LEWISTON — A quick start. That’s what Yarmouth/Freeport wanted in Saturday’s girls hockey game against Lewiston.

The Clippers had the start they wanted, scoring three times in the first period of a 7-1 victory over the Blue Devils at The Colisee.

“As our coach says, come out fast, and that’s what we did today,” Yarmouth/Freeport freshman forward Celia Zinman said.

The victory gives the Clippers (14-2-1) 14 wins, which matches a program record for wins in a season. They went 14-5-1 in the 2013-14 season and will have a chance to break the school record Monday when they host Portland/Deering.

Zinman had two goals and two assists for the Clippers, and Rosie Panenka potted two goals.

Eight players recorded points for Yarmouth/Freeport.

“We got three lines that can go right now, which is good,” Clippers coach David Intraversato said. “It’s something we have been working on all year, is getting those three lines going and having that depth is really good for us.”

Lewiston coach Scott Laberge is taking the small victories as the team finishes 10-8 in the regular season. The playoffs start Wednesday.

“We were down 7-0 going into the third and we said, ‘Let’s go win the third,’ and we did,” Laberge said. “This is how we approach the playoffs — we win a period at a time.”

Lewiston is likely to finish as the sixth seed in Northern Maine. Yarmouth/Freeport is in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the region.

Zinman opened the scoring in the first minute of the game with a blast from the right circle, beating Lewiston goalie Kim McLaughlin (28 saves). Panenka and Amanda Panicioco had the helpers.

The goal came from where NHL star Alexander Ovechkin has scored most of his 812 career goals.

“We called it ‘Ovi’s office’ because they had girls set up from that spot a lot,” Laberge said. “They were trying to move the puck around (McLaughlin). The first two or three goals were shots from that spot or a rebound from that spot.”

Sophia Smith scored in the slot, giving the Clippers a 2-0 lead midway through the first.

“Coming out strong is something that we have been working on,” Intraversato said. “Scoring on the first few shifts there was very important for us.”

Saide Carnes jammed home the puck past McLaughlin at the 11:26 mark of the first stanza.

Panenka scored twice in the first four minutes of the second period, giving Yarmouth/Freeport a 5-0 lead. Zinman had assists on both goals.

Zinman then potted her second tally of the game 9:42 into the second period. Carnes notched her second assist of the game and Panenka added to her point total with an assist.

Zinman plays like a veteran, according to Intraversato.

“Celia cycles well; she’s always around the puck,” Intraversato said. “She’s always in the right space for her teammates to give her a pass. She buzzes the net really good and is really great on the forecheck. She’s always the first one in the zone. For a freshman, she’s playing like an upperclassman.”

Chloe White’s unassisted tally 10:17 into the middle frame gave the Clippers a 7-0 lead.

Lewiston broke Ava Gervais’ (five saves) bid at a shutout in the third period when defender Avaya Desjardins’ blast from the point went top-shelf. Taylor Melvin had the assist.

“She has a bullet,” Laberge said of Desjardins. “In practice, she never misses, but she doesn’t have the confidence to use it in games. We have been on her to take that shot. She has whiffed on a lot of them, but it’s good to see her get rewarded.”

The goal came on the power play. The Blue Devils went 1 for 2 on the man-advantage. The Clippers didn’t have any opportunities on the power play.

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