PORTLAND – Hannah Keating saw her team’s most skilled player hit the ice in pain and began to panic.

But instead of letting panic take over, or wondering what the York girls’ hockey team would do in that player’s absence, Keating responded proactively.

Additional Photos

York captains Mackinnon Hill, left, and Hannah Keating raise the trophy the Wildcats won Wednesday for defeating Biddeford 4-1 in the Western Maine final in girls' hockey at the Portland Ice Arena. York will play in the state final for the first time Saturday, against St. Dominic at Lewiston. John Ewing/Staff Photographer

Game over, title won, and the celebration begins Wednesday for the York girls hockey team, which captured the Western Maine championship with a 4-1 victory against Biddeford at the Portland Ice Arena. Nicole Heroux recovered from a first-period injury to score three goals. John Ewing/Staff Photographer

Keating scored a power-play goal with 3:39 left in the first period, and the second-seeded Wildcats went on to a 4-1 victory against fourth-ranked Biddeford in the Western Maine final Wednesday at Portland Ice Arena.

York (15-3-2) earned its first trip to the state championship game, where it will face St. Dominic at 7 p.m. Saturday in Lewiston.

Keating’s goal came less than three minutes after teammate Nicole Heroux fell to the ice after a collision deep in York’s zone. Heroux skated off the ice on her own power, albeit gingerly.

“I was feeling nervous,” Keating said. “Nicole is one of our leading players and when she picks it up, everyone picks it up. Seeing her go down was a little bit nerve-wracking. But our team just kept going.

“We’re the type of team that overcomes a lot of adversity.”

Heroux sat out the final 5:49 of the first period after a collision with Biddeford forward Victoria Eon, but she returned and scored twice in the third period to clinch the victory.

“I was coming around the net and I lifted my head up and tapped (the puck) toward the boards and she was just right there,” Heroux said of the collision.

“I hit her or she hit me, I don’t know. I’m not very heavy so I tend to fall a lot.”

Heroux gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead after 2:17 on a wrist shot. Jenna Roy then made it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 6:33.

Keating’s goal broke the tie when she picked up a loose puck in front of Biddeford goalie Emily Brassley (25 saves) and snapped the puck in.

“I’m so proud of her scoring,” Heroux said of Keating’s goal. “I couldn’t be happier.”

After a scoreless second period in which Biddeford (8-11-1) outshot York 6-4, Heroux scored her second goal just 15 seconds into the third to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead.

“To be down 2-1 after two, and the fact that we were in the game with them, we were hoping we wouldn’t let them get a quick goal in the third and maybe plug away,” Biddeford Coach Marie Potvin said.

“Maybe we’d tie it or maybe things would get a little tight around the collar for them and we’d see what happens. But that’s not what happened.”

After she returned to the ice in the second period, Heroux helped York pull away.

“You can’t make a mistake when you’ve got a player like that as an opponent,” Potvin said.

York goalie Olivia Drew, who had 12 saves, stopped Roy on a penalty shot with 4:20 left in the game, denying Biddeford its best chance to gain any momentum.

Roy shot into Drew’s chest and the puck dropped between the sophomore’s knees, preserving York’s three-goal lead.

“We practice our shots every day in practice,” Heroux said. “We go in, we shoot on our goalies and she’s gotten so good at it, and I’m proud of her that she stopped it.” 

Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be reached at 791-6415 or at:

rlenzi@pressherald.com