By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer

High school hockey enthusiasts have enjoyed a Twin Cities renaissance in the last decade, with either Lewiston, St. Dominic or Edward Little appearing in six of the last seven Class A championship games, winning five.

It should come as no surprise, then, to see numerous local skaters fanning out and spreading that talent to colleges and junior hockey programs throughout New England.

Three Travis Roy Award winners have made the jump to college and find themselves at various points on the career path.

Josh Benson can see the finish line at Hamilton (N.Y.) College, where the senior defenseman hopes to lead the Continentals to the head of the New England Small College Athletic Conference pack this winter. Hamilton split its first two games, headlined by a win over conference rival Wesleyan.

Benson picked up his first point of the season in a recent 7-4 loss to Trinity, assisting a goal by Warren Berkstresser.

At Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Conn., Joe Dumais is off to a strong start in his senior season. The forward from St. Dom’s has notched three goals and three assists in 15 games for the Bobcats.

Kyle Smith, one of the catalysts for Edward Little’s back-to-back, breakthrough state championship teams, recently made his collegiate debut for the University of Southern Maine. Smith has played in two of the Huskies’ first three games as a forward.

He arrived at USM after a successful stint with the Portland Junior Pirates, where he was known as Kyle L. Smith to avoid confusion with a teammate from New York having the same first and last name. Oddly enough, Smith might have to break out the middle initial in Gorham, as well. There’s a cross country and indoor track and field competitor who answers to the same name.

One of last year’s Roy finalists is establishing his presence in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League. Jon Rutt of St. Dom’s has surfaced with Boston Bulldogs of the Junior Elite division, chalking up a goal and six assists in 11 games.

Rutt remains connected with former Saints teammate Ryan Guerin, a defenseman who has supplemented his first junior goal with 10 helpers in 16 contests.

City schools haven’t cornered the market on junior hockey-bound talent. Jon Retelle, who played for the Lisbon-Monmouth co-operative team and Kents Hill during his schoolboy career, has a goal and three assists as a blue-liner for the Junior Pirates.

He’s not superstitious

Thirteen was a lucky number for Bates College men’s cross country standout Dan Johnson. By finishing in that spot at the NCAA Division III Championship last Saturday, Johnson became the 12th male runner to earn All-America status for the Bobcats.

Johnson’s time of 25 minutes, 54 seconds around the 8-kilometer course at Ohio Wesleyan University was 40 seconds off the winning pace.

In a statement on the Bates web site, cross country coach Al Fereshetian lauded Johnson as a late bloomer who continued to move up the ladder of New England runners each season, punctuated by improvement in every post-season meet as a senior.

“He just kept battling,” Fereshetian said. “It’s been just a phenomenal year for him. There hasn’t been a single blip for him, not even on a training day. Every time he has been asked to step up in a big race, he’s come through.”

Violette, Seams lead stampede

Several local players played a pivotal role last week for the Central Maine Community College men’s and women’s basketball teams, leading the Mustangs to a combined 5-1 mark.

Kaleb Violette, who spent his high school career at Maranacook, lit up defending small-college national champion New Hampshire Technical Institute for 33 points and 16 rebounds in a 93-89 win. Violette flabbergasted Northern Essex Community College with 48 points and 18 boards in a 90-68 CM victory before knocking down 32 in a losing cause, 75-62, against Hesser.

Tiffany Seams (Oxford Hills) and Justine Frost-Kolva (Rangeley) both averaged double digits in three triumphs by the women. Nicole Hutchinson (Mountain Valley) anchored the offensive and defensive boards.

Class act

Leavitt Area High School graduate Erin Wing of Greene has been named to the NESCAC Fall All-Academic team.

Wing played 14 games on defense for the Connecticut College field hockey squad, contributing to an 8-7 campaign in her senior year with the Camels.

To earn the award, All-Academic performers must have been a junior or senior varsity letter winner with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.35.