Bruins play their way into semifinals

The Mite Bruins played a very entertaining hockey game against the Mite Red Sabres on Sunday, clinching the final playoff spot with a 6-4 victory.

The Red Sabres, trying to play spoiler, were up two goals early in the second period.

The Red Sabres' line of Adam Smolka, Tim Finley, Joe Meosky, Nolan Deakin and Greg Koutsomitis started the scoring late in the first period.

Koutsomitis was able to send a long shot past Bruins' goaltender Jacob Zurat. The second goal came in the second, when Matt Vizzi never gave up and slipped one past the Bruins, goaltender.

The momentum of the game changed completely at 6:25 of the second period, when Joey DeMarco went high against Red Sabres, goaltender Dylan Wild. Not to be outdone, Anthony DeMaria scored a few seconds later on the same shift.

Keeping the pressure on the Red Sabres was Steven Metzger, who netted the third goal later in the second period. Matthew Maynard and Quinn Verpoten kept their cool during the second period and were able to keep the puck out of the Bruins, end and the pressure on the Red Sabres.

Knowing that the Bruins needed a win to stay alive in the playoffs, the team asked steady goaltender Zurat to put the pads on one more time, and once again, he lived up to the challenge.

The Red Sabres' Alex Tzetzo, Matt Chrzanowski, Ben Reichert and Ryan Kelly skated hard and challenged the Bruins all day. It was the work of Ellie Garrity, Justin Persutti, Leah Czerwinski and Christopher Mostowy who kept the pressure off the Bruins, netminder. The end of the second saw Matt Drewery score his first of two goals that put the Bruins in command.

Things started to tighten up in the third, when Trevor Conshafter and Adam Smolka each scored goals for the Sabres. Sensing the challenge DeMaria and Drewery each scored their second goals of the game, sealing the victory for the Bruins. It should be specially noted that Cole Donhauser, Dylan Birzon and Elena Kotrides played exceptionally well and Joshua Gorden was a rock on defense.

The Bruins will play a semifinal game on Thursday night at the Amherst Pepsi Center.