Squirt Minor ‘AAA’ win 1-0, gain rivalry

A rivalry was born on Dec. 11 on Rink No. 1 of the Amherst Pepsi Center.

After two tough early season losses, a tie and no wins against a dynamic Depew Saints squad, the Amherst Knights Squirt Minor “AAA” hockey team ended the winless streak, defeating the Saints 1-0.

The Knights rotated five defensemen. Danny Brodzik, Mitchell Spring, John Hazelet, Luke Eberhard and Ellis Smith moved swiftly on and off the ice, giving nothing less than a 100 percent effort. Each player on multiple occasions smothered his or her opponent at the top of the circle or forced him or her wide around the net.

The Saints changed it up and went cross ice with a number of passes in the Knights zone but

goalie Max Battistoni brought his “A” game. His lateral movement was silky smooth, making crease sliding saves look routine.

The Knights wore down the Saints and had the advantage in play as the first period ended in a scoreless tie.

Depew went immediately on the attack in the second period with an aggressive wrap-around to Battistoni’s left side. Battistoni walled off the post-side, draining the adrenaline from his opponent’s stick and crushing the attempt. Throughout the second and third periods, the Knights answered with some good transition play. Hazelet wedged a pass through center ice for a clean break out. Knight forward Danny Tyczynski quickly reversed direction for a clean breakaway that forced the Saints goaltender to

stretch for a superlative skate save. Spring took a determined solo rush down the left side boards, went around the defense but was tripped up at the top of the crease. Eberhard broke up a break-out pass just outside the Saints blue line then went far-side to his defensive partner to turn the play the other way. Although taking the play to the Saints, the Knights could not get on the board.

Depew changed up their tactics again, this time working a pyramid with two forwards behind the Knights net while a third roamed at the top of Battistoni’s crease. The tactic had some initial success until Brodzik started using superb positioning and anticipation to intercept the Saints passes just inside the corner boards. Brodzik earned a strong advantage for

his team as he quickly moved the puck up ice, leaving the Depew forwards deep in the Knights zone.

The Knights finally got on the board when forward Dylan Lock sent a pass into the Saints crease. Matthew Ruggiero followed the puck in and jammed it past the Saints goaltender to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.

The game ended as a battle of endurance. Knights defenseman Smith played her last shift as hard as her first. As the game neared its end, Smith consistently beat her opponents to the puck easing her team’s ability to clear their zone. Hazelet finished the game by winning a hard fought corner board battle to ward off a final Saints surge and preserve the Knights shutout.