Unselfishness has been the name of the game thus far for the undefeated Waterville Senior High School hockey team.
Thus far the 4-0-0 Purple Panthers have scored 32 goals, but just as impressive has been the distribution of their points as eight different players have seven or more points on the season.
MS Weekly Honor Roll
• Messalonskee’s Jared Cunningham had five goals and four assists in an 11-3 win over Hampden.
• Messalonskee’s Brandon Nale had two goals and seven assists in an 11-3 win over Hampden.
• Waterville’s Matt Jolicoeur had two goals in an 8-4 win over Greely.
• Waterville’s Jackson Aldrich had three goals and five assists between two games last week.
• Winslow’s Jimmy Fowler had three goals in a 4-4 tie with John Bapst.
“We’re taking everything in stride and knowing we have to keep doing what we’ve been doing — moving the puck, playing unselfish and playing as a team,” Waterville head coach Dennis Martin said. “That’s the biggest thing is playing as a group and working hard.”
It has not just been the forward group that has gotten the job done, though. Defensemen Andrew Roderigue and Matt Jolicoeur are among the team’s leading scorers having each totaled more than 10 points on the season, making Waterville that much more dangerous.
“They make good decisions,” Martin said. “It’s really hard to defend.”
The Purple Panthers should be in store for a good test Tuesday when they host defending Class B South champion Gorham (2-2-0) Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Colby. The Purple Panthers will follow that up with their final game of the regular season against rival Winslow (2-2-1 Class B North) Monday at 11 a.m. also at Colby. Waterville took the first Battle for the Bridge 6-2 on Dec. 12.
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Messalonskee’s Jared Cunningham is rapidly closing in on the school’s all-time scoring record held by his older brother, Chase. Through five games, the senior has 22 points, including a nine-point outburst after scoring five goals and assisting on four others in an 11-3 win over Hampden last Wednesday.
“He’s a good player. He’s got good skills. He tries to go out and put out the best game he can every day,” Messalonskee head coach Joe Hague said. “He plays with the skills that he has. He’s definitely the type of guy that can get the team going when you need a quick boost.”
Cunningham is now up to 232 career points and is just 12 away from tying the all-time scoring mark set by his brother in the 2013-14 season.
“It’s definitely something special. It doesn’t just happen every day,” Cunningham said. “It’s something that I’ve worked for.”
While he would not be close to the all-time scoring mark without his particular skills, Cunningham also noted players like his brother, Jake Dexter and Brandon Nale, among others, have played a key role as well.
“I definitely wouldn’t have as many points without playing with those guys and being on those teams,” Cunningham said. “I’ve played with some great players over the years and been fortunate to play with them.”
As for when Cunningham could potentially break the record he may have to wait a bit. The Eagles do not play again until Tuesday, Dec. 29, and are in a stretch where they play just two games in three weeks.
“It’s a good break,” Hague said. “It’s good for us to have a little time and a chance to see other teams. Also it helps get us ready for a long stretch we have in January.”
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Though just two games into the season, it has become apparent to Lawrence/Skowhegan head coach Ted Fabian that his team still has quite a ways to go on the offensive end.
“We’re just trying to find our identity. It’s only two games in, we have yet to get a win and we only have two goals on the season so far,” Fabian said. “We’re struggling to get pucks in the net. We’re trying to find our identity and hopefully we’ll grind out some gritty goals and get some things rolling.”
Fabian said he has shuffled the lines a bit in an effort to find the right groups to build chemistry with each other and has also emphasized capitalizing on power plays.
While the offense continues to find its stride, Fabian said goaltender Curtis Martin has gotten off to a strong start.
“He’s playing really well for us. We knew he was going to come back strong after a great season last year,” Fabian said. “He’s very vocal on the ice. Our guys feed off him for a lot of energy out there.”
Evan Crawley — 621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @Evan_Crawley
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