‘Neu’ stick, quick start key for Williamsville East in win over Hamburg

Melissa Brawdy Facing Off

The key for newcomer Spencer Neu was a broken stick. The Williamsville East junior broke the stick he’d been using for years and was forced to use his backup for the Flames’ games Thursday night against Timon and Saturday afternoon against Hamburg. Neu scored in both games for his first two Fed goals, and he credited the new stick. “I …

Melissa Brawdy‘Neu’ stick, quick start key for Williamsville East in win over Hamburg

Metz scores OT winner as Flames down Bulldogs

Melissa Brawdy Facing Off

Williamsville East wanted redemption for last year’s Section VI final loss to Kenmore East, and the Flames had their chance Thursday night. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty, but the Flames defeated the Bulldogs 6-5 in overtime for their second win of the season. Kenmore East led 2-0 and then 3-1 early in the second, but Williamsville East came …

Melissa BrawdyMetz scores OT winner as Flames down Bulldogs

Williamsville East ‘ready for anyone’

Melissa Brawdy Down On The Ice

Williamsville East coach Mike Torrillo doesn’t want to talk about last season. “Last season is over,” Torrillo said. “That’s history. These guys are gonna take care of what they need to do. It becomes their legacy.” The Flames lost to rival Kenmore East in the small school finals after finishing as state runners-up the year before. Last season, Kenmore East …

Melissa BrawdyWilliamsville East ‘ready for anyone’

Mike Steffan: ‘Passion for baseball’

Melissa Brawdy Etcetera

Mike Steffan has made his decision. A year ago, at least publicly, the dual-sport athlete hadn’t yet decided whether to pursue a future in baseball or hockey. Even as a sophomore, he’d excelled in both. Steffan began playing both baseball and hockey around age 3, following in his father’s footsteps in both sports. His summers were spent on the baseball …

Melissa BrawdyMike Steffan: ‘Passion for baseball’

PHOTOS: Williamsville East Baseball vs. Williamsville South (5/23/16)

Melissa Brawdy The Off-Season

I couldn’t resist covering some baseball this spring, and the Williamsville East/South rivalry was one of the most exciting this season as the Flames and Billies fought it out for first place in Class A1 and then faced each other again in the playoffs on Monday, May 23, 2016. I asked a photographer to come and capture some moments from …

Melissa BrawdyPHOTOS: Williamsville East Baseball vs. Williamsville South (5/23/16)

BASEBALL: Crosstown rivalry transpires into semifinals

Melissa Brawdy The Off-Season

CARROTS For Williamsville East baseball, it’s about carrots. It’s a term coach Jerry Gasz came up with, and the players aren’t sure of the meaning behind it, but they’ve gone along with it, and so far it’s worked. “At the beginning of the year, we set three carrots for ourselves,” Mike Steffan explained. “The first carrot was to win the …

Melissa BrawdyBASEBALL: Crosstown rivalry transpires into semifinals

Pray leads way in redemptive section championship win; team game carries Kenmore East to states

Melissa Brawdy Facing Off

“Clutch” might be the most appropriate word to describe Trevor Pray’s senior season at Kenmore East. It started with his timely return to the Bulldogs after spending his junior year playing for the Jr. Sabres. During the regular season, he scored the game-winning goal in an overtime win over Hamburg. And in a 4-3 overtime win over Williamsville South in …

Melissa BrawdyPray leads way in redemptive section championship win; team game carries Kenmore East to states

Will East wins first playoff game over WSE

Melissa Brawdy Facing Off

Williamsville East proved to be the stronger team through a physical matchup with West Seneca East in Sunday’s small school quarterfinals. The Flames didn’t allow a goal until the third period and came away with a 3-1 win over the Trojans. William Mann started off the scoring with 6:36 left in the first, and the Flames killed off three penalties …

Melissa BrawdyWill East wins first playoff game over WSE

‘If they don’t score, we can’t lose’: Williamsville East shuts out Hamburg

Melissa Brawdy Facing Off

A win Saturday was the difference between a first-round bye and playing Amherst in the small school prequarterfinals the following Thursday. Williamsville East and Hamburg were aware of the implications of Saturday’s game, and both teams thought of it as a playoff game. Williamsville East coach Mike Torrillo’s mantra, “If they don’t score, we can’t lose,” rang true for the …

Melissa Brawdy‘If they don’t score, we can’t lose’: Williamsville East shuts out Hamburg

Williamsville East builds confidence, momentum with win over Timon

Melissa Brawdy Facing Off

It all comes down to Saturday for Williamsville East. Regardless of what happened in Thursday’s game against Timon, Saturday’s game between Williamsville East would determine who gets the No. 2 seed for the small school playoffs and who gets the No. 5 seed and has to play the first round. But the Flames needed the win against Timon simply to …

Melissa BrawdyWilliamsville East builds confidence, momentum with win over Timon