Auburn, ME – It was only the second game of the season when Men's Ice Hockey lost on the road to Jefferson CC back on September 27th, and the team was in the second game of a back-to-back on the road in New York to open their campaign. Just over a month later, the Mustangs avenged that first loss with an emphatic 6-1 win against the Cannoneers at home.
Central Maine had a balanced offense, scoring at least once in each period and getting five different players a goal. Sam Foley led the way with two goals and an assist while Lucas Dunn and Max Meserve each scored their first-career collegiate tallies.
The game, played on Norway Savings Bank Arena's rink two, was physical right from the get-go. The visitors looked to deliver big body checks whenever the opportunity presented itself. The Mustangs stuck to their game plan and were rewarded with two goals in quick succession inside the first five minutes.
On the first goal, Meserve did well to snag a high clearing attempt off the glass at the left point. The defenseman's shot hit starting goaltender Presley Patrin's shoulder and fell behind the net. Dylan Blue wrapped it around to the opposite post for Aaron Higgins who had his attempt at shoveling the puck into the unguarded side blocked. Foley was in the slot though to whack it home, as the netminder overcorrected slid across the crease. That made it 1-0 at the 4:07 mark.
Dunn then made it 2-0 just 12 seconds later. The Mustangs controlled the face-off at center ice. Colby Pawson tipped a pass over to captain Jonathan Rioux, and the defenseman dropped a pass behind for Dunn in the left circle. The freshman out of Hampden Academy and picked the top corner, near post, for his first goal in a Central Maine jersey.
It stayed that way headed into the second period, with CMCC holding a 25-7 edge in shots on net. The Mustangs kept up the pressure in the middle frame, adding two more goals in the first six minutes. Cody Dionne set up the first, cruising into the zone and dragging all five Jefferson CC players below the dots. His simple drop pass to Lucas Laforest allowed him to set up Meserve at the left point. The freshman from Saco, ME had plenty of time and space to pick out the near post with a low-blocker shot that hit the back of the net. It was his first goal to go along with seven assists to start the year.
Dylan Blue made it 4-0 at the 5:35 mark in the second. Higgins was the architect, prowling the offensive zone and finding Foley driving to the front of the net. His pass was on the money for a one-time redirect, but Patrin did well to spread the pads wide and get enough to keep the shot out. However, the rebound came straight to Blue who one-timed the puck in for his eighth of the year.
The team's third goal of the middle frame was a thing of beauty. Alternate captain Michael Belleau took a pass from Dunn with seven minutes remaining, weaved around a defender, and deked the goaltender for a fantastic finish. His backhand-forehand move left Patrin out of the crease, sat on his backside, as the center stuffed his sixth of the year into the cage.
There were penalties throughout the first two periods with most of them being matching minors. A scrum midway through the game saw two players from either side sent to the box for roughing, and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Cannoneers' bench in the final minute was matched by one on defenseman Braeden Gagnon after the horn. That changed in the third period when Central Maine was called for five minors.
That didn't stop the hosts from scoring the first goal of the third. Foley buried his second of the night 7:38 in. Belleau carried the puck the length of the ice and played a good pass to Foley through the slot. The center quickly shifted to his backhand and beat backup 6'5" goaltender Brodie MacGregor through the five-hole to make it 6-0.
Jefferson CC would spoil CMCC goalie Cam Wickens' shutout bid at the midway point of the period. The Cannoneers made the most of their ten minutes of power play time in the final frame to make it 6-1. Drew Blevins beat his man down the right wing and centered the puck from the corner. Nathan Van Wie was there at the top of the crease to send it home.
The Mustangs finished with a 58-25 edge in shots, crossing the 50+ shots mark for the fourth time in eight games to start the new season. The team now has 14 skaters with at least one goal scored. Wickens made 24 saves to collect his fourth win on his return to the ice after being injured last week.
Central Maine returns to NECHA play next week when they welcome in cross-town rival Bates College on Tuesday, November 4th for game seven of their ten-game homestand. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 pm.
