TOPSHAM – This week, like the entire boys’ lacrosse season, has been a series of close shaves for Lewiston High School.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, they keep getting nicked.

Dylan Bousquet-Smith tallied two of his four goals in the second quarter Thursday night, giving Mt. Ararat High School a multiple-goal lead that the Eagles nursed to the finish of a 10-7 victory.

Six different players scored for the Eagles (8-2), who dealt the Devils (4-5) their second heartbreaking road loss to a more highly ranked opponent in three days. Lewiston fell 6-5 Tuesday at Brunswick.

Mt. Ararat, meanwhile, has made a habit of winning these toss-up tangles to improve drastically upon a three-win regular season in 2008.

“We’ve done well playing at a level where we’re intense but keeping our head,” said Mt. Ararat coach Matt Haskell.

There were chances for both teams to lose their mind in an intense second half, most notably a brief scuffle that broke out in the final minute of the third quarter.

After peacemakers and offsetting penalties prevailed, Mt. Ararat carried a 7-5 lead into the fourth. The Eagles withstood seven minutes of nearly continuous play in Lewiston’s attack zone before Will Bouchard and Bousquet-Smith scored back-to-back goals to put it away.

“The game started to dissolve a little bit, emotions were high, and we were able to keep our heads,” said Haskell.

Bousquet-Smith’s strike was a laser from just inside midfield into an untended net.

“The first time we played Lewiston, we won, but it was tight,” said Bousquet-Smith. “We played on the turf at Bates. It was a fast-paced game, and we were tired. This time we played on a field that’s a bit slower, and we played smart.”

Bouchard provided two goals and an assist for the Eagles. Josh Richards, Nick Parsons, Nick Dempsey and Scott Dumas each added a goal and an assist.

Seth Mason, Erik Bonawitz and Jake Poisson all connected for Lewiston in the third period. Mt. Ararat goalie Dan Toth answered the Devils’ persistent pressure by making five of his nine saves in the fourth.

“Matt Haskell has the hardest-working team in the KVAC,” said Lewiston coach John Brubaker. “He’s got them playing at a very, very high level. There’s a lesson for the rest of the league in the way he has his team playing, especially in the part of the season we’re headed into.”

Bonawitz and Mason topped Lewiston with two goals apiece. Jake Poisson produced a goal and an assist, with Sam Cloutier and Devin McLellan each adding a goal.

Jesse Leeman made six saves for the Devils.

McLellan’s toughness on face-offs typified Lewiston’s fighting spirit to the final horn. Brubaker wants to see that personality from his team on a more consistent basis – particularly when things aren’t going according to plan – as Lewiston prepares to finish up the season with Messalonskee, Edward Little and Oxford Hills.

“If (Mt. Ararat isn’t) playing well for a stretch, they just keep going hard. And if you keep going hard, good things happen eventually,” Brubaker said. “They kind of have short memories. If they miss a shot or they miss a pass, they forget about it and worry about the next play. We could all learn a lesson from that.”