AUBURN — Whenever Lewiston needed a goal, Ava Geoffroy provided one.
The senior defender scored all of the Blue Devils’ goals in their 3-2 victory over St. Dominic/Winthrop/Monmouth on Saturday at Norway Savings Bank Arena.
Lewiston coach Scott Laberge said Geoffroy’s willingness to shoot paid off.
“All three goals were big goals,” Laberge said. “The biggest thing was trying to get our girls to put more pucks on net, shoot, shoot, shoot. They are so tentative shooting sometimes, they are always looking for a perfect shot. Ava’s are good examples, they weren’t 100 mile-per-hour slap shots and they were in the right place at the right time.”
The Saints (3-6) spent most of the first period in their offensive end. They kept shooting pucks on Lewiston goalie Kim McLaughlin — who stopped 22 shots in the game — but the senior did her best to withstand the pressure and didn’t panic.
“It was really busy, but I knew we’d get by it,” McLaughlin said. “It’s hard to describe; I always have this trust in the first period and I know we will get by it when we talk to the team. We de-stress and it is easier to play on the ice.”
Nearly 10 minutes into the first stanza, Aiva Dorman’s shot from the left circle snuck through McLaughlin’s five-hole and gave the Saints a 1-0 lead. Gabby Allen set up the goal.
St. Dom’s coach Paul Gosselin wanted the Saints to end more low shots on McLaughlin, like Dorman’s, throughout the game.
“You want to shoot low and hope for rebounds, deflections, take her eyes away,” Gosselin said. “Unfortunately, we have a young team, and they were shooting up high and we were falling into her strong point.”
Geoffroy put Lewiston (7-3) on the board in the final minute of the first, skating into the offensive zone and sliding the puck past Saints goalie Abrianna White (14 saves).
“I blocked a shot, and I saw my chance and I took it,” Geoffroy said. “I knew I’d get by the girl as long as I protected the puck, and I took my chance. I cut across the net and it managed to go in.”
Geoffroy continued the momentum in the early second period and gave Lewiston a 2-1 lead by scoring off a turnover in the slot.
Laberge said the Blue Devils are working on creating turnovers in practice, and Geoffroy capitalized on her chance.
“We have been working on that and getting our (defense) because we have a couple strong (defensive players) who can move with the puck and can jump those passes,” Laberge said. “She read it perfectly and had a lot of open ice in front of her.”
St. Dom’s evened the game 2-2 nine minutes into the second period when Dorman found Isabella Pelletier at the backdoor for an easy tap-in goal.
Gosselin was impressed by Dorman’s performance.
“She was the player of the game,” Gosselin said. “A pretty high note for an eighth-grader, and we were pretty happy with her.”
Once again, Geoffroy broke the deadlock with a goal early in the third period, scoring from the high slot for a 3-2 Lewiston lead.
Fresh legs coming out of the second intermission helped Geoffroy and the rest of the Blue Devils.
“We had our 10-minute break. I know I needed it and I know the rest of the girls needed it; we were getting a little tired,” Geoffroy said. “For me, it was to come out hard no matter what, come out hard in the third period and get a shot off early. That kind of gives you a head start.”
McLaughlin held off the Saints by stopping three shots in a row with about two minutes remaining in the game. A late penalty by St. Dom’s kept Lewiston in the offensive zone for the remainder of the game.
McLaughlin was glad to see that power play after making those key saves.
“Having that power play, it’s going from a high-stress to relaxation within a second,” McLaughlin said.
Lewiston was 0 for 2 win the power play, and St. Dom’s went 0 for 1.
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