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MacDonald leads Pingree in opener

The Pingree boys hockey team got off to a slow start in their season opener against North Yarmouth last night, falling behind 1-0 in the first two minutes and allowing three power play chances in the opening frame.

In the end, it didn't matter. Behind a pair of goals from junior Matt MacDonald, the Highlanders rallied to claim a 3-2 victory.

"We were a little slow out of the gates, but overall the kids played well," said Pingree coach Buddy Taft.

MacDonald got the Highlanders on the board with a shorthanded tally midway through the first and Ben McLaughlin gave them the lead later in the period. North Yarmouth would knot the score in the second before MacDonald struck again to provide the game-winning goal.

The Highlander defense | led by Matt Spurling and Adam Rimmer | was in midseason form, holding North Yarmouth 0-for-7 on the man advantage. Netminder Ben Bradley made 15 saves to record his first win of the year.

"The penalty killers did a really nice job considering how early in the season it is | Spurling and Rimmer logged a lot of minutes," said Taft.