Hawks Secure Home Ice Victories Against Badlands Sabres in Weekend Clash

For the second weekend in a row the Sheridan Hawks swept their opponents on home ice with two wins over the Badlands Sabres. Both games were exhilarating events with action up and down the ice as the two teams battled to move up in the standings heading into the NA3Hl Showcase and the mid-season holiday break. Friday night the Hawks started the scoring with a goal by forward Tanner Freed just over seven minutes into the first period, assisted by Caleb Murray and Ayden Attungana. The Sabres didn’t back down and answered with a goal of their own a few minutes later by Hunter Walla on a power play from a tripping penalty called on Sheridan’s William Clark and near the end of the first potted another one, this time from Carter Kilen. The period ended the Hawks down 2-1. The second period saw the Hawks take advantage of a high sticking call against the visiting team and even it up with a power play goal by Kiefer Dunham, assisted by Freed and Murray, making the score 2-2. Entering the final period tied with Badlands, the Hawks pushed ahead to claim the victory with two more power play goals The first of was put in the Sabres’ net by Ayden Attungana with assists from Murray and Elijah White, and the second by Daniil Viscu, with assists from MacCaffrey Billings and White to make the final score 4-2. Murray earned three points for his work in the game and goalie Zach Broxterman pocketed the win with 36 saves.

Saturday started out looking like a walk over win for the Hawks but turned into a rough and tumble duel as the game developed. In the first period the Sheridan Hawks scored two unanswered goals, both by Tanner Freed making the score 2-0. The first showed off the Hawk’s power play once again on an interference call against the Sabres’ Ale Petrotto as Freed tickled the twine assisted by MacCafrey Billings. Four minutes later Freed scored another, this time with help from Murray and defenseman Bowen Lopez. The second period was fast on action but slow on scoring as neither team were able to get one by the netminders despite hard effort. At the start of the third, however, a resurgent Sabres punched one through in the first half minute with goal by Petrotto. The Hawks Mac Billings responded two minutes later with an unassisted end to end goal to maintain the two-point lead. Billings followed up on this at the ten-minute mark with a second goal, this time assisted by Freed and White. The Sabres weren’t done though, and within a minute Walla scored his second goal of the weekend to bring the score within two. Continuing to keep up the pressure and the competition the Sabres scored again with 29 seconds left in the game with an unassisted shot from Ian Vannelli to bring it to 4-3. The Hawks narrowly missed an empty netter to seal the deal but the Sabres were unable to put another one past the Hawks goaltender Aidan Knox who took the win with 39 saves. Billings and Freed both ended the night with 3 points for their efforts.

Next week the Hawks take on the Bozeman Icedogs again on home ice. Friday and Saturday nights the gates open at 6:30 and the action starts at 7:30 pm. And Saturday night is the Hawks annual Christmas Toy Drive to benefit our local Toys for Tots. Free admission with a donation of a new toy in original packaging valued at $10 or more.

Photos By Steven Schreffler