BIDDEFORD — Thornton Academy jumped out in front of Biddeford early, gave up a lead late, but held on to win an emotional rivalry game 5-3 at Biddeford Ice Arena on Monday.

The Tigers nearly jumped on the board first, but Kerry Crepeau’s shot 1:20 into the game rang off the post.

Thornton then followed through with its first good look, as Alex Fallon fed Eric Profenno for a goal 3:26 into the game. The Trojans extended the lead midway through the period when Owen Lemoine sent a backhand shot past Biddeford goalie Jon Fields seconds after the Tigers killed off a penalty.

Biddeford was able to cut deficit in half late in the period, as Nathan Crepeau was able to poke a rebound past Thornton goalie Andrew Huot off of a Niklas Lemieux shot.

The second period lacked for goals, but not for time in the penalty box. Biddeford’s Wyatt Leblond was called for a cross-checking minor four minutes into the period, and Thornton took advantage. Walsh Troiani-Gagner scored on a slap-shot from the right point late in the power play to make it 3-1 Thornton. It was Troiani-Gagner’s first game of the season after suffering a collarbone injury in preseason.

Biddeford had its chance on the power play later in the period, but couldn’t find the back of the net. The Tigers had a 5-on-3 advantage for over 1:30 but couldn’t string a good shift together to cut the deficit.

“We didn’t get done what we wanted to get done,” Biddeford head coach Rich Reissfelder said of the two man-advantage, although he said not scoring didn’t discourage the team any.

The Tigers showed that they wouldn’t give up, as they rallied back in the third period. Matt Jerome cut the Thornton lead to one with a transition goal on a pass from Nathan Crepeau just over five minutes into the period. Less than two minutes later Devon Werthner brought Biddeford all the way back, sending a wrist shot past Huot to tie the game.

The Tigers ran out of steam however, and Thornton took advantage. Cooper O’Brien scored on a slap shot from inside the right circle on a power play after Biddeford’s Evan Loignon went to the box for tripping.

“This is a special teams league. So you’ve got to take advantage of your opportunities when you get them,” said Thornton head coach Jamie Gagnon.

Lemoine added an empty-net goal with 22 seconds left that sent Biddeford fans to the exit, and put a stamp on a hard-fought victory for the Trojans.

Biddeford, on the other hand, was left wondering what it could have done better in a game where the Tigers often dictated play and had many wasted opportunities.

“We’re 2-2, and that’s probably exactly where we should be,” Reissfelder said about the state of his team early in the season. “We can learn from the things that we did really well in this game, and learn from the things that didn’t go so well, and take the next step and keep progressing.”

The game had a playoff-like feel, even though the season is only a few weeks old. But that’s what comes out of a rivalry game that pits two team who have combined to win five of the past six State Championships.

After the game Gagnon summed up what the rivalry game means, saying “this game is unlike any other.”

A near-capacity crowd that was loud throughout stood silent before the game, as a moment of silence was held to honor two former graduates of the schools who were killed in a shooting in Biddeford on Saturday. One of the victims graduated from Thornton Academy this past spring, while the other attended Biddeford High School.

— Contact Wil Kramlich at 282-1535, Ext. 323 or follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.