Top line sparks Bangor Rams stop Panthers for fifth victory

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BANGOR – Bangor High School hockey coach Dan Kerluke said when his top line of junior left wing Nick Payson, senior center T.J. Vanidestine and junior right wing Dylan George works hard, “we have a great chance to win every day.”

They certainly worked hard on Tuesday night, combining for five goals and three assists to pace the Rams to a 7-3 victory over Waterville at Sawyer Arena.

George had a hat trick, giving him five goals and an assist in the last two games; Vanidestine had a goal and two assists and Payson had a goal and an assist as Bangor improved to 5-2. Waterville fell to 4-4.

“They work real well together,” said Bangor senior defenseman Jason Eremita, who anchored the Bangor blue- line corps.

“That’s a real strong line. They have three quality players on that line. We struggled against them,” said Waterville senior right wing and tri-captain Matt McGowan.

Payson said Kerluke told them earlier this week that when they work hard as a line, “the rest of the team looks up to it and everybody else on the team picks up the pace and we have a good game.”

Junior right wing Ben Estabrook had the other two Ram goals.

Chris Smith, Jason Fitton and Zach Jochem had the Waterville goals.

Vanidestine scored the only goal of the first period and it came against the run of play as Waterville outshot Bangor 14-5.

Mike Perry wristed the puck from the point toward the net and it hit a Waterville helmet.

“The puck dropped down in front of me, I turned around and shot it and it went in,” said Vanidestine whose 20-foot slap shot beat Panther goalie Joey Fonollosa low to the glove side.

George, Estabrook and Payson broke the game open with goals 4:58 apart early in the second period and George made it 5-0 on the power play with 3:38 left in the period.

Smith and Fitton gave Waterville some life by scoring 32 seconds apart late in the second period but George regained the momentum 3:01 into the third period and Estabrook extended the lead before Jochem capped the scoring.

George’s first goal came just 47 seconds into the second period and finished off a nice passing play involving his linemates.

“T.J. chipped it up to me and I chipped it past their defenseman to Nick. Nick picked it up, I yelled to him and he picked his head up and gave me a pass,” said George. “I put the backhander five-hole.”

Estabrook expanded the lead when he swooped on the rebound of a Jake Silver point shot and shoveled it in the half-empty net.

Payson made it 4-0 when he came out of the corner to Fonollosa’s left and snapped a wrister into the upper short-side corner from a tough angle.

Senior Ryan Cook was victimized by George when Andrew Marin’s point shot came off the boards and George jammed home a backhander before Cook could get over.

Smith got one back by protecting the puck effectively and roofing a wrister and then Fitton deflected in a Blake Jordan point shot.

But George ruined the Panther comeback bid by swatting home his own rebound to cap his hat trick.

Bangor outshot Waterville 35-34.

RAMS 7, PURPLE PANTHERS 3

Waterville (4-4) 0 2 1 – 3

Bangor (5-2) 1 4 2 – 7

First period – 1. Bangor, Vanidestine (Perry), 3:15. Penalties: Ban, Varney, elbow to the head, 3:29; Ban, J. Silver, holding, 9:31; Wat, Cushing, roughing, 9:31; Ban, Marin, interference, 12:48.

Second period – 2. Ban, George (Payson, Vanidestine), :47; 3. Ban, Estabrook (J. Silver), 4:31; 4. Ban, Payson (unassisted), 5:45; 5. Ban, George (Marin), 11:22 (pp); 6. Wat, Smith (Rueger), 13:45 (sh); 7. Wat, Fitton (Jordan), 14:17. Penalties: Ban, Marin, hooking, 1:40; Ban, Varney, holding, 6:44; Wat, Labbe, cross-checking, 7:34; Wat, too many men on the ice, 10:11; Wat, McGowan, tripping, 11:09; Ban, Payson, roughing to the head, 14:28.

Third period – 8. Ban, George (Vanidestine, J. Silver), 3:01; 9. Ban, Estabrook (Boehmer), 9:40 (pp); 10. Wat, Jochem (unassisted), 12:05 (sh). Penalties: Ban, B. Silver, hooking, 5:05; Wat, Allen, 7:36; Wat, Rueger, unsportsmanlike conduct, 10:10; Wat, Smith, 13:36; Ban, Porter, tripping, 14:20.

Shots on goal: Wat 14-13-7-34; Ban 5-16-14- 35

Goaltenders: Wat, Fonollosa (12 shots-8 saves), Cook (5:45 of 2nd, 23-20); Ban, Buzzell (34-31)

Power-play opportunities: Wat 0-6, Ban 2-6

Attendance: 150 (est.)