Yarmouth blanks Brewer for crown

LEWISTON – Yarmouth High School has made a habit of getting to the state Class B schoolboy hockey final.

The Clippers, losers in the last three state B finals after four consecutive state game victories, returned to the victory stand with a 4-0 triumph over Brewer at the Central Maine Civic Center here Monday evening.

Brewer was making its first appearance in a state hockey final.

Yarmouth parlayed its superior depth and overall team speed into a decided edge in territorial play. The Clippers also did an exceptional job in the defensive zone, limiting Brewer to virtually no second shots.

Sophomore goalie A.C. Colello was outstanding, making a handful of gems among his 19 saves in posting his shutout.

Brewer catalysts Aaron Boone and Darren Beers, who had combined for 73 goals and 48 assists up until the final, played extremely well fgoals and 48 assists up until the final, played extremely well for the Witches but were closely blanketed by Clippers. Colello also made a couple of good saves on each of them.

Senior right wing Shane Strout’s 25th goal of the season, coming with just 1:25 left in the first period, gave Yarmouth a lead it would never relinquish.

It was his second of the playoffs and was set up by Mike Vecchionne. Vecchionne dug the puck out along the right wing boards and slid it over to him between the face-off circles.

Strout one-timed the shot, hitting a Brewer stick on the follow-through, and it slipped between Brewer goalie Michael Lindstrom’s right skate and the post.

Colello robbed Boone of an equalizer at the 4:25 mark of the second period when he flashed out his glove and got a piece of Boone’s deflection.