Monberg, Cady spark Orono

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ORONO – Orono High School junior right Chris Monberg was airborne and was headed for the boards behind the John Bapst net. However, the puck was right in front of him so he figured he’d take a shot.

Monberg’s low 20-foot wrist shot fooled Crusader goalie Dan Allen and gave Orono a 3-2 overtime win in an entertaining high school hockey thriller at the Alfond Arena Monday night.

Orono is now 7-1 while Bapst of Bangor fell to 5-3 and had its three-game winning streak snapped.

“We had a two-on-oh but I lost control of the puck. Then I just tried to get a shot off. I knew [Adam] Sewall was driving to the net. It went right inside the left post,” Monberg said.

“It caught me off balance,” Allen said.

Monberg’s goal came seconds after John Bapst had a glittering opportunity.

Tim Smith’s wrist shot was saved by Orono’s Stuart Cady but the rebound came out to Nate Waring, who pulled it around Cady but wound up hitting the side of the net with the backhander.

“Tommy Hite tied his stick up,” said a thankful Cady, who rejected 30 shots in an outstanding performance.

Cady considered it his best game of the season.

“I felt comfortable. I thought I was in control the whole time,” said Cady, who helped force overtime with six minutes left as he flashed out his left pad to rob Waring.

Waring was alone in the middle of the slot and was set up by sophomore left wing Nate Susi.

“I saw him. I was leaning and I threw my pad out,” said Cady.

Susi, who scored both Crusader goals, said Cady “played really well. He came up with some big saves. He kept them in the game.”

Cady was kept busy throughout the game as his Riots were shorthanded on eight different occasions including a pair of two-man disadvantages totaling 1:42. The Riots killed off seven of eight penalties.

Allen also came up with some nice stops en route to his 24-save outing.

Sewall opened the scoring just 1:58 into the game as he lost the puck just outside the JB blue line, jabbed it off the boards around a Crusader, and regained it before firing an 18-foot slap shot over Allen’s glove into the short side.

The swift-skating Susi, who was dangerous every time he stepped on the ice, tied it up with a nifty individual move. He beat a Riot defenseman wide and tucked a 12-foot wrist shot between Cady’s pads. His goal came while the Crusaders enjoyed a two-man advantage.

Late in the second period, Susi scored a highlight-film goal by winning a faceoff, pulling it around a Riot and, while falling to the ice, roofing a 15-foot wrist shot over Cady’s glove.

Orono received its only power play 1:09 into the third period and the Riots tied it up five seconds later when Sewall’s screened wrist shot from the left point sailed past a Crusader defenseman and glanced in off the post to Allen’s left.

“We played hard. You couldn’t ask for anything more,” said John Bapst coach Ray Thibodeau.

Red Riots 3, Crusaders 2

Orono 1 0 1 1 – 3 John Bapst 1 1 0 0 – 2

First period – 1. Orono, Sewall (Kurr), 1:58; 2. John Bapst, Susi (Ashley), 10:25, pp. Penalties: Orono, McKnight, tripping, 5:01; Orono, Monberg, tripping, 8:32; Orono, Powers, hooking, 9:32.

Second period – 3. John Bapst, Susi (unassisted), 13:42. Penalties: Orono, Hedstrom, hitting from behind and 10-min. misconduct, 7:46; Orono, Holmes, interference, 9:58; Orono, Bryant, roughing, 11:16.

Third period – 4. Orono, Sewall (Hite, Powers), 1:14, pp. Penalties: John Bapst, J. Todd, hooking, 1:09; Orono, Holmes, elbowing, 4:14; Orono, Powers, tripping, 8:28.

Overtime – 5. Orono, Monberg (Sewall), 2:42. Penalties: none

Shots on goal: Orono 8-4-12-3-27; John Bapst 11-12-8-1-32

Goaltenders: Orono, Stuart Cady; John Bapst, Dan Allen

Power plays: Orono 1-1; John Bapst 1-8

Attendance: 114