DOVER, N.H. – The merged Marshwood-Traip Academy boys’ hockey team continued its unprecedented season Friday with a 9-1 victory over Bonny Eagle at Dover Ice Arena.
The Hawks (10-2) are already two wins better than last year’s record-setting 8-6-2 season.
“I didn’t see this at the beginning of the season,” said co-captain Aaron Gootee, a senior forward. “This is the furthest we’ve ever been.
“It’s communication — we’re working well together.”
And Coach Eric Royal, in his seventh season with the Hawks, has enough talent among his small squad of 12 skaters and three goalies. Still, a 10-2 record good for seventh place in the Heal point standings in Western Class A is a surprise.
“I never would have predicted where we would be at this point,” Royal said.
Bonny Eagle Coach Mark Whitman could see improvement in the Hawks.
“They’ve got kids who want to play the game the right way,” Whitman said. “That says a lot about Eric and the way he has turned things around.”
Whitman is in his third year of trying to rebuild the Scots (3-10). But with three top defensemen out with injuries, Bonny Eagle was overpowered by the strong, speedy forwards of Marshwood/Traip, which enjoyed a 28-11 shot advantage.
The Hawks scored four goals in the first period and stayed comfortably ahead.
Andrew Rollins recorded a hat trick, Ryan Tobey added three assists, and the Hawks also got goals from Sam Richardson, Ben Claus, Corey Wright, Nick Deveau, Peter Lajeunesse and Gootee.
Josh Bagley scored Bonny Eagle’s goal in the third period, assisted by Shaun Parmenter.
Nine goals is nice, but Royal liked the defense. The Scots had few chances.
“We hadn’t been sound defensively,” Royal said. “We’ve been winning games because our offense has scored a lot of goals.
“We know we have tough games coming down the stretch. We can’t make mistakes like we have been making and still come out on top.”
The Hawks are playing a Tier III schedule and have only one victory over a team with a winning record — an 8-7 overtime win over rival York in December.
That win gave Marshwood/Traip confidence. The next three games — Brunswick tonight and Cheverus and Cape Elizabeth next week — may determine the Hawks’ playoff chances.
Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:
kthomas@pressherald.com
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