LEWISTON – As a sophomore on the St. Dom’s junior varsity team last season, Nick Stalford was easy to spot.

Standing 6-feet-5-inches tall without skates, Stalford looked more like a basketball player than a defenseman on an undefeated J.V. team. Some observers thought he skated like a shooting guard, too.

What a difference a year makes.

Stalford, this year skating on the third line of the St. Dom’s varsity team, notched a hat trick to lead the Saints to a season-opening 5-1 win over the Falmouth Yachtsmen at the Colisee.

“We had no answer for him,” said Falmouth coach Scott Rousseau, who has been teaching Stalford at his hockey clinics for the past few summers. “You put guys out there to go against (Jon) Rutt’s line, against (Tyler) Martin’s line, who do you have left?”

Not bad for a converted defenseman.

“I was just able to use my size and my reach to be able to muscle to the puck,” said Stalford. “I got a bit faster since last year and a little stronger. It’s also different adjusting to playing forward, since I played defense last season.”

On Saturday, Falmouth struggled to get shots on netminder Brady Blackman, who stopped 10 of 11 shots on the afternoon.

“While it might take some time for the offense to get going, we know we have veterans on defense that can control the play,” said St. Dom’s coach Bob Boucher. “Our defense does the best job of maintaining possession and starting the plays from our own end.”

The Falmouth defense and freshman goaltender Derek Kump did their jobs well for the first two periods, blocking several shots and keeping the game close at 2-1. Kump finished with 22 saves, 15 of which came in the first two frames.

After Rutt and Stalford scored in the second to put the Saints (1-0) ahead 2-0, Peter Gustavson scored for Falmouth with less than a minute to play in the second to bring the Yachtsmen (0-2) within one.

Matt Manson slid a puck by Kump early in the third with the Saints on the power play to extend the lead to 3-1, though, and Stalford completed the hat trick with two more on rebounds as the Saints pulled away.

“That goal was the biggest goal for them,” said Rousseau. “They got that third one and that pretty much took the wind out of our sails.”

“(Stalford) has a good nose for the net,” said Boucher. “He capitalized on those opportunities today.”

St. Dom’s next plays Tuesday at Bangor before returning home on Wednesday to face defending state champion Edward Little at the Colisee.