Players to Watch: Lewiston — Sr. F Kyle Morin, Jr. F Jeromey Rancourt, Jr. D Brad McLellan, Jr. G Jacob Strout; Scarborough — Sr. F Matt Caron, Sr. F Cam Nigro, Sr. G Ross LeBlond, Sr. D Eric Murray.
Matchup: Lewiston and Scarborough finished the regular season as the top teams in their respective regions — Lewiston in the North, Scarborough in the South. Yet in two regular-season matchups neither one could claim to be Class A’s best team. That debate will be settled with much more on the line: a state championship. The game is a classic example of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. The Blue Devils scored 106 goals during the regular season, and regularly rolled out four talented forward lines. The Red Storm gave up just 39 goals in 18 regular-season games, and a 1-0 victory over Falmouth in the South regional final showed the kind of game Scarborough wants to play. Yet both teams can also play the other’s game. Lewiston allowed 30 regular-season goals, and Scarborough has seven players with double-digit points. The regular-season draws were by 1-1 and 4-4 scores.
Fun Facts: Each team has a Travis Roy Award semifinalist, in Lewiston’s Kyle Morin (13 goals, 14 assists) and Scarborough’s Matt Caron (14 goals, 20 assists). Caron was also named a finalist for the award … Lewiston’s Jeromey Rancourt and Scarborough’s Cam Smith each scored 12 goals as juniors. Both are in the top three on their respective teams in that category … Both teams won state titles in 1995 — Lewiston in Class A, Scarborough in Class B … Scarborough coach Norm Gagne coached Lewiston for three years, and his Blue Devil teams advanced to the state final each year … Scarborough assistant coach Jake Brown played for Lewiston during Gagne’s tenure … The two schools met in the Class A boys’ soccer state championship this past fall, with Lewiston winning 1-0.
Overview: Lewiston has experienced plenty of heartbreak in recent postseasons, while Scarborough rid itself of its own playoff woes last year in beating St. Dominic Academy. The Red Storm will look to keep the game low-scoring — like it did in the 1-1 tie on its home ice — and the Blue Devils will to take advantage of the multitude of shots they’re likely to take, as shown by the 4-4 draw at Androscoggin Bank Colisee. Morin and Caron are tone-setters for their teams, as much for their attitudes and work-ethic as for their skills. Gagne and Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau both have a championship pedigree. Scarborough scored first in both regular-season meetings, so an initial Lewiston lead could be a difference-maker. Whichever team dictates tempo and style will have the upper hand.
Prediction: Lewiston
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