GORHAM — When Noble/Wells matched up against Westbrook in a Western Class A boys hockey game earlier this season, the Knights eased to a 10-1 victory, one of their most-lopsided wins of the season. In the rematch on Thursday at USM Ice Arena, there was no way the Knights were going to top that.

Using its stars sparingly and its younger players more than in most games, Noble/Wells won again, but the 6-2 final score didn’t come without some tribulations.

The game was a mismatch on paper, as the Knights entered with an 11-3 record while Westbrook was 0-15-1, and Noble/Wells head coach Keith St. Cyr said he didn’t want to repeat the first game between the teams.

“They’re kind of tough, because you want to come in, you want to try to be competitive, but you also want to be respectful at the same time,” said St. Cyr. “You want to come out and you want to be comfortable with the game, set the pace, but it’s definitely an opportunity to get those kids more ice that usually don’t see a lot of ice time.

“It’s good in that manner, but it’s bad in the respect of you’re trying to prepare for the playoffs and you want everyone to get normal reps so they’re not getting rusty as part of that process.”

The Knights scored less than five minutes into the game, as Noah Pease wrapped around the back of the net for a goal just eight seconds into the game’s first power play.

But instead of opening the floodgates of more goals, the Noble/Wells offense dried up. The Blue Blazes tied the game 11:38 into the opening period, as Jacob Coro stole the puck at the blueline and snapped a shot past Noble/Wells backup goalie Nate Paul. Evan Whitten gave the Knights the lead back just 46 seconds later, however, as Pease fed him for a slap shot from the left point.

The Knights upped their lead to 4-1 with goals 2:51 apart midway through the second period. That was as far as the lead grew in the period, as Noble/Wells put itself two men down after consecutive penalties by Dean Pratt (elbowing) and Pease (unsportsmanlike conduct). The Knights killed of the 5-on-3, but Coro scored in the final minute on a breakaway to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Pratt, who entered the game with 39 goals and at least one in every game, scored twice in the final period. St. Cyr said Pratt adding to his season total wasn’t part of the game plan, however.

“He should have been out there helping and getting those kids moving. But that’s just the way it is,” St. Cyr said of Pratt, as well the team’s other offensive stars. “I don’t want them to drive all the way up here and sit on the bench; you want to get a good workout as well.

“I told them the whole game, ”˜you’re not to shoot, just go out there and work with the younger kids that don’t see in the system a lot of game-time situations.’”

St. Cyr said he wishes his team would have gotten games like Thursday’s out of the way earlier in the season, and had tougher tasks scheduled heading into the playoffs, but he said his team is veteran enough to be mentally prepared for more difficult games come the postseason.

As for the preparation for the playoffs, St. Cyr said his team isn’t yet a finished product.

“(We’re) getting there. I think we’re headed in the right direction. The last two weeks have been good,” said St. Cyr. “I still think we have a ways to go before preparing for the playoffs.”

— Sports Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.