LEWISTON — Joey White started it, and it spread from there.

Anton, Callahan, Fleurent (pick one, pick ”˜em both), Roy.

Soon enough, almost all the Tigers had three fingers pointing to the

Colisee roof.

A three-fingered salute. One for each of their Maine Class-A state championships, including the one captured just a

few frenzied moments before with a 3-0 whitewash of Waterville, before a half-crazed crowd of nearly 3,000.

“This is the best of all,” said senior Trevor Fleurent, whose goal in the third period salted away the Tigers’ win and sent the Beak Squad, decked out in Biddeford Black and Orange, into ecstasy. “Sharing it with a group of kids like this. We couldn’t have worked harder. We all deserve this.”

Defenseman Nick Gagne, a junior, picked up the refrain.

“This is great for the seniors, too,” he said, “because this is their third.  They really wanted this one. We came out and we got it.”

Got it with a sensational 31 save effort from senior goalie Matt Roy, who had blanked rival Thornton Academy, 3-0, in Tuesday’s Western Region championship game.

Got it with the help of  bolt  out the blue (er, make that Black) late in the second period ”“ goals 53 seconds apart by freshman Brady Fleurent and senior Ethan Pratt – that dramatically  changed the course of the game, the outcome of the season, and mood of the bus ride back down the Maine Turnpike.

“From the bottom to the top,” said Gagne, “everybody worked their butts off. It was great.”

It took just that sort of all-out effort to hold off the Purple Panthers, who dominated large stretches of the first two periods.

“They threw everything at us,” said Trevor Fleurent. “Good job (by) them. But we just wanted it more.”

At one point, Waterville held a 16-6 edge in shots, and had golden scoring opportunities during a pair of first period power plays. However, Roy refused to give up a goal.

“I just stayed calm,” said Roy, who transferred to Biddeford from Cheverus during the summer. “I made the team feel like I had their back.”

And for 53 seconds – which proved to be more than enough time – the offense had his.

With his older brother Trevor parked in the penalty box, Brady Fleurent stunned the Panthers with a four-on-four goal at 12:18.

It followed Craig Anton’s crucial face off win in the Waterville zone, which enabled Fleurent to dart to the right post and slide the puck past Panthers’ goalie Ryan Cormier.

“I just shot it in,” said Fleurent. “I didn’t even know.”

It may have taken him a split second to realize what he had just done, but his big brother, stranded in the box, knew in an instant.

“I was going wild,” he said. “I’m so proud of the kid. Right place at the right time.”

Waterville was still in a state of shock when, moments later, Pratt snaked in a shot through a tangled mix of Purple and Black sweaters to make it 2-0.

“Once Brady scored,” said Pratt, “that gave us momentum, and we went out and scored again. Bodies were all over the place. I saw the loose puck and I just tried to get it to the net as fast as I could. I was

shocked to find the back of the net.”

Left with a full period to defend a two-goal advantage ”“ which, as those in the know will tell you is the most dangerous lead in hockey ”“ the Tigers beat back every Waterville challenge and nailed down another

title.

“Since I’m a senior,” said White, “it’s a little more special. But any time you win a state championship, it’s amazing.”

— Contact Staff Writer Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.