Freshman Jake Hirsch will be between the pipes on Wednesday when Bangor High School plays three-time defending Class A state champion Lewiston in a battle of unbeatens at 6:30 p.m. at Sawyer Arena in Bangor.
Senior goalie Jacob Henry, a Class A North second-team selection last season, had his appendix removed Monday night, according to Bangor coach Quinn Paradis.
“He had symptoms on Saturday, went to the hospital on Sunday and had his appendix out [Monday],” Paradis said. “He is doing great. He’s home recovering now. He won’t be back to practice for seven to 10 days providing everything goes well.”
Henry was 6-0 with an 0.88 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.
Hirsch, the son of former University of Maine goalie and Orono High School hockey coach Greg Hirsch, made his first varsity start Monday against defending state Class B champ Old Town-Orono. He made 20 saves in a 3-2 victory.
The Rams are 7-0, while Jamie Belleau’s youthful Blue Devils are 9-0.
“He played really well. He had 20 saves but he had to work on a lot of them. They were quality shots,” Paradis said.
Paradis said Hirsch was a little nervous in the first five minutes of the game but was spot-on after that.
Paradis described Hirsch as a “big goalie who takes up a lot of net. He’s very well-skilled and is well-positioned. He takes the angles away. He doesn’t leave much to shoot at.”
The Bangor coach said Hirsch has played a lot of big games in youth hockey, and he has a great goaltending coach at home in his father.
“We have 100 percent confidence in him,” Paradis said.
The Rams do not have a third goalie so junior defenseman Drew Dorr put on the pads during Tuesday’s practice and probably will emerge as the backup, Paradis said.
Bangor will not make any major changes to its game plan to compensate for the loss of Henry.
“We’ve got to try to eliminate their second shots so Jake just has to make the first save. We have to make sure we clear the rebounds,” Paradis said.
Bangor also is without first-line right wing Reid Higgs, who has missed the past two games with a bruised knee. He had three goals and three assists in five games.
Paradis hopes to have Higgs back next week.
Freshman Cooper Ireland has filled in on the top line with Class A North first-teamer Nick Boudreau at center and junior David Brown on left wing.
Boudreau leads the team in goals (10) and assists (9), Brown has eight goals and three assists, and Ireland has posted five goals and two assists.
Senior Josh Sherwood’s sixth goal of the season was the game-winner against previously undefeated Old Town-Orono.
Lewiston has eliminated the Rams in the semifinals or regional finals each of the past four years, including a 5-2 semifinal triumph last season.