DOVER, N.H. — Despite a slow start, the Massabesic/Old Orchard Beach/Bonny Eagle boys hockey team would cruise to an 8-2 win over host Marshwood/Traip/Sanford/Noble on Monday evening.

Leading just 2-1 late into the second period, MOB would make the most of a five-minute Knighthawks boarding penalty that spanned from the final two minutes of the second to the first three minutes of the third.

MOB would get three goals in that span, including two scores from Brady Cormier and another from Cam Roy to take the 5-1 lead early in the third.

Tayte Harris, Ajay Cates and Roy would all score in the final seven minutes to help MOB pull away with the win.

MOB assistant coach Andrew Slefinger, who was filling in for coach Loren Blair,  was proud of the way the players stepped up late in the game. 

“We were a little snakebitten, not scoring many goals. That was our focus — that was our goal. We shook the lines up a little bit to see if we could generate something,” said Slefinger, who was especially impressed by the players’ resiliency after seeing their teammate exit due to injury after the being boarded. “It’s unfortunate what happened … I thought that created a bit of a spark in the guys, they looked to the guy to the left and the guy to the right in the locker room and had each other’s backs. Once the goals started happening (they started) scoring in bunches, the confidence went up.”

MOB’s power play unit came up big in the win, accounting for four of the goals scored.

“The power play unit was exceptional. The guys have been working really hard on that in practice and it showed tonight,” said Slefinger.

MOB would take a 1-0 lead in the final two minutes of the first period on a goal from Wyatt Blanchette that he deflected in off the goaltender. Cates would give MOB the 2-0 lead less than a minute into the second when he scored his first goal of the contest.

Roy picked up three assists on the evening, while Blanchette recorded two and Cormier and Alex Demers had one apiece. D.J. Cagnina and Chase Gagnon scored for the Knighthawks.

Slefinger and company hope that Monday’s big win will help create some momentum heading into a big game against Scarborough later in the week.

“We busted out of the scoring slump, hopefully that leads to positive things throughout the week in practice. We have Scarborough on Friday and we’ll see what happens,” said Slefinger. “We have a young team this year. It’s good to see those guys start to build their confidence and getting comfortable with the seniors who are their line pairs. They’ve been contributing any way they can so hopefully this is our breakout and we can start putting pucks behind the goalie.”

— Associate Sports Editor Alex Sponseller can be reached at [email protected] or at 282-1535 ext. 323. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.