Maine Hockey Journal

Defending champs return to regional finals

(PHOTO: RAM Sport)

(PHOTO: RAM Sport)

LEWISTON – Defending Class A champions Scarborough Red Storm came down heavy for a 4-1 win over the Cheverus Stags in the Class A South semifinal game at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

The Red Storm move on to play the Falmouth Yachtsmen Tuesday in the Class A South regional final.

With a power play opportunity and their goalie to the bench for an extra attacker down by two goals, the Stags could only muster a single shot on goal that was blocked away by Scarborough goalie Ross LeBlond.

“We did have out chances on the power play, and I got frustrated watching a little bit,” said Dan Lucas, head coach of the Stags. “We weren’t together on the power play, and we had chances.”

Matt Caron put the finishing touches on the 4-1 victory when he scaled the puck down the ice and into the empty net from his own defensive zone.

“I thought that Matty Caron was a great leader for us today,” said Scarborough’s head coach Norm Gagne. “He had some really good shifts out there that just lost the puck at the last second that he could have had a couple of goals, but they shut him down overall. That was big for them on their side.”

Preceding Caron’s final tally was Skylar Pettingill’s insurance goal to put the game out of reach. Pettingill jammed at the puck that was in the pads of Jason Halverson and found the back of the net with 11:35 remaining in the game to take a commanding 3-1 lead. Cam Smith had the assist on the play.

The Red Storm brought out the heavy artillery when they outshot the Stags 11-2 in a scoreless first period. They had two quality chances in the stanza.

With 10 minutes remaining in the first, Scarborough’s Matt Caron skated in alone on a breakaway. Cheverus’ goaltender Jason Halverson made a diving poke check to knock the puck off of Caron’s stick.

With 2:50 to go in the period, Caron had another opportunity in close when he turned and fired a quick shot that surprised Halverson. The puck clanked off of the bottom of the metal post and deflected to the corner boards.

After one, the score was still knotted 0-0.

“You’re getting frustrated you’re peppering this guy, and he’s doing a heck of a job,” said Norm Gagne. “The kid played a really good game.”

It seemed inevitable that the Red Storm would solve Halverson, and the puck finally got behind him just under the 10-minute mark in the second period.

Senior captain Matt Caron won the faceoff back to Cam Nigro, who quickly wristed a shot over Halverson’s blocker-side shoulder.

“Matt just won it clean perfectly onto my stick, and it was on its edge, and I just took a shot as hard as I could aiming for the net and got lucky I guess, found the back of the net,” said Nigro of his goal.

Cheverus got on the board with 6:27 remaining in the second.

Sophomore forward Jesse Pierce caught a pass from Jesse Cyr-Brophy and gave Scarborough’s goaltender Ross LeBlond a head fake to get him out of position. Pierce saw an opening in the top left corner of the goal and sniped a shot that clanked off of the crossbar and dropped into the net. Garrett Dion had the secondary assist on the play.

However, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Nearly a minute and thirty seconds after the Stags tied the game, Scarborough reclaimed the lead.

Defenseman Colin Hayward took a slap shot from the left point that went through a few pairs of skates and was redirected into the net by Cam Smith’s stick. The goal gave the Red Storm a 2-1 lead.

“We’re trying to keep it tight, trying to keep it close. The first part of the game I thought we did a pretty decent job,” said Dan Lucas.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login