WATERVILLE – After spending much of the game trying to produce the tying goal, the Lewiston boys’ hockey team didn’t have much time to focus attention on the go-ahead tally.

Just minutes after getting a Robbie Leeman goal that tied the game midway through the period, Waterville got a chance to seize the momentum right back. It was an opportunity of which the top-ranked Purple Panthers took full advantage.

“We knew that was going to be the game-changing moment,” said Waterville defenseman Shawn Lee. “We let them get one, and we had to get the score to win the game. We knew we had to step up.”

A Lewiston penalty led to Lee’s second power-play tally of the game to give Waterville a 2-1 win over Lewiston Monday at the Alfond Arena at Colby College.

“I thought the kids did what they needed to do to play in this building against the top-ranked team in the state,” said Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau, whose team was blanked, 1-0, by Waterville earlier in the year. “I don’t think the shots were reflective of the effort the kids made. It came down to special teams. They scored two power-play goals, and we didn’t score any.”

Waterville (16-1) struck on both power-play chances and outshot Lewiston 24-16 in the game. Lewiston had six chances on the power play but came up empty.

“The problem with the power play is if you start generating some shots you kind of get into the flow and start getting some opportunities,” said Belleau. “If you can’t set it up and settle down and start moving the puck for some shots on net, it seems like the whole power play kind of falls apart.”

Lewiston (11-6-1) got the equalizer 6:54 into the third. Leeman wristed home a shot from in front and beat Waterville goalie Nolan MacDonnell, who finished with 15 saves. Less than a minute later, Devin McLellan was called from cross-checking with 7:17 left. Waterville went on the power play and produced the game-winner with 6:07 left. Lee fired a shot from the blue line that sailed through a crowd in front and eluded Cam Poussard in goal. Poussard had 22 saves.

“Ian (Rowe) made a great pass across,” said Lee. “The guy got caught, and I had a wide open net.”

Lewiston had a chance to rally in the final minutes. An elbowing penalty on Tim Locke gave Lewiston a power play with 2:11 left. The Blue Devils created pressure and pulled Poussard in the final minute but couldn’t produce a shot to test MacDonnell. Waterville did an effective job forechecking and kept the puck out of harm’s way.

“I think that’s one of our strengths, the penalty kill,” said Lee. “That’s why we’ve won a lot of games. We don’t give up a lot of power-play goals.”

The two teams played so evenly from the start that it took 6:30 before either team put a shot on net.

Waterville scored on just its second shot with a power play tally with 7:44 left. With the puck sliding toward the blue line, Lee skated in and kept it in the zone. He had enough space to skate into the slot and unleash a quick wrister that found its way through screen and by Poussard.

“I had a wide open lane to the net, and I just put it in,” said Lee.

Lewiston had a power play with 2:44 left and produced some quality shots. Ben Wigant had a bid from the high slot and Leeman burst by a defender for a try but MacDonnell made the stop on both.

After that power play opportunity went for naught, Lewiston earned another in the final seconds of the period. That carried over into the second, but Lewiston couldn’t convert. The Blue Devils had two more in the period but failed to get the equalizer. Lewiston had just three shots in the period and was held shotless on the last man advantage, coming with 4:24 left.

“The effort was there,” said Belleau. “We skated with them. We didn’t get a lot of great scoring opportunities, but they only had a couple more than us.

“We gave ourselves a chance to win. I think we can build upon some things today. We can fine-tune things a bit, and we’ll be fine.”