HALLOWELL — Saturday night went exactly how the Winslow/Gardiner/Brewer/Messalonskee/Lawrence/Erskine Academy co-operative girls hockey program wanted it to go.
A fast start, an early lead, and a great performance in the back end by the defense.
Behind all that — and five goals from Lawrence sophomore Kaylyn Bourque — the Black Tigers rolled to a 7-0 season-opening victory over the visiting Brunswick Dragons on Saturday night at the Camden National Bank Ice Vault.
“We wanted to start fast and take a lead as early as we could,” said Bourque, who scored two goals in the first 11 minutes of the game. “We play better with a lead, it helps us relax on the other end of the ice.”
The seven goals were more than enough for Black Tigers standout goalie Emma Michaud, who made 22 saves to secure the shutout.
“That was just Emma being Emma, she’s been doing stuff like that for a long time,” said Black Tigers head coach Bill Boardman. “We can really always count on her. We want to build our team and our game plan around her, she’s that good.”
Michaud was in the right place at the right time all night long, robbing Hannah Wilkoff of Brunswick on several shots.
“The defense in front of me was playing great,” said Michaud, a junior from Winslow. “Everyone really contributed and played their part, which is a key for us to be successful.”
It was the start the Black Tigers were desperately looking for. After not winning a game in the shortened season last year, Michaud said Saturday’s win was a big weight off the shoulders of the team.
Winslow/Gardiner/Brewer/Messalonskee/Lawrence/Erskine Academy goalie Emma Michaud, left, makes the glove save in front of Brunswick’s Lisa Palmer during a game Saturday at The Camden National Bank Ice Vault in Hallowell. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
“This is really big for us considering how last season went,” Michaud said. “We just want to keep it up, but this was a perfect start.”
The Dragons start their regular season 0-1.
“I thought we got a lot better in the second and third periods,” said Brunswick first-year head coach Tala Glass. “We just need to start better. What we did in the second and third periods, that’s the type of play we can build upon.”
The Dragons’ offense wasn’t lacking, posting 22 shots on goal.
“That’s something I liked to see,” said Glass of her team’s shooting. “You have to shoot to score, and we were doing that.”
Bourque found the back of the net just under three minutes into the game when she converted a pass from freshman Katherine Nichols. Freshman Jordin Williams of Brewer doubled the Black Tigers’ lead just five minutes later on an unassisted goal.
“I thought we were the faster team to pucks and won the battles,” said Boardman.
Winslow/Gardiner/Brewer/Messalonskee/Lawrence/Erskine Academy assistant coach Mike Sullivan, left, and head coach Bill Boardman talk during a hockey game Saturday at The Camden National Bank Ice Vault in Hallowell. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Bourque made it 3-0 with just under five minutes remaining in the period before Madison McSweeney, a Messalonskee junior, made it 4-0 heading into the end of the first.
The Black Tigers kept the pressure on and found the back of the net midway through the second when Kylie Boardman found Bourque for her third of the day.
“My teammates really set it all up,” said Bourque of her goals. “I just had to finish them.”
She added two more in the third, converting passes from Sophia Sullivan and Williams to make it 7-0.
“If there’s one thing we need to improve upon, it’s our passing,” said Bourque. “We had some giveaways that we really shouldn’t be having.”
Brunswick goalie Alamea McCarthy stopped 16 of the 23 shots she faced.
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