BREWER – The Brewer High School Witches are the defending Eastern Maine Class B schoolboy hockey champions and they showed Wednesday night that they are poised and ready to defend their crown.

Senior center Reid McLaughlin notched a hat trick and assisted on two other goals and sophomore center Dylan Fitzpatrick added two goals and an assist as the Witches cruised to a 10-1 victory over the inexperienced Hampden Academy Broncos at the T.J. Ryan Center.

John Ambrose, Ryan Nadeau, Marc Relford, Thomas Jordan and Tyler Coombs scored the other goals for the 2-0 Witches.

Ambrose had an assist to go with his goal, Jim Nicknair had three assists and Matt Helfen had two assists.

Aaron Saunders made 11 saves, including a couple off breakaways, in a strong outing.

Andrew Brown scored shorthanded for the 0-2 Broncos and Taylor McGraw picked up an assist. Matt Albert made 30 saves.

Ambrose and McLaughlin scored first-period goals before Brewer erupted for six in the second period to sew up the win.

“We came out slow in the first period. We said between periods we had to get our feet moving in the second period to get around their defensemen and get to the net,” said McLaughlin.

He added that the forwards also focused on playing “tough defense” in their own end before breaking the puck out and transitioning to offense.

Brewer coach Bill Schwarz, who coached the Broncos last year, said his forwards did a “good job driving to the net and getting shots off.”

The Broncos, who have graduated 17 players the last two years, worked hard throughout but were simply overmatched by the swift-skating Witches.

“I wasn’t displeased with our effort. We’re just so young,” said HA coach Mark Walsh. “Brewer is one of the elite programs in the state. They have solid goaltending, a solid defense and a lot of snipers up front.”

Albert was superb in the first period, making 14 saves including several Grade-A stops from the slot.

Ambrose and McLaughlin finally solved him, scoring 2:10 apart late in the period.

Ambrose took a McLaughlin pass at the right point, took a few strides and beat Albert with a screened wrister over his glove.

McLaughlin converted a shorthanded breakaway with a backhander after Dave Perry poked the puck out of the defensive zone.

McLaughlin made it 3-0 on the power play 30 seconds into the second period when he came out of the corner unmolested and wristed a 20-footer over Albert’s glove.

Fitzpatrick iced it with goals 27 seconds apart just over five minutes later.

First, he corralled a Nicknair wrister from the point and skated around Albert before tucking it home and then he positioned himself at the top of the crease and swept home a Nick Risser pass from behind the net.

Brewer went 3-for-8 on the power play and held HA scoreless in seven tries.

“Our power play was good tonight,” said McLaughlin.

WITCHES 10, BRONCOS 1

Hampden Acad. (0-2) 0 0 1 – 1

Brewer (2-0) 2 6 2 – 10

First period – 1. Br, Ambrose (McLaughlin), 10:49; 2. Br, McLaughlin (Ambrose, Perry), 12:59 (sh). Penalties: Br, Dy. Fitzpatrick, interference, 5:18; Br, Swett, boarding, 7:22; Br, De. Fitzpatrick, tripping, 11:08; Br, Perry, contact to the head-unnecessary roughness, 13:13

Second period – 3. Br, McLaughlin (Nicknair), :30 (pp); 4. Br, Dy. Fitzpatrick (Nicknair), 5:41; 5. Br, Dy. Fitzpatrick (Risser), 6:08; 6. Br, Relford (McLaughlin, Nicknair), 11:14; 7. Br, Nadeau (Dy. Fitzpatrick, Williamson), 13:26; 8. Br, Coombs (Helfen, Swett), 14:54 (pp). Penalties: HA, Tardiff, tripping, :24; Br, Richardson, interference, 6:17; HA, Brown, hooking, 7:57; HA, Magaw, interference, 7:57; Br, Kotredes, holding, 10:07; HA, Brown, hooking, 10:47; HA, Rocker, tripping, 14:37; HA, Magaw, slashing and cross checking, 14:56

Third period – 9. HA, Brown (McGraw), 1:01 (sh); 10. Br, Reid McLaughlin (Helfen), 2:51 (pp); 11. Br, Jordan (unassisted), 7:50. Penalties: HA, McNutt, charging, 4:54; Br, Richardson, tripping, 14:17; Br, Richardson, game misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct (equipment violation), 15:00

Shots on goal: HA 5-2-5-12; Brewer 16-14-10-40

Goaltenders: HA, Albert (40 shots-30 saves), Brewer, Saunders (12-11)

Power-play opportunities: HA 0 of 7, Brewer 3 of 8

Attendance: 250 (est.)