The Cape Elizabeth boys’ hockey team finished off their performance in the 2007 Maine Hockey Invitational with a 5-2 loss to Miramichi Valley, N.B. on Dec. 28, at the Portland Ice Arena.

With the loss, the Capers went 2-1 in the three-day event, with wins over Tyngsboro, Mass. and Cumberland, R.I.

Leading Miramichi Valley was junior forward Robert Gallant, who scored in each period to earn a hat trick, and sophomore forward Matthew Stewart, who had a goal and two assists.

For the Capers, junior Sean Eubanks scored in the second period, and senior Max Foner scored in the third.

“We came out flat tonight in the first two periods and wound up down 4-1. Any time you’re down 4-1, it’s going to be pretty tough to come back,” said Cape Elizabeth head coach Jason Tremblay.

Miramichi Valley took a 2-0 lead in the first period. Matthew Stewart scored 11:43 into the period on a pass from junior forward John Mullin. They increased their lead just over a minute and a half later when Gallant scored his first of three, with an assist coming from Stewart.

Cape was able to score only 56 seconds into the second period, when Eubanks scored and made it a one goal game at that point, with assists coming from senior captain Peter Kelley and junior Zach Breed. Miramichi Valley roared back near the end of the period, when Gallant scored his second of the game, unassisted, with 6:30 left in the period, and again three minutes later when junior defenseman Evan Donovan scored on a pass from Stewart, making the game 4-1 after two periods.

Cape goalie Lincoln Jordan was pulled in the third period in favor of Jake Rosenfield after making 10 saves but allowing four goals.

“We adjusted a little bit in the third, and cut the lines down to two, between basically guys that wanted to work and guys that didn’t want to work. It’s just a message being sent in that third period,” said Tremblay.

After 11:40 of hockey, the Capers were able to find the back of the net, cutting Miramichi Valley’s lead to 4-2 when Foner scored, with an assist from Breed and junior defenseman Sam St. Germain. With just over three minutes remaining in the game, Tremblay pulled Rosenfield from the net to give the Capers an extra player on the ice, yet Miramichi Valley used the empty net to their advantage when Gallant scored his third with 11 seconds left in the game, finalizing the scoring at 5-2 in favor of Miramichi Valley.

“(In the third period), not counting the empty net, we outscored them 1-0, out shot them 15-4, and we only ran out 10 guys. So, it sends a message to the other guys that it can be done if they want to work for it,” said Tremblay.

“We played a good two games, but what disappoints you is coming into that third game, thinking you played the best game of the year yesterday, and then you come out flat. So, it’s the psychology of the game, and I told them it’s just as mental as it is physical, and you’ve got to show up every night,” he continued.

Cape will take some time off, and will continue their regular season against Maine opponents when they face Kennebunk on Saturday, Jan. 5.