Brampton, ON 14 March 2008 - The Brampton Battalion ended the chase for the Ontario Hockey League's Central Division championship in decisive fashion Friday night.

Graham McNabb scored two goals and goaltender Bryan Pitton made 17 saves for his fourth shutout of the season as the Battalion defeated the Barrie Colts 5-0 to clinch the club's third division title in six seasons. The Troops won the division in 2002-03 and 2005-06.

Luke Lynes and Matt Duchene each had one goal and two assists, Cory Emmerton also scored and John Hughes contributed two assists as the Battalion improved its won-lost-extended record to 41-22-4 for 86 points. 

That's three more than the second-place Niagara IceDogs, who beat the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 5-2 but, like the Troops, have only one game left in the regular season. 

Coach Stan Butler, whose charges secured the second playoff seed in the Eastern Conference and will meet the seventh-place team, yet to be determined, in the first round, said he was happy for the players.

"There's a long way to go in this season, but for us it's a start, and it's something that can't be taken away from them. Before the season started we weren't picked to finish first in our division, and we had to play pretty good hockey down the stretch because Niagara hasn't given us any room for error. They've just kept winning."

Said Emmerton: "It was our most important game of the season, and I think it was a playoff game for us. I thought Pitton was stellar when he needed to be, and that's the kind of goaltending you need in the playoffs.

"We backchecked well all night, and that caused a lot of turnovers and odd-man rushes, and we were driving the net. That was a big thing for us tonight."

Said Butler: "Barrie plays well defensively, and they competed really hard. The first period felt like one from a playoff game. Both teams came out and were feeling the other out. We kept coming at them, and we really turned it up in the third. Bryan really settled down as the game went on."

McNabb opened the scoring on the power play at 3:25 of the second period, beating Colts goaltender Peter Di Salvo, who faced 39 shots, on a feed from Cody Hodgson. Lynes made it 2-0 at 11:06 when he took a pass from Duchene and fired a shot inside the left post. It was Lynes's 20th goal of the season.

Pitton's toughest saves came when he denied Mitch Lebar in tight in the 16th minute and sprawled to get a glove on Stefan Della Rovere's shot  at the right post in the 19th.

The Troops, who lost a 2-0 lead in the third period of a 3-2 defeat to the visiting Sudbury Wolves last Sunday, struck for two goals 30 seconds apart in the first 1:25 of the third frame.

Duchene netted his 28th goal at 55 seconds, taking a Lynes pass and scoring on a backhand deke. Emmerton then corralled the puck deep in the left-wing circle and fired it between Di Salvo's legs. The goal was Emmerton's 25th of the season and 12th since a Dec. 5 trade from the Kingston Frontenacs.

"We had the mindset heading into the third that we didn't want to give up a lead like we did against Sudbury," said Emmerton. "You don't want to make that mistake twice, and it's good to see we learned from it."

McNabb scored his 20th goal on the power play at 19:51, converting a Hughes pass from the deep slot. 

The Battalion's Mike Lomas left for the dressing room midway through the scoreless first period after taking a hit to his left knee. He didn't return.

Battalion scratches were Ben Alavie, Alexander Eriksson and Scott Tanski. Barrie was without Brett Halstead, Stephen Gaskin, Dalton Prout, Adam Payerl and Cory McGillis.

The Battalion hosts Kingston at 2 p.m. Sunday to end the schedule.

BATTALION NOTEBOOK: Attendance was 2,862 … The Battalion went 2-for-5 on the power play. Barrie was 0-for-4 …The Battalion, 22-11-0 at home, matched the club record for home wins set in 2004-05 and equaled in 2005-06. The Colts finished their road schedule at 12-18-4 … Barrie's 17 shots were the fewest the Battalion has allowed this season … The Troops finished 16-10-2 within the division … Opening Battalion line combinations included Hodgson centring left winger Luke VanMoerkerke and right winger Jason Dale, Thomas Stajan pivoting left winger McNabb and right winger Hughes and Duchene centring left winger Emmerton and Lynes on right wing. Kyle DeCoste centred left winger Lomas and right winger Kody Musselman … The shutout, the club's fifth of the season, was its first against Barrie in 44 regular-season games all-time … Battalion captain John de Gray marked his 20th birthday … VanMoerkerke decisioned Kyle Clifford in a second-period fight … Lynes's goal was his 99th, moving him past Adam Henrich into sole possession of third place on the Troops' all-time list … Hodgson tied Chris Clayton for 16th place on the club's career points list. Hodgson has 63 goals and 67 assists for 130 points in as many games … Hughes has 101 assists with the Troops, tying Michael Vernace for sixth place all-time … Alavie sat out after suffering a broken collarbone in a 4-3 road win Wednesday night over the Peterborough Petes … The Battalion went 3-2-1 against Barrie in the season series, winning three of the last four meetings … Duchene, who attends Turner Fenton Secondary School, is the Battalion's top scholastic performer for the first semester of the school year.