Lincoln Midgets rally for Silver Stick win

The Lincoln Zwart Systems Midget AE Blades captured the Wellesley/St. Clements Regional Silver Stick in dramatic fashion scoring twice in the last two minutes to defeat Pelham 3-2.

The win earns the Blades a spot in the North American Silver Stick Championships to be held in Pelham January 7-10, 2016.

The Blades faced off against the Ajax Knights in their first round robin game and played one of their best games of the year shutting out the Knights 6-0. Leading the attack for the Blades were Andrew Sindall with a pair of goals and an assist and Thomas Davis who also bulged the twine twice in his best game of the year.

Cristian Bate had a goal and a helper and Curtis Guerreiro from James Ross rounded out the scoring. Aidan McDonald earned the shutout.
Game two pitted the Blades against Tavistock. The Blades came up flat dropping a 2-0 decision to the Titans. A power play goal late in the second period put the Titans on the scoresheet. The Blades tried to knot the score throughout the third but just couldn’t hit the back of the net. A deflection late in the third period put the game out of reach.

Goaltender Blair Pachereva gave his team every opportunity to win and couldn’t be faulted for either goal.

Game three had the Blades taking on the Caledonia Thunder in a must win game to earn a berth in the semifinals. Blair Pachereva unstrapped the goalie gear and donned the player’s equipment to give the Blades some extra punch up front and fill in on a short bench.
His presence was immediately felt after an evenly played scoreless first, he got the Blades on the scoresheet converting a feed from Wyatt Cheberinoff. Evan Turnbull scored on a giveaway two minutes later to put the Blades up by a pair. Aidan McDonald earned his second shutout of the tournament and the Blades captured first place in their pool.

The semifinals pitted the Blades against Listowel. The home side got on the board first with James Ross scoring in the first minute of play on a beautiful feed from Max Mosquite. Listowel would tie the game later in the period. After a scoreless middle stanza, the third period would tell the tale of the game. The Cyclones went up halfway through the period.

The Blades thought they had tied the game when Curtis Guerreiro walked out from behind the net and roofed the puck over the goalie but all three officials dint see the puck enter the net. The Blades didn’t let the adversity get to them, the continued to push and the hockey gods rewarded them with Matthew Memme drew the Blades even scoring on a breakaway with a little over three minutes left to send the game to overtime. The tournament’s overtime format called for a ten minute three on three play.

The Blades took the wind out of Cyclones on the second shift of OT with Matthew Hayne setting up Andrew Sindall for the winner and sending the Blades to the Championship game against league rivals, the Pelham Panthers.

In their last league game, the Blades shutout the Panther’s 6-0 and maybe took this game lightly at first. Pelham put the first ink on the scoresheet with a power play goal with only 44 seconds left in the first period.

Cristian Bate drew the Blades even in the second on a nice play by Owen Olds to set him up. Pelham would regain the lead again late in the second period with another power play goal.

The second period intermission saw the Blades get reminded by the coaching staff that they had the opportunity to write the end of the story. Team play had to rise above individual goals and they must stop the parade to the penalty box.

The Blades penalty kill came up strong early in the third period and the momentum began to swing in the Blades favour. Wyatt Cheberinoff got a feed from Max Mosquite and kept his feet moving in front of the Blades bench and drew an interference call from the referee giving the Blades the opportunity to tie the game. The coaches then called a time out and went over the power play options with the five attackers. It took only 24 second for James Ross on a beautiful dish from Curtis Guerreiro and Andrew Sindall to draw the Blades even.

The Blades continued to push and just as it appeared the game was heading to OT, Cristian Bate picked up a loose puck in the corner, calmly skated out front and using the Pelham defenseman as a screen tucked the puck under the crossbar with only 2.9 ticks left on the clock. Andrew Sindall and Curtis Guerreiro were credited with helpers on the play.

The team really came together this past weekend both on and off the ice. With the Regional Silver Stick Championship trophies firmly clutched in their hands and the most heartwarming compliments received from the Tournament Directors of what a classy bunch of fine young men they are, they did their families, their hometown, and LMHA Proud! ‘Congratulations Players & Coaching Staff’ and good luck at the International Silver Stick in January!

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Midget Blades Silver Stick regional champs

Lincoln Midget AE Blades scored a come-from-behind 3-2 win to take the Silver Stick Regional in Pelham Dec. 3-4. Team members (Back Row) Manager Tom Honsberger, ass’t coach Paul Guerreiro, head coach JD Pachereva, Matthew Memme, James Ross, Chris MacCarl, Evan Turnbull, Curtis Guerreiro, Matthew Hayne, Cristian Bate, Owen Olds, Dylan DiFabio, Max Mosquite, Wyatt Cheberinoff, Anthony Izzo, Thomas Davis, Cole Rendall and Assistant Trainer Joe Olds. Missing was Trainer and Strength & Conditioning Coach Ruel Mosquite. Front, Blair Pachereva and Aidan McDonald.