Red Riots to be without two key players

The Orono High School Red Riots will be without two of their best players when the Eastern Maine Class B playoff quarterfinals begin Monday.

The fourth-seeded Riots, who will entertain No. 5 Presque Isle at 7:30, will be missing first-line center Kyle Weiland and standout all-around defenseman Travis Bryant.

Orono 11th-year coach Greg Hirsch said Weiland has a fractured wrist and Bryant has a broken jaw. Both injuries were sustained earlier this month.

Junior Weiland was Orono’s second-leading scorer at the time of his injury and senior Bryant was their top-scoring defenseman.

“Travis is out for the season and Kyle, if all goes well, could be back on March 8,” said Hirsch.

The Riots would have to reach the regional final in order for Weiland to play again.

Orono, which lost to Winslow in last year’s Eastern Class B final last season, is 14-6 while Presque Isle is 12-8.

In the other quarterfinals, top seed Brewer, in its first season in Class B after several years in Class A, will take a 16-4 record into Monday’s game against No. 8 John Bapst of Bangor (8-10; No. 2 Houlton-Hodgdon (15-4) entertains No. 7 Hampden Academy (9-11) and No. 3 Winslow (14-6) plays host to No. 6 Kents Hill (11-6-1). The semifinals shift to Winslow’s Sukee Arena on March 4 with the regional final being played at the University of Maine’s Alfond Arena on March 8.

The Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinals will be held next Tuesday with No. 2 Bangor (12-7) entertaining No. 7 Gray New Gloucester/Poland (11-8), No. 3 Lewiston (12-6-2) entertaining No. 6 Lawrence of Fairfield (14-6) and No. 4 Brunswick (14-6) awaiting No. 5 Messalonskee of Oakland (11-7). Top seed Waterville, 13-5-2, received a first-round bye.

The regional semifinals will be held at The Colisee in Lewiston on March 4 with the regional final being played at Portland’s Cumberland County Civic Center on March 7.

Hirsch said Brewer “deserves” its No. 1 seeding.

“Talentwise and depthwise, they’re the best team in our league,” said Hirsch. “I don’t think anyone in our league will argue that one. They are very deep and very talented, especially up front.”

Hirsch said the loss of Bryant and Weiland will significantly affect his team and will force him to alter his game plan.

“We aren’t a big team and they were two of our biggest players,” said Hirsch. “The guys we’ll be putting in to replace them are pretty talented but we’re going to have to play a different style of game.”

Freshman Brandon Paul will move up to Orono’s top line and will play right wing with junior Sean Babin moving from right winger to center. Junior Tony Raymond is the left wing.

On defense, Bryant, senior Tommy Smyth and sophomore Nathan Michaud saw the majority of playing time. With Bryant sidelined, freshman Chad Evinger will earn significant minutes with freshman Darren Casey-Covell and sophomore Luke Estes being spotted in.

“Fortunately, we’re fairly deep on defense. Chad is a freshman but doesn’t play like a freshman. He’s pretty tough,” said Hirsch.

Bryant also quarterbacked the power play “so we’ll have to work out a couple different plays and use our forwards a little more [on the point].”

He said Paul has “very good hands” and should fill the void efficiently on the top line.

“We’re a lot deeper than people give us credit for,” said Hirsch.