AUBURN — Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland celebrated its seniors before Saturday’s girls hockey game, but it was a sophomore who stole the show in the first period.
Forward Kylee Spugnardi scored a natural hat trick — three consecutive goals in the same period — in the Red Hornets’ 8-2 victory over Gorham/Bonny Eagle/Massabesic/Westbrook/Fryeburg Academy.
The pregame festivities for the seniors prepared the team for the final regular-season game.
“I felt energized; it was the adrenaline of our seniors getting us hyped up,” Spugnardi said.
Red Hornets (9-5-2) seniors Sophia Hartley and Eve Martineau each scored two goals in the win.
Along with Hartley and Martineau, other seniors like Megan Lachance, Molly Sirois, Caroline Audette, Sophia Castagna are used to getting a regular shift. Red Hornets coach Dana Berube said he was happy Audrey Day got playing time on senior night. Berube also wanted to get more players experience in a varsity game, too.
“I told the girls we are dressing a few more girls than we generally do,” Berube said. “Seven of our eight seniors get a ton of ice time anyway and I wanted Audrey to have a regular shift. We want to get everybody into the game and the way we played in the first made it easy. I didn’t have many decisions after that.”
Spugnardi opened the scoring when her backhander from the slot beat Rams (5-10) goalie Sophia Dyer for a 1-0 lead early in the first period.
“I just took a pass from Sophia (Hartley), I saw an opening and (the puck) was on my backhand,” Spugnardi said. “I just took a shot.”
Defenseman Castagna found Spugnardi by the goal for a 2-0 lead four and half minutes into the first period. Spugnardi’s shot from the right circle fluttered past Dyer for a 3-0 lead in the middle of the first period to cap the first-period hat trick.
“When she moves her feet like that, she’s a good skater with good hockey sense,” Berube said of Spugnardi. “As coaches, we were starting to filter a few other girls, but I thought: ‘Let’s keep riding her for a little bit because she was so hot and she was making the right plays.”
Rams coach Mary Vaughan said the coaching staff was trying to contain the entire Red Hornets offense in the first period.
“They played a very good team game and they are strong skaters,” Vaughan said. “We didn’t see it as (stopping) one person, but the team.”
Hartley opened the scoring in the second period for a 4-0 lead.
The Rams scored their first goal while shorthanded. Emerson Homa cleared the puck out of the Rams’ defensive zone, then Cadence Howard chased the puck and beat a Red Hornets defender. Howard caught Red Hornets goalie McKenzi Horton (three saves) out of the crease and put the puck in the net.
“With a few young girls (on the ice), McKenzi wanted the first one back, but I think it’s a good learning lesson for her,” Berube said. “I would rather have it today than next week (in the playoffs). Generally, our power play hasn’t been spectacular all year. We have done a great job on our (penalty kill).”
Martineau scored back-to-back goals in the final five minutes of the second period. On one of the goals, the defenseman rushed the ice end-to-end with the puck and her shot slipped under Dyer into the goal with 4:59 remaining in the period.
Hartley’s second goal of the second period slipped through Dyer (28 saves) in the final minute.
Homa scored the Rams’ second shorthanded goal in the opening minute of the third period. Howard had an assist.
“(Homa and Howard) have been awesome for us,” Vaughan said. “We have scored a lot more goals than we have in the past several seasons.”
Megan Lachance responded for the Red Hornets to stretch the lead to 8-2 later in the third period.
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