BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor High School hockey team was shorthanded for its game against Hampden Academy on Wednesday night because four skaters were missing due to illness.
But the Rams turned in a stout defensive performance, allowing the Broncos just 13 shots on goal, and they received goals from linemates Chase Caron and Marc-Andre Perron to edge the Broncos 2-1 at Sawyer Arena.
Class A Bangor improved to 7-5 while the Class B Broncos fell to 7-3-1 and had their three-game unbeaten streak (2-0-1) snapped.
Junior center Caron scored his 10th goal of the season at the 3:54 mark of the first period and senior right wing Perron made it 2-0 just 54 seconds into the second period with his team-leading 11th.
Junior defenseman Gunnar Weil cut the lead in half late in the second period with his first of the campaign but the Broncos couldn’t get the equalizer even with a five-minute power play that spanned the second and third periods and a two-minute power play late in the third period.
“We haven’t even practiced the penalty kill this week because six of us weren’t here for the first two days of practice (due to sickness),” said Caron. “But we executed perfectly on the penalty kill, something we have been trying to do all season, and it resulted in a win.”
“We played a pretty good game of hockey tonight,” said Bangor coach Quinn Paradis. “With the limited roster we had, and even with some other guys (who did play) battling illness, we beared down and got the win.
“We did a real good job pressuring them and keeping them to the outside,” added Paradis.
Caron’s goal was unassisted.
“I had just come off the bench and there was a battle in the far corner. I came into the (offensive) zone hard, the puck popped out of the scrum, I took it around their defenseman and pushed it around the goalie (junior Aiden Surran),” said Caron, who tucked it between Surran’s left pad and the post.
Perron made it 2-0 after he initiated the play that produced the goal with a nice pokecheck.
“Our forecheck worked to perfection,” said Perron. “(Caron) did a great job forcing their guy behind his net. When he came out, I just got my angle and I knew he was going to try to make a move to the middle. I went stick-on-puck and luckily I got a piece of it and Caden (Karam) was able to grab it.
“I yelled for the puck and Caden did a great job going to the net front. I looked him off and I shot low, glove-side,” added Perron, whose shot from the left circle beat Surran to the far corner.
The Rams held Hampden Academy to one shot on goal until there were five minutes left in the second period.
That’s when the Broncos generated their first sustained forecheck of the game and it eventually paid off when Weil’s shot from the top of the left faceoff circle beat Bangor goalie Cody McCue, who had lost his goal stick.
Brody Miller and Lucas Dunn picked up assists.
A five-minute major with 32 seconds left in the second period gave the Broncos a golden opportunity to tie the game or even go ahead but they managed just one shot on goal during the entire penalty.
Surran kept his Broncos within a goal by stopping freshman Karam’s breakaway halfway through the period but McCue preserved the victory in the final minute of play when he was able to save Zach Wilson’s wrist shot from the midpoint through a maze of players.
Hampden Academy had pulled Surran in favor of the extra attacker.
“Cody made some big saves for us,” said Paradis.
McCue finished with 11 saves and Surran wound up with 16 in the defensive struggle.
Both teams will be back in action on Saturday.
Bangor will host St. Dominic Academy of Auburn at noon while Hampden Academy will travel to take on Camden Hills of Rockport at 6:30.
