LEWISTON — It didn’t come as easily this time, but the Greely Rangers are once again the best Class B boys hockey team in the state.
Saturday afternoon at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, the Rangers squared off with Old Town/Orono in the state final for the third straight season, but unlike last winter, when Greely rolled to an 8-0 victory, the contest was very much in doubt entering the third period.
Then Ryan Moore scored his second and third goals, and Jared Swisher came up huge with several clutch saves as the Rangers pulled away for a 5-1 victory and a repeat championship.
Greely (17-3-1) and won Class B for the fifth time – all since 2009.
“I’m just so happy for everyone,” said Moore, who also had an assist. “It’s a really good team win.”
Old Town/Orono (15-6-1) grabbed the early lead at 5:46, as Nate Young played a long pass off the glass to Gabe Talon, who got behind the defense and fired a shot past Swisher.
The Rangers weren’t rattled, though, and bounced right back to tie it at 8:39. Andy Moore set up Ryan Moore, his younger brother, for a wrister in front of the net that Old Town/Orono goalie Aiden Rand couldn’t stop.
“(Ryan) was fired up,” Andy Moore said. “He was ready today. You should have seen him at the house this morning.”
After the Black Bears failed on two power-play chances in the second period, Greely took advantage of a power play late in the period.
After Young was sent to the penalty box for hooking at 13:04, Greely went ahead 27 seconds later, as Chris Williams passed to Brooks Williams, whose long blast eluded Rand.
But the Rangers still had a lot of work to do.
Old Town/Orono came out strong to start the third period and had three good looks to draw even, but Swisher denied Adam Henderson, Young on a rebound, and then a backhand bid from Tanner Evans to preserve the lead.
“I just had to grind it out and get it done,” Swisher said. “The boys helped me a lot.”
With 10:05 remaining, Greely got some breathing room when Ryan Moore scored on a backhand, from Grasky and Andy Moore.
“Tyler made a great play to get it to the net, (the puck) came off the goalie’s stick, and I just pulled it to my backhand and flipped it home,” Moore said.
Moore completed his hat trick at 12:14, with his brother doing most of the work.
Andy Moore took the puck from Evan Dutil, raced up the ice, then as he was swarmed by two defenders, he set up Ryan Moore for the finish and a 4-1 advantage.
“I just knew (Ryan) would be there,” Andy Moore. “He was yelling for the puck and I got it there and he bodied the puck in the net.”
After a Black Bears penalty at 13:03, the Rangers punctuated their victory eight seconds later, as Ryan Moore set up Grasky.
“I thought it was going to be a high-caliber, tense, dramatic state championship game,” said Greely Coach Barry Mothes. “And it was a one-goal game until deep in the third period. We knew it would take a lot to get past (Old Town/Orono) today.”
The Rangers finished with a 32-16 shots advantage, went 2 for 3 on the power play and got 15 saves from Swisher.
Rand made 27 saves, but Old Town/Orono couldn’t score on four power-play opportunities.
“I’m extremely proud of these guys,” said Old Town/Orono Coach Chris Thurlow. “We started out 0-2 this year and we got better and better.
“We didn’t generate enough offense today. We’ve come back this year from being down and I thought we could again (today), but we didn’t have that jump in our step.”
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