Orono rolls by rival> Schymberg scores 3 for Red Riots

ORONO – Orono High School exchange student Erik Schymberg of Sweden knew exactly how many hat tricks he had accumulated throughout his hockey career.

“This was my first one, ever,” said the senior right winger, whose three goals and assist led the Riots to an 11-0 victory over archrival Old Town at Alfond Arena Monday afternoon.

“Erik gets better every game,” said rock-solid senior goalie Stuart Cady, who made 21 saves in posting his second consecutive shutout.

Schymberg’s linemates also had a productive afternoon as diminutive freshman center Nick Dwyer had a goal and four assists and junior left wing Nat Breece, also a first-year player, contributed a goal and three assists.

Junior center Jake Hedstrom had a pair of goals with Mike Merritt, Pat Skall, Rob Murdoch and Matt Hedrick scoring the others. Hedrick, Murdoch and Skall each added an assist.

The defending Eastern Maine Class B champion Riots may have graduated players who produced 85 percent of their offense last season, but that didn’t stop them from transforming their superior speed and crisp passing into the impressive triumph.

Orono, which erupted for five first-period goals, is now 2-0 while Old Town fell to 1-1.

“We talked about creating movement off the puck and our guys did a real good job of that,” said Orono fifth-year coach Greg Hirsch. “And Stuart [Cady] played real well.”

Cady said his mates did an exceptional job playing the systems.

“We don’t really have a number one line. Everybody has to do their jobs [for us to be successful],” said Cady. “Our guys played real well defensively.”

Schymberg opened the scoring 1:48 into the game when he got his own rebound off the chest of Indian goalie Jason Karam and “put it in the left corner.”

Merritt made it 2-0 at the 6:24 mark when he took a pass out from behind the net by Skall and snapped a 12-footer inside the short-side post.

Schymberg made it 3-0 1:37 later by breaking to an opening and wristing a loose puck behind Karam.

Skall and Breece capped the first-period scoring with goals 21 seconds apart.

Skall found the open net after the smooth-skating Hedrick maneuvered cleverly across the slot and fired a 20-foot slapper that was kicked out by Karam.

Junior Hedrick was immense, controlling play at both ends of the ice.

Breece scored when he tipped Ian Ferguson’s wrist shot from the point past Karam.

“They jumped on us early. We didn’t play our systems in the first period and Orono did,” said first year Old Town coach Dave Danielson. “They got us running around [in the defensive zone] and it killed us.”

Red Riots 11, Indians 0

Old Town (1-1) 0 0 0 – 0 Orono (2-0) 5 2 4 – 11

First period – 1. Orono, Schymberg (Dwyer, Breece), 1:48; 2. Orono, Merritt (Skall), 6:24; 3. Orono, Schymberg (Breece), 8:01; 4. Orono, Skall (Hedrick), 11:42, pp; 5. Orono, Breece (Ferguson, Dwyer), 12:03. Penalties: OT, Hayman, tripping, 11:07; Orono, Breece, roughing, 12:35.

Second period – 6. Orono, Murdoch (M. Caggiano, Zadakis), 10:32; 7. Orono, Hedrick (Dwyer), 14:21, sh. Penalties: Orono, Breece, roughing, 2:35; OT, Bryant, roughing, 5:50; Orono, Hedstrom, hooking, 6:06; 0rono, Berry, roughing, 7:15; OT, Cleary, roughing, 7:15; OT, Rand, interference, 7:36; Orono, Williams, interference, 13:06; Orono, Hedstrom, hooking, 14:59.

Third period – 8. Orono, Schymberg (Breece, Dwyer), 2:37, pp; 9. Orono, Dwyer (Schymberg), 8:33, pp; 10. Orono, Hedstrom (Williams, Murdoch), 11:19, pp; 11. Orono, Hedstrom (unassisted), 13:51. Penalties: OT, Dill, five-minute major for hitting from behind, game disqualification, :12; Orono, Merritt, roughing, :21; OT, Graffam, roughing, :21; Orono, Skall, tripping, 3:32; Orono, M. Caggiano, tripping, 4:10; OT, Bernard, tripping, 8:13; Orono, Breece, interference, 9:18; OT, Cleary, tripping, 10:21.

Shots on goal: Old Town 3-10-8-21; Orono 15-13-14-42

Goaltenders: Old Town, Jason Karam (42 shots-31 saves), Jeff Turcotte (:21 third, 0-0), Karam (1:00 third); Orono, Stuart Cady (21-21)

Power-play opportunities: Old Town 0-6; Orono 4-6

Attendance: 115