BRUNSWICK

Three 5-on-3 power plays, and nothing to show for it.

That was the summary of the Brunswick High School boys hockey team’s 4-1 loss to Cheverus Wednesday afternoon at Sidney J. Watson Arena, leaving the Dragons with a 4-4 record and an offense searching for answers after failing to score on five power-play opportunities while mustering few solid chances.

“It was just poor execution, with guys doing what they want to do,” said Brunswick coach Mike Routhier, whose Dragons head to Saco on Saturday to take on Scarborough at 2 p.m.

Brunswick will have to figure out the power play, which has gone scoreless in the last 10 opportunities, and an offense that produced just one goal in the past two games.

“They outworked us. There are times we look like world beaters on the power play, and other times not. It is just part of the growing process,” said Routhier.

Wednesday’s contest was a homecoming for Cheverus players Jason Blier (Brunswick), Matt O’Leary (Topsham) and James Kane (Brunswick). Blier turned aside 18 shots in goal, O’Leary had an assist and Kane played solid on defense.

“It is weird going to the other side as the visitor,” said Blier, who has backstopped the Stags to a 7-1 record. “For the most part, the defense cleared everything. I had to make a couple saves here and there, but the defense did a good job. After defeating TA (a 6-2 Stags win over two-time defending Class A champion Thornton Academy on Saturday), this team has really come together and is playing great.”

Cheverus power play

A major penalty on Brunswick just 4:02 in gave Cheverus a five-minute power play. The Stags took advantage, getting a goal from Conor Ryle, with an assist going to Andrew MacGillivray at 6:25 for a 1-0 lead.

Brunswick spent nearly half the first period (seven minutes) killing penalties and mustered just three shots on Blier, including a wrister by Ryan Maciejewski that the netminder calmly turned aside with his blocker.

“Jason has been keeping them in games, and doing what he needs to do to help them be successful,” said Routhier of Blier.

Cheverus doubled its lead 16 seconds into the second period as Cameron McLain finished a pass from James Hannigan on a 2-on-1 break, just slipping the puck past the outstretched skate of Brunswick goaltender Blake Alexander (19 saves).

The Stags were whistled for four penalties in the middle frame, with the Dragons receiving two 5-on-3 power play chances. But, Alexander had to keep his team in it, twice stopping McLain on shorthanded breakaways as the Stags carried a 2-0 lead into the third period.

Brunswick began the final frame with a 51-second, twoman advantage, but managed just one shot on Blier.

Back-to-back calls just 12 seconds apart gave Cheverus a chance with a 5-on-3 advantage and the Stags cashed in. McLain scored his second goal on a post-to-post pass from linemate Liam Fitzpatrick for a 3-0 edge.

Brunswick went back to work on the power play as Cheverus was whistled for two penalties, giving the Dragons a two-minute, twoman edge. But, Brunswick again failed to score, and Alex Grant-Roy’s hard wrister less than three minutes later staked the visitors to a 4-0 lead.

Maciejewski broke up Blier’s shutout bid with 3:49 remaining as his wrist shot tucked in underneath the cross bar. Jacob McGowan and Nate Granholm earned an assist each on Maciejewski’s goal.

“It won’t get any easier on Saturday, so we need to get a practice under our belt and play as a team against Scarborough (7-1) rather than individuals,” said Routhier.

Cheverus was 2-for-6 on the power play and held a 23-19 shots advantage.

Cheverus 4, Brunswick 1

At Sidney J. Watson Arena
Cheverus— 112—4
Brunswick—001—1
First period — 1. (C) Conor Ryle (Andrew
MacGillivray), pp, 6:25. Penalties — (B)
Dwayne Palmer, elbow to the head major,
4:02; (B) Clayton Parent, elbowing, 11:22.
Second period — 2. (C) Cameron McLain
(James Hannigan), :16. Penalties — (C)
Alex Grant-Roy, slashing, 8:17; (C) Matt
O’Leary, cross checking, 9:43; (C) Alex
Grant-Roy, cross checking, 13:50; (C)
Matt O’Leary, roughing, 14:54.
Third period — 3. (C) Cameron McLain
(Liam Fitzpatrick), pp, 7:31; 4. (C) Alex
Grant-Roy (Matt O’Leary), 10:26; 5. (B)
Ryan Maciejewski (Jacob McGowan, Nate
Granholm), 11:11. Penalties — (B) Clayton Parent, interference, 5:25; (B) Blake
Alexander (slashing), 5:37; (C) James
Hannigan, roughing, 7:10; (B) Blake
Alexander, roughing, 7:10; (C) Conor
Ryle, tripping, 7:58; (C) Luke Trickey, tripping, 7:58; (B) Cam Heatley, slashing,
12:14.
Shots on goal — (C) 7-6-10—23; (B) 3-
8-8—19.
Saves — (C) Jason Blier 18; (B) Blake
Alexander 19.
Power play opportunities — Cheverus 2-
6; Brunswick 0-5.
Records — Cheverus 7-1, Brunswick 4-4.
Next — The Stags visit Cape Elizabeth on
Thursday at 7:30 p.m., while the Dragons
visit Scarborough on Saturday at 2 p.m.