The Dalmeny Sabres captured the Twin Rivers Hockey League (TRHL) crown on home ice in front of a capacity crowd Saturday, March 18, downing the Birch Hills Blackhawks 4-3 to sweep the best-of-five series with three straight victories.
But it wasn’t easy.
After giving up a one-goal lead early in the second period and a two-goal cushion late in the third, the Sabres needed overtime to snatch the league title from the defending champions.
The Sabres were confident heading into the contest, having spanked the Blackhawks 9-4 in the first game Sunday, March 12 in Dalmeny and edging them 6-4 in the second game on Friday, March 17 in Birch Hills.
Still, the defending champions had no intentions of folding their tents early. If it hadn’t been for the spectacular efforts of Dalmeny goalie Tyler Peterson, who turned away 35 of 38 shots, including several on breakaways, the script would have been much different.
The Dalmeny barn was packed Saturday night with a standing-room only crowd, and hometown fans hoping to see their boys lift the hardware weren’t disappointed. With so much on the line, this was the closest contest in the series between the two teams.
Dalmeny opened the scoring in the dying minutes of the first frame when Travis Swanson scored a power play goal. Hunter Schnell tied things up for the visitors early in the middle frame, but Sabres’ captain Craig Leverton restored his team’s one-goal lead 15 seconds later on a short-handed marker. Swanson’s second goal of the game with about six minutes left in the second put Dalmeny out in front by two goals.
In the third period, the Blackhawks found their second wind, storming back on goals by Kyle Njaa and Kaleb Charko to tie the game and send it into overtime.
But in the end, a quick wrist-shot from the low slot by Dalmeny forward Zach Harms got by Birch Hills goaltender Kody Kushniruk (who stopped 37 of 41 shots) to seal the deal and kick-start the on-ice celebration.
“This is a very special moment for the guys,” said Sabres coach Darrin (Woody) Wutzke after the team assembled for their victory photo with the league trophy. “They played their hearts out. Congratulations to Birch Hills; they’re the reigning champions and they put up a heck of a battle, but I can’t say enough about my guys. They’re champions.”
Wutzke said he knew at the beginning of the season that this team had what it takes to go all the way.
“I definitely had a feeling that this group of guys we have here, if they worked together and believed in each other, that this could happen,” he said. “I’m just ecstatic and so happy for them. It’s our first-ever senior hockey championship in Dalmeny, so it’s really good for our community too.”