LEWISTON – For more than two-and-a-half periods, Cheverus goaltender Mason St. Hilaire shut the door on every shot imaginable. It took a bouncing puck high off the glass behind the netminder to finally crack the stone wall.

Codie Keene’s tuck-in from the side post with 5:16 to play ignited St. Dom’s to a 4-0 Western Class A preliminary win over Cheverus on Saturday night at the Androsocoggin Bank Colisee.

The Saints (11-9-1) were frustrated by St. Hilaire’s play all night. When Jacob Rutt’s slapper knuckled high off the glass behind the Stags’ goal, Keene settled the bounding puck on the side of the post and slipped it into the net.

“It was frustrating shooting right at him,” said Keene. “So we had to miss the net. I just saw it bounce off the boards. I wanted to sneak it in before he could get to the post.”

Thirty-four seconds later, the Saints put the game away when Simon Hebert sent Alex Tyburski in alone on St. Hilaire.

The senior forward tucked the puck through the five hole for a commanding 2-0 lead. Richard Paradis and C.J. Bergeron added empty-net goals in the final minute to complete the scoring.

“He was the only thing that kept them in the game,” said Saints’ coach John Pleau. “We played with a lot of intensity tonight. We kept the kids focused because (St. Hilaire) was stopping a lot of rubber.”

“I thought we stayed with Dom’s for the first two periods,” said Cheverus coach Jack Lowry. “In the third, their depth kind of took over.”

The Saints had a great flurry early in the second period after a rush up the ice by Rutt. St. Hilaire thwarted four quick shots from in close.

Just over three minutes into the final period, St. Dom’s defenseman Jeff Lewandowski let a rocket go from the point which clanged hard off the crossbar. Seconds later with the Stags (6-13-2) still reeling from the ringing, Andrew Gwarjanski unsuccessfully attempted to stuff a backhander around St. Hilaire.

The Stags had a stellar chance with 6:40 left. Saints’ keeper Max Wiley (22 saves) rushed out of the net to clear a loose puck with a Stag forward racing in. His clearing attempt was corralled by a Stag forward at the blue line. The subsequent slapper was stopped by Wiley, who was scrambling back in position.