WINSLOW — For a while, it looked as though the Lawrence/Skowhegan ice hockey team had let its best chance slip away. Awarded a five minute major power play just 45 seconds into Wednesday’s game against Maranacook/Winthrop, the Bandits scored a goal, but were unable to take full advantage of the opportunity.

That allowed the Hawks to stay in the game, and it wasn’t until Brady Martin’s breakaway goal midway through the third period were the Bandits able to score the game winner, taking a 3-2 win at Sukee Arena.

Lawrence/Skowhegan improved to 3-8-0, while Maranacook/Winthrop dropped to 0-13-0, with each of the last two losses by one goal.

“It was a pretty sloppy game all around but we got some shots on net,” Lawrence/Skowhegan coach Ted Fabian said.

Martin’s game-winning goal came off a Hawks giveaway in the neutral zone. Martin took a pass from Nolan Despres and broke in alone, slipping the puck past goalie Eli Bulba for a 3-2 lead at 8:53 of the third.

“I just got a chip up from Nolan. I just drove the net and picked the corner,” Martin said.

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After allowing eight shots on net in the first period, the Lawrence/Skowhegan defense tightened up, giving up just five shots the rest of the game.

“We were doing all right, a lot better back checking. We actually swung a guy higher tonight. It worked out pretty good,” Martin said.

The teams traded goals in the first period. The Hawks’ CJ Reid went off for a blow to head just 45 seconds into the game, setting up the Bandits five minute power play. Martin gave Lawrence/Skowhegan a 1-0 lead 3:09 into the game with a hard, high shot from the top of the left circle that went over Bulba’s right shoulder, but that was the only goal the Bandits could muster on the major opportunity.

“It’s always nice to get one, but you get that long power play, you’d like to see us get some more. We had some opportunities. They were there, we just couldn’t bury it,” Fabian said.

Maranacook/Winthrop tied the game at 7:51, when Danny Shea scored on a pass from Sam Johnson from the corner, blasting a high shot past Curtis Martin.

The Bandits regained the lead at 12:14, when Sean Savage took a Samuel Haver pass from the right of the net and tapped the puck in. The Hawks tied the game with a power play goal just over a minute and a half later. Johnson was left alone in front of the net, and scored an easy goal.

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Bulba made 32 stops for Maranacook/Winthrop, while Curtis Martin made 11 stops for the Bandits.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM


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