Boys hockey: Wide open paths to state championships

Sophomore defenseman Brooks Hefty of Edward Little High School reacts Dec. 27 in Auburn after scoring his first high school goal. Hefty’s first-period goal put the Red Eddies up 5-0 against Saint Dominic Academy. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

AUBURN — Heading into the boys hockey playoffs, the battle for this season’s Class A crown appears.

The preliminary round begins Wednesday at various sites across the state, followed by the quarterfinals later this week. The state title games will be played March 12.

A couple of teams are streaking into the playoffs. The 10th-seeded Portland/Deering Bulldogs (6-10) have won six of the past seven games, including five in a row. They will take on the No. 7 Scarborough Red Storm (9-8-1). The No. 4 Falmouth Navigators (9-7-1) have won four in a row and will host the No. 13 Biddeford/Massabesic/Old Orchard Beach Tigers.

“I think Thornton Academy is a great team, Scarborough has come on (strong) at the end (of the regular season), even Portland has won some games in a row,” Edward Little coach Norm Gagne said. “They have surprised some people, their goalie (Ryan Becker) is playing really well for them. … I think Wednesday, during these prelims, don’t be surprised if you see some upsets.”

Edward Little (16-2) is the top seed and Bangor (14-3) is the second seed. Both have byes into the quarterfinal round, which takes place this weekend. Both of the top teams suffered losses in the final week of the regular season. The Red Eddies fell to Brunswick 2-1 and Bangor lost to Falmouth 5-2.

The prelim game Gagne and the Red Eddies will be paying closest attention to is No. 8 Lewiston (8-10) hosting the No. 9 Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle/Sacopee Valley Trail Blazers (7-10-1) at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

The game will not be at The Colisee because the Maine Nordiques have a home game at 7 p.m. against the Northeast Generals.

“The good thing is we practice throughout the week there (at Norway Savings Bank Arena),” Lewiston coach Jamie King said. “It gives us a chance to get a feel for the rink. We have been back-and-forth all season, so I consider that our home rink as well. We have two home rinks.”

The winner between the Blue Devils and the Trail Blazers will face the Red Eddies in the quarterfinals Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Norway Savings Bank Arena.

“We have film on both those teams that we will be going over this week,” Gagne said. “I will be at that game. It’s so much easier to watch live than it is to watch the film, for me anyway. I like to be there and assess what (the teams) are doing.”

King said the Trail Blazers have been on their radar for the past few weeks.

Lewiston will be without third-leading scorer Dylan Blue who was injured Feb. 19 against Edward Little. He racked up 13 of his 17 points this season in February.

The Blue Devils returned to the ice Monday after a break following the end of the regular season.

“They have been excited to come back on the ice,” King said. “They had a couple of days off; they are pretty excited to get back out there today.”

King said Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle/Sacopee Valley has a good goalie, Porter Krause, and a handful of good forwards, Aidan Hartwell (25 points), Logan Caron (16 points), Bobby Fothergill (15 points) and Lucas Laforest (15 points).

When the teams met in the regular season on Dec. 31, Blue Devils, who had players returning to the lineup from COVID-19 protocols, won 5-4.

“Our boys were released that same day (from the protocol) at 11 (that morning) and they hadn’t skated in over a week,” King said. “I think we had 12 players missing in the (St. Dom’s) Christmas Tournament (earlier in the week).”

Lewiston had a 4-1 lead in the game before the Trail Blazers came back to tie it.

St. Dominic Academy boys hockey coach Dan D’Autueil said the Saints are erasing the regular season out of their mind.

The Saints enter the playoffs the No. 14 seed after a 1-17 regular season and will face the No. 3 South Portland/Waynflete/Freeport in the Class A preliminary round Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at Troubh Arena in Portland.

” I think the guys are pretty upbeat about it; they seem excited, they are getting their haircuts and racing stripes,” D’Autueil said. “They seem excited we are 0-0, and we are ready to go.”

