PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Wildcat hockey team came back from deficits on three occasions to force overtime, but Old Town-Orono scored a shorthanded goal 4:19 into the extra session for a 5-4 victory Friday at the Forum.
The visiting Blackhawks scored the first two goals and led early in the second period before Gage LeTourneau put Presque Isle on the scoreboard off assists by Connor DeMerchant and Thomas Patenaude.
Just 1:30 later, the Wildcats tied the match when Jake Stevens deflected a Torey Levesque shot into the net to make it 2-2.
“I thought we showed a lot of heart,” said PI coach Carl Flynn. “We started the game a little timid but we were able to respond and get back in the game.”
Old Town scored a power-play goal early in the third period, but Patenaude came through with the equalizer off assists by Jaren Winger and Stevens. Old Town-Orono grabbed a 4-3 lead, but Presque Isle emptied the net and Colby Carlisle knotted things on a slap shot off a LeTourneau assist to send the match into overtime.
Brandon Poitras made 26 saves while handling the goalie chores for Presque Isle. Parker made 30 saves for Old Town-Orono.
“The empty net goal with 12 seconds left was very exciting, but we came up just a little bit short in the end,” Flynn said. “The important thing is that we know we can play with these guys and this is a team we are going to probably run into in the playoffs.”
The Blackhawks defeated the Wildcats in last year’s Class B North title game, 9-1. Old Town-Orono is currently 7-0 and in second place in the standings, while Presque Isle is 7-2 and in fourth.
