Tougher competition among challenges Brewer will face in ‘A’

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The Brewer High School hockey teams finds itself in an interesting predicament.

The Witches are the defending state champions in Class B.

But they won’t get to defend their title because they have moved up to Class A this season.

That means a tougher schedule and a more difficult road to a state championship.

But coach Bill Schwarz and his players are looking forward to the challenge.

“The competition will be a lot better. But it will make things a lot more fun,” said junior center Dylan Fitzpatrick.

“When you play more good teams, there will be more big games,” agreed senior Prentiss Swett, who is making the move from forward to defense to help shore an inexperienced blue line corps.

Swett and Fitzpatrick know there probably won’t be as much pressure on them as there was a year ago.

They had won the Eastern Maine B title in 2005-2006 before losing in the state title game to Cape Elizabeth, 4-2.

So with a solid nucleus returning, the Witches had their sights set on winning a state championship last season and anything less would have been disappointing.

They attained their goal, capping a 21-3 campaign with a 4-3 overtime triumph over Greely of Cumberland Center. It was Brewer’s 10th straight win.

“There is always pressure to play well,” said Fitzpatrick who, like Swett, feels there will be a lot of hockey people who will be curious to see how well they fare in A.

“We’ll see what we’re made of. I think we’ll be competitive with just about everybody,” said Schwarz, who is in his second year with Brewer in his second tour of duty at the school on Parkway South.

This is his 20th year behind the bench including stops at Bangor High, Foxcroft Academy and Hampden Academy in addition to Brewer.

There will be holes to fill with the three most significant voids belonging to 35-goal scorer Reid McLaughlin, who scored the game-winner against Greely on a breakaway; prolific point-producing defenseman Devin Fitzpatrick, Dylan’s older brother, and goalie Aaron Saunders.

But there are also plenty of quality returnees led by Fitzpatrick and Swett.

“We have two of our three top lines back,” said Fitzpatrick whose line will be intact with Ryan Nadeau and Nick Risser flanking him.

Fitzpatrick scored over 30 goals a year ago and said he hopes to put up better numbers this season.

Center Mike Kotredes and right wing Tyler Coombs were linemates a year ago and they will add a newcomer in Evan Nadeau, Ryan’s younger brother.

Schwarz said the younger Nadeau is going to be a “really good hockey player” and he will complement that line well.

Swett said “our top two lines will be solid” but admitted that they won’t have as much depth up front as they had a year ago.

Matt Helfen and Chris Lopez return along the blue line but Devin Fitzpatrick, John Ambrose and Jimmy Nicknair are gone.

So Schwarz has moved Swett and Mike Clune back to defense.

“I want to do what the team needs,” said Swett, who missed the playoffs with a broken ankle but said it is healthy now.

“I think we’ll be in pretty good shape [on defense],” said Schwarz. “It’ll take some time.”

Senior Kayla Dunn and sophomore Eric White will compete for the goaltending job. Both saw action a year ago.

“We’ll let them battle it out. We’ll probably alternate them at the start of the season and see who plays best. The one who plays best will play the most,” said Schwarz. “I think we’ll be fine.”

Brewer will still play five games against B teams but the other 15 will be against A teams.

Eastern Maine Class B has slipped from 11 to eight teams with Brewer’s move and the loss of the programs at Stearns High School in Millinocket and Foxcroft Academy due to lack of numbers.

There has been one change in Western B as Lake Region High in Naples and Fryeburg Academy have combined for one team, according to Maine Principals Association assistant executive director Larry LaBrie.