BIDDEFORD ”“ It wasn’t the sort of start to the new season that Thornton Academy had in mind, or prepared for.
Yet there it was, a 5-0 thumping administered by Lewiston, Saturday at Biddeford Ice Arena.
Fueled by a three goal eruption that took up less than four minutes of the second stanza, the Blue Devils took control of contest that pitted two teams with state championship aspirations.
As barometers go, this one was likely a better gauge of Lewiston than of the Golden Trojans.
“I think we went up against a team that plays mistake free hockey,”
said TA coach Shawn Rousseau. “You have to give the Lewiston forwards some credit. They got the opportunities, and they capitalized.”
Said Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau, “I don’t think you can take the
score and immediately suggest that TA is not a top team in the state.”
Thornton had the first Grade A scoring chance, when in the early
minutes, Seth Prior dashed in alone on Lewiston goalie Cam Poussard. Poussard stopped Prior at the doorstep. Jon McDonough broke the scoreless stalemate with a power play goal, a
deflection that came with 57 seconds remaining in the period.
“I thought in the first period,” said Rousseau, “we were right there
with them. And then we started trying to press too hard to get that
equalizer.”
Instead, it was Lewiston that blew the game open with a trio of tallies scored in a span of 3:42, two of them on rushes by forward Colt Steele. The first of those came at 8:41 of the middle period.
“I think the first period was pretty close,” said Belleau. “They’re
forecheck was pretty good, and we had a hard time breaking out of our zone. But we made a couple of adjustments and it created some odd-man rushes for us. That was the difference.”
Thornton never seriously challenged after that.
“I think we’re a great hockey team, too,” said Rousseau. “I don’t think we played our best. They just beat us.”
Thornton will get another crack at the Blue Devils, Jan. 24 in Lewiston. Meanwhile the Trojans will host Portland tonight (7:30 p.m.).
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