It’s a guessing game every year for Eric Royal, coach of the Marshwood/Traip Academy boys’ hockey team.

Who will show up to the first practice?

“I never know what we’re going to have for numbers,” Royal said. “We had our first sign-ups, we had 11 skaters and three goalies.”

Two more skaters came aboard. That’s still not a big roster but it is a good team.

The Hawks, combining players from Marshwood High in South Berwick and two from Traip Academy in Kittery, are having their best season. In second place in the Western Class A Heal point standings, Marshwood/Traip was 14-2 before Wednesday’s late game against Bonny Eagle.

This will be only the second winning season for the Hawks, who were 8-6-2 last year. They will finish their regular season Saturday against Windham (2-14).

Marshwood/Traip faced its biggest challenge last week and beat Cheverus 4-1 before a surprising 7-1 rout of Cape Elizabeth.

“I had no idea,” Royal said of the success. “We have no youth hockey program here. We have small numbers. We don’t get a lot of bodies.”

Programs like Marshwood/Traip are why there’s a tier scheduling system, implemented five years ago to allow struggling programs to be competitive.

“I definitely think there has to be some type of (tier) system,” said Royal, a former Berwick Academy and University of New Hampshire player who is in his seventh year with the Hawks.

“We were getting pounded 18-1 by Cheverus back when they were a powerhouse. The tier system helps.”

Marshwood/Traip is in Tier III, which means it plays the easiest schedule, facing no Tier I teams.

While the tier system seems essential, some Tier I teams may miss the playoffs because they play a more difficult schedule, especially since the Maine Principals’ Association reduced the number of playoff teams to half the field. Only eight of the 15 Western Class A teams reach the postseason.

“This is not fair,” said Scarborough Coach Norm Gagne, whose team is 6-9 with a Tier I schedule and is 11th in the Heal standings. “If they go 50 percent (teams in playoffs), then they can’t go tiers anymore.

“Our kids should be in the tournament. They may not be.”

Coach Joe Robinson has rebuilt South Portland from Tier III to Tier I. He knows the challenges of both. South Portland (6-7-2) is in seventh place.

“There are teams out (of the playoffs) that you can say are better than the ones in,” Robinson said. “But it’s just the way it is. I’ve seen Marshwood. They’re good. You can’t say they aren’t working hard.”

Marshwood has tightened its defense recently. The Hawks always have been able to score. Andrew Rollins led the team in scoring (19 goals-21 assists). followed by Peter Lajeunesse (22-14), Aaron Gootee (13-23), Ryan Tobey (12-9) and defenseman Ben Claus (3-12).

The Hawks have used three goalies — Tyler Gagnon, Kyle Hichens and Derek Johnson.

While Royal believes the tier system is necessary, “they could probably go with two tiers,” he said. “I’m not sure there is too big a drop-off (between II and III).”

Royal said he will need to replace six players after this season. With no middle-school program, he has to monitor the youth league in neighboring Dover, N.H.

“They tell me we have about eight kids coming in, which we will definitely need,” Royal said.

CAPE ELIZABETH is putting together a fine season despite its loss to Marshwood/Traip.

The Capers may have suffered a letdown in that game after knocking off Greely 4-3 last Wednesday, handing the Rangers their only loss to a Class B team.

First-year Cape coach Billy LeBlond began his tenure with an 0-3 record before the Capers rebounded, now at 11-5.

“We played Greely, York and Cheverus to start,” LeBlond said. “I was a little starry-eyed, getting back into (coaching). But I was confident we were going to come back because I know a lot of the kids and I know they’re good players.”

Among the leading Capers are forwards Nick Breed (21 goals-nine assists), Vinny Dell’Aquila (13-6), and Matt Ross (6-10), defenseman Wilson Laprade (3-11), and goalies Kirby Saari (2.33 goals-against average) and Jake Rosenfield (2.89).

SOUTH PORTLAND struggled through a four-game stretch, going 1-2-1 and scoring a total of eight goals.

It didn’t help that the Red Riots lost senior defenseman Zach Horton to a broken ankle. But there was more to the problem. Robinson noticed too much individual play.

“We went through a tough spell but then we started playing as a team,” Robinson said. “We started passing the puck and lo and behold, we started scoring.

“It’s not rocket science.”

South Portland beat Portland 7-0, then gave Biddeford a scare, tying the game 4-4 in the third period before losing, 6-4.

BRUNSWICK finished its regular season last week at 8-9-1. The Dragons hold the seventh and final playoff spot in Eastern Class A. Eighth-place Edward Little (7-9) played St. Dom’s on Wednesday night, then will face Mt. Ararat on Saturday.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

 

 

Copy the Story Link