Brunswick hockey blanks Cony/Hall-Dale/Monmouth

HALLOWELL — It wasn’t pretty. As far as Brunswick was concerned, that was just fine.

The Dragons executed simplicity to perfection, getting goals from four different sources in a thorough 4-0 win over Cony/Hall-Dale/Monmouth in a boys hockey game Saturday night at the Camden National Bank Ice Vault. Brunswick used two power-play goals and an efficient seven-save shutout performance from sophomore goalie Spencer Marquis to post its third win in four games this season.

“We stress a defensive style of play to keep everybody out of the middle and maintain (our) shape,” Brunswick coach Mike Misner said. “The mantra was to come out attacking and play fast. We knew if we were moving our feet and playing fast, we’d have some momentum right away.”

Mike Marro and Mike Eno each scored inside the game’s first five minutes to put the Dragons up 2-0, but it was senior defenseman Jacob Doring’s man-advantage strike in the first minute of the second period which proved to be more than enough for the visitors.

Doring raced to the far post to swat home the rebound of Scout Masse’s drive at the 23-second mark and give Brunswick a 3-0 lead.

“You always want to get off to a quick start and put a few goals in,” Doring said. “Playing from ahead is way better than playing from behind.”

By that time, Cony (0-2-0) was still looking for its first shot on goal.

Brunswick’s Henry Burnham (22) skates past Cony’s Ayden Clark on Saturday at the Camden Nation Bank Ice Vault in Hallowell.

Despite a strong opening shift, things deteriorated quickly for the Rams. Without three regulars in the lineup — Quincy Tobias and Michael Boivin, each suspended for actions in a preseason game, and the injured Tyrell Lewis — depth was an issue. But Cony didn’t often make things easy on itself, either.

“I don’t think we really came to play,” Cony coach Shawn Johnson said. “I think our culture still needs some work, and it showed tonight. … They’ve got some great players, and they showed it.”

For proof of just how difficult a night it was to get the puck moving, the Rams never broke the puck into the offensive zone during a 1:07 power play late in the first period.

Part of that credit belonged to Brunswick.

The Dragons did the little things well in their defensive systems, routinely making safe plays along the walls, chipping pucks into the neutral zone and working it in deep at the other end of the rink. They defended the middle of their own zone extremely well, too.

Cony’s Vinny Manocchio, left, battles for the puck with Brunswick’s Henry Burnham on Saturday at the Camden Nation Bank Ice Vault in Hallowell.

Of Cony’s seven shots, only two managed to come from the ‘Grade A’ area between the two faceoff dots.

“Our game plan is to keep it outside, keep the shots outside and not let them in the house,” Doring said. “You’ve got to stay disciplined, know your area and stick to the system. As long as we’re sticking to the system, we’ll do well with it.”

“Our game plan was not run very effectively,” Johnson said. “We started to do a renegade, do-my-own-thing type of thing. That doesn’t work.”