Tigers skate to 2-2 tie with Scarborough

SACO — As it’s been proven this season, the Biddeford boys hockey team is evenly matched with the Scarborough Red Storm.

So much so, in fact, that both teams ended their contest on Saturday night in a 2-2 tie at the MHG Ice Arena.

Call it a case of finesse against gritty determination. The Tigers (5-7-3), who have uncharacteristically had trouble on the offensive attack this season, will once again reach the Western Maine Class A playoffs thanks to defensive play and strong goaltending by Jon Fields. Meanwhile, the Red Storm (11-2-2) have multiple scorers with more than 10 goals on the season. It also has four players with 15 points or more.

The Tigers play one more playoff contender in Falmouth before finishing the season with Kennebunk and South Portland. Scarborough was a good barometer to measure Biddeford’s playoff readiness, Biddeford coach Rich Reissfelder said.

“It gives us a good look at playoff matchups,” Reissfelder said. “We beat (Scarborough) in overtime last time. This one was real close in overtime. It’s good to know that with them, they have so many wins this year, we’ve only got five, but we can stack up real well against those teams.”

Biddeford beat Scarborough 2-1 in overtime on Jan. 28. Saturday night was another back-and-forth game.

Biddeford fired the first shot in the first period when Niklas Lemieux found an opening on a breakaway, beating Scarborough’s Dalton Finley and giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Taylor Reuillard and Stephen Comar were credited with assists on the play.

Scarborough answered back when Trevor Murray snuck a rebound past Fields to tie the game at 1-1.

“We took charge from the middle of the first period. I thought we really took charge and started beating (Biddeford) to the puck,” Scarborough head coach Norm Gagne said. “I told them to keep it going in the second, and we did. We really had some great chances.”

The Red Storm kept the pressure going into the third period, taking the lead when Jack Rousselle connected on a top-shelf, backhand goal past Fields, giving Scarborough a 2-1 lead. A mere four minutes later, Biddeford tied the game when Comar knocked home a backhand rebound past Finley to tie the score at 2-2.

Biddeford had multiple chances to score in overtime, including a stab at a loose puck by Mario Lemieux near the net, which Finley found and knocked away, as well as a last-second attempt at the net by Comar, who was stoned by Finley, ending the game in the tie.

“We couldn’t get a bounce down low out there,” Reissfelder said. “We had some good looks. I think the boys worked really hard to get those looks. Once we start finishing, we’ll be dangerous.”

“Fortunately at the end, my goalie came up big,” Gagne said. “We came through with it and he made some big stops.”

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