Brendon Croteau of Lewiston and Cam Nigro of Scarborough battle for the puck during overtime in Saco on Monday.
SACO — A late-season meeting between Lewiston and Scarborough on Monday night had the feeling of a postseason meeting.
The two teams will have to face off in the Class A state championship to make that happen, and both teams played Monday like they want to get there.
A potential state final will undoubtedly have a different result, though, as the Blue Devils and Red Storm played to a 1-1 tie at OA Sports Center.
“It was definitely a playoff feel,” Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau said.
The Red Storm (13-0-2) entered the game as the lone unbeaten team in Class A, while the Blue Devils (12-1-1) led Class A North with 12 wins and just one blemish.
“They’re a well-coached team, well-disciplined team,” Belleau said of Scarborough. “Their record speaks for itself.”
Scarborough drew first blood. Jack Callahan snuck out to the Blue Devils’ blue line and Matt Caron found him behind the defense with a long pass, which Callahan received and took in all alone for the game’s first goal with 2:31 left in the opening period.
The Red Storm nearly took that lead into the first intermission, but the Blue Devils evened things up with 33 seconds left. Jeromey Rancourt brought the puck into the zone on the counter attack, but his path to the goal was stopped by a Scarborough defender. Not to be denied, Rancourt carried the puck below the goal line, then fed Alex Robert for the tying goal.
“I didn’t like the way we came out in the first period,” said Belleau, who liked how his team responded to the Red Storm’s goal.
Both teams had plenty of power-play time in the second period to take the lead, but neither could. Scarborough started the period on the man advantage after Rancourt was called for cross-checking to end the first, but the Red Storm couldn’t capitalize. Neither could the Blue Devils with a two-man advantage, firing three unsuccessful shots at Scarborough goalie Ross LeBlond.
Lewiston dominated the chances in the third, outshooting the Red Storm 7-1, but the tied score stood and the game went to overtime.
The Blue Devils again had the edge in opportunities in the extra session, but neither team could come away with the victory.
“I thought we were sluggish for about one or two periods. I thought the third period we really took it to them, I thought the overtime we really took it to them,” Belleau said. “You got to really take advantage of your opportunities.”
The two teams will meet again next Monday in Lewiston. Belleau said he will be hoping for a different result.
“We got to put three good periods of hockey together to give ourselves a chance to win if we’re going to play successfully against good teams like Scarborough,” Belleau said. “We’ll get better, we’ll learn from it.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
Jeromey Rancourt of Lewiston is checked by Colin Hayward of Scarborough during the second period in Saco on Monday.
Kyle Morin of Lewiston attempts to a get a shot past Scarborough goalie Ross LeBlond during the first period in Saco on Monday.
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