ORONO — The Bangor High School Rams hockey team bounced back from Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to intown rival John Bapst in the Fill the Alfond game at Alfond Arena in Orono on Friday night.
Sophomore defenseman James Schureman had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points, and freshman goalie Cole Fernald made 19 saves including several of the Grade-A (high-percentage) variety as Class A Bangor beat Class B rival Brewer 4-1 in front of a large, energetic crowd.
Senior right wing Michael Moscone, senior left wing Miles Randall and sophomore Chase Caron had the other Bangor goals.
Junior right wing Grant Cram scored for the Witches and senior goalie Ethan Hanscom finished with 30 saves including several gems.
Bangor improved to 9-2 while the Witches fell to 4-6-1 and had their four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) snapped.
Schureman opened the scoring 4:19 into the game as he notched his first goal of the season.
Moscone extended the lead with his eighth just 1:10 into the second period.
The Rams scored an early goal again in the third period when Randall potted his fourth.
Cram made it 3-1 with his first of the season at the 8:24 mark, but Caron sewed up the win just 1:51 later with his sixth.
“We played much better than we did on Wednesday night,” said Bangor coach Quinn Paradis. “We got more guys involved in the play. We got some multi-point scoring from different guys.”
He called Schureman an “unsung hero” and said he played a “helluva’ game tonight.”
Schureman said scoring his first goal and having a three-point night was “pretty special.”
Sophomore left wing Phillip Moscone had the assist on Schureman’s goal as he found him with a pass at the midpoint.
“There were a lot of bodies in front and it squeaked through the goalie’s pads. I was pretty lucky,” Schureman said.
Fernald preserved the lead late in the period with a double save.
He stopped a shot from the point and then made an outstanding right pad save off Baylon Cram’s rebound shot.
Senior right wing Moscone finished off a beautiful passing sequence by directing the puck into the open net 1:10 into the second period.
Schureman had the puck in the high slot and slid it across to Jackson Guimond at the left post and Guimond quickly made a cross-crease pass to Moscone.
“We’ve been working on that a lot in practice. It’s nice to see it come full circle,” Schureman said.
Both goalies made some terrific stops in the middle period.
Hanscom robbed Ty Walker with a great pad stop after Walker was set up in the middle of the slot by Marc-Andre Perron.
Fernald flashed out his glove to deny standout Grady Vanidestine, who had worked himself free in the bottom of the right faceoff circle and tried to roof his wrist shot into the short side corner.
“(Fernald) played a great game,” Vanidestine said. “For a freshman goalie to play like that in that atmosphere is pretty impressive.”
“I felt good out there,” Fernald said. “I kept my head in the game. I played pretty well but my rebound control was a little off.”
Randall made it 3-0 off a pass from senior Seamus Hagerty.
“We were cycling down low and Seamus picked his head up and made a good pass and I put it in,” said Randall, whose one-timer from the inner half of the right circle went high to the short side.
Perron also picked up an assist.
Cram gave the Witches some life during a wild scramble in front as he swatted the puck into the net from the edge of the crease. Dominic Stecher and James Armenia had assists.
But Caron scored a nifty goal off a pass from Schureman.
“I was able to beat their defenseman wide, and when I cut in front of the goalie, I put it back to the left side,” said Caron, who roofed a wrist shot past Hanscom’s blocker.
“They’re a very good team,” said Brewer first-year coach and former Bangor coach Denis Collins. “They are very powerful and very deep. And they’re quick. Two of their goals were beautiful, three-pass goals. They played well.”