Brunswick’s Natalie Perham and Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse/Lincoln Academy/Oceanside/Boothbay Region’s Remy LeBel face off during a high school girls hockey game Monday at Bowdoin College. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
BRUNSWICK — Few things benefit a hockey team’s offense more than sound, balanced scoring.
The Brunswick girls hockey team got that Monday night, and it led to a convincing victory over its biggest rival.
Four different players scored as the Dragons rolled past Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse/Lincoln Academy/Oceanside/Boothbay Region 4-1 at Watson Arena at Bowdoin College.
Brunswick (8-3-0) has won eight of its last nine games after starting the season 0-2.
“They have gotten themselves on a little bit of a roll since the beginning of the season and to see what kind of team we are,” said first-year coach Chris Ledwick.
Hannah Lay and Lauren Labbe each had a goal and an assist while Tannar Gagnon and Gilliam Countway scored. Allie Hunter scored the lone goal for the Eagles, off assists from Remy LeBel and Hannah Hawkes.
Brunswick has out-scored its opponents 61-22 in its last nine games.
Midway through the first period, the Dragons broke through when Gagnon scored off a Lay pass. Less than two minutes later, Countway found the back of the net to help the Dragons take a 2-0 lead after the first period.
“I think we were on our heels a little bit in that first period, but we got them fired up and came back a little bit in the second,” said Eagles first-year coach Dave Hunter.
Brunswick’s Elysia Palmer tries to skate away from Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse/Lincoln Academy/Oceanside/Boothbay Region’s Mallory Stuart during a girls hockey game Monday at Bowdoin College. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
The Eagles pulled closer with just under eight minutes into the second period when Hawkes grabbed a loose puck and passed it to LeBel, who then found Hunter. The junior then fired a shot past Brunswick goalie Sensia Ley (four saves) to make it a 2-1 game.
The Dragons still kept the pressure on the Eagles and netminder Emma Morrison, firing seven more shots on goal in the period, but the sophomore turned them all away to preserve the one-goal deficit.
“She’s been a great addition to the team this year,” said coach Hunter.
Brunswick extended its lead when Lay scored on a breakaway just two minutes into the final period.
“I kind of blacked out,” said the senior when asked about the goal. “I had been hard on myself for not getting those breakaways so I made sure to go down and around her for the score.”
Added coach Ledwick: “We had a little bit of lag in the second. We did that against Gorham, too; started off with two goals quick, sagged a little in the second, and picked it back up in the third.”
Labbe finished off the scoring when she buried a slap shot with 24 seconds remaining. Lisi Palmer and Solveig Ledwick had the assists.
Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse/Lincoln Academy/Oceanside/Boothbay Region’s Mallory Stuart looks up the ice as she skates into the offensive zone during a high school girls hockey game Monday at Bowdoin College. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
“It’s a big thing,” said Lay about beating their rivals. “Since freshman year we’d never beaten them so to come out this season and beat them means a lot.”
Added Ledwick: “We’ve got a lot of competitive athletes. I will take athletes over (skill) players every day of the week. They can figure it out and they know where to go to, Their instincts are good and they are competitive up and down the ice and I think we saw that (Monday). It’s just wanting it and competing.”
Brunswick outshot the Eagles, 21-11.
Morrison finished with 17 saves for the Eagles while Brunswick freshman Hensleigh Labonte was in net in the third and turned away all six shots she faced.
The two teams will meet again on Jan. 16 at 5 p.m. at Watson Arena.
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