LEWISTON – The visible swagger in the stride of the once-unbeaten St. Dom’s Saints has been reduced to a limp in two games.

And the team delivering the latest blow? Arch-rival Cheverus on the Saints’ home turf.

Adam Horgan scored two goals in succession in the second period, and Geno DeMillo pounded home the eventual game-winning goal in the third as the Stags upended St. Dom’s 3-2 at the Colisee in a Monday matinee performance.

“We were lucky that we won this time,” said Cheverus coach Jack Lowry. “They were lucky they won last time we played them (in the season-opening Bishop’s Cup, also at the Colisee). Anytime you beat someone up here in this building you’ve worked hard. That was just a great game.”

A great game that nearly turned for the worst for the Stags. In the final period, faced with a 3-1 deficit early, the Saints unleashed a firestorm on Cheverus netminder John Spring. In all, St. Dom’s outshot the Stags 28-9 in the final two periods, and 17-3 in the third.

At 13:42 of the third, after squandering a 5-on-3 power play, the Saints pulled to within one when Pat O’Neil took a perfect feed on the left boards from Robert Croteau and wristed a shot past Spring.

“We struggles all game to finish golden opportunities,” said St. Dom’s coach Bob Boucher. “We won’t win games if we can’t find a way to finish in front of the net. I think we honestly just ran out of time.”

“We were running around a lot in the third,” said Lowry. “They aren’t the kind of team you want to give up chances to, because they’ll capitalize, they’ll take advantage of your mistakes.”

In the final minute, with Brady Blackman (16 saves) pulled for an extra attacker, St. Dom’s fired off eight shots, with Spring getting in front of all of them.

After a scoreless first period, the Stags took the lead thanks to two great individual efforts by Horgan. On the first goal, at 5:55 with the Stags on the power play, Horgan took the puck in his own zone and skated untouched through the neutral zone. With the St. Dom’s defense giving him room to shoot, Horgan reached back and wristed a shot across his body to the high glove side on Blackman.

At 10:30, with the Stags again on the power play, Horgan jumped up to intercept a clearing attempt from deep in the Saints’ zone. Sliding the puck out of his hand and to his stick, he wound up with a slap shot and beat Blackman, again high to the glove side.

“Any time you can put a cushion between you and the home team it’s a good thing,” said Lowry.

O’Neil pulled the Saints to within one at 13:17 of the second when he tipped home a feed from the right corner off the stick of Kevin LaPlante.

The Saints next play tomorrow night at the Colisee against Lewiston at 7:30 p.m.