AUBURN — Poland/Gray-New Gloucester/Oak Hill is trying to find chemistry on the ice, and along with that is still in search of its first victory of the season.
That elusive win didn’t come Wednesday night, as the 26ers fell at the hands of Massabesic/Bonny Eagle/Old Orchard Beach, 6-0, in a Class A boys’ hockey game at Norway Savings Bank Arena.
“We have some new players,” 26ers head coach Mike Bishop said. “We have some players who are just not as experienced.”
The 26ers (0-4) came out firing, putting the game’s first two shots on net. Then the passes stopped connecting, and the visitors — who go by the nickname MOB — started connecting.
MOB had a string of eight consecutive shots before the 26ers produced their third, then the visitors drew first blood on the scoreboard. Thomas Komulainen got behind the 26ers at their own blue line, then skated in untouched for the opening goal 11 minutes in.
Spencer Shields made it 2-0 with just over one minute to play in the first period, finding the back of the net after his first attempt was stopped by 26ers goalie Brandon Michaud, who was filling in for regular starter Ken Humphrey.
“We came out playing well,” MOB head coach Loren Blair said. “We got a couple new lines put together, and just trying to work on some new stuff we worked on in practice.”
The 26ers’ fill-in netminder made a diving short-handed save against Komulainen early in the second period, but he had no such luck against Tanner McClure later. McClure held off a challenge by a 26ers defender before beating Michaud. Cameron Roy then made it 4-0 14 seconds later.
“Tanner always shows up,” Blair said. “He’s got a good set of hands, and he puts the puck in the net for us quite a bit.”
The 26ers had a pair of quality chances to get on the scoreboard late in the frame, but shots from Conor Drouin and Deryk Belanger 22 seconds apart, and both from the right circle on rushes, were stopped by MOB goalie Kyle McKay.
MOB continued its trend of scoring goals in pairs, putting two more in — from Cody Jellison and Roy — against Michaud in the last three minutes of the game.
“We’re constantly playing three (defensemen),” Bishop said. “They run out of gas.”
Michaud stopped 31 of 37 shots, while McKay turned away all 13 against him.
“Brandon’s arguably our best forward. He’s obviously doing a great job filling in,” Bishop said of Michaud.
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
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