Edward Little’s Alex Landry races down the ice with Biddeford’s Liam Turner hot on his heels during the North and South Class A boys’ hockey all stars game in Auburn on Saturday evening. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
AUBURN — A simple D-to-D pass from Jayden Wilson to Ryan Bossie isn’t anything out of the ordinary.
It’s when one of the Lewiston teammates passes up to, say, Edward Little’s Eli Thibodeau that things start to get a little weird.
That’s what the Maine Winter Classic Class A boys’ hockey senior all-star game provides to dozens of the state’s top graduating players: another chance to skate with teammates while also getting to play with former rivals.
“That was different,” Wilson said. “I’ve never done that before, but it was a good opportunity.”
Though Wilson skated for the same team as former rival Thibodeau, he was paired from the start with Bossie — the same starting defensive pairing that the Blue Devils skated out to win both the Class A North regional championship and the state championship.
“It’s fun playing with him,” Wilson said.
Another of the North all-star’s defensive pairings was Poland/Leavitt/Oak Hill/Gray-New Gloucester teammates Parker Springer and Bailey Drouin. The duo skated together for part of a practice on Wednesday, but Springer said it wasn’t until just before Saturday’s game that he knew he would be paired with Drouin again.
He called his one last chance “a little bittersweet.”
“You know, it’s fun to do it one more time, especially with all the other guys too, but to be able to stick kind of with him the whole game was pretty fun,” Springer said. “But kind of sad to see it end, too.”
Hockey is what brought Leavitt Area High School’s Springer and Drouin of Oak Hill High School together, adding to the emotion of Saturday’s final skate together.
The pair also joined teammates Connor Cyr and Brandon Michaud — who were on a forward line with Thibodeau — for a post-game photo opportunity with family and friends.
“It was a little heartbreaking, senior year, that’s it,” Springer said. “So moving on to bigger things, hopefully, but it was good to get that last experience with them.”
Teammate connections were aplenty in the South as well. Thornton Academy teammates Reagan Wintle and Owen Dubois teamed up on one of the South’s three goals in the win, with Wintle finishing from Dubois. The secondary assist went to Liam Turner of rival Biddeford.
“It wasn’t too weird,” Wintle said. “We’re all friends, and we’ve played together in the past. So it was kind of enjoyable to come back and play with your friends.”
Wintle said it was different playing for Biddeford coach Jason Tremblay, who was the head coach of the South all-stars. Tremblay’s coaching style differs from Thornton coach Michael Roux, according to Wintle, but he called Tremblay “a really good coach.”
Wilson felt the same way about North head coach Norm Gagne, who coaches rival EL, and who coached against Wilson before that at Scarborough.
Though in many instances teammates were on the ice together, several other times players found new faces at the other end of passes. It made for a quick lesson in team bonding for both sides.
“In the locker room we were a little quiet at first,” Wintle said. “And then we just got on the ice, came back in and we were all like just talking. I don’t know, hockey’s like a family.”
South 3, North 0
The South all-stars scored twice in just over two minutes midway through the second period, and that was all it needed to top the North all-stars, 3-0, in the Maine Winter Classic Class A senior boys’ all-star game at Norway Savings Bank Arena.
Cam Roy (Massabesic/Old Orchard Beach/Bonny Eagle) finished from Alex McGonagle (Portland/Deering) to get the scoring started. Thornton Academy teammates Reagan Wintle and Owen Dubois connected 2:04 later, with Liam Turner from rival Biddeford providing the secondary assist.
Biddeford’s Colin Lavigne put home the South’s third goal in the third period. Falmouth teammates Brendan Hickey and Theo Hembre had the assists.
The North’s best chances came with the game still scoreless in the second period. Eli Thibodeau of Edward Little rang an open shot off the cross bar, then later Lewiston’s Evan Cox was stopped on a mini breakaway by Scarborough goalie Brandon Wasser. The South scored just over a minute later.
Wasser was named the player of the game for the South after stopping all eight shots he faced in the second. Lewiston defenseman Ryan Bossie was the player of the game for the North. Those awards were chosen by the coaching staff of the opposing teams.
Lewiston goalie Conrad Albert made 13 saves in the first period for the North. Bangor’s Zach Aldin stopped nine of 10 shots in the third.
Cheverus’ Jason Halvorsen and Biddeford’s Owen Sullivan teamed up with Wasser for the shutout. Each goalie made eight saves.
Lewiston’s Evan Cox stretches a stick out to keep the puck in control as Biddeford’s Colin Laigne and Logan Magnant lag behind during the North and South Class A boys’ hockey all stars game in Auburn on Saturday evening. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)Lewiston’s Evan Cox chats with a teammate on the bench during the North and South Class A boys’ hockey all stars game in Auburn on Saturday evening. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)(Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
Lewiston’s Ryan Bossie and Dustin Larochelle stop and chat with a ref as they take to the ice before the start of the second period in the North and South Class A boys’ hockey all stars game in Auburn on Saturday evening. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
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