After a double-overtime loss to Scarborough in the Class A boys’ hockey semifinals last season, the South Portland/Freeport/Waynflete co-op team got a second chance Wednesday to reach its first state championship game.
The Red Riots team didn’t let the opportunity go to waste.
South Portland/Freeport/Waynflete, the No. 5 seed, got two goals apiece from Tobey Lappin and Hewitt Sykes and 32 saves from senior goalie Jasper Curtis to produce a shocking 5-1 victory over top-ranked Falmouth at Cross Insurance Arena.
The Red Riots (12-8) ended Falmouth’s 17-game winning streak and advanced to take on No. 2 Thornton Academy in the program’s first-ever state final, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Cross Arena.
“I told the guys before the game that a lot of famous athletes don’t get a second chance and you guys did,” said Joe Robinson, now in his 16th season as South Portland’s coach. “We’ve talked about last year’s loss a lot and I told the guys coming into the playoffs that no one wanted to play us.”
After Falmouth goalie Brandon White denied a couple early bids, South Portland took the lead at 6:59 of the first period. Ian Wright’s shot from the right point hit the far post, but Brady Angell was there to send in the rebound.
In the final minute of the period, Lappin skated in on a breakaway but was denied by White. Then at the other end, Curtis made his best save of the period, robbing Aaron Higgins on the doorstep.
After killing a Navigators power play midway through the second period, South Portland doubled its lead at 9:18, as Sykes finished from Ben Stanley.
Falmouth (17-3) answered 52 seconds later. Curtis made a nice kick save on a shot from Higgins, but Thomas Healey backhanded the rebound into the net.
That set up a pivotal sequence at the end of the period. The Navigators went on the power play with a chance to pull even, but with just 11.3 seconds to go, Casey MacVane won the puck in South Portland’s offensive zone, fought off a defenseman and fed Lappin, who steered the puck past Wright to make it 3-1.
“(Casey) battled. He did all the hard work and I just finished it off,” said Lappin.
Lappin struck again, assisted by Seth Cloutier, 3:58 into the third period. Sykes’ second goal, assisted by Stanley, capped the scoring at 7:39.
“I’ve never hit the weights harder after (last year’s loss), so it feels really good to get back here and to win,” Curtis said.
Falmouth got 23 saves from White, but lost for the first time since a 4-3 defeat against South Portland in its second game of the season.
“They were the better team tonight,” said Navigators Coach Deron Barton. “There’s no other way to frame it. They got the bounces. They worked hard and executed their game plan, and they were successful with it.
“Our success speaks for itself. There’s a lot to learn from this season, and this experience will be a lesson for next year’s kids.”
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