LEWISTON — The only thing that could stop the Lewiston boys hockey team against St. Dom’s on Wednesday night was the plexiglass at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

With 13:17 remaining in the second half (boys hockey is playing halves this year because of COVID-19 protocols), after a check near the St. Dom’s bench, a player’s skate blades hit a nearby pane of plexiglass, causing it to shatter.

A Milan Lucic like check caused this. Still 8-0 Lewiston #mesports #VarsityMaine pic.twitter.com/iAOv9EqB2y

— Nathan Fournier (@jrhockeywriter) March 4, 2021

The Colisee staff said it would take at least an hour to fix, so the decision was made to call the game with the Blue Devils up 8-0.

“Everybody was hoping to play the 13 minutes, but I wasn’t going to wait an hour,” St. Dom’s coach Dan D’Auteuil said. “They were talking an hour before anybody could (fix it). It doesn’t make sense for (the players) to sit here that far out, get stiff, and someone is going to get hurt. It’s not going to be beneficial to the kids.”

Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau is disappointed for the seniors on both teams that the game’s entire 46 minutes weren’t played.

“The teams from St. Dom’s and Lewiston have a limited schedule, it’s limited to 12 games — fortunately, these things don’t happen too often, but they can happen at an ice rink,” Belleau said. “It’s extremely unfortunate the staff wasn’t available to fix this in 15-20 minute like they have been in the past.

“The only disappointment I have for the kids on both sides. Our seniors aren’t going to play St. Dom’s again. St. Dom’s seniors aren’t going to play Lewiston again. … To have them not finish a game is extremely disappointing.”

The Blue Devils managed to score often in the limited time, led by sophomore Tanner Anctil, who had two goals and two assists, and freshmen Cody Dionne, who finished with two goals and an assist. All eight Lewiston goals were scored in the first half.

Anctil opened the scoring eight minutes in, off assist by Dionne and Pelletier. Anctil assisted on Mason Beaudoin’s goal two minutes later. Daxton St. Hilaire also recorded an assist.

Anctil’s father, Scott, died last Thursday of Frontotemporal dementia. Scott Anctil was a former Lewiston player and longtime hockey official.

“You can’t really appreciate it unless you are a part of our program, these kids care about each other,” Belleau said. “We hold each other accountable, but we want to be successful, but when a kid is having a tough time — that’s an unimaginable loss that he’s dealing with — he’s surrounded by his buddies, surrounded by his teammates. They all come to work together. For him to respond the way he (has) this week, there’s no words to describe that, but he enjoys being here, he enjoys being around his teammates.”

Nearly a minute later at the 10:51 mark Pelletier found the back of the net to give Lewiston a 3-0 lead. Dionne earned another assist on the goal.

Dionne scored the next two goals for the Blue Devils. His first goal, which was unassisted, came at the 11:12 mark. His second goal came two-plus minutes later off an assist by Cooper St. Hilaire.

“We were just passing really good,” Dionne said. “Like coach said, we were coming off a good practice and we were moving the puck well since the beginning of the game.”

Ethan Blue, Anctil and Connor Wolverton capped off the scoring for Lewiston.

The Saints couldn’t find their footing after falling behind early in the game.

“We seemed to almost panic and implode after the first goal,” D’Auteuil said. “The whole period they were talking to each other and no one was really working, they just kind of stopped, no effort, no heart.”