Players to Watch: Waterville — Jr. D Andrew Roderigue, Jr. F Jackson Aldrich, Sr. F Michael Oliveira, Jr. G Nathan Pinnette; Yarmouth — Sr. D Walter Conrad, Sr. F Patrick Grant, Jr. F Bill Jacobs, Soph. G Dan Latham.
Matchup: Once a Class A power, Waterville was the best team in Class B this year during the regular season. The Purple Panthers went 16-1-1, losing only to Class A state finalist Lewiston and tying archrival Winslow. One of those 16 victories came on the road against Yarmouth in a 3-2 comeback win. That was the first of four defeats for the Clippers in a 14-4 campaign. Yarmouth wasn’t nearly as dominant in Class B South as Waterville was in the North, but still had a leg up on the competition throughout the season. The Clippers made their run to the state final look easier, out-scoring the opposition 10-1 in two games, while the Purple Panthers won their two contests by closer margins.
Fun Facts: Waterville had three players total at least 40 points, led by Roderigue with 43. Aldrich and Oliveira each had 40. Three more players hit the 30-point mark … The Purple Panthers scored a state-high 123 goals during the regular season, led by 27 from Roderigue … Both Waterville and Yarmouth allowed 35 goals during the regular season … Grant and Conrad led the Clippers in points, with 38 and 35, respectively. They both scored 13 goals, while Jacobs tallied 12 … In his first varsity season, Latham started all 18 regular-season games and complied a 2.01 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage … In nine of their 18 regular-season games the Clippers allowed no more than one goal … Waterville scored at least seven goals nine times during the regular season.
Overview: The stats seem to favor Waterville, which scored at will nearly all year. The Purple Panthers were no slouch defensively, either. Pinnette allowed 2.13 goals per game and stopped almost 90 percent of the shots he faced in 17 starts. Yarmouth faced some stiffer competition during the regular season, facing four Class A teams to Waterville’s one. The Clippers won three of those, including against Class A south semifinalists Thornton Academy and Cheverus. Both teams are looking to get back on top. Waterville last won a state championship in 2009 — the last of 20 Class A titles. Yarmouth won back-to-back Class B titles in 2001 and 2002, and have seven such titles overall.
Prediction: Waterville
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