LEWISTON — In a regional final rematch Thursday night, St. Dominic again defeated Greely to capture its second straight girls’ hockey North title.
St. Dom’s shut out Greely 4-0 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee and will take a 20-0 record into its bid for a repeat state championship.
The Saints will take on Falmouth (16-4) in the state final at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Colisee.
Greely ended its season with a 17-3 record – all three losses were to St. Dom’s. The Saints beat Greely 5-4 in last year’s regional championship game.
“Greely is a good team,” St. Dominic Coach Paul Gosselin said. “We’ve had a couple close games with them. When it comes to playoffs, it always gets a little bit tighter.”
The Saints beat Greely twice in the regular season – first in their opener on Nov. 26 (8-0) and again on Feb. 2 (3-2).
This time the teams appeared evenly matched through the first period, which St. Dominic finished with an 8-6 edge in shots on goal.
“For some reason when we don’t score five goals in the first period, people ask us what’s wrong,” Gosselin said with a chuckle. “I guess it’s a good thing to be asked that.”
Greely’s Ellie McGillicuddy, left, and Courtney Sullivan, battle with St. Dominic’s Alexandra Hammerton during the first period.
St. Dominic entered the regional final averaging eight goals a game but was stymied in the first period by Greely goalie Veronica Todd, who stuffed the Saints on five breakaways throughout the game.
“After the first couple breakaways we got a little down on ourselves,” said Isabelle Frenette, who notched a goal and an assist. “The nerves kind of settled after that first goal.”
The Saints took the lead with 11:18 left in the second period when Kristina Cornelio scored her first of two goals with a slap shot from the point on a Frenette assist.
“I was down low and I knew they were going to crash on the person with the puck,” Frenette said. “So I just let it go back to her.”
“That first goal was crucial,” Cornelio said. “I think that opened the floodgates, and we got our momentum from that.”
Less than two minutes later, Frenette added another goal – unassisted and short-handed – to make it 2-0 with 9:39 left in the period.
Greely threatened to close the gap. With less than two minutes remaining in the second, Courtney Sullivan fired off a shot that St. Dominic goalkeeper Payton Winslow blocked, before Victoria Lattanzi tried to put away the rebound. But Winslow made another save to keep the Rangers scoreless.
Greely goalie Payton Winslow makes a save during the second period.
“Usually the teams we play aren’t as strong as Greely,” Winslow said. “So I have to adjust to how many shots I’m getting compared to other games.”
The Rangers fired off five shots on goal in the opening six minutes of the final period while allowing the Saints just two.
But Avery Lutraykowski of the Saints sealed it with 4:29 left. She wove through Greely defenders and tapped the puck past Todd for an unassisted goal.
Cornelio scored the final goal on a Katya Fons assist after the Rangers pulled their keeper with 1:52 remaining.
St. Dom’s outshot Greely, 28-22. Todd finished with 24 saves and Winslow totaled 22 for the Saints.
“It’s tough sometimes because we have some games where there are not a lot of shots,” Gosselin said of Winslow. “But she made the big saves when we needed her.”
Taylor Vortherms can be contacted at 791-6417 or
tvortherms@pressherald.com
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