BIDDEFORD – Brady Fleurent scored two first-period goals and added two assists Saturday night to lead undefeated Biddeford to a 6-4 victory against Thornton Academy in a boys’ hockey game at the Biddeford Ice Arena.
The Tigers scored three power-play goals in the third period to take a 6-2 lead. Thornton scored two late goals.
Biddeford, the top team in Western Class A, improved to 11-0-2. No. 2 Thornton is 8-5.
Fleurent has 41 points (22 goals/19 assists) in 13 games. He played Saturday without his regular linemate, Bryan Dallaire, the Tigers’ second-leading scorer who is out with a leg injury. Fleurent still found his chances and buried them.
In the first period, Fleurent won a faceoff to Dallaire’s replacement, Stephen Comar. Comar got it right back to Fleurent, who sizzled a shot from the left circle for a goal at 2:59.
At 9:10, Fleurent showed the dangerous forechecker he is. He stripped the defenseman, faked the goalie and filled the open net for a 2-0 lead.
Thornton had its chances in the first period, with the shots 9-9.
Rob Downing of the Trojans had a point-blank rebound, but it was gloved by goalie Jon Fields (27 saves).
Thornton also had back-to-back power plays, with a five-on-three for 23 seconds. But the Tigers kept clearing the puck.
In the second period, C.J. Maksut of Thornton broke in on the right side on a two-on-one. The Biddeford defender covered the pass, so Maksut scored on a beauty to the top right corner at 5:01, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Biddeford got its two-goal cushion back at 11:38 on a Tyson Nadeau goal from Mario Lemieux and Scott Callahan.
Thornton again closed within 3-2 on Sam Canales’ goal at 3:44 of the third.
But then came the Thornton penalties and three Biddeford power-play goals, two by Callahan, the other a Taylor Reuillard slap shot.
Jon Pate and Ron Downing completed the scoring for Thornton, which outshot Biddeford, 31-30.
Biddeford has five games remaining in the regular season, including St. Dominic and an anticipated Feb. 16 game against Lewiston.
Thornton, which has lost to only three teams — Biddeford, Lewiston (twice each) and St. Dom’s, has to play St. Dom’s again and Falmouth twice.
Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:
kthomas@pressherald.com
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