Auburn, ME – Five different players scored and Aaron Higgins and Michael Belleau each tallied a goal and two assists to help CMCC Men's Ice Hockey collect a 5-4 victory over the Colorado School of Mines in the first of a two-game weekend set. The Mustangs never trailed but had to hold off a late Orediggers surge that saw the visitors come back from 4-1 down to make it a one-goal game.
It took a while for Central Maine to crack the Colorado School of Mines net in the first period. Both teams had plenty of opportunities with the hosts tallying 16 shots and goaltender Cam Wickens making 15 saves on the other end.
Lucas Laforest hit the post just past five minutes in, and Higgins finally broke the deadlock with three minutes remaining in the frame. The junior from Falmouth, ME took advantage of more room on the ice during a stretch of four-on-four play, catching up to a pass from Belleau and sneaking a shot short-side past Dylan Eldridge from the right circle. It was Higgins' fourth goal in four career games against the Orediggers dating back to last season.
Sam Foley made it 2-0 early in the second with his second goal in as many games. The center cruised into the zone and snapped a shot off the netminder's glove, leading to a scramble on the rebound. Eldrige tried to pin the puck under his body as lay prone in the crease, but the Windham, ME native was able to poke it home at the 2:47 mark.
The Lombardi twins pulled one back for the visitors less than two minutes later. Ben Lombardi passed to brother Nick Lombardi in the left circle who shoveled a shot just wide of the net. He was able to get to the loose puck and circled behind the net. Wickens lost an edge attempting to recover out of the butterfly and Lombardi took advantage to tuck in a wrap-around before he could sprawl across the crease.
The Mustangs got a bounce of their own on their third goal. With eight minutes remaining in the period, Cody Dionne threw a shot to the net off the left-wing boards. The rebound hopped in the air and defenseman Scott MacDonald only got a piece of it while attempting to clear. Eldridge swiped at it and missed, allowing Belleau to display some excellent hand-eye coordination to tip it through the surprised goaltender's legs.
Braeden Gagnon made it 4-1 with four minutes to go with a powerplay tally. Higgins drew both defensemen to him as he got below the goal line before slipping a pass to the hash marks. The defenseman from Lewiston, ME was on hand for the quick one-timer into the top corner to make it a three-goal lead.
The Orediggers did mount a comeback to keep things close, starting with a goal in the final minute of the second period. Some good puck movement of their own power play set up Nathan Cote at the left side of the net. He found room between the pads to make it 4-2 heading into the intermission and changing the approach of both teams for the final 20 minutes.
Another powerplay tally made it 4-3 just 1:31 into the third. Brady Sorrentino picked out MacDonald in the slot for a looping one-timer that hopped over Wickens' blocker and into the top corner. Dionne restored the two-goal cushion with an insurance marker with 11:44 to play. The big forward cruised down the right wing, freezing the netminder before wrapping around to the back post for his first goal in a Central Maine jersey.
Colorado kept pushing and made the final 30 seconds interesting after Ripken Renner scored a powerplay goal on a 6-on-4 scramble at the front of the net. However, one last attempt was blocked by Dionne at the horn to seal CMCC's third win of the season.
The Orediggers held a 47-40 edge in shots on goal and went 3-for-5 on the power play compared to the Mustangs 1-for-3 rate with the man-advantage. Wickens finished with 43 saves to secure the victory, with the freshman now having played all four games to begin his college career.
CMCC finishes off the weekend series on Sunday before opening NECHA play next Friday, October 24th against Colby College.
