Last Wednesday (Feb. 17), the Novice AE Sabres were down two games to one on the road in the OMHA quarter-finals. Facing elimination, the pressure was on – and they pulled off a 4-2 win to stay alive.

During the first period, tensions ran high as Stoney Creek picked up the first goal less than three minutes into the game and maintained the lead all the way through the first period. In period two, the Creek picked up another goal with 10:18 left on the clock making it 2-0.

With two seconds left in the second, the Sabres scored their first goal. After a battle in front of the net, A.J. Lucas knocked the second rebound past the goalie to put Flamborough on the board.

Just 56 seconds into the third period, Aiden Reynolds kept the puck inside the blue line with a big backhand toward the net. The puck was pushed forward by Jaden Faulkner and finished off with a swift shot to the right hand corner by Toren Marchesano to tie it up 2-2.

Less than a minute later, Nolan Fetter and Timmy Howell pushed through the crowd. Fetter got a shot off and Howell packed in the rebound to make it 3-2.
Sabres goalie Michael Grainger let nothing further by him, while Colby Prikker scored goal number four, assisted by Lucas.

With the series tied at two games each, it was win or go home in game five.Stoney Creek Warriors. In front of a packed home crowd the Sabres came fast and furious as they pressured the Warrior goalie right from the start. Finally with 5:48 left in the first Timmy Howell, assisted by Fetter, snapped a wrist shot to the right side of the net to put the Sabres up 1-0. With two minutes left in the period, Travis Braine swooped by the defence and hit the target to make it  2-0 Sabres. The assist went to Braden Hooper.

Just 15 seconds into the second period, on a great pass from Braine, Howell picked up his second goal as he snapped a shot past the Warrior netminder to make it 3-0. The Sabres defensive unit, Joshua Hampel , Justin Doman, Ryan Riggs,  Hooper, Reynolds and Jake Mussina, kept the Warrior forwards at bay, while netminder Liam Passmore was “in the zone“ as he turned would-be scorers away time after time to end the period 3-0 Sabres.

Assisted by Toren Marchesano and Lucas, Prikker scored in a battle in front of the Warrior net to make the score 4-1. With just 26 seconds left, Braine added an empty-netter to made the final score 5-1. The Sabres came from behind to eliminate Stoney Creek, taking the series 3-2. Next, the Sabres take on Orangeville in the OHMA semifinals.