PRESQUE ISLE and HOULTON — The Camden Hills varsity ice hockey team is off to a 2-0 start to its 2019 campaign thanks to a pair of road victories in Presque Isle and Houlton, respectively, on Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7. 

The Windjammers will take to the ice for its third game of the season when hosting Cony/Hall-Dale/Monmouth at the Midcoast Recreation Center in Rockport on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.

Camden Hills 4, Presque Isle 2

The Windjammers spent the entire opening period down a player or two due to penalties, which Camden Hills head coach John Magri noted he was disappointed in. 

Despite that disappointment, Magri was pleased the Windjammers did not yield a goal to the typically high-scoring Wildcats, and credited Camden Hills goalie Jackson Bernier and defenders Quinn Brown and Andrew Orne for keeping the hosts off the board. 

With just over three minutes remaining in the second period, the hosts tallied its first goal of the game by Gage Letourneau before adding a second tally with two minutes off the clock in the third period when Quinn Demerchant scored. 

The Windjammers finally scored with 5:40 remaining in the contest when forward Jason Greeleaf scored courtesy a Brown assist. 

At the 4:28 mark, the Brown would contribute another assist as the Windjammers tied the contest 2-2 when forward Levi Guay slipped the puck past the goalkeeper. 

Greenleaf would then score the go-ahed goal, courtesy assists by Brown and Guay, with under 90 seconds on the clock during a powerplay session. 

The Windjammers closed out the contest when Charlie Griebel scored on an empty net off a Brown assist to make it a 4-2 season opening victory. 

Bernier concluded his time in the goalie net with 31 saves. 

“Jackson Bernier’s performance in net the entire game gave Camden Hills the back bone they needed to eventually wear Presque Isle down and put pucks in the net,” said Magri. 

Camden Hills 3, Houlton/Hodgdon/Southern Aroostook 1

The Windjammers tallied its first goal with five minutes remaining in the period when Guay scored courtesy a Jakob Johnson and Griebel assist. 

With eight seconds remaining, the hosts tallied its lone goal of the contest. 

“This certainly energized and elevated Houlton’s play and they put in a gritty very physical effort the remainder of the game,” said Magri. 

Neither team scored in the second period with the final pair of scores for the visiting Windjammers coming in the third period. 

Andrew Orne, courtesy a Guay assist, and Scott Jorgensen, courtesy a Griebel assist, scored for the visitors in the third period. 

Working the goalie net for Camden Hills was Will Gardner, who made 17 saves. 

Reach the sports department at: sports@penbaypilot.com.