AUBURN — The Cheverus/Yarmouth boys hockey team started the new year by exacting a little revenge.

With the help of some early scoring and strong penalty killing, the co-op squad beat Edward Little 2-0 on Saturday night in a packed Norway Savings Bank Arena. It’s the fifth straight victory for Cheverus/Yarmouth (5-1) since losing its season opener to the Red Eddies on Dec. 4.

Hakon Yeo and John Bechard netted goals for Cheverus/Yarmouth, while Ben Dumais, Jackson Nalli and Cael Woelflein each got an assists. Senior goaltender Ashton Additon made 16 saves to earn the shutout.

“It feels really good,” said Yeo, a senior forward and captain. “It gave us a lot of energy (entering the game), just with how the Heal points work. We knew it was important, and it’ll definitely give us some momentum.”

Added Cheverus/Yarmouth coach David St. Pierre: “(Edward Little) played us really tough at the beginning of the year. We knew we were going to have our hands full tonight. But we grinded it out, we played great defensively and had some great special teams that pulled out the win.”

Senior goalie Caden Westhoven made 20 saves for Edward Little (5-3).

The game was a battle of top-five programs in Class A. The Red Eddies entered ranked No. 3 in the Class A Heal point standings, while Cheverus/Yarmouth was No. 4. The visitors moved up to Class A this season after winning back-to-back Class B championships.

How did they get there?

Opportunistic offense and a strong penalty kill. Yeo gave Cheverus/Yarmouth a 1-0 lead with 16 seconds remaining in the first period, connecting on a wrist shot that went over the left glove of Westhoven and into the top corner of the net.

“It definitely fired us up,” Yeo said. “It was good to get it right at the end of the first period and having a lead going into the second. We were finding a little bit of complacency there, but it was good to get some extra energy at the end of the first period and work with it.”

From that point, the special teams of Cheverus/Yarmouth were put to work and answered the challenge, killing three Edward Little power-play opportunities. That included a 5-minute major on Dumais in the second period for a hit from behind. During that stretch, Cheverus/Yarmouth held Edward Little to two shots.

Cheverus/Yarmouth also turned away the Red Eddies on a 5-on-3 power play that lasted for 64 seconds. As soon as the second penalty expired, Bechard nailed a shot past Westhoven for the game’s final goal with 6:07 remaining.

“It’s good to kill those penalties, especially as a goalie,” Additon said. “My defensemen and my forwards, they just put together a good PK unit, get (the puck) down the ice and away from me.”

In an 11-0 win against Marshwood on Dec. 22, Cheverus/Yarmouth scored three short-handed goals.

“It’s something we work hard on in practice,” St. Pierre said. “We’re getting better at it. I wouldn’t say we’re quite where we want to be yet, but we’re certainly in a good spot for sure at this point in the season. We definitely have some more work to do, that’s for sure.”

Any shot that did get past the defense was stonewalled by Additon, a former goalie for now-defunct St. Dominic Academy. Additon was also between the pipes when Edward Little beat Cheverus/Yarmouth in the season opener.

“They scored a goal on me earlier this year and I wish I had it back,” Additon said. “I got it back today.”

What does this mean?

For Cheverus/Yarmouth, the win should mean movement up the Class A standings. Entering Saturday night, Lewiston (4-2-1) was in the No. 1 spot, while Thornton Academy (5-1) was No. 2.

After a strong start to their season, the Red Eddies have a tough January schedule ahead, with upcoming games against rival Lewiston, which beat Edward Little 4-1 on Dec. 27, as well as Falmouth and Thornton Academy.

Statistical leaders

Cheverus/Yarmouth: Hakon Yeo (goal), John Bechard (goal), Ashton Additon (16 saves, shutout)

Edward Little: Caden Westhoven (20 saves)