Sabers take Smythe title

Both teams put it on the line when the Smythe Division Winter

League championship was on the line at Coast 2 Coast Inline Hockey Center

in Huntington Beach, but it was the Sabers, behind a stingy first half

defense, who were able to hold off the Blades by a 3-2 score in the title

match.

The Sabers limited the Blades to just one goal through the first two

quarters (in a three quarter match), with that score coming from

Christian Williams off a Jacob Hill assist, giving the Blades a 1-0 lead

after the first quarter.

But the Sabers struck back with a pair of second period goals, the first

coming on a Garrett Ono score off a Bryon Berryhill assist, the other, on

a Brandon Prince goal.

Both teams added a goal in the third period, with Jonathan Little scoring

off another Hill assist for the Blades, and a Jordan Beideman goal was

set up by Berryhill’s second assist of the match for the Sabers.

Blades goalie Marc Cooney recorded 25 saves, while the Sabers’ Jacob St.

Dennis had 16 saves.

In other championship matches:

CAMPBELL DIVISION

Thrashers 1, Avalanche 0

Defense dominated this match, and it took a John Aldinger goal (off a

Destiny Mills assist) at the 13:03 mark of the third quarter, to lift the

Thrashers to the victory and the title. Avalanche goalie Daniel Ane

stopped 15 shots on goals, and the Thrasher’s William DeWitt turned away

12 shot attempts.

WALES DIVISION

Dragons 3, Atomic Pucks 2

Ryan Doyle scored twice, Kevin Lachman had one goal and an assist, Josh

Rice assisted one goal, and goalie David Lachman recorded 14 saves as the

Dragons stopped a later charge by the Atomic Pucks to win the division

title.

Jake Thistle and Jeff Bisso both scored once, Christopher Torres had an

assist, and goalie Nicholas Ferreira had 16 saves for the Atomic Pucks.

LEMIEUX DIVISION

Jackamo 6, Blades 4

Jaclyn McKie scored twice and also assisted two other goals, Trevor

Zantos, Shaun Rakhshani, and Tyson Spataro all scored once, and goalie

Scott Schaefer stopped 29 shots on goal to power Jackamo, who took

command of the match with a four goal outburst in the second period.

Stephen Sandberg scored twice to lead the Blades, who also received

single goals from Chris Corsaro, Kris Ehret, and Greg Pearce, and 32

saves from goalie Casey Becking.