Riots open title defense as quarterfinals begin

The second-seeded Orono High School Red Riots open defense of their Eastern Maine Class B schoolboy hockey championship against Kents Hill Monday evening in one of three quarterfinals.

With top seed Winslow (l5-4-1) earning a first round bye, 10-year Orono coach Greg Hirsch will hope to receive yet another productive performance from his high-powered top line of John Tuell between Tony Raymond and Jake Roeder against No. 7 Kents Hill, which is 9-8. They will square off at 7:15 at the University of Maine’s Alfond Arena in Orono.

In the other quarterfinals, No. 3 Hampden Academy (14-5-1) will try to beat No. 6 Gardiner (8-9-1) for the first time this season after a loss and a tie beginning at 7:20 at the T.J. Ryan Center in Brewer and the No. 4 Houlton-Hodgdon Black Hawks (11-5-2) will seek to oust Aroostook County rival and nemesis No. 5 seed Presque Isle (10-6-2), which has eliminated them from the playoffs the last two years.

Hirsch said the Roeder-Tuell-Raymond line is “the most talented first line we’ve ever had.”

The statistics would validate Hirsch’s claim as first team All-Eastern Maine Class B selection Tuell has 31 goals and 23 assists; Raymond has 23 goals and 23 assists and Roeder has 15 goals and 25 assists.

Raymond and Roeder were All-Eastern B second teamers.

“John has good size (6-foot-1) and great speed and he dominates possession of the puck,” said Hirsch. “He’s got a goal scorer’s mindset and a rocket for a shot. Tony is a phenomenal all-around player who is the most coachable kid I’ve ever had and Jake has great speed and good stick-handling ability. He reminds me of [former diminutive UMaine sniper] Cal Ingraham.”

Joel Trickey’s Houlton-Hodgdon Black Hawks have their own formidable top line of center Mitch Hall (14 goals, 10 assists) between Ian Pasquarelli (10 & 18) and Micah Carton (8 & 6). Pasquarelli is an All-EM Class B first teamer.

“Mitch is really fast and has a really hard shot, Ian is a 110 percent hustler who drives the other teams crazy and Micah is a hustler and hitter and a very good shooter,” said Trickey.

Trickey hopes his Black Hawks can turn Monday’s battle into a “speed and skating game” against a physical Wildcat team led by Ryan Cyr, Erik St. Peter and Brad Baker.

Hampden Academy features linemates Chris Pease (16 & 4), Kevin Brooks (11 & 9) and Mike Brown (9 & 6) along with Jason Huntley (9 & 12).

The Broncos will have to find a way to solve standout Gardiner goalie Spencer Lahaie.

“We’ve got to get to the net and get traffic in front,” said Broncos coach Bill Schwarz.