PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — It was a successful debut Friday for the Wildcat hockey team.
Presque Isle jumped out to a 5-0 lead midway through the second period and held on for an 8-3 victory over Camden Hills in a match played at the Forum.
Connor DeMerchant opened the scoring with 3:06 to play in the opening period off a Colby Carlisle assist before PI’s offense found its rhythm early in the second. Freshman Jonah Roy scored off a Thomas Patenaude assist 2:49 in and four minutes later, Colby Bonville put in an unassisted goal to make it 3-0.
The Wildcats quickly scored goals 39 seconds apart, with Gage LeTourneau netting one off assists from Carlisle and DeMerchant before Patenaude scored off a faceoff off a Jake Stevens assist, for the five-goal advantage.
Camden Hills scored a pair of power play goals later in the period and got another midway through the third to cut the deficit to 5-3, but Patenaude tallied two more goals and Roy had another to secure the win for Presque Isle. Stevens and Torey Levesque had assists.
Presque Isle owned a 34-25 advantage in shots on goal during the contest, with Andre Daigle making a number of big saves for the win in net for the Wildcats.
“I thought we looked fundamentally good, given it being the first game of the season,” said PI coach Carl Flynn, who noted that limiting retaliation penalties will be a key factor for his team moving forward.
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- Wildcat players Connor DeMerchant (14) and Gage LeTourneau celebrate as Camden Hills players lay on the ice following one of Presque Isle’s goals in Friday’s home contest. PI defeated the Windjammers, 8-3, in the season-opening match. (Contributed photo/Debbie Ackerson-PIHS Athletics)
