AUBURN — Leavitt gave its fans plenty to cheer about in a first-round matchup of the Gippers Holiday Classic tournament Friday night. The Hornets were designated the away team, but were playing in their home arena, and they made themselves feel at home in a 10-1 victory over Poland/Gray-New Gloucester/Oak Hill at Norway Savings Bank Arena.
The 26ers (0-5) were the team cheering first, scoring 46 seconds in, and just seven seconds into a power play. Bailey Drouin took a feed from Trent Vaillancourt on the first faceoff of the man-advantage and found the back of the net from the right point.
“We played well in the beginning, for the first few shifts there,” 26ers head coach Mike Bishop said.
That lead for the 26ers, their first lead of the season, lasted just six minutes, as Blaine Arsenault scored from Joey Baumann to tie the game up for the Hornets (2-3).
Arsenault heard his name called quite a bit in the win, netting a hat trick by the fifth minute of the second period while also assisting on three more goals.
“It felt awesome,” Arsenault said. “Senior year, I’m really trying my best out there. It helps that my line is really putting out some points.”
Linemate Connor Cyr also scored a trio of goals for the Hornets, and added two assists. The two goal-scorers teamed up to assist on Lucas Perry’s goal 8:34 into the game, which gave Leavitt the lead for good.
Cyr and Arsenault followed with first-period goals, as the Hornets led 4-1 at the first intermission. The two players then scored in reverse order to start the second period, as Arsenault scored from Cyr 4:08 in, and Cyr scored on the power play from Arsenault and Baumann at the midway point of the frame.
“When they start playing together and moving the puck that line can score some goals,” Leavitt coach Joe Hutchinson said of the line featuring Arsenault, Cyr and Baumann.
Taylor Scribner and Perry sandwiched goals around Cyr’s hat trick goal as the lead swelled to 9-1 after two periods. The 26ers put just one shot on goal in the frame.
A goal from Hunter Soucy two minutes into the third put a stamp on the Hornets’ second lopsided victory in as many games, after an 0-3 start to the season.
“We actually turned a corner after the York game,” Hutchinson said, referring to an 8-5 loss. “We played real well against Cape (Elizabeth). We’re finally starting to put three periods together, and we’re starting to move the puck better.”
The Hornets were out-shot in the third, as the 26ers put six of their 11 shots on goal during the final period.
“If they can bring their intensity up, which they did in the third, they can play alright,” Bishop said.
Poland/Gray-NG/Oak Hill goalie Brandon Michaud, who converted to netminder from forward with the starting goalie on vacation, made 15 saves on 25 shots.
“He’s done really well,” Bishop said of Michaud. “He’s done beyond what I thought he can do.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
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