SACO — After one period, it looked like Thornton had no shot to win its boys hockey game against Scarborough. But after being down 4-0 early in the second, the Trojans battled back, and were one shot away from overtime. Thornton’s late rally, however, fell short in a 4-3 loss to the Red Storm at MHG Ice Centre in Saco Monday.
The game was a rematch of last Monday, when the Trojans and Red Storm faced off on Thornton’s home ice at Biddeford Ice Arena. Scarborough, with just one loss on the season, jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first period in what ended up as a 7-4 Red Storm win.
It was more of the same in the rematch, as Scarborough scored three times in the opening period, starting with two goals from Jack Rousselle and ending with Trevor Murray scoring in the final minute.
“Lack of execution in the first hurt us. Getting down, we can’t be battling uphill against these teams that are in the top of the standings every night,” said Thornton head coach Jamie Gagnon.
Gagnon said his team started the game playing well, but Rousselle’s first goal just three minutes in changed how they played.
“We started to press,” said Gagnon. “We get down one, and you start worrying already, and we’re pressing way too much.”
Thornton had two early chances on the power play in the second period, but couldn’t take advantage. In fact, Scarborough took the initiative on the second Trojan power play, as Garrett McDonald scored on a pass from Rousselle to make it 4-0.
Rousselle went to the box less than a minute later, but again the Trojans couldn’t break through.
What was a physical game, especially in the second period, went Thornton’s way at the 8:00 mark when Owen Lemoine shadowed Scarborough goalie Dalton Finley after he pounced on a loose puck. Ian Morris took exception with Lemoine and came in with a hard cross-check, earning an early end to the game for Morris ”“ who was ejected for the move.
With an extended power play, the Trojans finally found some life. A little more than a minute into the one-man advantage, Alex Fallon scored behind Finley on a pass from Owen Elliot.
Though Thornton didn’t score again during the five-minute power play, it had started to tip the game in its favor. However, the chances to chip into the deficit were made difficult by the 15 penalties called in the game, including eight in the second.
“It just completely, completely disrupts your rhythm,” Gagnon said of all the power plays and penalty kills. “And it disrupts everything you’re trying to do from a game plan perspective.”
The Red Storm had its chances in the third period to extend its lead, but Thornton goalie Andrew Huot made a handful of difficult saves to give his team a chance.
“He’s progressed a lot,” Fallon said of Huot, who’s just a sophomore. “He’s gotten a lot better as the season’s progressed. He’s just got to get some confidence, and he’ll be fine.”
One last Scarborough penalty with two minutes to go gave Thornton one last chance. Gagnon used his timeout to urge his team to finish strongly.
“We talked about just looking for something to build on. Looking for the moment in the season where it finally starts to click,” said Gagnon. “And we’re hoping that type of effort at the end of the game will maybe lead to something more.”
Something did click for the Trojans, as Tyler LaPointe scored 24 seconds into the power play. Fallon then scored 28 seconds later, just after Gagnon pulled Huot for an extra attacker.
With the seconds ticking down, and Thornton hoping for a miracle, Steve Comar was called for a penalty with 10 seconds left.
Still, the Trojans gave it one last try, and Lemoine got control of a puck that trickled out of the defensive zone and took a shot at Finley at the horn. Finley deflected it up into the net and out of harm’s way to preserve the victory.
“It was an exciting ending,” said Fallon. “It leaves a sour taste in your mouth. But at least we fought to the end.”
Gagnon said he was pleased with his team’s fight and resiliency, even if it was for not against the Red Storm.
“You’ve got to play to the very end, because one game leads to the next,” said Gagnon. “It’s not necessarily about winning this game, but it’s about putting together an effort that builds on for the next game.”
Thornton, now 5-6, gets a rest before facing Marshwood on Saturday.
— Contact Wil Kramlich at 282-1535, Ext. 323 or follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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