Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The Messalonskee hockey team will face Greely in the Class B state championship game for a second consecutive season.
The Eagles and Rangers will play at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston.
Greely cruised to a 6-2 victory in the title game last season.
Here’s a few notes in advance of the rematch.
• Thanks to Camden National Bank, about 200 Messalonskee students will attend the game for free Saturday. The bank bought the tickets and school officials were handing them out Thursday and Friday.
“It’s a really nice gesture to support the students,” Messalonskee coach Mike Latendresse said.
• Messalonskee’s top line of Chase Cunningham, Jared Cunningham and Josh Towle has combined for 184 points. Greely’s top line of Ted Hart, Mitchel Donovan and Reid Howland has combined for 117.
But what makes Greely dangerous is that it receives ample production from a third line.
Hart, a junior center, said he hopes depth will be a factor.
“We want to make them skate around a lot in their end,” he said. “We have the depth. We’ve been going with three lines and that helps us.”
Latendresse said he, too, can skate three lines.
“We have three lines that we can put out there,” he said.
• Messalonskee goalie Ben Weeks was primarily a spectator last season as a backup to Nate DelGiudice.
“I learned a lot from Nate,” Weeks said. “He’s still a big help.”
DelGiudice is playing with the Lake George (N.Y.) Fighting Spirit in the Northern States Junior Hockey League. He’s putting up impressive numbers — 18-0-0 with a 2.11 goals against average.
Weeks said he’s still in constant communication with DelGiudice.
“He texts me before and after each game,” Weeks said. “He’s always wishing me luck and helping me out.”
• Greely seeks its second straight Class B state title and third in the last five years. Messalonskee has never won a state title in hockey.
The Rangers have won the last three meetings against Messalonskee, outscoring it 17-7 in those games.
TweetGary Hawkins has worked at the Kennebec Journal since 1980. His primary beats are baseball, boys basketball, girls and boys soccer and golf.
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