This boys’ hockey rivalry game was a one-sided affair, with the Saints skating to a 7-0 Class A North victory at Norway Savings Bank Arena.
Unlike in their opener, when they started off slow before finishing with a flurry, the Saints (2-0) got off to a hot start Wednesday. Justin Keaney scored less than two minutes in and Mack Pelletier and Noah Toussaint also added goals for a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.
“I asked them to be a little bit more confident before they hit the ice in the first period,” St. Dom’s coach Bob Parker said. “I ask them actually to be a little cocky, just to be sure of themselves. It’s good for your mental game, but it also sets an environment that you’re sure of yourself.”
The Saints have numerous freshmen on their team, but it was the veterans that gave them the early momentum, with two seniors (Keaney, Toussaint) and a junior (Pelletier) providing the scoring.
“We got to lead these young players up to get to where we are,” Pelletier said. “They’re the future of our program, so we’re trying to work them up and show them a good example.”
If the Red Eddies (0-2) wanted to come out strong in the second period, they didn’t have the right formula for it. They started off the period in the penalty box, and ended it there as well. And a five-minute major midway through the period led to a fourth St. Dom’s goal.
“The rumors from last year is this team gets a lot of penalties,” first-year EL coach Brett Barrett said. “We got to stay out of the box. Pretty simple. Pretty simple formula.
“They’re kids. They’re still young kids that let their emotions get the best of them sometimes.”
It was a freshman that scored St. Dom’s lone goal in the middle period, with Jacob Lewis scoring on the extended power play. That came against a freshman goalie for the Red Eddies who was thrust into action only minutes before.
EL junior starter Ben Feldman went down after freezing the puck four minutes into the second period. He was taken out of the game and never returned. In came freshman Gavin Toussaint, whose first of 22 saves was of the sprawling variety just 15 seconds into his time on the ice.
“I knew he was a decent goaltender, now I just got to see if he can keep doing that for us,” Barrett said.
Toussaint, the younger brother of St. Dom’s captain Noah Toussaint, didn’t let his older brother score on him, but the elder Toussaint did have the primary assist on Lewis’s power-play goal.
The Saints put the game away for good with another power-play goal two minutes into the third period. It proved to be the dagger.
“When it was 3-0 I had told my bench that the next goal is a big goal,” Parker said, looking back to the second period. “You know, 3-1 or 4-0 are two different hockey games. Putting a few in to change the tempo of the game, and get some of our younger players in the game, also, is important to us.”
Freshman Dylan Campbell made it 6-0 with less than five minutes to go, and Pelletier capped off the scoring with his third goal of the game for a hat trick.
“It feels amazing. there’s no better feeling,” Pelletier said of his rivalry hat trick.
St. Dom’s goalie Kyle Welsh finished with 14 saves for the shutout.
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
