FALMOUTH – St. Dominic Regional High school doesn’t need to feel lonely.

The Saints were shut out Tuesday night in a Western Class A hockey quarterfinal at Family Ice Center. No shame in that. When Falmouth senior goalie Derek Kump is tending the net in that building, that square zero on the visitors’ side of the scoreboard has become the norm.

No. 3 Falmouth rode a pair of second-period goals, and Kump made 11 of his 19 saves in the third period to protect a 2-0 victory over the No. 6 Saints.

“There’s a reason he has 10 shutouts,” said Falmouth coach Scott Rousseau, a St. Dom’s graduate. “He’s our best player. He proved it again for us tonight.”

Dan Hanley and Gabe Hoffman-Johnson scored their goals in a six-minute span to break open a defensive struggle.

St. Dom’s (13-9) managed only four shots on goal in each of the first two periods against Kump, most of them harmless offerings from well beyond the blue line.

The Saints stepped up the pressure significantly in the third period. But Kump, who also blanked St. Dom’s in their last meeting on Jan. 31, was up to the task.

Ben Randall had the best scoring chance for the Saints. It came with only one second left in regulation, though, and Kump’s flailing pad save from a prone position with his leg extended provided a fitting exclamation point to Falmouth’s victory.

“We did everything we had to do in the third peroiod,” said St. Dom’s coach John Pleau. “We came out with nothing to lose. We outshot them, and the difference was goaltending.”

Hanley scored the eventual game-winner at 5:37 of the second period.

He stole the puck in the Saints’ defensive zone and skated in alone on goalie Will Emerson for his 14th goal of the season.

Dixon Pike and Mike Chase were credited with the assists.

“The first two periods, even though they weren’t getting good scoring chances, we weren’t getting good scoring chances, either,” Rousseau said. “Ultimately there were two mistakes, a turnover at our blue line and a bad penalty. That’s a coach’s nightmare, right there.”

Falmouth padded the lead on the power play at 11:17. Emerson stopped the initial shot by Chase, but he lost track of the rebound between his pads and Hoffman-Johnson poked it home. Emmett Brennan also picked up an assist.

“The two power plays in the second period kind of took some of that momentum away. They had a nice power-play goal,” Pleau said. “Third period, I was proud of the boys the way they came out. It was a great hockey game.”

The Yachtsmen (14-4-3) have won eight straight games over St. Dom’s in the last three seasons.

“I can remember (that streak against) my alma mater,” said Rousseau. “St. Dom’s, let’s be honest, (they might be) the fourth-best hockey team in the state. It was an unfortunate draw that the two of us drew each other this early. It was a knock-down, drag-out game. They had no turnovers. They were very disciplined.”

Rousseau, now in his 11th season, noted that Falmouth has a winning record against every team it has played in that span.

One goal has eluded the Yachtsmen – a Class A state championship, like the 24 that are trumpeted from the Saints’ banner hanging from the Androscoggin Bank Colisee rafters.

To reach that lofty status in the next 11 days, Falmouth would have to run through Kennebunk, then likely undefeated Biddeford in the Western Maine final, then the Eastern champion.

“We’ve only lost four games, including our Christmas tournament, all by one goal,” Rousseau said. “If it were about (winning states), we could stay Class B. We’re a 470-kid school.”

Emerson made 17 saves for the Saints, who haven’t won a title since back-to-back crowns in 1999 and 2000.

Take heart, St. Dom’s faithful: There’s hope of a revival next winter.

Defensemen Jeff Lewandowski, Codie Keene and Alex Cornelio played brilliantly along with Emerson in their final game for the Saints. Only four other players will graduate in the spring.

“It was a good season,” said Pleau. “We still have a very young team coming back.”