They haven’t met yet this season, but the Greely and Old Town/Orono boys’ hockey teams have quite a lot in common.
Both are top-seeded squads with dynamic offenses and plenty of talent. Both suffered one-goal losses in last year’s regional finals, but improved this season to advance to the Class B state championship game. South champion Greely (17-2-1) and North champion Old Town (19-1) will play at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston.
Class B FINAL
WHO: Old Town/Orono (19-1) vs. Greely (17-2-1)
WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: The Colisee, Lewiston
Without much overlap in the teams’ schedules, a lot of questions surround their matchup. There is, however, one thing of which both coaches are certain:
“It won’t be a cakewalk for either team,” Old Town Coach Denis Collins said. “I expect a very good game.”
Old Town and Greely are statistically similar. Old Town averages more than six goals a game, and Greely averages more than five.
Both teams have allowed fewer than two goals per game. Greely goalie Karsten Bourgoine had a .915 save percentage during the regular season, and Kohle Parker had a .904 save percentage for Old Town.
“We don’t have quite the same offensive numbers as they do, but we’ve been a pretty strong attacking team as well,” said Greely Coach Barry Mothes. “It looks to me like you’re going to have two of the stronger offensive teams in the (state). I think the game is going to turn on who plays better defense.”
Greely is led up front by a trio of sophomore forwards: Matt Kramlich (49 points), Jake MacDonald (45 points) and Andy Moore (32 points). MacDonald scored the winner in the Rangers’ 3-2 South final victory over No. 2 Cape Elizabeth, and he has accounted for four of the team’s seven playoff goals.
Old Town has a bit more balance, with nine players scoring 20 or more points (compared to four for Greely) and six players contributing goals in their 6-1 regional final win over No. 3 Presque Isle. Sophomore Tyler McCannell (38 points) leads the team with 25 goals, while senior Jacob Dubay is the top scorer overall with 44 points, including a team-high 26 assists.
However, Old Town will be without one of its top scorers, sophomore Sam Henderson (32 points). Henderson must serve a one-game suspension because of a hit from behind in the North final that sent Presque Isle junior Riley Kinney to the hospital. Collins said the incident was an accident.
“The kid turned and fell, and our kid was in the vicinity and couldn’t stop,” Collins said. “That’s going to put a little damper on our style. (Henderson) probably was our second-fastest player on the team.”
The only common opponent Greely and Old Town faced was Camden Hills, which Old Town swept by scores of 9-1 on Dec. 27 and 5-3 on Feb. 19. Greely beat Camden Hills 8-2 on Feb. 17.
Last season, Old Town lost to eventual state champion Waterville in the North final, and Greely fell to York 3-2 in overtime in the South final.
A South team hasn’t won the Class B state championship since Greely’s victory in 2013. Greely has already won five state championships this winter – girls’ and boys’ basketball, girls’ and boys’ indoor track and girls’ hockey.
Greely has three boys’ hockey state titles, including back-to-back championships in 2012-13. Old Town hasn’t won a state championship in 25 years, since going back-to-back in 1992-93.
“We’re just planning to get back to Lewiston and take it one shift at a time,” Mothes said. “We’ll see how it shakes out.”
Taylor Vortherms can be contacted at 791-6417 or:
tvortherms@pressherald.com
Twitter: TaylorVortherms
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