The Maine Moose 18U hockey team pose for a team photo after winning the national championship in San Jose, California on Monday, April 8, 2019. Photo courtesy of Wanda Marie Grant-Poulin (click to enlarge)
For a third straight season, the Maine Moose win a national title. In San Jose, California the 18 and under USA Hockey team from the state of Maine captured another national championship on Monday, beating Mission (Arizona) Red 6-3 at Solar4America Ice at San Jose Center Rink.
The Maine Moose feature hockey players from around the state, including several in the North and greater Bangor region. Maine reached the national tournament by winning the regional and state titles, playing their home games at Camden National Bank Ice Vault in Hallowell. They finished 14-0-2 in their 16 game regular season. Four more playoff wins qualified the Moose for the national tournament in San Jose.
Maine defeated the Affton Americans 3-1 in their opening round game on Thursday. The Moose followed that up with a 6-3 win over the Ashburn XTreme Friday, before falling for the first time to Mission Red on Saturday 3-2. But with a win Sunday over the Dallas Penguins 5-2, Maine still finished 2-1 in pool play with Mission to set up the winner take all game on Monday.
In the title game, Andrew Bertolini (Cape Neddick, ME) had two goals including a third period empty netter as the Moose came out roaring to a 4-0 lead after one period of play. After Mission got on the board for the first time in the second period, Joe Clark (Gardiner, ME) scored just 41 seconds later to restore a four goal lead. The Red out of Arizona scored the last goal of the second and first goal of the third, cutting the Maine lead to just 5-3. Bertolini though capped it off with an empty net goal. Clark added an assist for a two point day. Nicolas Cappola, Nicolas Webber, and Scott Bird had the goals for Mission. Brenden Gasaway (Old Town, ME) made 18 saves in the Maine net. The Moose outshot the Red 35-21, as Mission goalie Chase Golden stopped 30 shots in the loss. Rece Poulin, Joshua Wheeler, and Michael Deveaux were the other goal scorers for Maine. Clark was the leading scorer on the Moose for the season, with 18 goals and 10 assists for 28 points. Matt Poirier (Gardiner, ME) had 14 goals and 13 helpers for 27 points. This was also the first year for Maine in the United States Premier Hockey League, facing some of the top talent in the nation all year long in addition to their opponents in their home state.
Along with the three in a row run for the 18U team, they have also won two other titles on a different level. The boys teams for the Maine Moose in the 14U and 16U divisions also won it all back in 2016. Other Maine teams finding success include the Portland Jr. Pirates who won a title in 2015 in the 18 and under 1A boys division, while the Portland Pirates girls team also hoisted a trophy in 2015 in the girls 19 and under Tier 2 division. This season the state of Maine sent four teams including the Moose to the 2019 national championships over the four and five days of competition. The Moose 16 and under boys team was ousted in the semifinals, the Maine Gladiator 14 and under girls lost in pool play, while the Gladiator boys 14 and under team also lost in the semifinal round. Other Bangor area players included on this years national tournament champion Moose roster include Drew Gardner (Glenburn), Wheeler (Old Town), R. Poulin and Cooper Leland (Hampden), and Gage Poulin (Corinth). The previous two titles by the 18U team were in Lansing, Michigan in 2017 and Green Bay, Wisconsin last season, over the New Hampshire Avalanche and Ashburn Xtreme respectively.
Gage Poulin, Cooper Leland, Rece Poulin, Joshua Wheeler, and Brenden Gasaway show off the hardware after the Maine Moose captured the 18U 2A hockey national title 6-3 on Monday, April 8, 2019 over Mission, Arizona in San Jose. Photo courtesy of Wanda Marie Grant-Poulin (click to enlarge)
