BANGOR, Maine — The Messalonskee High School hockey team has lost three games this season, two more than the previous two seasons combined.
But the Eagles from Oakland sent a message on Monday night that they are prepared to defend their back-to-back state Class B championships with an impressive 6-0 win over John Bapst at Sawyer Arena.
The Eagles’ top line of senior center Jared Cunningham between juniors Brandon Nale and Jack Moore combined for three goals and eight assists, and freshman goalie Amber Kochaver made 19 saves in posting her first shutout.
Kochaver made a few nice saves but was rarely tested as her teammates limited the Crusaders to few Grade-A scoring chances.
Junior right wing Dustin Brown had a pair of goals for the 7-3-1 Eagles, and senior defenseman Dylan Burton scored the game-opening goal.
“They played a great game,” said John Bapst coach Andy Stephenson, whose 8-3-1 Crusaders had their five-game winning streak snapped. “They played a great defensive game and took it to our kids.”
“It was a big game. They’re a good team. We had something to prove, and we proved it tonight,” said Burton.
“This was one of our better games,” said Cunningham, who had a goal and four assists. “We played good defense. We held them under 20 shots on goal, and when you do that, you stand a pretty good chance.”
The Eagles outshot John Bapst 32-19 and had a decided edge in offensive zone possession as they forechecked tenaciously. They also backchecked diligently and used their quickness to beat the Crusaders to loose pucks.
Burton opened the scoring just 1:56 into the game and never looked back. He found plenty of open real estate in the middle of the slot and took a pass out from behind the net by Cunningham and roofed a backhander over Dan Sprague’s glove.
“I just threw it on net. I threw it up high because that’s the only place I love to go,” said Burton, who also turned in an exemplary defensive game along with hard-hitting partner Sam Bell.
Cunningham expanded the lead 3:44 later. Nale intercepted an ill-advised Bapst pass from the corner in the high slot, and his shot glanced off Sprague’s mask to Cunningham, who flipped it home.
“I just went hard to the net and finished it,” said Cunningham.
The Eagles put the game away with three goals in a span of 4:28 late in the second period as Nale scored the first two and Brown had the last one.
Nale’s first goal came off a drop pass from Cunningham, who left the puck for him in the left circle.
Nale one-timed a low snap shot inside the far corner.
“I saw the opening and shot it. [Sprague] had stuffed me up top a couple of times earlier, so I figured I’d try something different,” said Nale, who had three assists to go with his two goals.
He made it 4-0 on the power play as he busted to the net and one-timed an eight-footer into the far corner off a pass from behind the net by Cunningham.
Brown finished off the flurry with a backhander from point-blank range off a pass from his twin brother, Dylan Brown. Dustin Brown capped the scoring on the power play in the third period.