March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Lynch, Grant overwhelm Presque Isle

ORONO – Josh Lynch soon will become the all-time leading goal-scorer at Stearns High School of Millinocket. The senior center moved a step closer to achieving that status Monday night at Alfond Arena when he notched his 100th career goal.

Classmate Justin Grant has set up many of Lynch’s goals, but Lynch showed the same spirit of cooperation Monday, assisting on all four of Grant’s goals to spark Stearns to an 8-2 Class B victory over Presque Isle.

The 5-2 Minutemen, who have won five straight, overmatched the Wildcats with their speed and tenacity. Stearns’ relentless forecheck kept 5-2 Presque Isle pinned in its own zone most of the night.

“Lynch and Grant, they’ve played together so much and they know where each other are,” said Stearns coach Rod Daigle. “They’re a good unit and, boy, have they got intensity.”

Stearns fed off its aggressiveness, peppering Presque Isle goaltender Carl Morneau with a 43-shot barrage. The ‘Cats were unable to contain Grant and Lynch, whose crafty skating and passing resulted in some nifty goals.

“We’ve played hockey [together] for like three or four years now, and every summer. We’ve traveled to Massachusetts and stuff,” Lynch said. “I kind of know where he [Grant] is [on the ice].”

Stearns’ special teams were superb. The Minutemen scored on three of their six power plays, netted a shorthanded goal, and killed off all seven PI power plays.

The Wildcats were unable to sustain the momentum on the few occasions they generated any. They twice tied the game, only to have Stearns quickly regain the lead.

Presque Isle had evened the score 2-2 on a Jason Libby goal 31 seconds into the second period. The Minutemen responded 54 seconds later on Lynch’s 100th goal.

Stearns made sure it would retain control shortly after Lonnie Pinette broke up a near break-in by PI’s Doug Carlisle. Grant scored two goals 1:03 apart, the first on the power play and the second shorthanded, to make it 5-2.

Grant scored his first goal at the 7:39 mark by one-timing a centering pass from Lynch over Morneau’s glove. Lynch set up Grant again 54 seconds later with a rush down the left side. He fought off a PI defender and slid a pass in front to Grant, who stuffed it between Morneau’s pads.

“I was a little nervous, but we played good,” Grant said. “We know each other and we skate together a lot. We don’t hang out a lot, but on the ice we really click.”

Stearns put the game away in the third as Doug Morrison connected from the slot with a shot along the ice, and Lynch set up Grant for power-play goals 30 seconds apart.

Stearns had taken a 1-0 lead 8:10 on Jamie Brooker’s goal, but Mike Gallagher tied it up for PI at 13:56. Only 12 seconds later, Adam Ouellette found Frank Bowley alone at the right post for an easy tap-in.

Stearns goaltender Jermey Munoz faced only 18 shots, nine of those in the first period. He came up with four saves to help the Minutemen kill off a 5-on-3 PI power play that lasted 1:35.

“The defense has been a lot better than last year,” Munoz said. “I really see the puck.”

Stearns went ahead for good 1:27 into the second period when Grant fed a pass to Lynch, who tucked a shot past Morneau’s glove.

Minutemen 8, Wildcats 2

Presque Isle (5-2) 1 1 0 – 2 Stearns (5-2) 2 3 3 – 8

First Period – 1. S, Brooker (Ju. Merry) 8:10; 2. PI, Gallagher (Fischer, Carlisle) 13:56; 3. S, Bowley (D. Morrison, A. Ouellette) 14:08; Penalties: PI, Straetz, high-sticking, 5:30; S, Lynch, high-sticking, 5:30; S, Thibodeau, hooking, 9:08; S, N. Ouellette, hitting from behind, 9:33; PI, Straetz, roughing, 12:11; S, Lynch, roughing, 12:11

Second Period – 4. PI, Hayes (Duncan) :31; 5. S, Lynch (Grant, Welch) 1:27; 6. S, Grant (Lynch) 7:39 (pp); 7. S, Grant (Lynch) 8:42 (sh); Penalties: S, Lynch, unsportsmanlike conduct, 1:27; PI, Straetz, hitting from behind, 1:27; PI, Gallagher, hitting from behind, 5:56; S, Thibodeau, tripping, 8:33; PI, Morneau, slashing (served by Belmain), 9:51; S, Ju. Merry, interference, 11:30; S, Brooker, interference, 14:33

Third Period – 8. S, D. Morrison (A. Ouellette, Bowley) 5:14; 9. S, Grant (Lynch) 11:16 (pp); 10. S, Grant (Lynch) 11:46 (pp); Penalties: S, N. Ouellette, interference, 1:24; PI, Duncan, holding, 7:08; PI, Allen, holding, 9:20; PI, Allen, late hit, 9:20; S, Thibodeau, roughing, 11:59; PI, Gallagher, roughing, 13:22; S, Brooker, hitting from behind, 13:22, PI, Gahagan, roughing, 13:57

Shots on goal: Presque Isle 9-7-2 – 18; Stearns 11-10-21 – 43

Goaltenders: Presque Isle, Carl Morneau; Stearns, Jermey Munoz

Power plays: Presque Isle 0-7; Stearns 3-6

Attendance: 150 (est.)


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