AUBURN — For the third time this season, the St. Dominic Academy Saints girls’ hockey team shut out the Lewiston/Monmouth/Oak Hill Blue Devils, but on Saturday, the game appeared closer than the 6-0 final.

The Saints’ victory in the Northern Maine semifinals propels them into the regional final Wednesday night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

“We are really proud of them, that’s what I just said (in the locker room),” Lewiston coach Ron Dumont said. “Obviously, if you look at the 6-0 score, if you are not educated in what’s going on, you may say that was a drubbing. Based on the experiences on the last two times we played, the plan was to hang in and compete as long as we can. I am real proud of them. They had a couple (of goals) at the end there, but you get to a point where you are tired and worn out.”

In the first game of the season between the teams, the Saints defeated the Blue Devils 7-0 at the Colisee, and on Jan. 30 they won 9-0 at Norway Savings Bank Arena.

St. Dom’s coach Paul Gosselin knew going into the game the Blue Devils were going to give his girls their money’s worth.

“We told the girls before (the game), historically playoff games are a little closer and a little bit tighter,” Gosselin said. “I saw a couple games last Wednesday and they were tight. We expected the teams to come and play and play tight and they did.”

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The Saints dominated the first period, outshooting the Blue Devils 13-2, but only had one goal to show for it. There was a scrum in the Blue Devils’ goal crease and Lexie Kesaris got a stick on the puck and jammed it home at the 4:51 mark.

“Shot selection was one thing and I think the goalie played very well,” Gosselin said. Meagan (Gosselin) had a great game and made some nice saves.

Meagan Gosselin made 28 saves for the Blue Devils while Payton Winslow stopped 14 shots for the Saints.

“We definitely leaned on her a lot,” Dumont said of his goaltender. “We are still a team growing, and she has come through for us all season. That was my expectation here and she did make big saves. It could have gone south really quick if she had not.”

St. Dom’s (17-2-0) extended its lead early in the middle frame when Meagan Gosselin couldn’t control the rebound on an Avery Lutrzykowski shot. The puck went right to Bugsy Hammerton, who, standing on the goal line at a tight angle, shot the puck into the net.

The Blue Devils (11-8-1) had a better second period and Corinne Laberge had two great chances. Her second chance was on a partial breakaway, but she only had one hand on the stick when she shot the puck. Winslow made the easy save.

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“(Laberge is) a senior, she’s been carrying the bulk of the load for the forwards and Bree Bergeron on the back end,” Dumont said. “We didn’t sustain a lot of pressure, but she made a couple of bids there. Again with a little puck luck that goes in. To St. Dom’s credit, they were cleaning it out after the first shot so we didn’t get much for rebounds.”

Isabel Frenette extended the Saints’ lead before the teams went to the dressing room for the second intermission as her shot from the slot tipped off of Gosselin’s glove and trickled into the net. The goal came with 4:19 remaining in the period.

All game long, Emma Theriault was trying to go end-to-end from her defensive position. She succeeded in the third period to give the Saints a 4-0 lead 3:59 into the period.

“She had a great rush and she sniped one in the top corner, it was nice,” Paul Gosselin said.

Theriault set up Dasha Fons at the 12:24 mark of the third for the Saints’ fifth goal, and with 1:31 remaining, Callie Samson found Tia Rotolico in the slot for the sixth.

St. Dom’s will face Greely in the Northern Maine final Wednesday evening at the Colisee, the second game of a regional final doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.

nfournier@sunjournal.com


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