Boys hockey: Lewiston overcomes Edward Little

AUBURN — A feisty Battle of the Bridge between Edward Little and Lewiston went down to the wire Wednesday at Norway Savings Bank Arena.

Colten Daniels notched the game-winning goal to give the Blue Devils a 3-2 win over the Red Eddies in Class A boys hockey action.

Daniels skated around the net before firing the puck past Red Eddies goalie Camren Dufour with 2:38 remaining in the game.

“I just saw an opportunity and I took advantage,” Daniels said.

Lewiston coach Jamie King said he doesn’t like Daniels taking those types of odd-angle shots.

“He has done that multiple times in the year,” King said. “l tell him it’s a low-percentage shot, but he found the back of the net. That was a nice shot.”

Red Edward Little coach Norm Gagne said the Red Eddies didn’t defend the goal line on Daniels’ game-winner.

“We got puck-watching on that goal that they had,” Gagne said. “The puck was in the corner on that backdoor. Whether it’s the (defensemen) or the weakside winger, (someone) has to be lined up on that back post so no one can get where that kid got.”

The Red Eddies had a late surge in an attempt to force overtime, but Lewiston goalie Gabe Pomerleau held his ground to secure the victory.

“We got the puck where we wanted to, we got some shots on net,” Gagne said. “I told them if you get pucks on the net it’s a possible goal. That’s what we tried to do. I was proud of the fact we battled well.”

Pomerleau credited the teammates playing in front of him.

“I thought we controlled the puck well in the third in the last minute,” Pomerleau said. “We were all over them for the entire game. They got their little breaks, but defensively we were all over them, and offensively we were all over them.”

Edward Little’s Ben Poulin scored the game’s first goal, stepping up from the blue line and unleashing a slap shot that provided the Red Eddies a 1-0 advantage midway through the first period.

“I thought Poulin and Avery Tyler, they played a great, great game. And (Breccan) Albert,” Gagne said.

The Blue brothers connected for the Blue Devils to tie the game later in the first period. Ethan Blue set up Dylan Blue for the goa;, and Cody Dionne picked up the secondary assist.

“We outshot them and they get their power play and they get their goal,” King said of Edward Little. “It was a good response from Dylan.”

Lewiston took a 2-1 advantage five-plus minutes into the second period when the puck deflected over Dufour and into the net. Cam Plourde got credit for the goal, and former Edward Little player Hayden Brown recorded the assist.

The intensity picked up in the second period with multiple penalties on both clubs. Pomerleau said the large crowd fueled the action on the ice.

“Both student sections were loud and the atmosphere is great,” Pomerleau said. “I love playing in those games.”

Freshman Avery Tyler scored the equalizer for Edward Little late in the second. Poulin assisted on the goal for his second point of the contest.

Gagne said the young Red Eddies probably should have converted on more opportunities than they did.

“I just wish we had a little more composure in certain situations,” Gagne said. “We put a lot of pucks on net and he gave us rebounds, and we just threw it back into the goalie. A year from now, those probably go in the net.”