The Penobscot Pioneers high school girls ice hockey team is beginning its fourth season with a new coach in Meghan MacDonald and an infusion of promising freshmen to complement a good cast of returnees.
The Pioneers, made up of players from Brewer High, Bangor, Old Town, Orono, John Bapst of Bangor and Hampden Academy, have posted a surprisingly good 35-16-3 regular season record in their three seasons and won at least one playoff game in all three seasons.
There are no players from Hermon this year.
Under former coach Jarrod Williams, the Pioneers reached the Class A North championship game in its first two seasons.
The Pioneers open against Lewiston at the Penobscot Ice Arena in Brewer on Saturday night at 6:10 p.m.
“We have a small, young team but they definitely have the work ethic and determination to get us where we need to be,” said the 50-year-old MacDonald, a former goaltender for the Bangor High, John Bapst and Kents Hill boys hockey teams before playing for the Providence College women’s team.
“We have four very strong defensemen and two very strong goalies and that will benefit us,” said MacDonald, who assisted Williams for the first two seasons but stepped down before last season to spend more time with her son, Seamus, who was a senior at Bangor High.
They have two experienced senior goalies in Brewer’s Abbie Derosier, who had a 4-7-1 record with a 4.30 goals-against average and a .832 save percentage last season, and Hampden Academy’s Mariah Coon (2-2-1, 3.31, .862).
“That is an exciting tandem,” said MacDonald. “Their positive energy has been one of our strong suits. They’re really commanding the defensive zone well. They’re communicating with the defensemen and also helping out our young forwards with respect to coverage in our [defensive] zone especially when it comes to our breakout and helping out down low if our defensemen get tied up.”
MacDonald appreciated that the two goalies work well together.
Hampden Academy senior Bella Saucier anchors the defense corps and is a very good leader, according to MacDonald. The smooth-skating Saucier had three goals and eight assists last year and was the team’s sixth-leading scorer.
John Bapst sophomore Ashlyn Dearborn (2 goals, 5 assists), Orono senior Lily Rand (0 & 4) and Old Town junior Alyse Sapiel (0 & 1) are also solid blue-liners. Senior Isabelle Long had an assist in 14 games and provides depth on defense along with Bangor junior Parker Mazzei.
The Pioneers graduated leading scorer Jordin Williams (16 & 14) but second and third leading scorers Izzy Brideau (10 & 18) from John Bapst and Ella Davis (9 & 11) from Brewer are back and headline the group of forwards. Both are juniors.
The speedy Brideau will center the top line with Davis on the right wing.
“Davis is a good all-around player, and Brideau has a strong hockey IQ and can really put the puck away,” MacDonald said.
Freshmen Charlotte Horton from Old Town, Emma LaPrino from John Bapst, Emily Cloutier from Hampden Academy and Abigail Singletary from Bangor will all rotate the left wing on the top line and will also see some duty on the second line along with senior Olivia Veves from Hampden Academy.
Veves had four assists a year ago and has noticeably increased her speed and hockey sense, according to the coach.
Hampden Academy senior Jessica Sass had a pair of goals last season and will be on the third line and could also move up to play on the second line. Hampden Academy’s Aundreya Frost and Orono’s Maggie Schneider are both sophomores who will also play on the third line, and Brewer senior Haley Tschudy is another option.
Mazzei, Schneider and Frost will also get some playing time with the junior varsity team.
MacDonald said some of the young players are getting used to playing new systems and there is work to be done to get them to be more tenacious and win more 50-50 battles for the puck but she expects that to happen as they gain experience and confidence.
“There are some bad habits to break but they are getting it very quickly, and I’m very proud of them. The team’s work ethic and the culture developed within the team has been tremendous. There is a lot of positive energy,” added MacDonald. “They’re fantastic kids.”
MacDonald will be assisted by Chris LaBonte, Kim Meagher Shelley and Kayla Dunn.
