MT. ARARAT/MORSE’S Bre Hunter (left) faces off with Biddeford/Thornton Academy/Wells’ Lily Stark (right) as Ella McKenzie looks on. The visiting Tigers won, 7-1.
The Mt. Ararat/Morse girls hockey trailed by just a score late in the second period, but the Biddeford/Thornton Academy/ Wells team scored five unanswered goals as the visiting Tigers downed the Eagles, 7-1 at Sidney J. Watson Arena Friday evening.
The 7-1 score was not indicative of how the season opener was played for the home team. Despite being outshot 35-13, the Eagles battled for three periods, never letting up.
EAGLES’ LILY SCHENK (right) makes one of her 28 saves on an Ashley Atwater shot (left) in Friday night’s loss to the Tigers.
Ailaina Keely scored the first of her four goals with 2:40 left in the opening frame after Mady Belanger (three assists) stole an Eagles pass and pushed it on to Keely for the score and a 1-0 lead that stood until the end of the period.
Goalie Lily Schenk made 13 saves in the first period for the Eagles and credited her defense with helping in front.
“Our defense works on playing together as a team and we’re coming together,” said the sophomore keeper, who also plays net for the Mt. Ararat field hockey team in the fall. “It was great having good defensive players in front of me tonight, like Kayleigh (Temple) and Chloe (Beattie).”
After a Tigers score midway through the period, a roughing penalty gave the Eagles their first power play of the game with 2:02 remaining in the second period. Fourteen seconds into the player advantage, Eagle Amber Card passed the puck down the lane to Bre Hunter, and the freshman fired a shot inside the right post for the score. The goal cut the lead to 2-1.
With just 12 seconds remaining before the second intermission, Paige Boudreau scored from the top of the crease to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead after two periods.
“That goal late was a let down,” said Hutchins. “We didn’t let down there, they just attacked us,” again noting his team played hard every minute.
Twenty seconds into the final period, Keely struck again, scoring off another Belanger helper, putting the Tigers up, 4-1.
Mt. Ararat/Morse fired off eight more shots at Biddeford/ TA/Wells goalie Trinity Atwater in the final period, but were unable to break the freshman goalie, who finished with 12 saves.
Schenk continued facing shots at the other end of the ice, making six more saves in the final period, finishing with 28 stops.
“She gave us a chance to get back into the game,” said co-head coach Jeremy Saxton.
Keely struck for one more goal and Lily Stark tallied the final pair en-route to the victory.
Beattie reflected on the positives following the game.
“We all work really hard, we go after every puck,” said Beattie. “Tonight showed us we can play, we just need to keep improving.”
Mt. Ararat/Morse will hit the ice again this coming Wednesday night when the Eagles take on the Edward Little/ Leavitt/Poland squad. The game is scheduled at 8:40 p.m. at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn.
Tigers 7, Eagles 1
Friday at Sidney J. Watson Arena
Bidd/TA/Wells 124—7
Mt.Ararat/Morse 010—1
First period — 1. (B) Ailaina Keely,
(Mady Belanger), 12:20.
Second period — 2. (B) Ailaina
Keely, (Katie Monson, Ainsley
Wescott) 6:16; 3. (MtA) Bre Hunter,
(Amber Card), pp, 13:12; 4. (B) Paige
Boudreau, (Lily Stark), 14:48. Penalty
— (B) Lily Stark, roughing, 12:58.
Third period — (B) Ailaina Keely,
(Mady Belanger), :20; 6. (B) Ailaina
Keely, (Paige Laverriere), 4:22; 7. (B)
Lily Stark, (Ainsley Wescott, Mady
Belanger), 8:36; 8. (B) Lily Start,
14:23. Penalty — (B) Wendy Yanche,
interference, 6:20.
Shots on goal — (B) 14-11-10-35;
(MtA) 1-4-8-13.
Saves — (B) Trinity Atwater 12;
(MtA) Lily Schenk 28.
Power play — Mt. Ararat/Morse 1-
for-2.
Records — Biddeford/Thornton
Academy/Wells 1-0; Mt. Ararat/Morse
0-1.
Next up for the Eagles — Wednesday at Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland at
8:40 p.m.
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