Lewiston is one game closer to the Memorial Cup final after taking a 3-1 win from Medicine Hat in their first game of the tournament Saturday. Sebastien Piche, Stefan Chaput and Eric Castonguay had goals for Lewiston, and Jonathan Bernier made 30 saves.

58.7 seconds to play in the third: Faceoff to Bernier’s left after an icing call on Lewiston.

1:25 to play in the third: Keetley goes to the bench for a sixth skater.

2:50 to play in the third: Medicine Hat had a decent chance on Bernier, but shot wide. Faceoff in the Tigers’ zone.

4:58 to play in the third; A harmless Lewiston chance is reviewed, and ruled no goal. OIt appeared Keetley may have slipped across the line with the puck, but there was no clear evidence on the TV replay.

5:33 to play in the third: Lewiston isn’t doing much beyond playing solid hockey, and minimizing the risks. Medicine Hat can’t seem to get anything inside in the Maineiacs’ zone.

8:01 to play in the third: Lewiston has killed off the Medicine Hat PP, holding the Tigers without any solid scoring chances throughout. Bernier continues to play solid in net for the Maineiacs.

10:43 to play in the third: Lewiston back to the PK after a roughing call to Marc-Andre Crete. Medicine Hat is 1-of-4 on the PP to this point.

11:43 to play in the third: Jonathan Bernier makes two great saves and then plays two minutes with a regular players’ stick after losing his in a collision with a Medicine Hat player. The Maineiacs have been back on their heels since the end of the PP, but have not broken. Lewiston is now 2-for-7 on the PP.

15:15 to play in the third: Lewiston again to the PP after contact from Gord Baldwin after the whistle against a Maineiacs’ forechecker.

17:43 to play in the third: Lewiston comes back down the ice after a HUGE save by Jonathan Bernier on a 2-on-1 SH rush and finishes off a perfect 2-on-1 of its own. Stefan Chaput finished a perfect feed from Stefano Giliati, right to left across the crease. Bernier earned an assist on the play.

19:02 to play in the third: Lewiston back to the PP after a penalty to Kris Russel as he hooked Kevin Marshall down.

19:59 to play in the third: Maineiacs and Tigers are back at it at the Pacific Coliseum for Period 3.

After two periods, the Maineiacs came back to take a 2-1 lead on goals from Sebastien Piche and Eric Castonguay, though the team may have suffered a big loss off the scoresheet. Marc-Andre Cliche hobbled off the ice clutching his left arm after a hit in the right offensive zone corner.

1:56 to play in the second: Play has ratcheted down a bit after both teams played through the 4-on-4 situation.

5:46 to play in the second: Teams will skate 4-on-4 as Stefano Giliati drew a high-sticking call on David Schlemko.

5:52 to play in the second: Lewiston will go shorthanded as Pierre-Luc Faubert snags a Medicine Hat player in the face with his stick while fighting for the puck. medicine Hat is 1-for-3 on the PP on the game.

7:56 to play in the second: Sebastien Piche has given the Maineiacs a 2-1 lead witrh a rebound goal to the left of the net on a shot by Stefano Giliati.

9:38 to play in the second: The second media timeout of the period. Cliche has not returned to the bench, but trainer Tom Bourdon has. Cliche might be done for the day.

10:37 to play in the second: Lewiston killed off the penalty to Piche, and Bernier made his best saves of the game on a 1-2 sequence to his right side.

13:24 to play in the first: Lewiston is back on the PK after a penalty called to Sebastien Piche. Medicine Hat is 1-for-2 on the PP so far. Lewiston is 1-for-4.

16:09 to play in the second: Marc-Andre Cliche is out of the game after taking a hit in the right corner and crumbling. He went off unable to move his left shoulder as he cupped his elbow with his right hand.

16:49 to play in the second: Simon Courcelles tipped a nice shot from the point into Keetley’s chest., The Maineiacs are again on the PP.

18:20 to play in the second: Lewiston has tied the game at one on an Eric Castonguay goal at the right side of the net. Chris Tutalo shot the puck, and Castonguay pounced on the rebound to the right side of the net.

19:21 to play in the second: Lewiston is on the PP after a penalty to Daine Todd for hitting from behind.

19:59 to play in the second: The puck has dropped for Period 2, and play is under way.

The extended between-periods time was useful for Lewiston, which was run over in the first period, generating very little from inside of 25 feet. The Tigers outshot the Maineiacs 11-8, and many of the Tigers’ chances have come from in close. The Maineiacs are playing a team that can match their speed.

