LEWISTON — Gunnar Wade found the magic spot.
The Lewiston senior fired a shot over the shoulder of St. Dominic Academy goalie Gaston Fuksa and under the crossbar, scoring 1:28 into overtime to lift the Blue Devils to a 2-1 victory over the rival Saints in the Class A North boys’ hockey regional final Tuesday at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
It’s the third straight regional title for the top-seeded Blue Devils (18-2), who will be playing for the third-consecutive state title Saturday against South champion Biddeford at the Colisee.
The Blue Devils began the game on a torrid pace, but Fuksa was turning away shot after shot. It wasn’t until Ryan Bossie was able to get some room for a shot from the point that Lewiston was able to score. Evan Cox fed Bossie, whose rip from the left found its way past Fuksa 10 minutes into the game.
Fuksa kept it a one-goal game, if just narrowly, when he stopped a shot by Dustin Larochelle on the goal line three minutes later. Video replay upheld the call.
Fuksa made a pair of left leg saves in the final minute, keeping it a 1-0 game heading into the second, despite a 13-4 edge in shots on goal for the Blue Devils.
The third-seeded Saints (10-9-2) shrunk that shot disparity early in the second period, thanks to five shots on goal during a power play. Yet Lewiston goalie Conrad Albert was up to the task to deny them all.
St. Dom’s wasn’t nearly as proficient on its second power play of the period, with no shots finding their target. The Saints had two second-period power-play goals in their regional semifinal win over Edward Little.
The teams traded off close chances in the third. Cam Dionne hit the post for Lewiston less than three minutes in, while Dominic Chasse and Hunter Hughes both had good chances stopped by Lewiston goalie Conrad Albert just over two minutes later.
The Blue Devils had a chance to double their lead on a power play midway through the period, but Fuksa turned away a half-dozen shots, including consecutive shots from Bossie at the right point and the left circle.
Those missed opportunities left the door open for the Saints get back in the game, and they walked through that door with just over five minutes left. Chasse’s flip from the left circle was re-directed in by Jaden Webster, tying the game 1-1 with 5:10 left.
Chasse nearly gave the Saints the lead with less than two minutes left, but Albert secured the save on Chasse’s open shot from the slot.
The Blue Devils had their own chances to avoid overtime in the final minute. Evan Cox had a seemingly open shot at Fuksa off a faceoff, but a broken stick sullied the shot attempt, then Fuksa had to turn away three close-range shots in the final seconds of regulation.
Albert made a kick save on a Chasse shot a minute into overtime, and Webster just missed wide on the rebound attempt.
Wade and Sam Frechette then skated up the other way on a 2-on-1 and Frechette drove the defender away so Wade could have a 1-on-1 chance with Fuksa.
Fuksa stopped 37 of 39 shots, while Albert made 17 saves for Lewiston.
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