TORONTO – Around the table sat the future Maple Leafs prospect and his family. http://www.flyknitshoescheap.ca/men-s-navy-white-nike-air-max-90-fireflies-shoes.html . One major decision loomed at the time for Andrew MacWilliam, one that would decide his future in many ways. Drafted by the Spokane Chiefs, the teenage defenceman had the option of joining the Western League club as a 16-year-old. Then there was college, the route his father, Alex, preferred – ever the believer in the value of a degree – and the course that would offer a more lenient curve of development. "I never watched college hockey growing up," MacWilliam, a Calgary native said. "Being from western Canada you dont see it much." It took a trip down to Denver, Colorado for the West regional of the 2007 NCAA tournament, a tour of the pristine facilities there and an opportunity to watch Jonathan Toews and Kyle Okposo before a choice was made. Recruited by head coach Dave Hakstol, MacWilliam opted for the hockey-rich program at the University of North Dakota, where he spent the past four seasons before arriving at Leafs training camp this fall. "Probably the best decision of my life so far," MacWilliam stated sincerely of choosing college, where he was voted captain by teammates last year. "I definitely would recommend it to any young guys deciding what route theyre going to take." Selected with the 188th overall pick in the 2008 Draft from the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior League – where he played alongside Joe Colborne – MacWilliam has climbed slow and steady to the edge of the NHL. Now a mature 23-years-old and a thick 230 pounds, the 6-foot-2 defender has definite darkhorse potential for the Leafs this season. A combative protect-the-house type with a penchant for rough play, MacWilliam has offered a positive impression to the Leafs brass and coaching staff in the first week of camp. While still a long-shot to make the NHL club at the outset and more likely pegged to join Steve Spott and the Marlies initially, MacWilliam has not looked out of place in the early going. "I just wanted to show what I can do," he said of expectations coming into camp. "I obviously want to make it a tough decision for the coaching staff. I know theres a lot of numbers [on defence] already up top, but I just wanted to come in and show what I can do and how I can play." MacWilliam has no illusions about his role. His job, quite simply, is to protect the house. He projects as a defender in the Mark Fraser mold, though he probably moves the puck more efficiently than his NHL counterpart and owns better foot speed. Because he remained at North Dakota for the full freight of four years – where he also played alongside former Leaf Matt Frattin – MacWilliam also appears physically ready to play at the next level. At one point in practice on Wednesday, he capably battled for net-front position with Joffrey Lupul, eventually ousting the All-Star to the ice. MacWilliam attributes his solid frame to years of lifting weights at school – where they play in and around 40 games – adding 15 pounds from the point of his freshman year. "Just that extra little oomph I guess is just huge at this level," said MacWilliam, who played in two games with the Marlies at the end of last season. "It helps you out in the net front and in the corners, being able to handle a mans game." Named to the Western College Hockey Associations all-academic team three years straight, MacWilliam also found time to focus his efforts on foot speed, improving his quickness laterally over his junior and senior seasons. Maybe most important to the college experience though was the reward of a degree, which he earned in business management. "Youre not going to play hockey your whole life right," he observed with the savvy of someone far beyond his years. "Youre not guaranteed anything as far as a pro career. Having that to fall back on is something that I take a lot of pride in and down the road will have some use for me." Whether he makes the jump now to the NHL is a question that will decide itself in the coming days of camp. The Leafs have a number of more experienced defenders on the roster and one in Cody Franson who remains unsigned. All of which makes an initial stint with the Leafs unlikely. But if MacWilliam demonstrates continued readiness and progression in the coming two weeks he could just sneak onto the roster or at the very least, provide the club with options to play with on the back-end. "Its been a long five years," MacWilliam concluded of the process that saw him drafted and now on the verge of the NHL. "But they say its not about the destination, its the journey. "The whole process, along the whole way of my career, we havent taken things too fast, we just take it slow and it hasnt hurt me yet." Nike Roshe One Print Womens Shoe . PAUL, Minn. http://www.flyknitshoescheap.ca/2016-women-s-nike-free-665k-shoes-purple-white.html . Crippled by a series of injuries to key players and struggling at home this season, Dortmund was far from convincing in a 2-1 defeat to Zenit on Wednesday. However, the 4-2 victory in the first leg in