Once the Greely/Gray-New Gloucester girls’ hockey team got going, it couldn’t be stopped.
The Rangers surrendered the first goal Wednesday before scoring 12 straight, rolling to a 12-1 victory over Portland/Deering at William B. Troubh Ice Arena.
It took 41/2 minutes for Greely (2-0) to find the back of the net, allowing Portland to grab a lead over last season’s North runners-up.
“We’d like to have had a better start, but I was really impressed with the response,” Greely Coach Nate Guerin said. “I think our top girls just woke up.”
Seniors Courtney Sullivan and Bridget Roberts led Greely with hat tricks. Roberts also had three assists, while Sullivan contributed two assists.
“They’re just involved in everything that happens on the ice,” Guerin said. “It really helps, because we have a beginner on every line.”
The Rangers’ season opener against Scarborough went similarly, in that they gave up an early goal before taking control in a 5-1 victory.
“We usually come out pretty slow,” Roberts said, “but after that, we got really fired up.”
Portland (1-1) scored 21/2 minutes into the game when Caroline Lerch put away her own rebound for the 1-0 lead.
Sullivan answered two minutes later when Camilla Lattanzi fed her the puck on a counterattack, and Sullivan tapped it in.
With 6:59 left in the period, Sullivan gave Greely the lead on a breakaway, firing a shot before scoring on her own rebound.
Thirty-seven seconds later, Leah Walker placed a shot into the top right corner, getting an assist from Brooke Clement.
In a span of three minutes, Roberts scored all three of her goals before the end of the period.
Roberts got her first during a scrum in front of Portland’s net, scoring off a Molly Horton assist with 3:36 left. Her next two goals were unassisted, with 2:16 and 31.7 seconds remaining, and the Rangers entered the second period up 6-1.
Four minutes into the second period, Lauren Gervais scored her first of two goals, putting away a Sullivan rebound. With 9:27 left, Roberts broke free and fired a hard shot that was blocked by Portland’s goalie, but Brooke Clement got to the left post just in time to tap home the rebound.
“Our coaches push us really hard so we’re in good shape,” Sullivan said. “We have the energy to get to the net and finish it.”
Four minutes later, Gervais scored again – this one also assisted by Sullivan – with 5:29 remaining to put the Rangers up 9-1.
In the third period, Madison Pelletier scored off a Roberts assist with 10:06 left, Sullivan notched her third goal – this one from Jayme Morrison – with 7:30 remaining, and Morrison rounded out the scoring with a goal assisted by Roberts with 4:28 remaining.
Portland goalies Adrianna Bodge and Anna Gannon combined for 21 saves. Greely’s Jordyn Owens had 11 saves.
“We got outworked in every possible aspect of that game,” Portland Coach Tom Clifford said.
“We need to learn how to win against the perennial teams that have been there.”
Taylor Vortherms can be contacted at 791-6417 or:
tvortherms@pressherald.com
Twitter: TaylorVortherms
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