LEWISTON — After the first period, the Class A boys’ hockey state championship game Saturday night looked like it could turn into a rout. Lewiston led only 1-0, but the Blue Devils were outshooting Scarborough 14-1.
“You’re never comfortable with a one-goal lead in a state championship game,” Lewiston Coach Jamie Belleau said.
Scarborough made things more uncomfortable, tying the game in the second period. Lots of dramatic, scoreless hockey followed, until Lewiston standout Kurtis Pelletier scored his second goal of the game on a rebound 4:52 into the second overtime to give the top-ranked Blue Devils a 2-1 win over No. 3 Scarborough at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee
The victory capped a perfect 21-0 season for the Blue Devils, who won their 24th state championship, and their fourth in five years.
“Nothing like it,” said Ryan Pomerleau, who assisted on both Lewiston goals. The first came at 8:36 of the first period, when Pomerleau sent a pinpoint pass to Pelletier, who one-timed it.
Scarborough (15-5-1) was vying for its third state title. The Red Storm lost twice to Lewiston in the regular season and were being dominated in the first period Saturday. None of that seemed to bother them.
“After the first period, we came into the locker room confident,” said senior captain Nolan Matthews, citing his team’s triple-overtime win over Edward Little in the semifinals as a reason for hope. “We knew we were still in it.”
Scarborough was in it because goalie Peter O’Brien (40 saves) was his stellar self. He made 13 saves in the first period, including six during a hectic Lewiston power play. Meanwhile, the Red Storm had only three decent possessions in the Lewiston zone.
“I think we had some nerves there (in the first period) and Lewiston did a good job of clogging the neutral zone,” Scarborough Coach Jake Brown said. “We wanted to get pucks deep … The kids stuck to the game plan and we (eventually) did what we wanted to do.”
Shots in the second period were even at 10 apiece. Matthews had two good chances on a power play, with a deflection and a wrist shot, but Lewiston goalie Keegan McLaughlin (25 saves) blocked the first with his pads and gloved the other.
Scarborough created more chances after the power play. On the tying goal, John Valente skated in and took a shot from point that McLaughlin blocked with his pads, but Valente charged in for the rebound and scored at 13:20.
“They took it to us in the second period,” Belleau said. “They were taking the walls away. When we used the middle, they collapsed pretty quick.”
Belleau coached Brown at Lewiston in 2008-09 and the two remain close.
“Jake is like a son to me,” Belleau said. “His kids did everything they could. Hats off to them.”
Both teams had chances in the third period. On a power play, Scarborough’s Sam Rumelhart fired a wrist shot toward the far post, but McLaughlin reached it with his glove. O’Brien then made a clutch save after Lewiston’s Damon Bossie centered a pass to Pomerleau in the slot.
Scarborough’s Cam Budway and Ethan Jasa began the first overtime with hard shots that McLaughlin thwarted. At the other end, Pelletier made a steal, spun and fired, but O’Brien was there.
“In overtime, we had some good chances to bury the puck,” Brown said. “That’s the way overtime hockey is. We just didn’t get the bounce.”
Midway through the second overtime, Pomerleau sent a breakout pass to Pelletier, whose shot was blocked. Pomerleau got the rebound and sent it on net. O’Brien stopped that one, too. But not the next rebound by Pelletier.
“Pomerleau had a nice shot on net,” Pelletier said, “and I got the rebound and redirected. I didn’t know it went in until my teammates started celebrating. It was so surreal.”
The Blue Devils were awarded their gold medals after the Red Storm collected the runner-up plaque.
“We got a group of guys that battled,” said Jasa, another senior captain. “So proud of everyone bouncing back and giving Lewiston a heck of a game. Give credit to my teammates. That’s just an incredible group of guys that left everything out there.”
NOTES: Lewiston is the second school to win boys’ and girls’ hockey titles in the same year. Greely did it twice, in 2012 and 2013. But the Blue Devils are the only program to have both teams go unbeaten. The Lewiston girls finished 20-0-1, the tie coming against Scarborough.
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