Thanks to Adrian Ellingwood, our special High School Hockey correspondent for the recap of the High School Hockey game between Hampden Academy and Messalonskee.
On Saturday night, February 14, the Messalonskee Eagles and the Hampden Academy Broncos faced off for the second time this season, on the Eagles’ senior night. After losing to the Broncos in overtime in January, Messalonskee got revenge with a 4-3 win.
Early on, the Eagles went on the power play, and scored the opening goal. Christian Salvadori pounced on a rebound from Tatum Toucette’s shot, and gave Messalonskee the lead with 7:57 to go in the period. With the assist, Doucette earned his 100th point of his high school hockey career.
Both sides had multiple power play opportunities following the goal, but the Eagles remained in front at the end of the opening period.
Just over 5 minutes into the second stanza, the Broncos leveled the score with a power play goal. Miles Shields fired the puck past Nathan Kirk in the Messalonskee net, with assists from Aiden MacFarline and Brody Miller. 9:36 remained the second period.
Roughly 3 minutes after Hampden tied the game, the Eagles retook the lead with another power play goal. Doucette scored, assisted by Denny Martin and Alex Beckwith, with 6:34 left in the period. Messalonskee would remain in front heading into the second intermission.
In the third period, penalties continued to dictate the game, as the Broncos scored on the power play to tie the game at 2. Henry Armell fired the puck on net just after he entered the offensive zone, and Kirk wasn’t able to stop it. Brody Miller was given the assist with 11:07 remaining in regulation.
Less than 2 minutes later, Henry Boudreau gave Hampden the lead with a wrap-around goal. His goal came unassisted with 9:10 remaining in the third period. That was the first even-strength goal of the game.
The Broncos went on the power play with 8:24 to go in regulation, but couldn’t capitalize. Instead, a couple of penalties in the final 5 minutes gave Messalonskee a 5-on-3 power play. Despite killing off both penalties, Hampden couldn’t get a stoppage in play before the Eagles tied the game with 2:22 to go. Alex Beckwith scored off of a rebound, assisted by Denny Martin and Logan Baron, and the game would head to overtime tied at 3.
Neither side had any clear-cut scoring chances in overtime, until Tatum Doucette picked up the puck in the offensive zone. He shielded the puck away from Brody Miller, and tried to throw a backhand shot on net. Miller poked the puck away before Doucette could get the shot off, but as Miller and Doucette got tied up, Christian Salvadori got to the loose puck first, and scored the winning goal. Hampden appeals for goaltender interference were unsuccessful, and Messalonskee came away with a 4-3 overtime victory.
With the win, the Eagles will remain atop the Class B North Heal Point Standings, with a record of 13-3. Their next game is against Old Town/Orono on February 16 at Alfond Arena, before concluding the regular season against Camden Hills in Rockport on February 20. The Broncos now have a record of 10-6-1, 5th in Class B North. They have one regular season game remaining, when they face John Bapst at Sawyer Arena on Tuesday, February 16.
