After strong effort JV hockey Trail Blazers fall to Poland/Leavitt

Junior varsity Trail Blazers junior Wyatt Carpenter of Windham
moves quickly up the ice while keeping the puck away from
the Poland/Leavitt Kings during a first-round playoff game
at Casco Bay Arena in Falmouth on Thursday, Feb. 24. 
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

The third-seeded junior varsity Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle/Sacopee Valley Trail Blazers hit the ice in the first round of playoffs against sixth-seeded Poland/Leavitt Kings on Thursday, Feb. 24 at the Casco Bay Arena in Falmouth and although the Kings jumped to an early lead within seconds, the JV Trail Blazers held their heads up and kept after it for three periods.

The Trail Blazers would find the back of the net twice, but the Kings scored four more times after that first goal win the game 5-2.

“Their effort was there, their intensity was there,” said Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle/Sacopee Valley JV Trail Blazers coach Ben Haskell. “It came down to some little details of decision making; making bad passes or not having our sticks down in the offensive zone and being ready for the rebound – not crashing the net.”

Haskell said the attitudes of the team were great, they just came up short.

After the Kings scored in the first period, the Trail Blazers moved the puck and worked to be first to it. The Trail Blazers took multiple shots at goal. After one period, The Kings led 2-0.

The Kings fired a shot into the net shortly into the second period. The Trail Blazers answered when Bonny Eagle junior Darren Haskell put the Trail Blazers on the scoreboard. The Trail Blazers worked to find the back of the net and stayed aggressive. After two periods it was 3-1, Kings.

“I think we had a lot of good sticks,” said Haskell. “Keeping the sticks covering the passing lanes, getting in the shots; getting shots to the net [all went well].”

The Trail Blazers wasted no time in the third period when Windham junior Wyatt Carpenter immediately fired one in goal. The Trail Blazers dominated the first half of the period and worked hard to tie the game.

“We had decent communication; I think one of the biggest things we had to work on was passing,” said Carpenter.

The Kings scored again. The Trail Blazers kept their heads up but couldn’t get by the Kings ahead of the final buzzer.

Windham sophomore Tobias Perkins said everyone was trying really hard and working as a team. They battled and did their best, but the puck just didn’t go in the net. <