Saint Dominic Academy goalie Gaston Fuksa celebrates as time runs out during Tuesday night’s playoff game at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston. Sun Journal photo by Russ Dillingham
LEWISTON — Gaston Fuksa had a performance of a lifetime.
The St. Dom’s senior goaltender made 52 saves as he carried his team to its first state championship appearance since 2015 with a 4-2 victory in the Class A North regional championship.
Saint Dominic Academy goalie Gaston Fuksa eyes the puck as it is tipped by Lewiston’s Tyler Marcoux during Tuesday night’s playoff game at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston. Sun Journal photo by Russ Dillingham
Fuksa made several spectacular saves throughout the game. It was an effort Dominik Hasek, who like Fuksa is a native of the Czech Republic and is one of the best goalies to ever play, would be proud of.
“He was a legend for Czech goalies. He was my hero my entire life,” Fuksa, a finalist for the Travis Roy Award, said. “But right now I am writing my story with this team.”
There was a sequence in the second period when Fuksa made a breakaway save, but the rebound went into the slot. Lewiston appeared to have a perfect rebound opportunity, but Fuksa slid post-to-post to make the second save.
In the third period, he made a header that would make soccer coaches proud.
“I just the saw the rebound and I just jumped and I stopped it,” Fuksa said.
Fuksa credits his teammates for playing good defense in front of him.
“It was really crazy, it could have been much more,” Fuksa said. “They helped me block many shots — I don’t know, 10 or 15 shots they blocked — they helped me with rebounds.”
Tuesday’s performance was just example of what Fuksa does on a daily basis.
“All week in practice, it starts that early,” St. Dom’s coach Bobby Parker said. “He showed it today by performing and taking care of business. He was a man amongst boys. I am so proud of him.”
By the end of the first period, in which he made 14 saves, Lewiston knew Fuksa had his A-game going.
“Probably late in the first, early in the second,” Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau said. “In the second, he made a bunch of saves. We had good looks, we had a traffic a lot times, second period we got away from it a little bit. Kids are holding their sticks tight, they are trying to find a way to get pucks to the net. Look, we did everything, we did everything in every facet of the game that we wanted to do.”
Fuksa was named the Sun Journal’s All-Region Boys Hockey Player of the Year after last season, Fuksa’s first in Maine. Parker hoped Fuksa would have a chance to play somewhere, whether it was back home to play or maybe somewhere in the United States, but didn’t think returning to St. Dom’s was an option.
“When I heard he was coming back to Maine and he wanted to come back to St. Dom’s, it meant the world to us,” Parker said. “I knew he was serious about getting to this game and winning the next one. He showed he could do it, he’s a great goaltender. In my eyes, he’s the best goalie in the state of Maine in high school hockey.”
Last year Fuksa backstopped the Saints to a regional championship berth and he made 37 saves in a 2-1 loss to eventual state champion Lewiston in overtime.
Fuksa knew he had unfinished business against the Blue Devils.
“After last year, I was trying hard to come back to St. Dom’s,” Fuksa said. “It was our goal to get to states.”
Lucas Pushard, who scored two of the Saints four goals, knows where his Travis Roy Award vote would go if he had one.
“He’s amazing goalie, we’ve worked with him for two years now. He’s the best, he’s the best in the league,” Pushard said. “He should win the Travis Roy this year.”
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