Cony hockey roars back to beat Edward Little
By Travis BarrettJanuary 26, 2018
HALLOWELL — Once the Cony/Hall-Dale/Monmouth hockey team took hold of Big Mo’ on Thursday afternoon, there was no giving it back.
The Rams woke from a two-period slumber to explode for four goals in the third against Edward Little, extending their current unbeaten streak to seven straight games with a 4-2 win in a key Class A North matchup at Camden National Bank Ice Vault. Cony scored twice on the power play inside the first two-plus minutes of the final frame and used a strong effort in goal from Dalton Bowie to seal the victory over the region’s second-seeded Red Eddies.
Junior center Riley Dowe scored the game-winner for Cony (7-3-1) with under three minutes remaining in regulation, and Cole Lockhart had two goals and an assist, including an empty-netter as time expired.
“We just weren’t working (early in the game), and that’s just a sign that you’re not mentally into what’s going on,” said Cony coach Chad Foye, whose team is 6-0-1 in its last seven. “I was really happy with the third period. The first two were forgettable, to say the least.”
Edward Little coach Norm Gagne called it another learning experience, albeit a painful one, for his team which had beaten Gardiner in overtime less than 24 hours earlier at home.
“We told them that in the third period the biggest thing would be to keep our composure and finish the game. We have a tendency to take stupid penalties,” Gagne said. “We gave that game away. … We just pulled the plug on ourselves.”
The Eddies were in control through 30 minutes, with a 2-0 lead entering the third period thanks to first-period goals from Eli Thibodeau and Ben Cassidy. After spending two periods frustrating Cony with layers in the defensive zone and waves attacking over the offensive blue line, it was Edward Little that let frustration get the best of it in the final stanza.
A pair of Eddie penalties just 1:10 in handed Cony a 5-on-3 power play and the opportunity to get back into the game. Logan Leadbetter’s drive from the top of the right circle was deflected en route to the net at 1:34, and Lockhart whacked home Avery Pomerleau’s rebound 37 seconds later to tie it at 2-2.
“The power play helped us out,” Foye said. “Before the third period, we just said that we’ve only got to get one to get the ball rolling.”
From there, Cony was off and playing its brand of hockey which had been absent for most of the matinée. Dowe’s shot from the right wing found space between the arm and body of Edward Little goalie Gavin Toussaint (23 saves) to give the Rams their first lead — 3-2 — with 2:43 remaining.
“We had a slow start. I don’t know if it was the time of the game or most of us being sick, but it took us a little bit to get in the groove,” Dowe said. “The intensity picked up during the game. I don’t want to say we’re a second-half team, but we normally pick it up when we need to pick it up and come together as a team.”
The Eddies had a chance to tie it up in the final minute, with Toussaint pulled and a faceoff in the offensive zone. Quick passing around the perimeter set up defenseman Alex Landry for a drive, but Bowie (28 saves) made the stop in traffic before Lockhart dove through the slot area to block Ben Lane-Robichaud’s rebound chance at an empty net.
Bowie made 26 straight saves after Cony fell behind 2-0 to see the game through.
“I just started feeling more comfortable,” Bowie said. “I didn’t really feel that good in the first period. I got going, so it turned out pretty good.”
The loss snapped a three-game losing streak for Edward Little, which entered the week in second in A North behind two-time defending state champion Lewiston.
“We were outshooting them and outplaying them, there was no need to lose that game,” Gagne said. “We had momentum, and I always say that when you give momentum away, momentum goes with the winner. They got a little electricity there and they ran it all the way home.”
Travis Barrett — 621-5621