The Class A and B state title high school hockey games were played on Saturday afternoon and evening at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston. In Class A, it was Saint Dominics Academy facing Biddeford, while in Class B it was a re-match of last years final game between Old Town/Orono and Greely, won by OTO in overtime.
In the Class B game Saturday afternoon, the Ramblers of Greely scored three first period goals and led 5-0 after two periods, and cruised to an 8-0 win over OTO.
Greely (19-2) got off to a fast start, getting an Evan Dutil goal 2:14 in, and a powerplay goal from Jackson Williams less than two minutes later to make it 2-0. Jake MacDonald capped off a big first period scoring shorthanded halfway through the opening 20 minutes to make it 3-0.
Despite two powerplays in the second period Old Town/Orono still couldn’t get on the board, and Greely extended the lead when MacDonald scored at 2:33, and Ryan Moore made it 5-0 just over seven minutes into the middle period. Peter Latanzzi, Macdonald, and Andy Moore scored third period goals as the Rangers won their fourth state title, with MacDonald finishing with a hat trick.
OTO finishes 15-6, getting 17 saves from starting goalie Kohle Parker and five saves in relief for backup Aiden Rand. Jared Swisher stopped all 14 shots he faced for Greely. Greely also claims a third state title in a major sport in eight days, as the Rangers girls and boys basketball teams claimed gold balls last Friday in Augusta.
Saturday night, the Class A state title game took center stage. The Saint Dominics Saints got goals from four different players to end a 19 year state title drought, with a 4-2 win over Biddeford.
Dominic Chasse made it 1-0 Saints at 6:55 of the first period. With two minutes left in the first, St Doms goalie Gaston Fuksa robbed Tigers leading scorer Nick McSorley with a glove save. Biddeford tied the game in the second when Trenton Ouellette scored unassisted at 7:16. Lucas Pushard regained the Saints lead 1:02 later with a powerplay goal, to give St Doms a lead they would never give back. Leo Naous scored at 13:56 to give the Saints a 3-1 lead after two periods.
Trevor Ouellette scored to get Biddeford back within 3-2 at 6:57 of the third on the powerplay. The Tigers were forced to pull their goalie with 1:47 left, and the Saints Jacques Ouellette made a steal and slid one in from center ice for his first goal of the season to wrap up the win in the waining minute of play.
Saint Dominics Academy (16-4) wins their record 26th state title, their first since 2000. The Saints had lost in their last five state title game appearances. Fuksa made 28 saves, including stopping 15 of 16 third period shots as the Tigers were pushing to tie the score outshooting the Saints 16-5. Biddeford (15-7) finished as the runners-up for a second straight season.
