AUBURN — Sitting on the playoff bubble, the St. Dom’s boys hockey team knew how significant a win over Scarborough on Wednesday would be to the Saints’ postseason hopes.
The Saints’ effort just came up short as the Red Storm, the defending Class A state champions, defeated St. Dom’s 5-4 at Norway Savings Bank Arena.
“It was a crucial game. I can’t fault the kids,” St. Dom’s coach Dan D’Auteuil. “They played their hearts out and I think we played our best game of the year. We just couldn’t get those bounces to go our way. They skated hard, they played hard, they did everything they could to get that victory.”
St. Dom’s (7-10) entered the game as the No. 9 team, the last team that would make the playoffs, in Class A Heal point standings — just behind Lewiston and just ahead of Biddeford.
Wednesday’s game also was important to Scarborough (11-5), which is battling for the third seed with Edward Little, which defeated Cheverus/Yarmouth 3-0 earlier Wednesday.
“We talked about how they have been close in a lot of games and they battle hard,” Scarborough coach Eric Wirsing said of St. Dom’s. “We had to be ready to go, and we don’t want to take any team lightly because we aren’t in that situation where we can do that. We knew coming in they are a good team to play against.”
Olin Peterson scored an early goal to give the Red Storm a 1-0 advantage. Griffin Denbrow doubled the lead nearly seven minutes into the first period.
The Saints bounced back and scored three straight goals. Tim Ouellette scored 8:29 into the opening period. Curtis Wheeler scored a wrap-around goal on a power play, tying the game at the 11:50 mark.
Ouellette scored his second game goal nine seconds after Wheeler’s goal, giving the Saints a 3-2 lead.
“The funny part is I was still talking about the other goal and I didn’t know we scored,” D’Auteuil said. “I didn’t see it because it was so quick.”
William Marcotte found the back of the net in the final two minutes of the first period, tying the game for Scarborough.
“Talk about momentum shifts, we hop out quick, get a couple of nice goals, and they took advantage of the power play opportunities and get three back on us real quick to put us back on our heels,” Wirsing said. “Fortunately, we were able to battle back and get a tie.”
St. Dom’s took its second lead of the game early in the middle frame when Erik Jones controlled the puck with his feet and put it in the half-open net.
Marcotte then tied the game at 4-4 with a goal for Scarborough just past the four-minute mark of the second period.
Marcotte led the Red Storm with two goals and an assist but had to leave the game late in the third period when he and Jones collided, knee-on-knee. Jones received a five-minute major for the hit.
Malik Elkhatib gave the Red Storm a 5-4 lead late in the second period, beating Saints goalie Jayden Lynn (23 saves).
Wirsing said it was a well-developed play that started in the neutral zone and advanced into the offensive zone.
“It was a nice play, getting zone entry and the support we had with the second and third (forwards) with guys coming in,” Wirsing said. “Malik being in a good spot and putting that goal away.”
St. Dom’s had power play opportunities in the third period but couldn’t get anything by Scarborough goalie Keegan Weed (31 saves.
D’Auteuil said the Saints changed things up while they were on the man advantage in an effort to create scoring chances.
“We changed our power play, we put big Luke Davidson in front of the net, and that seemed to work a little bit. We had a couple of chances and we almost put in,” D’Auteuil said.
The Saints went 1 for 5 on power plays, and the Red Storm were 0 for 2,
St. Dom’s has one more opportunity to make sure they are in the postseason when they host Falmouth (13-2) , the top team in Class A next Wednesday.
“Every game is a playoff (game). It’s win or lose,” D’Auteuil said.
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