PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Last season, the Wildcat hockey team flew under the radar while making it all the way to the Class B North championship match.
Presque Isle will not have the luxury of being underdogs this season, not with its nine top point scorers from last year’s team returning, along with its starting goalie and many experienced defensemen.
The Wildcats, who went 14-7 overall last season, join defending state champion Old Town-Orono as the co-favorites in the region.
“We all definitely realize that we have a special team this year,” said PI senior defenseman and captain Torey Levesque. “I would put our speed up against any other team in Maine, and we also are a hard-working team and need to keep this true throughout every game and practice.”
Presque Isle will feature plenty of depth, with the ability to run out three capable scoring lines that should help wear down the opposition.
Seniors Thomas Patenaude and Jake Stevens join freshman Jonah Roy on one of the lines, with the trio “possessing high-scoring ability,” according to 14th-year coach Carl Flynn. Patenaude, one of the captains, had 15 goals and 13 assists last season, while Stevens posted 12 goals and 20 assists. Roy has excellent potential and turned in a strong opener with two goals against Camden Hills Friday.
The other top line, made up of junior Connor DeMerchant and sophomores Colby Carlisle and Gage LeTourneau, is referred to by Flynn as “one of the most in-sync and dynamic lines in the state.” DeMerchant posted 11 goals and 15 assists during the 2017-18 campaign, while Carlisle (12 goals and 16 assists) and LeTourneau (11 goals and 18 assist) turned in impressive statistics as freshmen.
The third line of senior Bailey York (10 goals and 12 assists last year), junior Colby Bonville (2 goals and 3 assists) and freshman Quinn DeMerchant will play a key role.
“They have good size, possess good shots and will see lots of ice time,” Flynn said. “They will often be up against other teams’ top lines and will be in on the power play and penalty kill as well.”
The fourth line is made up of freshmen Caleb Levesque and Ethan Shaw and senior Alex Sweetser.
Levesque and classmates Riley Kinney, another captain, and Jaren Winger join juniors Tanner Smith and Carter Jackson and sophomores Cameron LeVasseur and Noah Roy to make up what Flynn expects to be a formidable defensive unit.
“They are all interchangeable on any given night and all play solid defense and are capable of providing offense,” Flynn said.
Senior Andre Daigle is back as the starting goaltender, with sophomore Brandon Poitras the backup.
Laura Garrison and Lili Wardwell are the managers and Darren Carlisle returns for his ninth season as Flynn’s assistant coach.
Flynn said that with a 21-player roster and with only 20 allowed to dress for games, he will have one “healthy scratch” throughout the season, barring injuries.
Connor DeMerchant said the team’s goal is to return to the regional finals and go a step or two farther, and he knows what it’s going to take to achieve that.
“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” DeMerchant said. “It takes more than skill to win a championship, so we are going to be the hardest working team on the ice.”
Flynn said the team’s goal is to win Northern Maine and then bring home the school’s first-ever state hockey championship.
“It’s a very tall task but one that we think is within our potential if we progress as we hope we can,” he said.
