Skowhegan races past Hampden Speed sparks Indians

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BREWER – The Skowhegan High School Indians wasted little time taking full advantage of their superior speed in Wednesday night’s 11-4 hockey victory over Hampden Academy.

The Class A Indians scored twice in the first 4 minutes, 34 seconds en route to building a 5-1 first-period lead and they scored five more second period goals while improving to 2-4.

Class B Hampden Academy, which fell to 2-2, was without three defensemen due to illness and a family commitment.

“We came out flying and once you get the momentum edge in the first period, it’s tough for the other team to come back,” said Skowhegan first-year coach Pete Carrier.

“We played very well tonight,” said Skowhegan senior left wing Jake Tracy.

“This was our best game of the season,” said Indians senior left wing Brett Savage. “We work on being quick in practice. We try to beat defensemen wide and get [people] to the front of the net. We were looking for open people tonight.”

Tracy and Savage each had two goals and an assist.

The smaller Indians created numerous odd-man rushes and breakaways with their speed and also won most of the loose pucks courtesy of their tenacity and quick feet.

“They skated very well,” said Hampden Academy coach Mark Walsh. “All the credit to them. They came out of the gates flying. Their aggression and our inexperience were a fatal combination tonight.”

Thirteen different Indians registered at least a point with Nate Dionne leading the way with two goals and two assists followed by the three-point nights turned in by Savage and Tracy. Nate Powers had two goals and the other goals were registered by Garrett Richardson, Gradey Michonski and Justin Enman.

Michonski also had an assist, and John Powers and Mike Lyman had two assists each.

Skowhegan went 3-for-8 on the power play.

Cody McAllister, Mike Mourkas, Josh Tardiff and Troy Gaudet scored for Hampden Academy. Tardiff also had two assists.

Nate Powers opened the scoring on the power play at the 2:44 mark by parking himself to the right of goalie Matt Albert and sweeping home a Corey Rourke rebound.

Savage converted a breakaway after poking the puck free from a Bronco defenseman.

“I went top right but I thought [Albert] had it. It went in off his glove,” said Savage.

McAllister’s power-play goal cut it to 2-1 as he swatted a rolling puck between goalie Jimmy Quirion’s pads, but Savage answered 2:20 later by scoring from a difficult angle.

“I was along the goal line and it went in off the inside of [Albert’s] pad,” said Savage.

Tracy and Enman extended the lead as Tracy stickhandled past a Bronco defenseman and tucked the puck around goalie Matt Albert before the unattended Enman scored from the low slot off a Savage pass.

Enman’s shot beat Jacob Ward, who had replaced Albert, and glanced in off the post to the goalie’s left.

Dionne and Nate Powers made it 7-1 in the first 2:30 of the second period by sweeping home rebounds off point shots by John Powers.

Mourkas (shorthanded) and Tardiff scored 43 seconds apart to close the gap as Mourkas jammed home a Tardiff rebound and Tardiff finished off a breakaway.

Richardson, Michonski and Dionne cemented the win by scoring in a span of 3:54 later in the period.

Richardson one-timed home a Lyman pass from behind the net; Michonski converted a two-on-one by holding the puck and then roofing it into the short side and Dionne deposited an Isaac LaCasse rebound behind Albert, who had come back on to replace Ward after the Michonski goal.

Tracy and Gaudet swapped third-period goals.

Skowhegan outshot Hampden Academy 36-21, including a 30-11 edge over the first two periods.

INDIANS 11, BRONCOS 4

Skowhegan (2-4) 5 5 1 – 11

Hampden Acad. (2-2) 1 2 1 – 4

First period – 1. Skow, N. Powers (Rourke, Dionne), 2:44 (pp); 2. Skow, Savage (unassisted), 4:34; 3. HA, McAllister (Tardiff, Lamberton), 5:17 (pp); 4. Skow, Savage (Nixon), 7:37; 5. Skow, Tracy (Lyman), 8:19; 6. Skow, Enman (Savage), 14:54. Penalties: HA, Morin, tripping, 2:06; Skow, Rourke, contact to head roughing, 5:02; HA, McNutt, hitting from behind, 10-min. misconduct (served by Dumas), 10:58

Second period – 7. Skow, Dionne (J. Powers), 1:18 (pp); 8. Skow, N. Powers (J. Powers), 2:30; 9. HA, Mourkas (Tardiff), 5:40 (sh); 10. HA, Tardiff (unassisted), 6:23; 11. Skow, Richardson (Lyman, Tracy), 8:02; 12. Skow, Michonski (Dionne), 8:56; 13. Skow, Dionne (Michonski, LaCasse), 11:56 (pp). Penalties: HA, Rawcliffe, tripping, 0:06; HA, Walsh, roughing, 4:11; HA, Morin, hitting from behind, 10-min. misconduct (served by Dumas), 9:37; HA, McNutt, tripping, 10:17; HA, McAllister, hooking, 12:14.

Third period – 14. Skow, Tracy (Merrill), 1:18; 15. HA, Gaudet (McNutt), 9:44. Penalties: Skow, May, hooking, 2:19; HA, Lamberton, slashing, 6:59; Skow, Rourke, hooking, 14:48.

Shots on goal: Skowhegan 17-13-6-36; Hampden 4-7-10-21

Goaltenders: Skow, Quirion (21 shots-17 saves); HA Albert (18-13), Ward (18-12)

Power-play opportunities: Skowhegan 3-8, Hampden 1-3

Attendance: 150 (est.)