After the first period, the Maineiacs fell behind 1-0 on a goal from Darren Helm, who banged a rebound past Jonathan Bernier at 8:20 of the opening period on a Medicine Hat power play. The Maineiacs have generated just one shot on two power plays. They are 0-for-2 with the extra skater.

2:01 to play in the third: Lewiston back to the power play late in the period, as Derek Dorsett takes a holding penalty.

3:50 to play in the first: Lewiston had its best chance to tie the game when Perron and Faubert just missed on some nice shots from outside that were tipped. Keetley mad two solid saves.

5:42 to play in the first: Lewiston’s four shots on net so far have all come from outside of 20 feet. The team is unable to penetrate the Medicine Hat defense.

6:03 to play in the first: Lewiston is having trouble establishing any kind of rhythm, and are being beaten up in the center zone.

8:20 to play in the first: Medicine Hat strikes first, as Darren Helm banged a rebound past Bernier on a shot from the point by Derek Dorsett on the Tigers’ power play. Medicine Hat leads, 1-0.

9:11 to play in the first: Lewiston will again go shorthanded. Caught running around in his own zone, Maineiacs’ Stefan Chaput took a penalty, to send the Tigers to a second power play.

10:01 to play in the first: Lewiston killed off the Medicine Hat PP, thanks to some solid work by Jonathan Bernier.

12:01 to play in the first: Lewiston will go shorthanded on an ill-advised hit by Chad Denny, which earned him two minutes in the box. Medicine Hat to the PP.

12:09 to play in the first: The first media timeout, and neither team has established dominance. David Perron dazzled the crowd during the PP with a nice move, but Pierre-Luc Faubert was unable to reach the pass to finish.

13:12 to play in the first: Lewiston futile on one PP. Medicine Hat kills its penalty. No score.

15:12 top play in the first: Medicine Hat takes the first penalty, No. 18 goes off for tripping. Maineiacs on the PP.

15:19 to play in the first: Another involuntary icing by Medicine Hat. Lewiston hasn’t been good at winning faceoffs yet.

16:39 to play in the first: Icing against Medicine Hat. Faceoff to Keetley’s left.

17:16 to play in the first: Lewiston and Medicine Hat each with a good scoring chance early. Eric Castonguay missed an open net for Lewiston at their end.

19:59 to play in the first – The teams are playing hockey, the game is under way.

Opening ceremonies pushed back the start of the game by a few minutes. Three members of Canada’s armed forces escorted the Memorial Cup trophy to center ice as part of those festivities, and each player heard his name called.

10:00 before faceoff. Lewiston and Medicine Hat have submitted their official list of scratches.

Out for Lewiston are No. 47 Danick Hudon-Paquette, No. 48 Patrick Cusack, No. 5 Alex Beaton, and No. 4 Tom Michalik.

Out for Medicine Hat are No. 23 Jordan Hickmott, No. 24 Mark Isherwood, No. 27 Shayne Brown, and No. 28 Brotten Cameron.

Starting in net for Medicine Hat, as expected, is 20-year-old Matt Keetley, and for Lewiston, No. 1 Jonathan Bernier.

After a week of fidgeting like a second-grader who’s afraid to ask to use therestroom, one of high anticipation during which the Lewiston Maineiacs ran through hard practice after hard practice just to stay fresh, the spotlight will finally shine on the team, and on the town from which they hail.

With 30 minutes to go before gametime, the teams have taken the ice for their warmups. The Maineiacs are in their home white sweaters, trimmed in ble and grey. The Medicine Hat Tigers and in black sweaters, trimmed in orange and white.

In last night’s Game 1, Vancouver parlayed an overtime goal by Kenndal McArdle into a win on home ice to kick off the tournament. McArdle’s shot — set up by J.D. Watt from the left corner behind the net — beat Plymouth Whalers’ goaltender Michal Neuvirth to the short side.

Lewiston will face Vancouver in the third game of the tournament Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, cries, whoops and yells from the cavernous hallways of the Pacific Coliseum could be heard high above the rink in press row about an hour before game time. The Maineiacs were playing ball again.

Head coach and GM Clem Jodoin continued to play off the importance of the tournament beyond calling it a “big tournament.”

It’s another game, it’s four more wins we need, Jodoin told reporters. The puck drops at 1 p.m. Pacific, 4 p.m. Eastern.

Stay tuned to sunjournal.com for all of the very latest from today’s game.

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