Hockey
Wildcats skate past defending champs, then fall to Greely in OT
By Essie Powers
YORK - The YHS hockey team faced both of its biggest rivals this week in long awaited rematches against Cape Elizabeth and Greely.These games usually highlight the season and foretell the playoffs. Historically, the games have been painstakingly close, with game winning shots at the buzzer, but last Thursday night, Jan. 4, at the Portland Ice Arena, the tide had turned.
York 6, Cape Elizabeth 2
The Wildcats trounced the Capers in a 6-2 pasting that was a long time coming.
"First time since I have coached here that we truly beat them outright," said Coach Mike Vessey. "The team just can't stop smiling, and they deserve to be."
Although it was a scoreless first period, the game was high pitched from the drop and packed with crowd-pleasing plays by both teams.
York goalie Andrew Loane, who brought with him his best effort of the season, put together some lightning quick stops in the first that shut out the Cape Elizabeth offense. He reached, dropped and swatted at pucks, and even pulled one out of midair.
Junior forward Devin Zucker, working low in the corner, slid up a picture-perfect goal mouth pass to senior Captain Ryan Clauson, but his shot was one whisper too wide.
Defenseman Andy Ohlson broke up a 3-on-1 Capers rush, and Kevin Maran, returning from a back injury, won some critical face-offs near the period's end. The 'Cats played the entire period without a penalty or an off-sides infraction.
With less than 5 minutes to go in the second, Cape Elizabeth Captain Tom Rich broke the seal and gave his team the 1-0 lead, but it was York that came on with a flood of goals.
Clauson tied it from the slot on a pass from Zucker. Freshman Paddy Murphy gave the 'Cats the lead with the first goal of his high school career. Maran and Dan Graziano had worked the puck around to Murphy, who wrapped it in from the corner.
"I was looking for an open guy up front," said Murphy. "When I saw the opening I just threw it in."
Just 30 seconds later, junior forward Jake Posternak took one in unassisted from the left wing and suddenly it was 3 to 1, Wildcats.
Defensive partners Chris Meehan and Dan Powers slammed the door shut with their third-period goals from Ohlson and Kyle Banfield, and Maran locked it up tight, burying York's sixth goal of the night.
"We played so well as a team tonight," said Loane. "We practiced hard all week and we were ready. We always have extra motivation against Cape, but this was a great example of clicking as a team. We did it right tonight."
Greely 2, York 1 in OT
It was a tale of two goalies.
Saturday night at the Falmouth Family Ice Center, senior Billy Bolduc stood in net for the second-place Greely Rangers. Loane was in goal for York, then at the top of the Western Maine standings. Spectacular play from both of them continued the tradition of these great rivals, who put another thriller into the high school hockey archives, this one going Greely's way with a 2-1 overtime win.
It was the battle for first place, and the 'Cats put out some impressive work.
Clauson and Nick Richards, returning to his forward position, were in fourth gear all night, hustling to the puck and frustrating Greely defenders with their back-checking skills.
Kal Decato got caught in an odd-man-rush and broke up the drive just below the blue line. Posternak in the mix with Murphy and David Figlioli brought speed and confidence to the play. The new grouping of Maran, Matt Carey and Graziano, with the chemistry and the strength of a speeding freight train, broke through the neutral zone with ease.
Defensemen Chris Meehean, Dan Powers, Andy Ohlson and Decato helped Loane keep the game at a 0-0 tie until only 33 seconds remained in the second period, when Greely defenseman Drew Bowden scored from the right point while his team had a 5-on-3 advantage.
The lead held all the way to the last minute of the game, when Ohlson tied it at 1 with a thrilling power-play goal. Greely had taken a penalty and was down a man. York pulled the goalie and took the 6-on-4 advantage to the face off. Powers slammed a shot from the point. Bolduc's rebound went to Zucker's stick, his rebound slid to the right side and Ohlson swooped in and sent it to the back of the net.
It was overtime, again, for York and Greely.
Loane made five of his 19 saves in the overtime before Ranger Jesse Shavel tipped in his own rebound for the 2-1 win.
"Loane was brilliant tonight," Powers said after the game. "I can't say enough about how well he played. He was talking to us all night, driving us, encouraging us. He knew we should win. When your goalie believes in you like that, your team works harder. And Meehean was great tonight. He played it all out."
The boys' varsity ice hockey team is scheduled to face off against Maranacook today, Wednesday, Jan. 10, with games against Marshwood on Friday, Winslow on Saturday and Kennebunk on Monday scheduled within the next week.
