Brunswick senior forward Lauren Labbe looks to get past Greely/Gray-New Gloucester senior defender Eve Hein. Cooper Sullivan/The Times Record

BRUNSWICK — There’s no mistaking which locker room hosted the Brunswick girls ice hockey team at Watson Arena last Thursday night. Fresh off a 6-0 win against Greely/Gray-New Gloucester, there were many reasons for the singing, cheering and jovial celebration to pour out into the hallways.

The Dragons had just won their 13th game of the season, the most anyone on the roster has experienced, and the senior class won its final home game. But perhaps the loudest roars of the evening came when freshman forward Tess Welch scored her first career goal and was awarded the team’s hard hat for player of the game.

Head coach Chris Ledwick said it’s this connection that makes this year’s squad so special. It’s also what the players believe will carry them through the postseason.

“We’re a one-town team,” Ledwick said. “These girls — this third and fourth line — those are girls that the other girls have recruited, grabbed in the hallway and convinced a lot to play hockey for the first time. And their improvement over the years is huge. So everybody just really shares the joy in their development. … We rely on that. We can’t just go co-op and grab other travel hockey players ready made. We got to develop our own. So, you’re hearing that genuine enthusiasm when people kind of see the fruits of that paying off.”

“I think we’re all waiting to just go out on the ice and put more goals in the net, so we’re all very excited,” senior forward Lauren Labbe said. “I think that we’re, right now, thriving, and I think that we’re more connected than we have been for the entire year.”

Brunswick junior forward Natalie Perham surveys the ice during Thursday’s game against Greely/Gray-New Gloucester. Cooper Sullivan/The Times Record

Brunswick secured the second-seed in Class A North after Saturday’s 3-2 comeback victory over Yarmouth/Freeport, the region’s top seed.

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Instead of hosting a quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday, Brunswick (14-4) will have a bye because seventh-seeded St. Dom’s/Lisbon forfeited the rest of its season due to injuries and limited roster availability. The Dragons will either play the third-seeded Edward Little co-op or the sixth-seeded Winslow co-op at a neutral site on Saturday.

With a week between games, Ledwick jokes that his team will finally be able to hold practice. On-ice opportunities have been limited throughout the season as Brunswick’s late-night travel schedule often prevents early morning practices.

Brunswick senior forward Lauren Labbe (15) celebrates scoring her third of four goals against Greely/Gray-New Gloucester. Cooper Sullivan/The Times Record

Senior defender Lisi Palmer credits assistant coach Kate Bernier for coordinating dry land workouts or stick handling drills in the cafeteria to keep the players ready for the next time they get on the ice.

Even when the Dragons aren’t meeting for an on-ice or off-ice practice session, Palmer, Labbe and the rest of the captains make an emphasis to be around their teammates, whether it’s with a pasta party or a quick pre-game photo in the gym.

Palmer and Labbe say it’s the reason each of their goal totals have increased from last season to this one. Brunswick’s leading scorer, junior winger Solveig Ledwick (16 goals to 28 goals) has also made a considerable jump. Ledwick, Labbe (26 to 27) and Palmer (13 to 20) rank fourth, fifth and sixth in scoring in Class A North, respectively.

“Like we’ve been saying, I think it’s the environment,” Palmer said. “I think being (able to not get) totally down every time you miss a shot, like the bench is roaring at you to keep going and do it again. Honestly, this whole season is off our environment — in the locker room, outside the locker room, outside of school.”

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Chris Ledwick cites the team’s willingness to play as a unit instead of relying on individual skill.

“People want to play for each other,” he said. “People block shots because they care about each other. People take the hits because they care about each other. And that’s what gets as big of a cheer as anything else out there.”

In order for Brunswick to reach its first regional final since the 2011-12 season, the Dragons know they need to step up a notch.

“We just have to want the game, and we have to put all of our effort in,” Labbe said. “I mean, if it’s stay or go home, why not empty the tank and go home later instead of go home with a full tank?”

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