St. Petersburg was enough for Juergen Klopps side to win 5-4 on aggregate and seal its place in Fridays draw. CHICAGO -- In a lost season for Randy Wells, he may finally be starting to find himself. Wells pitched effectively into the seventh, Alfonso Soriano homered and the Chicago Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Wednesday night. Wells (5-4) held the Braves to one run and two hits over 6 2-3 innings, striking out six and improving to 4-1 in his career against Atlanta. "Randy was good, obviously," Cubs manager Mike Quade said. "Just a real good performance on the back of a game he threw pretty well." The Cubs snapped the Braves six-game winning streak and Atlanta remained 6 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Sorianos two-run shot fuelled Chicagos three-run rally in the second. He also walked and was hit by a pitch. Aramis Ramirez added a single and two walks, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. "It felt good," Soriano said about his long home run. "Thats all we needed runs because (Wells) threw a very good game tonight." Carlos Marmol got the last three outs and joined Lee Smith as the only Cubs relievers to post consecutive 30-save seasons. Wells has struggled this season, going 3-4 with a 6.16 ERA since coming off a seven-week stay on the disabled list on May 28. On Wednesday, he flashed the form that gave him the NLs 10th-best ERA as a rookie in 2009. "Im starting to feel a lot better," Wells said. "Im starting to command the fastball a lot better. Tonight, I had a pretty good changeup." He got off to a fast start, setting down the first 10 Braves and striking out four. The only hit he allowed through the first six innings was Martin Prados infield single in the fourth. "Not only (was it big) to come out and shut them down early, but do it pretty economically pitch count-wise," Quade said. "Those early innings got him to the seventh." Wells appeared to tire in the seventh, giving up Freddie Freemans flyout to the wall and Chipper Jones home run into the batters eye in centre field. Wells threw 109 pitches and departed after Jones blast. Wells hasnt used his early-season forearm strain as an excuse for his struggles, but admitted it didnt help his cause. "I still dont make an excuse about it, but it was definitely a hard thing to come back from," Wells said. "The biggest thing is the physical health, but besides that its having the confidence to cut a ball loose." Jones and Alex Gonzalez hit a solo homers for Atlanta, which managed just three hits in the game. http://www.flyknitshoescheap.ca/kevin-durant-nike-kd-8-shoes-mens-ep-dark-grey-grey-black-800259-663.html. Jones moved into a tie with Jeff Bagwell for 34th on the career list with 449. "All the credit goes to Wells," Jones said. "He had an outstanding changeup tonight. He made one mistake with it." Derek Lowe (8-12) took the loss, allowing four hits and two earned runs over seven innings, matching his longest outing of the season. Lowe threw a season-high 119 pitches. "I thought the whole game was Derek Lowe," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He was outstanding. ... For him to go seven innings and keep us in the ballgame, that was big. That was really, really big." Soriano gave the Cubs their first lead of the series in the second with his 22nd homer, a mammoth two-run shot to centre field well over the 400-foot sign. The Cubs added a run later in the inning thanks to the speed of Tony Campana, who reached on an error when Dan Uggla tried to hurry on a slow roller to second. Campana stole second, went to third on a balk and scored on Wells swinging bunt. Ramirez didnt figure in the scoring, but remained hot. He walked twice and reached on an infield single, extending his streak of reaching base to a career-high nine plate appearances before grounding out in the seventh. Ramirez is hitting .560 (28 for 50) during his 13-game hitting streak and has reached base in 30 of his last 45 plate appearances. Gonzalez homered off reliever Kerry Wood in the eighth. In the ninth, Marmol hit Uggla with a pitch to start the inning but recovered to earn the save and snap Atlantas winning streak. NOTES: Braves OF Jose Constanza was out of the lineup for the second straight day because of a mild sprain of his right ankle, though manager Fredi Gonzalez said Constanza was available to pinch-hit. He expect his to return to the lineup on Thursday. ... Cubs manager Mike Quade was encouraged by news from RHP Andrew Cashners brief rehab start for double-A Tennessee on Tuesday. Cashner allowed two runs and three hits in 2-3 of an inning, but Quade said his velocity topped out in the high 90s and he reported no problems with the strained right rotator cuff thats had him out since April 5. Cashner is scheduled to make two more appearances for Tennessee before moving up to triple-A Iowa ahead of a September return with the Cubs. ... The Braves will send rookie Brandon Beachy (6-2) to the mound for Thursday afternoons series finale against Chicagos Matt Garza (6-9), who has posted a 1.47 ERA over his last nine home starts. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '