LEWISTON – Dylan George wasn’t going to be denied a second time.
After his apparent game-winning goal was disallowed with 12.3 seconds remaining in regulation, the junior forward banged home a second opportunity 1:05 into overtime. The power-play goal gave top-seeded Bangor a 4-3 victory over No. 4 Brunswick in an Eastern Class A semifinal hockey game Saturday night at the Colisee.
Jason Eremita’s shot from the point was stopped by Brunswick goalie Dennis Estes (24 saves). As the puck bounded away to the slot area, George rushed in and placed the puck into the open net.
“I was just following the puck with my eyes,” said George. “I just shot it and it went in.”
Both teams thought they’d gotten the upper hand in the final minute of regulation. First, Brunswick (14-7-1) had a goal taken off the board after Joshua Clark knocked the puck in along the ice from 10 feet out with 56 seconds to play. But the officials ruled a hand pass after a preceding high rebound in the air was batted to the ice by a Brunswick player.
The Rams (18-4) went on a power play opportunity with 19 seconds left in regulation after Alex Babbin was whistled for tripping. Seconds later, George found the puck on his stick in the high-slot area to the left of Estes. His slapper slipped through the pads of Estes and trickled slowly across the crease. As the goal lamp was flicked on, the official in the near corner blew his whistle and immediately waved off the goal.
The Rams overcame a 2-0 deficit after goals by Cory Broniarczak and Chris Pendagast in the first and second periods.
“I told the guys in there,” said Bangor coach Dan Kerluke, pointing to his team’s locker room, “We’re that much closer to a championship. Not because we won, but because we handled adversity.”
Midway through the second, Bangor’s top line of T.J. Vanidestine, Nick Payson and George began putting all sorts of pressure around the Brunswick goal. Vanidestine slapped home a rebound of a Payson shot at the 8:37 mark. Payson added one of his own on the power play a few minutes later.
“They’ve got some good players over there,” said Brunswick coach Mike Routhier. “You’re not going to shut that line down.”
Brunswick capitalized on one of its few chances with just 20.9 ticks on the clock. Defenseman Doug Wright intercepted a clearing attempt around the dasher in the Bangor zone and fired a slap shot past a screened Aaron Buzzell (20 saves).
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