Edward Little captures the Class A East regional title with a 3-2 win over Lewiston.
By Kevin Mills
Staff Writer

WATERVILLE – It was shaping up to be one of those first-one-that-blinks-loses kind of third periods.

With the game tied 1-1 and the second period dwindling down, the stage appeared set for a climatic final period in Wednesday’s Class A East championship hockey game.

One seemingly harmless loose puck in front of the net changed all that. Edward Little’s Matt Couturier jumped on that rebound and put it past a sprawled Lewiston goaltender with 2:48 left in the period.

That goal set the tone for the final period as EL came out rolling and quickly added to the lead as the Red Eddies advanced to Saturday’s state championship game against St. Dom’s with a 3-2 win over the Blue Devils.

“That kind of boosted our morale a little bit, ” said Couturier. “Going into that third period with the lead instead of it being 1-1, it gave us something to work with.”

Joel Pepin, who added two assists, made it 3-1 4:11 into the final period. Lewiston did get a Joe Gauthier goal with 8:52 remaining, but the Blue Devils managed just two shots the rest of the way. After a second straight regional title win over Lewiston, EL returns to the state game to try and defend its crown.

“Realistically, the kids knew they had a chance to get back to the state championship,” said EL coach Jamie Belleau. “As a coaching staff, we put a lot of pressure on the kids, knowing the potential they had. This team has won 22 games. I think it more of a relief. I’m happy for them. They worked hard. They played a strong game and they certainly played good enough to win this game.”

After the teams traded power play tallies, EL took the lead for good late in the second. Jackson Keene’s shot from the right circle was kicked out by Lewiston goaltender Nick Langlais. With the goaltender down and defensemen scrambling, Couturier sighted the loose puck.

“When I saw it, I was right in front of the net,” said Couturier. “I was right in front of the goalie. The puck came out and I had an open shot and put a shot on net and it went in.”

EL went for the kill to start the third and outshot Lewiston 6-1 in the early minutes. They added to the lead when Colby Gilbert centered a pass in front for Pepin to backhand home.

“Traditionally, we’ve been playing pretty strong in the first and third periods,” said Belleau. “We knew if we could keep doing the little things, not turning the puck over and getting the puck in deep, we could score some goals. So we felt it was just going to be a matter of time. We had several point blank opportunities. He came up with some big saves. Certainly one of those was going to go in. We just told the kids not to press.”

Lewiston wasn’t done though. The Blue Devils have rallied before and felt they had another comeback in them. Gauthier replied with a shot from the right side. The Blue Devils couldn’t produce another though. Lewiston had a crack late on an offside call. With Langlais pulled and the puck in the EL offensive zone with 34 seconds left, Lewiston had one last gasp, but the Blue Devils couldn’t produce a shot.

“We came out and we gave them more than we had given them all year,” said Lewiston coach Tim Smith, whose team had lost two regular season games to EL. “They responded well.”

Langlais finished with 29 saves while EL’s Kris Bennett had 11 stops.The EL defense was especially solid in the third, allowing just four shots overall.

“Our defense certainly gets much overlooked because of the offensive power that we have,” said Belleau. “Our defense has been strong all year and was strong tonight. Our goaltender has been strong all year and was strong tonight.”

EL had Lewiston on its heels early as the Red Eddies outshot the Blue Devils 8-1 to start the game. Langlais came up with some key saves early to keep EL off the board. On passes from behind the net, Colby Gilbert and Matt Nadeau each had bids from the slot.

Lewiston managed to halt that momentum with a power play but managed just one shot on the man advantage. Just after Kyle Smith’s penalty expired, Lewiston’s Jason Dube was called for slashing. The Red Eddies cashed in on that power play when Mert Gould’s shot from the point snuck through a screen and Langlais with 7:57 left in the period.

Penalties continued to play a key role in the game. Another Dube penalty gave EL another power play, but the Red Eddies couldn’t add to their lead. When Lewiston’s Scott Geoffroy was called for roughing late in the period, Lewiston tacked on a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. One of those was nullified when Gilbert was called for boarding with three seconds left in the period.

To start the second, EL had a couple of quality shots on its power play

from Gould and Joel Pepin, but it was Lewiston that managed to strike next on the power play. With Smith off for roughing, Geoffrey tied the game at 3:51. His shot from the right point fluttered through a crowd and may have deflected off a body in front before landing in the top right corner.

“With us getting a power play goal, that definitely gave us some momentum,” said Smith. “Especially after they almost had that five-on-three.”

Lewiston was never able to build on it or create the consistent offensive pressure needed. When EL got the late goal in the second, the Blue Devils were playing catch-up once again.

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