LEWISTON — Through the first two games of the North American 3 Eastern Hockey League season, the L/A Fighting Spirit have showcased their scoring depth.
The team has scored 11 goals en route to a 2-0 start, and 13 players have found the score sheet with either a goal or an assist. Owner and coach Rod Simmons likes what he sees from that perspective.
“In that regard, we are off to a good start,” Simmons said. “There are certainly a lot of things we still have to work on with having 17 new guys that aren’t used to our systems. There will always be mistakes.”
Nick Hudson leads the team with two goals and two assists. The 19-year-old forward played last year with the Northern Cyclones 18U team of the Eastern Junior Elite Prospects League. He had six goals and an assist in 24 games played. Forward Simon Corriveau and defenseman Jordan Crowe each have three points. Forwards Colby Siering, Mike and Dan Heffernan each have two.
Simmons also likes how the defensemen have come along.
“I am impressed with our whole defensive core,” Simmons said. “All of them are brand new. As I look at them at the board here, I think I am impressed with the whole defensive system. I am very happy with that. Our forwards are getting it. It’s just finding good combinations and chemistry.”
The defensemen have had good communication with both goalies, Claes Endre and Zachary Barry. Each keeper has started a game, and both have seen limited shots in their outings. Barry earned a shutout last Saturday in a victory over the team’s in-state rival, the Maine Wild of Biddeford. Endre is the reigning goaltender of the year in the NA3EHL.
Another positive Simmons has seen in the team’s 5-1 victory over the East Coast Minutemen and the 6-0 win over Wild has been a penchant for third-period scoring. In the game against the Minutemen on Sept. 13, the Fighting Spirit scored three times. Last Saturday against the Wild they scored twice more in the final frame.
This weekend the Fighting Spirit open up their regular season home schedule at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee with a 7 p.m. game against the Northeast Generals on Saturday, while on Sunday they host the New England Stars in a 2 p.m. matinee.
Simmons said Friday it will be nice to get the team into a rhythm of playing two games on a weekend.
“By the time we get out of here it will be close to 11 o’clock on Saturday night,” Simmons said. “We have a team meal at 11 o’clock Sunday morning before we tee it off at two. We are concerned how our guys will react, but we need this at this point because the rest of the way out, it’s pretty much every weekend.”
The Generals are a new team to the league this season, but Simmons has had a chance to scout them minimally. The Stars are more familiar.
“The Northeast Generals are a brand new team this year, so we don’t know a lot about their staff or their players,” Simmons said. “The Stars, coach Darryl (Green) has been there through all the years I have been with the Spirit. So, I think he has been there for four years. There are certain things we expect from the team every year. We know the style of players they recruit.”
Like the Fighting Spirit, the Generals have been getting production up and down the roster, with 16 players finding their names on the scoresheet. Kevin Perry leads the team with three goals and an assist in three games. They are 1-2 to start the season. The Stars are led by John Krapian, who has four goals and two assists as New England is off to a 2-1 start to the season. Krapian’s six points are tied for seventh in league scoring on the young season.
nfournier@sunjournal.com
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