LEWISTON — As 7- and 8-year-olds skated during the Mite championship game Friday, grandmother Peggy King of Auburn was on her feet.

“You guys can do it! You know you can do it!” she yelled out, clapping and smiling.

At the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Friday, fans of the two teams didn’t take up many seats compared to the size of the arena, but those fans were loud.

‘Skate! Go after it!’

King was cheering on grandson Hunter King, 8, and his Lewiston Junior Maineiacs Red Mite team during the 39th annual Lions Tournament.

It’s the longest-running youth hockey tournament in New England, said Jamie Bannister, secretary of the Lewiston-Auburn Youth Hockey League. During the past week, 423 players spent their February vacation on the ice. Parents, grandparents and assorted family members juggled work schedules or took the week off.

“It’s a wonderful, exciting game,” said King, who was wearing two photograph buttons of her grandsons. Her son, Jamie King, is a coach and played growing up. “He was one of the best,” she said.

As she spoke, the score was 5-2; the other team was winning. “We have time,” she said.

King was excited that the Red Mite team had made it to the championship. “The tournament has been awesome all week,” she said. “Good games; good wins.”

Sitting around her were her sister, her daughter, brother-in-law and, a few seats back, her ex. “We all get along,” she said.

On the other side of the ice were the Black Mite fans. Among that crowd was Helen St. Hilaire, a grandmother of nine. Of those nine, eight played in the tournament.

“It’s exciting,” St. Hilaire said, showing off the water bottle she turned into a noisemaker by adding beads. “The noise supports the team. The kids like it.”

‘Let’s go, Black! Good job!’

A Franco-American, St. Hilaire loves hockey. Her brothers played. Her sons played and now they coach. “It’s fun for the kids and keeps them busy.”

As she talked, the other team scored. “Awwwww,” she groaned. “We’ll get it back.”

Before long, Nathan Marcotte got a breakaway and scored. Over the speaker came the sound of a foghorn with music celebrating the glorious goal. Fans jumped to their feet cheering, putting their bells, horns and voices into action.

Parent Kathy Cloutier, who was doing a lot of yelling, acknowledged her voice was hoarse. A first-year Mite mother, she’d been cheering all week “with a bunch of fun, crazy moms I hang out with.”

‘Skate up! Defense!’

Her friends are the other parents. “You become a hockey family,” Cloutier said. “You move in a pack. You make friends. The kids make friends. If you live in Lewiston; you play hockey.”

Her twins, Charlotte and Max, 7, are on the team. Her husband coaches.

She made the games this past week without changing her work schedule. She works nights, getting out around 2 a.m., and getting up at 7 a.m. “Sleep is for wussies,” she said.

With one minute left in the game, the score was 6-2. The Black Mites team had the lead and was in front of the net. With 10 seconds left, they scored again.

The horns sounded, announcing the game was over. The Mites skated to their goalie and piled on.

After names were called and individual trophies awarded, officials handed coach Earl St. Hilaire a big trophy. He gave it to his players.

Holding it up as if it were the Stanley Cup, the Mites skated around the rink to the song “We Are the Champions.”

On the final day of the tournament, the scene was replayed with championship games of other divisions: the Atoms, Mini-Mites, Squirts, Bantams and Peewees.

Mite Black players Camree St. Hilaire and Brie Dube, both 8, said winning was exciting.

Spencer Berube, 7, who had rosy cheeks and a smile that showed his adult teeth would soon be coming in, said he’s been playing hockey for three years. The veteran said the key to the game is, “You have to know how to pass and back-check.”

His favorite part?

“Scoring. It’s fun.”

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