LEWISTON – After three disappointing losses to open the season, the Maineiacs looked better Sunday. The passes were more crisp and the skates carved a bit deeper into the ice. The result, however, still has not changed.

A couple of missed assignments and a couple of huge plays by a Boston Bruins’ draft choice assured Lewiston that it would have to wait at least five more days for its first win of the season.

Benoit Mondou, an eighth-round draft choice by the Bruins in this year’s NHL draft, notched the game-winning goal on a short-handed breakaway with 9:25 remaining as the Shawinigan Cataractes spoiled a solid effort by the Maineiacs and skated away from the Central Maine Civic Center with a 3-2 win.

The loss drops the Maineiacs to 0-4, while Shawinigan improves to 3-1.

Mondou also assisted on the game-tying goal two minutes earlier.

The Cataractes’ final two goals came on missed assignments and missed checks. With the Maineiacs leading 2-1, Steve Holland, playing in his first game for Lewiston, pinched to the right side boards. For a moment it appeared as though a fight would develop along the boards, but when no whistles blew, Mondou picked up the puck and rifled a quick pass past the only Lewiston player back on defense, forward Maxime Robert. Jonathan Jolette slid the puck behind Lewiston netminder Matt Davis to tie the score.

“I think their third man stepped up behind me,” said Holland. “Everything was escalating on the boards and then it just stopped.”

“I read the play pretty well, but I think I over-committed,” said Davis. “I was still thinking shot when he slid it to the far side.”

Two minutes later, Mondou raced after a loose puck in the Maineiacs zone with defenseman Bob Gates. The two arrived at the same time, but instead of taking the body, Gates tried to play the puck. With the stick work of an NHL draft pick, Mondou sidestepped Gates and pushed the puck back to the middle of the ice. All alone, he shook twice to the left and lifted the puck from his backhand over Davis’ outstretched pad.

“It was the same move he made earlier on a breakaway,” said Davis. “I got him then, but I just missed this one.”

The night started auspiciously for the Maineiacs. With an increased level of intensity, the fans were in the game from the beginning. At 9:27 of the first period, Lewiston scored the first goal on Alexandre Picard’s interception of a pass at the blue line. Picard put a wrist shot low to the glove of Cataractes’ goalie Julien Ellis for the 1-0 lead.

Five minutes later, Shawinigan tied the score on a scrum in front. Marek Hascak pounded home a loose rebound to knot the score.

The score remained tied through a rough second period, during which 82 minutes in penalties were called, including three misconducts on three key Shawinigan players.

“We played well on the penalty kill all night,” said Shawinigan coach Denis Francoeur, whose team killed 10 of 11 power plays. “And to score a goal on it to win the game, that was a big plus.”

Lewiston re-energized the crowd with a goal 3:24 into the third period, and again it was Picard, this time on the power play. Picard tipped in a shot from the point by Jonathan Paiement.

The lead lasted five minutes before Jolette tallied the equalizer.

Lewiston has a pair of home games coming up against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Friday, and again on Sunday against Quebec.

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