LEWISTON — No one has had a better place from which to watch St. Dominic Academy’s undefeated run to the girls’ hockey state championship game than Payton Winslow.
But that’s been both a blessing and a curse for the Saints’ junior goalie, who has faced fewer shots in some games this season than the number of goals her offense has scored.
“It’s obviously hard because I have to always pay attention, because the other team can always get breakaways, or they can come down and shoot at random times,” Winslow said. “I can’t, like, zone out.”
“One of the tough things for Payton is that there’s some games where she sees three shots, and other games where she could see a tough 15. And that requires a lot of focus,” St. Dom’s coach Paul Gosselin said. “When she first got here that was a little bit difficult for her, but now I think she’s actually matured and managed to deal with that at a much better level.”
It’s a nice problem to have for the Saints, who are looking to win back-to-back state titles.. But not every game has been a blowout, especially in the playoffs.
Last year, the Saints had to win one-goal games in the regional and state finals to cap off an impressive season. That put more pressure on then-sophomore Winslow.
“I like pressure sometimes,” Winslow said. “I think it makes me play better.”
St. Dom’s domination has been even greater this season, going 18-0 during the regular season, and now 2-0 in the playoffs leading to Saturday’s state final. Winslow has given up only 18 goals in those 20 games, including nine shutouts. She hasn’t given up more than three goals in one game, and she’s given up more than one just five times.
“I have to give a shout out to my defensemen. I think that Payton gets some credit for the goose eggs, and I think we put up a lot of goals, but I got three D that are fantastic, and it really starts with them,” Gosselin said. “That foursome back there is really strong for us.”
While the Saints’ high-scoring offense does its part to keep possession at the opposite end of the rink from Winslow, when play does come her way the defensemen in front of her have helped limit the shots she faces.
“They’ve helped a lot. Our defense is really good. They can get the puck out when they need to,” Winslow said. “They also block shots, which is really nice. They’ll go in front of it so I don’t have to face it.”
Winslow admitted that sometimes she hopes to face some shots in what she called “boring games” for her. But in a show of the maturity Gosselin has seen in her, Winslow makes sure she’s ready for a shot even when her team is at the other end taking them.
“Just like moving with the puck as it goes makes it easier,” Winslow said. “I can pay attention and move back and forth, or watching it and always knowing where the puck is when it’s down in the other end.”
It wasn’t always this way for Winslow, who started as a freshman two years ago on a rebuilding team that lost in the first round of the playoffs.
“It was hard, the transition, because I go from getting so many shots during the game to getting like five or like six,” Winslow said. “It was hard to transition, but once it happened it’s gotten easier.”
Winslow still faces a lot of shots, but many of those happen in practice, or warmups before games.
“The nice thing about our team is that every day we get to practice with Payton. We’ve got a pretty talented forward group, and they can shoot, so she sees a lot of pucks in practice,” Gosselin said. “So when it gets to game time, her physical attributes are there, it’s just getting her mental game in, and she does a good job with it.”
Winslow said she likes the competition she gets facing her own teammates.
“It’s good because they’re good shooters. And they know where I’m weak, and they can pick those spots so that in games I’m better at them. They know how to make me better, and I know how to make them better,” Winslow said. “We always banter each other about it. I’ll save their really good shots, and they’ll do really good shots at me that go in, and we always joke about it.”
She’s also had to prove herself against some of the state’s best players on opposing teams, namely Scarborough’s Sami Shoebottom in last year’s state championship and Brunswick’s Jenna Brooks in this year’s regional semifinals, among others.
“She faced some real key players. Jenna Brooks is an excellent player, and (Greely’s) Courtney Sullivan can really score some goals,” Gosselin said.
She has one more objective this season this season: A win in the final game. She and her teammates will look to stop South region champion Falmouth in Saturday’s state championship. And Winslow knows she can’t just be a spectator on the ice at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
“There’s obviously a little bit of pressure, because of what we’ve done this season, and wanting to obviously win the (state championship). So it’s a little bit of pressure, but pressure’s always good,” Winslow said.
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
Payton Winslow before practice Friday night at the Colisee. Winslow is a goalie for St. Dom’s and is looking forward to tomorrow’s state championship.
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