D’Autueil said he’s reminding the Saints that every team is one loss away from the end of its season.

St. Dom’s faced the Red Riots once in the regular season, losing 7-2 Dec. 30. D’Autueil said the Saints are playing better now than they were two months ago.

“I think it’s good for us that we played them at the beginning of the year,” D’Autueil said “I think we have gotten a lot better. It was a relatively close game and I think we are healthier. I think we are going to surprise some people. People are going to come in and take us for granted.”

D’Autueil said that the players trust each other more than they did in December, and that they gained confidence from their 3-2 loss to Bangor in the regular season finale. The Saints have played eight games decided by one goal this season, including their 3-2 win over Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle/Sacopee on Feb. 12.

Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse goalie Sean Moore keeps an eye on the puck during a game Jan. 12 in Lewiston against St. Dominic Academy. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

The No. 12 Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse Eagles (6-12) will travel to face the No. 5 Thornton Academy Golden Trojans (12-5) at 8:30 p.m. at Biddeford Ice Arena.

It will be the teams’ first matchup of the season.

A.J. Kavanaugh said goalie Sean Moore will be the Eagles’ key player in the playoffs.

“The boys are proud of the way (Sean played),” Kavanaugh said after a 3-0 loss to Edward Little last Wednesday. “They are going to play inspired hockey no matter who we face.”

The No. 6 Ice Cats of Fryeburg/Lake Region/Oxford Hills are 3-5 in the past eight games after going 8-1 in their first nine games They will host the No. 11 Marshwood/Traip/Sanford/Noble Knighthawks (8-9-1). The Ice Cats won the first matchup of the season between the two teams 4-1 on Feb. 5, and the Knights won the rematch 3-1 on Feb. 19.

CLASS B

Class B South has been beating each other up this season. Poland/Leavitt/Oak Hill/Gray-New Gloucester Kings coach Joe Hutchinson said it’s been the norm for the past five years or so.

“One through six is fairly even; there’s a bunch of parity there,” Hutchinson said. “Any of these teams can beat each other.”

No team enters the playoffs with less than four losses.

The two-time defending state champion Greely Rangers (14-4) is the No. 1 seed. The title defense begins against the No. 8 Kennebunk Rams (0-16) in the regional quarterfinals, which begin Wednesday.

The No. 2 seed is the Brunswick Dragons (13-4), who will host the No. 7 Gorham Rams (5-13). No. 3 Cheverus/Yarmouth (12-5) takes on No. 6 York Wildcats (6-10-1).

In the 4-vs.-5 matchup, Poland/Leavitt/Oak Hill/Gray-New Gloucester (10-7-1) will host Cape Elizabeth Capers (9-6-1) on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Norway Savings Bank Arena.

The Kings defeated the Capers on Feb. 13.

“It will be a good rematch, and we are ready for it,” Hutchinson said. “(The players) are excited. Obviously, it’s a playoff game, why wouldn’t you be excited?”

Class B North playoffs began with regional prelims this past Saturday. Eighth-seeded Gardiner defeated No. 9 Maranacook/Winthrop/Hall-Dale/Spruce Mountain/Lawrence 4-1. Sixth-seeded Brewer/Searsport took out No. 11 Houlton/Hodgdon/Greater Houlton Christian 11-2. Tenth-seeded Presque Isle (4-13) pulled off an upset, beating No. 7 Cony/Monmouth/Erskine/Mt. Blue/Richmond 8-4.

The regional quarterfinals begin Wednesday. Top-seeded Messalonskee (10-2-1) takes on Gardiner, No. 2 Hampden Academy (13-3) hosts Presque Isle, No. 3 Old Town/Orono (12-4) faces Brewer/Searsport, and No. 4 Camden Hills (10-4) will battle No. 5 John Bapst/Hermon/Bangor Christian/Deer Isle-Stonington (9-7-1).