PORTLAND — Cheverus/Kennebunk pulled its goalie and scored one goal, but the Stags needed another.

Lewiston held on for a 3-2 win in a showcase of the state’s top girls’ hockey teams Saturday afternoon at Troubh Arena.

The Blue Devils scored two goals just 46 seconds apart at the end of the second period to take a 3-1 lead, which proved enough. Gemma Landry had a goal and two assists, and Sara Robert and Madison Conley also scored for Lewiston.

Abby Lamontagne and Zoe Mazur scored for the Stags. Mazur’s goal came with 32 seconds left. Cheverus managed two more shots, but Camree St. Hilaire made the last two of her 10 saves.

Lewiston outshot Cheverus 27-12. Trinity Atwater made 24 saves for the Stags.

Lewiston (6-0) and Cheverus (6-1) are the favorites in their respective regions. The teams meet again Jan. 5, and if predictions come true, would play in the state final on Feb. 18.

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“That was a big test,” Landry said. “It gives us a lot of confidence, but we can’t get over our heads.”

Landry is one of nine sophomores on a young Blue Devils team, which also has six freshmen. Lewiston was young last year, too, when it was the top seed in the North but lost in double overtime to Greely/Gray-New Gloucester in the regional final.

“We had a good team, but that opened our eyes,” said sophomore defenseman Grace Dumond, one of two returning All-State players, along with St. Hilaire, a junior.

“We’ve worked hard this year, and we think this year is going to be great.”

To prove it, Lewiston needs to beat Cheverus, last year’s state runner-up. The Stags have lost key players to injury but return Lamontagne, an All-State forward.

“She’s really good, and we had to watch her the entire game,” Dumond said.

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Cheverus controlled play early but got few shots on net. Lewiston broke through on a 2-on-1 breakaway when Landry fed Robert at 7:07 for a 1-0 lead.

Early in the second period, Lamontagne broke free twice, but she hit the crossbar, then was denied by St. Hilaire. Lamontagne got open a third time, however, and scored between St. Hilaire’s pads for the equalizer at 3:27.

Cheverus had a chance to take the lead late in the period, but St. Hilaire made two solid plays, first poking away the puck, then making a sliding pad save.

The Blue Devils regained the lead in transition. Dube passed to Landry, who skated deep into the left circle and scored at 13:17.

Less than a minute later, Robert passed from behind the net and Conley buried it for a 3-1 lead.

The Stags, who used mostly eight skaters, were fatigued.

“We were doing a really good job at the beginning of the second period,” Cheverus coach Scott Rousseau said. “Then, the end of the period we had a few bad mistakes in the neutral zone and we got stuck with tired defensemen a long way from our bench.”


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