Late Gilliland goal a winner for Butler
Tornado hockey team now unbeaten in last 6 games, nears playoff clincher

http://www.butlereagle.com/graphics/nothing.gifBy John Enrietto 
Eagle Sports Editor 

VALENCIA — With less than two minutes remaining, Butler forward Trevor Gilliland was sent in alone on a breakaway. 
He was foiled by the glove hand of Armstrong goaltender Jacob Lorigan. 
“I let one loose for the top corner. He robbed me,” Gilliland said. 
It wasn’t going to happen again. 
Gilliland took a pass from Jerome Oliver on a 3-on-2 break and slipped it behind Lorigan with 59 seconds remaining Monday night at the Ice Connection, giving the Golden Tornado a 6-5 Senior Night hockey victory. 
Butler (7-8-3) is unbeaten in its last six games (4-0-2) and is closing in on a PIHL Class AAA playoff berth that appeared hopeless to attain a few weeks ago. 
“We’ve been in playoff mode for a while now,” Butler coach Cory Sakolsky said. “I guess you could call it desperation, a refuse to lose mentality.” 
Gilliland certainly had that feeling Monday. 
“He came back to the bench after getting stopped on that breakaway and I told him to stay with it, that he’d get another chance.” 
Oliver skated down left wing and slid a pass toward Gilliland, who was crashing the net. 
“He put the puck right on my tape,” Gilliland said. “I was able to go five-hole and buried it.” 
The Tornado were able to avenge a 5-4 loss to the River Hawks (4-13) early in the season. Armstrong has lost 11 straight games. 
But the River Hawks made a game of this one. 
Butler jumped out to a 3-0 lead on goals by Gilliland and Ben Rodgers in the first period, then a tally by Oliver just 1:46 into the second frame. By the end of that second period, however, the game was knotted at four. 
“We took our foot off the gas and they jumped back in it,” Sakolsky said. 
Team captain Sam Gross looked like he had the game-winner for the Tornado when he took a pass from Rodgers in the high slot and beat Lorigan with a wrist shot with 7:13 left in the contest. 
But just 46 seconds later, Armstrong’s Kooltyn Livengood netted a shorthanded goal on a breakaway and the game was knotted at five. 
“We didn’t get back on that play,” Gross said. “We let up and it cost us.” 
The Tornado controlled much of the play from that point, however, until Gilliland netted the game-winner. It was his eighth goal in 10 games for Butler this season. 
Gilliland also plays for a Pittsburgh Penguins Elite team and is required to participate in all practices and games there. 
“It felt good to play a part in this win. It’s a big one for us,” Gilliland said. 
Butler entered the game tied for sixth place overall in PIHL Class AAA with 15 points. The top eight enter the Penguins Cup playoffs. 
The Tornado have road games Feb. 16 with Upper St. Clair and Feb. 23 with Canon-McMillan remaining. 
“We haven’t clinched a playoff spot yet. I think we need one or two more points,” Sakolsky said. “It depends on the results of some other games, too.” 
Butler recognized seniors Nick Gross, Sam Gross, Rodgers, Chris Martion, Josh McGowan, Ryan Rebmann, Cole Krizner and Brandon Lawrence before the game. 
Rebmann assisted on the game-winning goal. Rodgers and McGowan — who have been with the Butler program the longest — assisted on each other’s goals Monday. Rodgers had a goal and two assists. 
No Butler player has scored as many as 10 goals this season. Ronan Miller, Rodgers and Oliver have all scored nine. 
“We just work together,” Sam Gross said. “This is like a family. We’ve kicked it into another gear the past few games. I love playing with these guys.” 
Butler had a 37-21 edge in shots on goal. Nick Farmerie was the winning goaltender. Armstrong scored a pair of power play goals — by Giovanni Romeo and Herik Milliron — to go with its shorthanded tally.