LEWISTON — A determined, underdog hockey team composed of the merged talents of Marshwood High and Traip Academy scored in the second period Saturday.
The goal gave the Hawks hope, cutting their deficit to 3-1 against Thornton Academy.
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Six seconds later, C.J. Maksut skated in and scored for the Trojans, halting Marshwood/Traip’s upset hopes.
Second-seeded Thornton carried on for an 8-1 win over the third-seeded Hawks in a Western Class A hockey semifinal at the Colisee.
Sam Canales scored twice for Thornton.
Maksut, Robert Downing, Dakota Matthews, Jon Pate, Taylor Browne and Andrew Lavigne all tallied once for the Trojans.
Thornton (15-5) moves on to the regional title game Tuesday night at the Colisee against top-seeded Biddeford. It’s a rematch of last year’s regional final. Biddeford won that game, 3-0.
Thornton was a heavy favorite over Marshwood/Traip (17-3), which had feasted on a Tier III schedule. The Hawks did not play a Tier I school until Saturday.
Still, Thornton held only a 1-0 lead after the first period, on a goal by Matthews at 3:27, and had just a small shot advantage, 13-10.
“They had more than I thought,” Canales said of the Hawks. “They played us perfectly, strategy-wise. They definitely bottled us up.”
After Matthews’ goal, Marshwood went on the attack, with its forwards forechecking and its defensemen moving the puck up ice.
“The kids were battling. They were doing what they were supposed to,” Hawks Coach Eric Royal said. “We were getting chances.”
Goals by Canales (power play) and Downing made it 3-0 in the second period, but then Marshwood/Traip got a power play. Peter Lajeunesse sent a bouncing, crossing pass into the slot, and Aaron Gootee stroked it in at 11:46.
The Hawks’ fans erupted, and the players were pounding their sticks. They had new life.
But Thornton won the following faceoff and Maksut took off, split the defensemen and buried his shot at 11:52.
“Honestly, I think that was the game right there,” Trojans Coach Shawn Rousseau said. “A brilliant goal by them. But then C.J. got a beautiful goal.”
Royal agreed: “That fourth goal right after we made it 3-1 started a downward spiral, and we never recouped from that.”
Staff writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or: kthomas@pressherald.com
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