout.

The work of special teams made the difference for Orangeville.

With the penalty killing unit able to hold Newmarket scoreless through seven opportunities, it was the Crushers' power-play accounting for the game's lone goal. Mike Arnold tipped in a pass from Nicholas Vassos late in the first period.

Skating scoreless through the second, Newmarket turned up the heat in the third but Gigone was more than up to the challenge. A couple of goal posts and a cross bar kept Orangeville from widening the margin late in the game, so it was Arnold's goal that stood as the winner when the final buzzer sounded after 60 minutes.

Sunday afternoon in North York, however, would yield a different result.

The Crushers were, perhaps, riding a wave of complacency after defeating an undefeated team and then facing off against one that had yet to win, the Crushers in their own words, came out flat.

Playing scoreless through the first period, it would be North York who opened the scoring at the 12:18 mark of the second.

The Rangers would widen their margin to two after catching the Crushers out of position on the power-play to score shorthanded just over four minutes into the third.

The goal appeared to be a wake-up call that roused the Orangeville squad. Yet even though they were controlling the play, they were unable to make their shots count.

It wasn't until, with six seconds left on the power-play clock, that Vassos put one past Ryan Demelo for the Crushers lone goal of the game.

With the offence struggling a bit over the last few games, Orangeville has made a trade with Aurora of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League for another forward. In exchange for defenceman Matt Chiarantano, the Crushers have picked up a fourth year veteran from the Tigers, Ryan Marcuz, who should bring not just some size and toughness up front but add some scoring punch as well.

Currently sitting third in the Central Canadian Hockey league West Division standings with a 4-2 record, the schedule picks up again Wednesday night when they travel to the Pickering Recreation Centre for their first game of the season against the Panthers. (results unavailable at press time). Friday night, it's back home to the Alder Street Community Centre where the Crushers will host the visiting Dixie Beehives.

It's back on the road Sunday night for a date with Upper Canada at the