BRUNSWICK — After Monday’s boys ice hockey game against Brunswick/Freeport, coach Dan Foster said his Cony co-operative team has had a tendency this year to be selfish with the puck.
That wasn’t the case in the first period. The top team in Class B North was unselfish and moved the puck quickly to rack up four goals on its way to a 6-2 win at Bowdoin College’s Watson Arena.
“We’re really preaching puck movement, trying to hit seams and working together,” Foster said. “It’s a big thing for us.”
Five of the Rams’ six goals were assisted, and four had a second assist. Freshman forward Chase Callahan scored twice and three players added a goal and two assists.
“It starts with just being able to keep your head up and looking for your guys back door,” said Cooper Clark, who had a goal and two assists. “Wherever they are, just hit them open.”
Cony (6-1), which also includes students from Erskine, Hall-Dale, Maranacook, Monmouth, Spruce Mountain and Winthrop, never trailed on the way to its sixth-straight victory.
Brunswick/Freeport (2-4) dropped its fourth-straight game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Callahan scored the game’s opening goal at 3:27 in the first on a transition play. Just over two minutes later, Brunswick/Freeport’s Ethan Patterson found Evan Dorsey with a cross-ice pass through the neutral zone, before the junior forward made a move in front of the net and tied the game.
• What looked like a potential shootout soon became one-sided. The Rams won a defensive zone face-off and quickly moved the puck up to Spencer Morgan to regain the lead midway through the period. Callahan scored again at 8:32, and Gabe Godbout made it 4-1 with a power-play goal just over a minute later.
“After our practices, we’re starting to build more chemistry,” Callahan said. “Just starting to get ready (and) knowing where we’re going for passes.”
• Foster said his defense is adept at stick-handling and doesn’t panic when they have the puck, so the quick passing was crucial to staking keeping the puck in their offensive zone. Cony outshot Brunswick/Freeport, 34-17.
• Both teams killed a pair of power plays in the second period, before Clark scored unassisted with less than a minute remaining. Brunswick/Freeport coach Dennis Hagemann said it was one of the better periods his team has recently played.
• With 3:26 remaining, Patterson narrowed the gap with a strong score of his own, but Kyle LePage answered for Cony just over a minute later.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
• Cony: Chase Callahan (two goals), Cooper Clark (goal, two assists), Kyle Lepage (goal, two assists), Spencer Morgan (goal, two assists), Gabe Godbout (goal, assist), Caleb Morgan (15 saves)
∙ Brunswick/Freeport: Ethan Patterson (goal, assist), Evan Dorsey (goal), Michael Shoemaker (28 saves)
NOTABLE QUOTEABLE
• “I emphasize work ethic. And even though we were outscored, it’s very easy for a team to just mail it in. I’m so proud that these boys didn’t mail it in. They just kept at it and they allowed us, also in the third period, to get the third and the fourth line on there and let them see some ice… It’s always next shift, next shift, next shift, go get it, go get it.” — Dennis Hagemann
