By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — The Hanley Sabers proved themselves an all-season team on Tuesday, defeating the Davidson Raiders on a wet field surrounded by snow.

Temperatures hovered below the freezing mark throughout the game, and most spectators abandoned the stands by the second half for the comfort of their vehicles.

Both teams pressed on, but Hanley held onto an early lead and eventually won 77-44.

Even with the scoring gap, Sabers head coach Mark Anderson said his team had to keep up their efforts, knowing the Raiders could catch up with a few well-executed plays.

“They were a pretty happy group,” said Anderson. “We worked pretty hard to prepare for this one.”

He said they tried to correct the mistakes from their last game against Davidson, tightening their defence and working to keep Raiders quarterback Andrew Read under control.

Anderson said the Sabers also showed improvement in their passing. He had particular praise for quarterback Conor Prosofsky, saying some of his throws were “post-secondary worthy.”

Though the snow and weather were factors in the Raiders’ performance, coach Jason Low said the team ultimately fell short against the Sabers.

“Hanley was just better than us on that day,” said Low. “I don’t think we necessarily played poorly. They just played better.”

Strategy adjustments in the second half helped the team recover somewhat, along with rotating in younger players.

For the full story and photos, please see the Oct. 17 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.