AUBURN — Holding on to the final playoff spot in Class B South, Leavitt/Gray-New Gloucester/Oak Hill/Poland played like a team that didn’t want to take that position for granted.
The Kings scored seven goals in the first period and skated past the Hawks of Maranacook/Winthrop/Madison/Spruce Mountain 12-2 in a boys’ hockey game at Norway Savings Bank Arena on Wednesday.
“We’ve got Gorham coming up, so not to look forward, but we had to make sure that we come out and have a good first period,” Kings coach Joe Hutchinson said. “That hasn’t been our best period all year. Usually first periods are — usually takes us a little bit to get going. So I was happy to see that we were moving the puck well and had a good first period.”
Spencer Berube started and ended the scoring in the opening period for the Kings (9-5-1). Reese Collins had the first of three first-period assists on the play, and Jayson Martin started it with the secondary assist.
Trent Vaillancourt slapped home a rebound of Austin Taylor’s shot for the first of two power-play goals in the period, and Collins scored a goal of his own less than a minute later. Taylor later scored the second Kings power-play goal in the period.
Ashton Guerin and Kaden Trenoweth also found the back of the net in the frame.
“It was good to see that all the lines were clicking and playing hard tonight,” Hutchinson said.
Andrew Topham, Aiden Gonzalez and Bryce Doucette all scored in the second period for the Kings before Chase Cloutier put home a rebound of a Isaac Parker shot to get the Hawks (1-12) on the board 5:23 into the frame.
“It was huge for a freshman to put that first goal in. His demeanor changed the whole thing for that team,” Hawks coach Jack Rioux said. “We played the second half of that game a lot better than we played the first half.”
Later in the period, both teams switched out their goalies. Kings freshman Vincent Lupardo took over after Xavier Michaud stopped three of four shots, and Hawks captain Will Hays relieved Thomas Thornton, who made 16 saves in a period-plus of peppering.
“Will’s graduating, so unless I get a miraculous freshman, (Thomas) is going to be my starter next year, and he has got to be able to see this. We typically will see 40 to 50 shots a game, so my goalie’s got to be prepared to see that level of play,” Rioux said. “My job is to get him ready for that for next year.”
Shane Tweedie scored the second goal for the Hawks, with Kyle Bean notching the assist.
The Kings rounded out the scoring with goals by Guerin and Blake Springer.
Lupardo stopped four of five shots to close out the win for the Kings, while Hays made 13 saves.
“I give Joe credit, his guys played a really quality game. They didn’t rub it in,” Rioux said. “It was a very sportsmanlike game, so I give him credit for that.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
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