L/A Nordiques’ Sergei Anisimov and New England Stars’ Michael Cooprider battle for control of the puck at Sunday afternoon’s Hockey game at the Colisee in Lewiston. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)

L/A Nordiques’ Andrew McCormick and New England Stars’ Hinter Norris chase the puck aroudn the back of the net during Saturdays hockey game at the Colisee in Lewiston. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)

LEWISTON — Sunday’s game was the L/A Nordiques third in three days, while the New England Stars had been sitting idle since Wednesday. The Nordiques reached down in their reserve tank for a 4-2 victory in front of 457 fans at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee to earn the weekend sweep and improve to 17-1 on the season.

The Nordiques were in full control of the game until midway through the third period, when they were leading 3-0. The lead quickly diminished to 3-2.

On the Nordiques third power play of the game, it would be the Stars who capitalized. Zachary Cormier scored a shorthanded goal coming at the 7:17 mark of the final stanza to put the Stars on the board. Connor Barter, who recorded the lone assist on Cormier’s goal put New England within one at the 10:44 mark.

After Barter’s goal, Nordiquest coach Cam Robichaud used his timeout and made sure his players, the Stars, the fans and the popcorn vendor heard what he had to say.

“I know for sure coach Robichaud ripped into us,” Nordiques defenseman Donovan Tehan said. “That was pretty loud, I am pretty sure everyone heard (it). Sometimes, you need that fire lit under your butt a little bit. That’s what he provided for us.”

Robichaud knew the Stars were going to make a push back, telling his team that’s the style of hockey they like to play. Robichaud said he hasn’t seen a team in junior hockey who have made as many comebacks as the Stars.

“To be honest with you, what fired me up the most wasn’t because they scored, it was how they scored,” Robichaud said. “It was because we had individuals who weren’t trying to play our team systems and they were on their own page. I saw a sequence where two, three guys do that back-to-back and the puck ended up in the back of the net. That’s what kind of got me a little fired up and I think I added a little extra oomph to my delivery because it seemed like we were a little flat.”

Robichaud wanted his team to play their systems against the Stars and not freelance because it was their third game in three days. Passing the puck was going to work much better than trying to skate through all three zones.

Sanchez calmed things down as he gave the Nordiques a 4-2 lead by going to the backhand in front of the crease.

Sanchez returned to the lineup after missing a month with a wrist injury.

“It was my (third) game back and I was (excited to get back),” Sanchez said. “Like I said, coach was getting us going, I just listened to what he said.”

After a back-and-forth start, the Nordiques took advantage of the game’s first power play. The puck was moved around in the offensive zone by Colby Audette and Donovan Tehan to Andrew McCormick, who was standing the middle of the Androscoggin Bank logo just inside the blue line.

McCormick wasted no time with a slap shot for the power play goal at the 13:59 mark to give the Nordiques 1-0 lead. The Nordiques were 1-for-4 with the man advantage while the Stars were scoreless on their four chances.

It was a quick start in the second period for the Nordiques as Joe Bisson gave L/A a 2-0 lead while charging down the left half wall. Tehan and Audette were in on the play again with the assists.

“We did well in the first and we outshot them pretty good,” Robichaud said. “In the second we swung it around there to extend the lead. 3-0 coming into the third. Some of the guys came off the gas a bit and thought they were all set.”

Zack Mullen made it 3-0 as Matthew Marini couldn’t swallow up a Josh Sanchez shot. Mullen came crashing to the top of the crease to put home the loose puck. The goal came with 6:50 remaining in the middle frame. Tehan notched his third assist of the game with a secondary helper.

Robichaud, like he did with all of his players this past week, sat down with Tehan one-on-one to discuss how Tehan can get better. Tehan took those words to heart as he was named the game’s first star

“In mine, he told me I needed to get to the (half) wall and beat everyone to the puck,” Tehan said. “It doesn’t matter who’s coming, throw a body, do something, get the boys going. Today and this whole weekend, I was working really hard on what he said and really focusing in on what he said, trying to get the job done.”

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