LEWISTON — People will see just the score a few weeks or years from now and write it off as a blowout, but Skowhegan played right with St. Dominic for two full periods.

The shots were about even and St. Dom’s had a two-goal lead to start the third period. A third goal opened the floodgates, and the Saints scored four times in seven minutes on their way to a 6-0 victory in an Eastern A boys hockey quarterfinal Tuesday night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Trailing 2-0 early in the third, the Indians fell behind 3-0 on a top-shelf goal by St. Dom’s forward Caleb Labrie with 13:17 left.

“We got psychologically deflated when they scored the third one,” Skowhegan coach Jeff Fowler said. “We started the third in good shape. We were focused. We were ready. When they scored the third, it was a goal that we could have prevented, and we didn’t, and it was just deflating.”

Labrie’s goal, his second of the game, was followed two minutes later by one from Kyle Holtet off a nice drop pass from Brad Berube. A few minutes later, goals by Holtet and Dillon Pratt 29 seconds apart made it 6-0, St. Dom’s.

“We let them have the puck a lot, and we just had to make our game simple and get the puck in their zone,” Berube said.

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Both teams worked out their rust and nerves in the first period. Skowhegan goalie Sam Edmondson stuffed Austin Roy and Berube on close-range shots, but Labrie sneaked one through with 6:47 gone in the first period to put the Saints up 1-0.

“Sam battled,” Fowler said. “He made some big saves in the first and second period. He kept us in it.”

Skowhegan had 45 seconds left on a power play to start the second period, and that jump-started the Indians’ best stretch of the night. St. Dom’s goalie Austin Christopher (13 saves) denied Chase Nelson twice, and made four saves in the first two minutes of the period.

“In the second period, we out-shot them 7-4,” Fowler said. “We should have buried one — the goalie made a good glove save on one of them. We had the puck in their zone for at least a minute and a half, it seemed like. We were pressing, and we were all over them for a short time, and we couldn’t bury it. If you don’t capitalize on your chances, it gets a little frustrating as the game goes on.”

Berube scored to make it 2-0 midway through the second period, and the Saints were able to hold on until breaking through in the third. Skowhegan had another power play in the final minutes of the second period, but got only one shot on Christopher in those two minutes.

Fowler reminded the players about four big moments during the season: A nine-game winning streak, and victories over Waterville, Hampden, and Maranacook/Hall-Dale/Winthrop.

“After that we just had tough luck against Brunswick, tough luck against Cony,” Fowler said. “And today, we couldn’t bury the puck.”

Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
mdifilippo@mainetoday.com
 


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