WINSLOW — The Messalonskee boys’ hockey team will have an opportunity to defend its regional title for the fifth straight season.

The third-seeded Eagles scored late in the first period and early in the second on their way to a 3-1 win over No. 2 Camden Hills in a Class B North semifinal Saturday evening at Sukee Arena.

Second-seeded Messalonskee (13-5-2) will play No. 1 Waterville at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Maine’s Alfond Arena.

Brandon Nale had a pair of goals, while Jared Cunningham had a goal and an assist. Amber Kochaver, a freshman, finished with 32 saves.

“It was definitely a 45-minute game for us,” Cunningham said. “We played hard from when the puck dropped to the final buzzer. That’s what we have to do every game. We have to come out, work hard and play our game.”

Messalonskee dictated much of the play early in the game before the Windjammers (16-4) found their footing. Camden Hills jumped ahead with 4:01 remaining in the opening period when Jonah Cameron beat Kochaver over her right shoulder with a shot from the right circle.

A tripping penalty on Cameron with 20 seconds remaining in the period gave Messalonskee the opening it needed, though. Five seconds later, Cunningham scored after the Eagles won a draw in the Windjammers’ zone.

“We just like to win the faceoff, set up and catch them when they’re off guard,” Cunningham said. “That’s what we did there. We just attacked when they weren’t ready.”

Messalonskee quickly broke the tie in the second period. Cunningham won the opening draw to Nale, who skated past the Camden Hills defense and tucked the puck inside the far post with a backhander.

Nale employed a similar maneuver 4:22 into the third period, springing free to collect a lofted pass from Dylan Burton and give the Eagles some much-needed breathing room.

“We knew they were going to score a couple goals,” Camden Hills Coach Karl Enroth said. “Our whole idea defensively was to come out here and get four or five goals. We didn’t do that. They were really tough defensively. They played a better defensive game than when we played against them the first time. They were quick on the puck, they were aggressive on the puck. They didn’t really give us time and space.”

While Nale and Cunningham provided the scoring punch, Messalonskee’s play in the neutral and defensive zones was equally important. The Eagles kept Camden Hills in check despite using only three defensemen – Burton, Dustin Brown and Connor Smith. Sam Bell sat out because of an illness.

“They came out knowing what they had to do and they executed – I wouldn’t say perfectly, but as close to it as you can get,” Messalonskee Coach Joe Hague said. “Everybody got together and came around our young goaltender, who played a great game for her second playoff game as a freshman. She did great. She definitely got tested.

“Camden had a great team, well-coached and very disciplined. They were working hard to get their pucks in the net, but we had just great ‘D’ and a lot of good things. It’s fun to sit there and try to rattle them all off.”

WATERVILLE 2, WINSLOW 0: Nick Denis tipped in a shot by Michael Oliveira in the second period, and Justin Wentworth added a power-play goal in the third period as the top-seeded Purple Panthers (17-1-1) shut out No. 4 Winslow (13-5-2) in a Class B North semifinal at Sukee Arena.

LEWISTON 6, BANGOR 3: Alex Rivet recorded a hat trick as the top-ranked Blue Devils (15-2-2) beat No. 4 Bangor (10-8-2) in a Class A North semifinal in Lewiston.

Despite being heavily outshot in the first period, Bangor grabbed a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Cam Burpee. But Rivet tied it with a rebound goal, then put Lewiston ahead with 6.7 seconds left in the first period.

Griffin Wade made it 3-1 with a short-handed goal late in the second period.

After Bangor’s Trevor DeLaite cut into the deficit with a goal 2:33 into the third, the Blue Devils got goals from Joe Bisson, Sam Frechette and Rivet to break it open.

ST. DOM’S 4, EDWARD LITTLE 1: Gavin Bates scored a pair of goals as the second-seeded Saints (11-7-1) beat the No. 3 Red Eddies (11-9) in a Class A North semifinal in Lewiston.

Connor Samson got the go-ahead goal 10 minutes into the first period. Bates and Austin Roy added insurance goals in the third.