Girls hockey: Area teams hitting their strides heading into the playoffs

The three Lewiston-Auburn girls hockey teams are confident heading to the playoffs, which begin on Wednesday.

After losing four straight in the middle of January, fourth-seeded St. Dom’s (11-7) is riding a three-game winning streak, including two big wins over Brunswick last week.

“We have some good momentum going. I think the team is playing at a good pace, positioning well and goaltending has been sound, and defensively — it’s been working out pretty well,” St, Dom’s coach Paul Gosselin said.

The Saints will host No. 5 Winslow/Gardiner/Cony/Messalonskee/Lawrence/Erskine/Maranacook (9-9) on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. at Norway Savings Bank Arena.

Gosselin didn’t expect to be hosting a playoff game at the beginning of the season.

“We always hope that happens, but being realistic, I wasn’t sure, being such a young team,” Gosselin said. “It’s tough to know how they were going to respond, but they have done really well. We deserve that playoff game at home.”

Lewiston/Oak Hill (10-8) has won eight of their final 10 regular season games and is the North region’s sixth seed.

The Blue Devils lost 5-4 to Falmouth/Scarborough in overtime to end the regular season, but coach Scott Laberge said it provided a postseason-like challenge.

“Our game Saturday was a perfect way to go into the playoffs, with a little overtime game,” Laberge said. “It gave them the taste of what playoff hockey is going to be about against a decent team. Hopefully, we go in with the same effort as we did on Saturday.”

Lewiston will take on the third-seeded Brunswick (9-9) on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. at Sid Watson Arena.

“Seeing how St. Dom’s had success against Brunswick the last couple of the games, we are hoping to use their blueprint and see if it works for us,” Laberge. “Basically, the way we are looking at it is we are going to play Brunswick the similar way we played Penobscot and focus on defense and clogging up the (shooting) lanes, all five players in the zone until the puck is out. See what we can get for offense after that.”

In the teams’ only meeting of the season, the Dragons defeated the Blue Devils 8-0 in the third game of the season. Laberge said the Lewiston players feel like they are a different team than they were on Dec. 6.

“One of the girls brought it up, ‘We are playing are playing much better and we didn’t play a good game when we played them,'” Laberge said. “They are in the mindset — of course, they are going to be nervous — but they are ready for the challenge.”

Seventh-seeded Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland (8-10) has had a tough schedule to end the season, facing a handful of the top teams in the state down the stretch.

The Red Hornets will take on No. 2 Brewer/Bangor/Hampden/Hermon/John Bapst/Old Town/Orono (14-4) — better known as the Penobscot Pioneers — Wednesday at Penobscot Ice Arena in Brewer at 7 p.m.

“The road back to the state championship is through Brewer and Yarmouth,” Red Hornets coach Dana Berube said. “You are going to have to beat one of those teams.”

Berube said that every team making the playoffs this year gives the Red Hornets another week with each other.

“Whatever happens, it will be good learning for the girls returning for the program; and for the seniors, we have a couple more days with them, and that’s a great thing,” Berube said.

The other playoff game in North region is top-seeded Yarmouth/Freeport (14-4) taking on No. 8 Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse/Medomak (1-17) Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Travis Roy Arena.

STAGS TEAM TO BEAT IN SOUTH

The defending state champions, No. 1 Cheverus/Windham (15-1), are in good position to go back-to-back.

“In the South, you have a couple of teams there,” Berube said. “Cheverus is probably a team to look at. But Portland/Cape has a very talented club, as well, and Gorham has done a really good job improving their program over the last couple of years.”

The Stags have a regional quarterfinal bye and will take on the winner of No. 4 Falmouth/Scarborough (9-9) and No. 5 Biddeford/Thornton/Wells/Kennebunk (8-10).

Second-seeded Gorham/Bonny Eagle/Massabesic/Fryeburg/Lake Region/Westbrook (12-6) hosts No. 7 Greely/Gray-New Gloucester (1-16-1) on Wednesday at USM Ice Arena at 7:20 p.m.

No. 3 Portland/Deering/Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete takes on No. 6 York/Traip/Marshwood/Noble (3-14-1) at 4 p.m. at Troubh Ice Arena in Portland.

Beyond Cheverus/Windham, teams have been beating each other up throughout the season.

“It’s been up and down,” York co-op coach Sadie Wright-Ward said. “There have been a lot of splits between all the teams in the middle. It’s girls high school hockey — the reality is any team can win on any given night. You just show up and hopefully give your best game.”