Friday, May 25, 2012
By Kevin Thomas kthomas@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
BIDDEFORD - He skated in the shadow last year.
Though only a sophomore, Brady Fleurent was the leading scorer in Class A hockey this winter, producing 32 goals and 34 assists in 21 games.
John Ewing/Staff Photographer
TELEGRAM ALL-STATE BOYS' HOCKEY
Jameson Finch, senior, goaltender, Thornton Academy
Recorded a 1.87 goals-against average and .909 save percentage, and came up with huge saves in the playoffs.
Cam Poussard, senior, goaltender, Lewiston
The state's premier goaltender, and a repeat All-State selection, Poussard had a 0.83 goals-against average and a .961 save percentage during the regular season.
Sam Cloutier, senior, forward, Lewiston
Always dangerous, Cloutier paced the Blue Devils' run to the Class A title game with 24 goals and 27 assists.
Bryan Dallaire, junior, forward, Biddeford
An All-State pick last year as a defenseman, Dallaire brought his talents to the Tigers' top line, producing 15 goals and 29 assists.
Brady Fleurent, sophomore, forward, Biddeford
With his vision on the ice, Fleurent was the premier playmaker for the Tigers, leading Class A with 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists).
C.J. Maksut, junior, forward, Thornton Academy
A breakaway threat every time he touched the puck, Maksut recorded 27 goals and 12 assists. He scored some big goals, including the winner in the Class A final.
Alex Parker, senior, forward, St. Dominic
A repeat honoree, Parker's 20 goals and 19 assists led the Saints to a 14-5-2 record and a return trip to the Eastern Class A title game.
Colt Steele, senior, forward, Lewiston
After three years away, at prep school and then juniors, Steele played his only year of schoolboy hockey this season, recording 29 goals and 20 assists for the Blue Devils.
Nick Gagne, senior, defense, Biddeford
Gagne was a classic stay-at-home defenseman, negating threats in the Biddeford zone while recording four goals and 10 assists.
Ryan Locke, senior, defense, Thornton Academy
Locke helped the Trojans' terrific transition game with his skating and passing. He also played fine defense and added two goals and eight assists.
Matt MacDowell, senior, defense, Falmouth
A two-time All-State pick, MacDowell not only defended well, he led the Yachtsmen in scoring with eight goals and 15 assists.
Conor O'Brien, senior, defense, York
O'Brien was the Wildcats' most dependable defender and also put his skating and cannon slap shot to good use on offense, with 14 goals and 17 assists.
Coaches of the Year
Shawn Rousseau, Thornton Academy
Michael Vessey, York
For the coach of the year, we looked for a man who oversaw his team's continued improvement during the season. His team upset the top seed in the regional final, then continued the underdog role in the state title game, winning the championship in overtime. That coach is ... not just one person. Thornton's Shawn Rousseau and York's Michael Vessey followed similar paths to their schools' first state title. For that, they share Coach of the Year honors.
Brady Fleurent was a soft-spoken freshman during the 2009-10 hockey season, although he played superbly, helping Biddeford High win the Class A state title.
But it was his brother, Trevor, who took the spotlight, leading the Tigers on the ice and getting rewarded in the post-season, winning the Travis Roy Award while also being named the Maine Sunday Telegram MVP.
This year, Brady wasn't eligible for the Travis Roy Award, a honor reserved for seniors. But he can still be recognized, following his brother's footsteps as the Telegram MVP.
Fleurent led the Tigers to an undefeated regular season. And while the Tigers were upset in the Western Class A final, Fleurent's accomplishments are not diminished.
Fleurent led the state in scoring with 66 points over 21 games, scoring 32 goals and adding 34 assists.
"It was a natural progression," Biddeford Coach Rich Reissfelder said. "Last year, a lot of the good things Brady did may have been overlooked because of Trevor.
"He took that next step this year to being consistent and being able to carry a line by himself."
Even in the Tigers' 4-3 playoff defeat against Thornton Academy, Fleurent shined despite receiving plenty of defensive attention. He assisted on one goal and scored the other two.
But do not call Fleurent a puck hog. His strength was not just his shot, but in setting up his teammates. As his assist total attests, Fleurent made his passes count.
"Brady has the same gift that Trevor has -- he makes people better," Reissfelder said. "Other guys missed a game or two, we didn't miss a beat. But if Brady missed a game. "
Fleurent missed parts of a couple games because of injury, but fortunately for the Tigers, he never sat out an entire game.
Besides leading the top line, Fleurent also played key roles on the power play and penalty killing units.
"I needed to be more of a factor," Fleurent said. "Trevor was the top player in the state last year and we were losing him. I had to step it up."
While Fleurent has two years remaining at Biddeford, he said he has not decided whether he'll high school or junior hockey next year.
Fleurent is one of three Tigers on the Telegram All-State team. The team dominated by the top schools, with Biddeford, Class A state champion Thornton Academy and Class A runner-up Lewiston all placing three players, making up 75 percent of the team.
St. Dominic, Falmouth and Class B state champion York each have one selection.
Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:
kthomas@pressherald.com
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