WATERVILLE — Even a regional semifinal did little to slow the juggernaut Black Bears.

After averaging nearly seven goals per game over the second half of the regular season, top-seeded Old Town/Orono kept up the torrid pace in the Class B North semis Saturday night by running roughshod over No. 4 Hampden Academy in a 7-3 win at Colby College’s Alfond Rink.

Senior forward Jacob Dubay was one of five different Black Bear goal scorers, and his first career playoff hat trick helped punch Old Town/Orono’s ticket to a second straight regional final. The Black Bears will face No. 3 Presque Isle — which defeated Kennebec 6-3 in Saturday’s early game — at 7 p.m. Tuesday night inside the University of Maine’s Alfond Arena. In last year’s regional final, the Black Bears fell to eventual state champion Waterville.

Tyler McCannell, Ben Allan-Rahill, Sam Henderson and Tanner Evans also scored for Old Town/Orono (18-1-0), which scored 48 goals over it’s final seven regular-season games.

“Last year, we were the underdog and we were going toward Waterville,” Dubay said. “This year, we feel some of that pressure that they felt in that (regional final). You’re the team to beat, and you can’t let an underdog come and play a game with you. You’ve got to shut them out immediately.”

Junior goalie Kohle Parker made 20 saves in the victory over Hampden (13-7-0).

Marcus Dunn, Sam Economy and Cooper Leland all had goals for the Broncos, while freshman goalie Cooper Ryan made 26 saves.

“Last year was a big motivation, and we came so close,” Old Town/Orono coach Denis Collins said. “Like Jake said, an underdog can come in an play viciously. We feel that this is how Hampden came in tonight. The score doesn’t reflect how hard those guys played.”

The teams exploded for seven goals in the opening period Saturday.

After Dubay and Economy traded early strikes, Evans, Henderson and Allan-Rahill staked the Black Bears out to a 4-1 lead by the 13:39 mark — with Henderson and Allan-Rahill potting goals just 1:21 apart.

Hamdpen responded with a pair of goals in the final minute from Dunn and Leland to cut the deficit to just one heading into the intermission.

Unfortunately for the Broncos, that was as close as they’d get.

“We were letting them too close to our goalie, we knew that,” Dubay said. “We got in the locker room and we regrouped. We had to

Old Town/Orono scored three times in the second to put it out of reach. Dubay’s goals at 3:04 and 12:20 finished off his hat trick.

Old Town/Orono swept the regular season series — 5-3 and 6-1, the second meeting of which came in the regular-season finale for both teams — from Hampden.

“Our motto is that we don’t want to have any regrets,” Collins said. “The 17-1 record is gone. It’s one game at a time now.”

Travis Barrett — 621-5621

tbarrett@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TBarrettGWC

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