With Scarborough High School’s 6-0 win over Portland on Thursday, the Red Storm improved to 9-1-1 on the season in Class A boys’ hockey in what has been one of the school’s best so far. They kicked off the season with an eight game unbeaten streak, and the only loss they have suffered this season comes at the hands of defending State Champs Thornton Academy.

Head Coach Norm Gagne knows that he has a strong, hard-working team, but admits that he was a little bit surprised at how well the Red Storm stormed into the 2011-12 season. Though his team is relatively young, with four freshmen and seven sophomores, he says it is the strong leadership of his captains that have contributed largely to Scarborough’s success this year.

“We have some good leadership in our locker room with our senior leaders and they’ve done an outstanding job and the work ethic of this team is unbelievable,” Gagne said. “It’s been a joy for me and the other coaches to coach these kids because they work so hard and they work hard together. They’re just now starting to accept their roles and understand their roles on the team and we’re just getting better with each game.”

Gagne points out that all three of his captains, seniors Jordan Bathe and Ryan Johnston and junior Trevor Murray have worked their way up the ranks, from junior varsity, to third and fourth line varsity, to now leading the team.

“Because they’re where they are, and they worked their butts off to get where they are, they are good for the younger kids to see that hard work pays off,” said Gagne. “All the kids on the team have great attitude and great work ethic and I think that is a credit to our leaders on the team. They don’t allow kids on the team to sulk about not playing or not getting enough ice time, they just tell them ‘Hey, you gotta earn it. That’s the bottom line. You have to earn it here.’ And, I think when they hear that from their peers, it makes it a heck of a lot easier.”

With this attitude, and with some of the traditional powerhouse teams struggling a little bit this season, Scarborough has earned themselves one of the best records in the league, and that is going to make them somewhat of a target in their seven remaining regular season games.

“Right now, the bulls eye is on Scarborough because we’re worth the most heal points out of the whole State in both East and West. When people come to play us, they’re gonna be bringing their A game.”

Despite this, Gagne seems confident in his team to continue their success.

“I really think this team, just the way we’re going right now, if we can just keep that up and get better with each and every game, we can surprise some people in the playoffs,” he said. “But, more importantly, the future looks really bright for Scarborough boys’ hockey. If everybody stays here, and we hope they will, I think that we have a legitimate chance of seeing a (Championship) banner go up in the near future for Scarborough.”

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With 37 seasons of coaching experience under his belt, Norm Gagne is by far the most experienced high school hockey coach in the state of Maine, and with that experience come a lot of wins. Earlier this season, Gagne surpassed Ron Baum of Michigan (623 career wins) to move into fourth place in the nation in career wins.

He is now chasing down Roy Nystrom, who coaches for Albert Lea in Minnesota, for third place. Nystrom started the season with 632 wins, and with the Red Storm’s latest win over Portland, Gagne hit the 632 mark himself. Albert Lea has recorded 10 wins this season, keeping Nystrom just ahead of Gagne for now.

Though the record means a lot to Gagne, serving as coach and mentor to so many players over the years has been the true reward.

“Those kids that played for me that have gone through the battles with me and done what they’ve done, it’s a credit to them for what I’ve accomplished. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I would be where I am today,” said Gagne.

“I had a lot of my players come back and coach with me. And more importantly, most of my players in some time and some way, after they’ve left the game have all in some way given back to the sport. This is something that I like to preach to my kids all the time is that some day you may end up coaching. It may be your son, it may be in your community, and remember some of the things that I’ve taught you about work ethic, and the things you need to do, and the simple things of hockey.”

Nystrom’s career spans from 1966 to present, while Gagne began coaching in 1975. If Scarborough continues their winning ways, Gagne stands a chance of catching up to Nystrom and moving up to the number three spot.

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Thornton Academy’s senior forward CJ Maksut has been racking up some records of his own. He holds the school’s record for most career goals (currently at 72), and with his two points in Thornton’s win over Waterville last Saturday, broke the school’s career points record too. The old record was 112, Maksut now has 116, and with nine games left in the regular season, there is no telling how far he will push the new record.

His junior year was his career best, with 27 goals and 12 assists, for a total of 39 points. It was also the year of his most significant point, the goal that he tipped in off Sam Canales’ shot in the second overtime of the 2011 State Championship against the Lewiston Blue Devils to win the Golden Trojans first State Title.

In his senior year so far, he has 14 goals and 7 assists, for a total of 21 points.