Joshua Lessard of Thornton Academy tries to keep the puck from David Woodford of Cheverus on Saturday during their Class A South semifinal at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald)
LEWISTON — Thornton Academy coach Michael Roux said the first goal of the game between his Golden Trojans and Cheverus was going to be “huge.”
And while the Trojans had the first chances for that first goal, the Stags scored it.
Jackson Wilson scored the first goal of the game — and the last — and top-seeded Cheverus skated away to a 5-1 victory over No. 4 Thornton in a Class A South boys’ hockey semifinal Saturday at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
Cheverus face No. 3 Biddeford in the regional final Tuesday.
The (14-4-1) Stags survived a first period which saw them get out-shot 8-1, but the game was scoreless after 15 minutes.
“It hurt a little bit,” Roux said. “We played what we wanted to do, and we as coaches all said the first goal was going to be huge. Especially when you play one of the best goalies in the state, that is (Jason) Halverson. It was not deflating, but we knew who got the first goal, that was more deflating when they got the first goal.”
It took just over two minutes into the second for the Stags to not only put a second shot on goal but to also put the first one in the net. Wilson’s shot from the right circle on an assist from Alex Brewer broke the ice.
Luke Church scored on the power play with less than three minutes remaining in the second to make it 2-0 heading into the third.
Cheverus coach Dan Lucas said that wasn’t a comfortable lead, even the way his team was playing defense.
“This is the playoffs, anything can happen,” Lucas said. “It’s one shift, one period at a time, and just go until it’s over. It’s tight all the way to the end right now. Anything can happen.”
Church scored with the man-advantage again four minutes into the third period, banking a rebound of a Justin Ray shot off the post and in.
“We moved it around, we tried a few things differently, and we had a couple of openings that we were able to take advantage of, and guys could finish. So that always helps,” Lucas said.
The Golden Trojans (12-8) ended the shutout with 6:21 left when Chandler Bilodeau rushed on a counter-attack and scored a shorthanded goal.
“We knew there was still, at that point, six minutes left … so I think it fired up the bench,” Roux said. “(Bilodeau) has been an unreal player for us.
“We had a good chance coming back. We just needed to keep on pressuring and pressuring them. And we did. We had plenty of opportunities and Halverson played really well.”
The Stags rounded out the scoring with a goal by Ray on a delayed penalty with 2:30 left and an empty-net goal by Wilson with 13 seconds remaining.
Jason Halverson stopped 27 of 28 shots for the Stags, while Seth Dube made 17 saves for the the Trojans.
“(Jason) has got a mind for these games. The kid, he just lives for that moment,” Lucas said. “And he doesn’t get rattled.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
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