Micron White Sabres beat Gold in hard-fought battle

The Micron Gold and White Sabres faced off in an exciting cross-ice game on Sunday on the Amherst Pepsi Center’s Olympic Rink.

The White Sabres defeated the Gold Sabres, 7-5.

Micron White Sabre Jack Gilbert earned the first goal of the game on a nice low shot. Thirty seconds later, Gold Sabre John Courtney tied the game at 1-1. Gold Sabre Elisabeth Sidorski pokechecked to steal the puck from a White Sabre defender and scored on a breakaway.

The White Sabre lineup of Colton Brown, Ben Siegel, Colin Deakin and Gabe Rapini played well together, earning two quick

goals by Brown and Rapini to give White a 3-2 lead. White Sabres T.J. Conway and Colin Branka fed Gilbert the puck that he carried to the Gold Sabre net to earn his second goal of the game. Not to be outdone, Rapini rushed the Gold Sabre net to earn his second goal of the game.

After a scrum in front of the Gold Sabre net, Conway earned a tip-in goal.

With only 46 seconds remaining in the first period, Anthony Trigilio earned a Gold Sabre goal off a nice wrist shot.

Halfway through the second period, Deakin fired a shot into the Gold Sabre net to earn the White Sabres’ seventh goal.

However, the Gold Sabres remained persistent as the teams battled throughout the second period.

The Gold Sabres had solid performances from linemates Paul Cartone, Victoria Pitman, Michael Kaplan, and Ray Faran. Courtney led linemates Alex Pronobis, Ryan Curtin and Alex Dane as they skated hard.

The Sabre Gold’s Jake Wehr, Trigilio, and Sidorski kept the pressure on the White Sabre net. Trigilio lifted the puck on a nice high shot to earn his second goal of the game.

Only 30 seconds later, Wehr scored off a rebound shot from Trigilio.

White Sabre goalie Cameron Hogan had many great saves throughout the game. Hogan stonewalled breakaway scoring chances by the Gold Sabres’ Courtney, Sidorski, and Trigilio. Hogan was aided by the strong defensive play of Zach Rehbaum and Deakin. Deakin protected the White net as he went all out to block a shot by the Gold Sabres’ Faran.

Gold Sabre netminder Thomas Peers rose to the occasion as he faced constant pressure from the White Sabre offense.

Peers thwarted offensive attacks by the strong line of Rehbaum, Patrick Gilbert, and C.J. Goss, including a 3 on 0 rush. Peers skillfully used both stick and pads to deny the White Sabres on numerous chances. Sidorski, Wehr, Faran, and Dane each contributed defensively.