Wildcats remain in playoff mix
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
PRESQUE ISLE — The Wildcat hockey team stayed in the hunt for a playoff spot Saturday by beating the John Bapst Crusaders of Bangor at the Forum Saturday.
Presque Isle scored goals 28 seconds apart midway through the first period and added two more eight seconds apart later in the same period to grab a 4-2 lead into the first intermission.
Isaac LaJoie and Caleb Buck scored the first two, while LaJoie and Connor Shaw had the second pair.
The Wildcats added a Shaw goal early in the second period and another by Adam Flynn 43 seconds into the third period to move out in front 6-2, but Bapst scored three unanswered goals in a 7:04 span to get back to within one.
However, Flynn capped the scoring with 1:53 left to allow Presque Isle to hang on for its seventh victory against nine losses.
Flynn, Shaw and Jacob Buck had two assists each, while Nate Sperrey, Tyler Seeley, Cody Merrill and LaJoie added one helper apiece. Josh MacFarline was the winning goalie with 28 saves.
Presque Isle was outshot, 33-31.
The Wildcats next play at Hampden Saturday before closing out regular season play by hosting Eastern Maine Class B’s No. 1 team and defending state champion Brewer at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Presque Isle currently sits sixth in the standings, with only the top five qualifying for the post-season. The current top five teams are Brewer (15-0-1), Houlton/Hodgdon (13-3), Old Town (10-5), John Bapst (6-11) and Lawrence (6-8-2).
