By Justin Ouellette,St. Dominic Regional High School

In four games against area rivals Lewiston High School and Edward Little High School, the St. Dominic boy’s hockey team stands perfect. The SAINTS completed an ideal 4-0 sweep, and proved to be a top contender for the state title yet again.

On December 22, the two top hockey teams from the state in 2003 met at the Colisée in a much anticipated match up. This was the SAINTS and EDDIES first meeting since the Edward Little blowout in the state finals back in March. It was unclear who the victor would be, as both teams arrived with close records (SD 2-0, EL 1-2). St. Dom’s retaliated, with a 43-8 shot advantage; which ultimately led to a 2-0 triumph. Kevin LaPlante and Pat O’Neill each netted a goal and assist, while Brady Blackman stopped all shots he faced. Could their success continue on unfamiliar turf? Exactly one month later, the two teams met again at Ingersoll Arena, in which the SAINTS prevailed with another shutout: 3-0. It was a rough game that saw a total of 32 minutes of penalty time, but only a combined one goal in 14 opportunities on the power play for both teams. Yet, Ryan Guerin, Nick Stalford, and Matt Manson each found the back of the net. The SAINTS improved to 9-2, while the reigning champions dropped to 7-6.

Why stop there if your archrival is waiting in the shadows across the river? Probably considered the biggest hockey rivalry in the state, the St Dom’s/Lewiston legacy has brought title after title to the area. The SAINTS have 24 championships, while Lewiston is trailing at a close 22. Plus, both teams call the Colisée their home, giving no home-ice advantage. Tell me this wouldn’t be intense. The first meeting came on January 8, in front of a surprisingly large crowd for a high school game. Both teams came in with a perfect 5-0 record, in which the game’s winner would possibly be decided by the amount of penalty minutes faced. St. Dom’s did not let their fans down; taking a decisive 6-2 victory. Even though the penalties were kept to a minimum, John Rutt had a pair of goals and an assist, along with a single goal and assist from Tom Gosselin and Dylan Nadeau. Brady Blackman stopped 21 shots, while the offense put on a stellar performance with 47 total attempts. This offensive outbreak could not be contained in the second meeting on January 20, again featuring close records (SD 7-2, LEW 8-2). St. Dom’s prevailed 9-2 with a 52-19 shot advantage over the DEVILS. In this game however, the SAINTS capitalized on 5 of their 10 power plays, which may have ultimately sank Lewiston.

In all area games, St. Dom’s outscored their opponents 20-4. Featuring a strong defense and a quick goalie combined with an exceptional offense that flicked over 180 shots at the net, the SAINTS truly have proven they are yet again able to compete for the state title. Though all regular season meetings have ceased between St. Dom’s and their inner-city rivals, it isn’t surprising if we see another match with the DEVILS in the playoffs.