HALLOWELL — The first time Winslow/Gardiner hosted Brunswick this season, the Black Tigers saw a big lead dissipate thanks to Dragons sniper Jenna Brooks before stealing a victory in overtime.

The same could not be said Wednesday night.

Brooks completed a hat trick midway through the second period as Brunswick built its own big lead and the fifth-seeded Dragons held on, securing a spot in the North regional semifinals with a 5-3 win over No. 4 Winslow at the Camden National Bank Ice Vault.

The Black Tigers made things interesting with a pair of third-period goals, but their first season as a cooperative team ended with a 10-9 record.

“I think because it was playoffs, we were all pumped up and we knew the importance of this game,” said Brooks, who scored all four Brunswick goals in the regular-season loss at the Ice Vault.

The Dragons advance to play undefeated top seed St. Dominic on Saturday.

Brooks scored two goals in the first period just 80 seconds apart, as Brunswick (9-10) built a 2-0 lead. First, she was able to find space in an odd-numbered situation out of the right corner at 8:20, then carried the puck to the bottom of the left circle to beat goalie Cassandra Demers (16 saves) with a shot inside the far post.

The Black Tigers got one back during a two-skater advantage early in the second when defenseman Sarah Morgan’s pass from the left point found center Evelyn Hinkley’s stick for a slick redirect in traffic just 2:10 in.

But then Brooks took over, converting a breakaway with a nifty backhand-forehand deke to build a 3-1 lead at 8:37.

Beth Labbe added insurance for Brunswick just before the intermission, skating the puck straight into a 2-on-2 situation and muscling her way to the net for a goal at the 13:38.

“Our first line was always missing one player the first two times we played them, and that third player makes a big difference,” said Brunswick Coach Dave Boucher, whose team also lost a one-goal game to Winslow in the final minute of regulation in a game played at Bowdoin College this season. “And our defense did a good job, for the most part.”

Winslow was undeterred by the deficit through two periods, and it came out eyeing another comeback against Brunswick, outshooting the visitors 13-6 and forcing Dragons goalie Marilyn Daniels to make 13 of her 25 saves in the final period.

Morgan again was the catalyst, grabbing a weak clearing attempt at the blue line and skating to the slot to punch home her own rebound and cut the Brunswick lead to 4-2 at 2:10.

But Caroline Headley’s wrister from the left circle – one that caught a piece of Demers’ glove on its way across the line – gave the Dragons another three-goal lead midway through the period.

Bailey Robbins scored an unassisted goal for the Black Tigers with 1:37 left in regulation.

“We tried. The girls, they never quit,” Winslow Coach Chris Downing said. “A couple of goals took the wind out of our sails, but we didn’t fold up our tent.”

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