Rams halt Brewer win streak at 8 Marin powers Bangor

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BREWER – Bangor High School senior center Drew Marin had plenty of incentive entering Wednesday night’s hockey game against Brewer.

“We needed the [Heal] points; we wanted to beat our rivals, and, for me personally, it was a big game because my stepfather [Darryl Lyon] is going to Iraq tomorrow,” said Marin, who scored a pair of goals and assisted on another to lead the Rams to an important 5-3 win over the previously undefeated Witches.

Class A Bangor improved to 3-5 while the Witches, the points leaders in Class B, fell to 8-1.

Marin’s line, including junior left wing Matt Boehmer (1 goals, 2 assists) and senior right wing Dan Shufelt (1 goal, 2 assists), combined for four goals and five assists.

“We had a good night,” said Boehmer. “Our plan was to stick our blue [top] line on their first line so we could focus on scoring.”

Bangor’s top line of Mike McPike between Dylan George and Ben Estabrook was assigned to shadow Brewer’s No. 1 line of Ben Caldwell between Zach Wilson and Dylan Fitzpatrick, which had combined for 29 goals and 33 assists.

But the McPike line limited them to a goal by Zach Wilson and three assists by Fitzpatrick.

George had the other Bangor goal with Estabrook assisting.

Marin’s first goal, at the 6:42 mark of the second period, broke a 1-1 tie and triggered a string of three unanswered goals. George made it 3-1 1:05 later and Marin expanded the lead to 4-1 at the 11:56 mark.

Junior defenseman Matt Wilson’s power-play goal with 41 seconds left in the second period and his even-strength goal 12 seconds into the third period pulled the Witches within 4-3.

But Boehmer converted a breakaway 2:27 later to change the momentum and any chance the Witches had to rally was thwarted by penalty problems. They took three minors and two five-minute majors over the final 10 minutes.

Boehmer’s goal came off a backhander.

“I had the puck and chipped it away [from a Brewer defenseman]. I took it in, made a fake, went to my backhand, and went right around [Brewer goalie Aaron Saunders],” said Boehmer.

Saunders said, “I got a very small piece of it with my left skate.”

Shufelt scored the only goal of the first period but Zach Wilson equalized early in the second.

Marin gave Bangor the lead for good when a pass off a two-on-one involving Boehmer and Shufelt hit a Brewer skate and deflected into the high slot.

Marin skated on to it and rifled a 35-foot slap shot past Saunders.

George scored after he took an Estabrook pass, cut in alone on Saunders, and tucked the past under him.

Marin scored again when the puck squirted through to him in the low slot.

“I had my back to the net and a guy over my right shoulder. I took a backhander and, fortunately, it went right over his glove,” said Marin.

Matt Wilson’s first goal came off a snap shot from the right circle and his third-period goal was a slapper from the right circle off a Dylan Fitzpatrick feed.

But that was the last time the Witches would beat Ram goalie Josh Seeley, who finished with 19 saves.

Saunders faced several more high-percentage shots and finished with 23 saves.

RAMS 5, WITCHES 3

Bangor (3-5) 1 3 1 – 5

Brewer (8-1) 0 2 1 – 3

First period – 1. Ban, Shufelt (Boehmer), 9:04 (pp). Penalties: Ban, McPike, cross checking, 3:48; Brew, Nadeau, tripping, 7:15; Ban, Marin, tripping, 12:32

Second period – 2. Brew, Z. Wilson (Dy. Fitzpatrick, Caldwell), 4:41; 3. Ban, Marin (Boehmer), 6:42; 4. Ban, George (Estabrook), 7:47; 5. Ban, Marin (Shufelt, Boehmer), 11:56 (pp); 6. Brew, M. Wilson (Kilroy, Dy. Fitzpatrick), 14:19 (pp). Penalties: Brew, Kilroy, hooking, :23; Ban, McPike, contact to the head-high sticking, 3:30; Brew, M. Wilson, contact to the head-high sticking, 3:30; Brew, Swett, unnecessary roughness, 8:51; Brew, Z. Wilson, hitting from behind and 10-minute misconduct, 11:02; Ban, Gagne, hooking, 12:37

Third period – 7. Brew, M. Wilson (Dy. Fitzpatrick, Caldwell), :12; 8. Ban, Boehmer (Marin), 2:39. Penalties: Brew, Caldwell, interference, 5:19; Ban, George, slashing, 6:25; Brew, M. Wilson, interference, 10:09; Brew, Z. Wilson, five-minute major for slashing, 14:04; Brew, M. Wilson, unsportsmanlike conduct, 14:04; Brew, Dy. Fitzpatrick, five-minute major for elbowing, 14:49; Brew, Caldwell, unsportsmanlike conduct, 14:49

Shots on goal: Bangor 6-10-12-28; Brewer 7-10-5-22

Goaltenders: Bangor, Seeley (22 shots-19 saves); Brewer, Saunders (28-23)

Power-play opportunities: Bangor 2 of 7; Brewer 1 of 4

Attendance: 250 (est.)