LEWISTON — Travis Mansir scored with 1:20 remaining to give sixth-seeded Gorham a 5-4 comeback win over top-ranked Kennebunk in the Western Class B boys’ hockey championship game Wednesday night at the Colisee.

“He’s been clutch throughout the playoffs,” Gorham Coach Jon Portwine said of Mansir, a senior who has five goals and four assists in three postseason games.

Gorham (14-5-2) will be in the Class B state title game for the second straight year, at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Colisee.

The game will be a rematch against Messalonskee (19-1), the defending champion. The Eagles defeated Gorham 6-1 last season.

Gorham got goals from five players – Carl Bear, Michael Chapin, Jordan Ward, Matt Hooker and Mansir.

Jan Rutrie scored twice for Kennebunk (15-3-2). Boden Beveridge and Miles Eaton added goals.

Advertisement

Both goalies (Noah Bird of Gorham and Michael LeBlanc of Kennebunk) made 23 saves.

Gorham kept overcoming deficits – 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 – for its championship.

“We never gave up,” Mansir said. “In the last game against Yarmouth (overtime victory in the semifinals), we had to come back.”

Hooker’s power-play slap shot tied the game at 8:31 of the third period. In the closing minutes, Mansir got a pass from Lucas Roop at the Kennebunk blue line. Mansir skated into the right circle and fired.

It deflected off a defenseman’s stick and over LeBlanc’s glove at 13:40.

“That’s a tough tip on that goal,” Kennebunk Coach Sean Smith said. “Nothing you can do there.”

Advertisement

This was the second straight year Gorham eliminated Kennebunk with a late goal. Last season it was a 1-0 game on a goal at 13:33.

“This hurts way more than last year. It stings bad,” Smith said. “We battled hard. Just couldn’t hold onto it. Give Gorham credit. They fought back. We couldn’t get any flow going. Just seemed everything was a tick off.”

Gorham tried to disrupt that flow after losing 6-0 to Kennebunk in the last game of the regular season.

“We broke the puck out differently. Our defensive coverage was different,” Portwine said. “We had to change things.”

Kennebunk forechecked well in the first period.

Rutrie checked a Gorham player off the puck and drove to the net. After a flurry of shots, Rutrie stuffed in the rebound at 3:56. James Ross got an assist for a 1-0 lead.

Advertisement

Later in the first period, Gorham was whistled for too many men on the ice, and it was costly.

With 26 seconds remaining on the power play, Beveridge wristed a shot over Bird’s glove at 10:51. Patrick Gassman recorded an assist.

Kennebunk skated off for the first break up 2-0.

Seems to be a recurring thing, being down,” Hooker said. “We know we have to come back strong.”

The second period featured five goals. Gorham made it 2-2 halfway through the second period.

Kennebunk retook the lead. Gorham got its first of two power-play goals – Ward burying a pass from Andrew Schmidt – to tie it again, 3-3.

But then Rutrie got his second goal, fighting off a check, controlling the puck and scoring with seven seconds left in the period for a 4-3 lead.

Gorham outshot Kennebunk 9-3 in the third period. Kennebunk was slowed when Rutrie was checked hard and left the game with 1:58 remaining. Kennebunk pulled the goalie with a minute to go but Gorham held on.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.