ORONO – Bangor High School hockey coach Dan Kerluke had wanted to set the state single-game attendance record with his Fill the Alfond Arena promotion for Tuesday night’s game against archrival Brewer.

He may not have reached the 3,000-plus needed to eclipse the mark set at a Lewiston-St. Dominic of Auburn playoff game but a festive crowd of 1,675 did show up to see the Rams post a 6-1 triumph at Alfond Arena.

Sophomore left wing Nick Payson had a hat trick, giving him 31 goals this season, and junior goalie Aaron Buzzell made 21 saves as Bangor finished the regular season at 14-5-1.

Brandon Prescott, Ben Payson and Peter Hyatt had the other Ram goals while Kevin Kotredes scored for the youthful Witches, who wound up 6-14. Freshman Aaron Saunders made 36 stops.

“Having 1,700 was fantastic. Our kids loved it. To see the look in their faces when they came out of the locker room was priceless,” said Kerluke.

“That was the best experience I’ve had in my career,” said Brewer senior defenseman and tri-captain Kotredes.

“I liked how it was set up. It was pretty cool. I didn’t think there would be that many fans,” said Bangor’s Buzzell.

As for the game itself, Prescott and Kotredes swapped first-period goals before Nick Payson sandwiched second-period goals around one by his older brother Ben.

“Buzzell is a great goalie. Nick Payson is fast and he was all over the ice,” said Brewer right wing and tri-captain Matt Grimes.

Nick Payson capped his hat trick with his 31st goal of the season in the third period and Hyatt capped the scoring with a power play goal.

Payson broke a 1-1 tie 1:59 into the second period when his low wrister from the outer edge of the right circle snaked its way through traffic and beat Saunders to the far side.

Ben Payson made it 3-1 on the power play 3:15 later.

Dylan George weaved into the offensive zone and the puck wound up on the stick of Mike McPike, who rang a wrister off the short-side post.

The rebound glanced to the far post and Ben Payson shoveled it into the half-empty net.

Nick Payson made it 4-1 2:24 later when he and linemate Jason Eremita controlled the puck behind the net and Payson’s centering pass hit a Brewer defenseman and deflected into the net.

Buzzell, who had made several outstanding saves on a Brewer five-on-three in the first period, preserved the 4-1 lead when he made two rapid-fire saves on Ben Caldwell after Caldwell won a faceoff and walked in alone on him. Caldwell had three shots in the flurry and the middle one hit the post.

Payson iced it 1:12 into the third period when he stole the puck and snapped a 17-footer past Saunders from the left circle.

Nick Payson had to leave the game later in the third period to receive stitches over his eye after a collision.

Prescott opened the scoring by whacking home the rebound of an Andy Marin wrister from the point but Kotredes equalized when he skated onto a loose puck and beat Buzzell glove side with a 30-foot wrister.

“We played well,” said Kerluke. “We made a few mistakes here and there but we played an overall good game offensively and defensively. We got the job done.”

Bangor will host an Eastern Maine Class A playoff game at Sawyer Arena in Bangor on Monday night at 7.

RAMS 6, WITCHES 1

Brewer (6-14) 1 0 0 ? 1

Bangor (14-5-1) 1 3 2 ? 6

First period ? 1. Ban, Prescott (Marin, Estabrook), 2:53; 2. Brew, Kotredes (McLaughlin), 13:41. Penalties: Ban, Marin, interference, 5:11; Ban, B. Payson, tripping, 6:10; Brew, Patterson, roughing, 10:40.

Second period ? 3. Ban, N. Payson (Vanidestine), 1:59; 4. Ban, B. Payson (George, McPike), 5:14 (pp); 5. Ban, N. Payson (unassisted), 7:38. Penalties: Brew, too many men on the ice (served by Thoms), 3:53; Ban, Marin, roughing, 11:18; Brew, Grimes, hooking, 12:12; Ban, Vanidestine, cross checking, 12:22; Brew, Harding, hooking, 12:22; Brew, Kotredes, high sticking, 12:48.

Third period ? 6. Ban, N. Payson (unassisted), 1:12; 7. Ban, Hyatt (George, Porter), 12:41 (pp). Penalties: Brew, Kotredes, cross checking, 5:38; Brew, Grimes, slashing, 6:15; Ban, Marin, high sticking and 10-minute misconduct, 8:42; Brew, Harding, cross checking.

Shots on goal: Brewer 7-8-7? 22; Bangor 10-17-15? 42

Goaltenders: Brewer, Saunders (42 shots-36 saves); Bangor (22-21)

Power-play opportunities: Brewer 0-4; Bangor 2-7

Attendance: 1675