Winslow trips up Stearns for title> Taylor holds off Minutemen 5-2

loading...

ORONO – Winslow’s 5-2 victory over Stearns for the Eastern Maine Class B hockey championship Thursday night at Alfond Arena played out exactly like the Black Raiders’ title victory over Stearns last year.

Winslow took a convincing 3-0 lead into the third, Stearns rallied back within a goal, but Raider goalie Jon Taylor again proved the difference as the Black Raiders prevailed 5-2 for their second straight EM title.

“I asked Jon how he felt before the game and he said, `I’m scared’,” Winslow coach Lee Bureau said. “I told him, it’s right to be scared. And he said, `It’s OK, I play better when I’m scared.’ ”

With 1:21 left in the second, Seth Karter took a Chad DuBois assist at the point and scored a power-play goal to make it 3-0 going into the third.

That’s when the Minutemen stormed back last year to tie the game. In the same fashion Thursday night, the Minutemen rallied with goals by Adam Ouellette and Frank Bowley in the final three minutes to make it 3-2.

“When it was 3-2 we were looking at coming back,” Stearns coach Rodney Daigle said. “Winslow stayed composed. Their goalie did a heck of a job.”

But with 1:56 left, Winslow’s Mark Gunning gave the Raiders some breathing room, scoring a power-play goal he lifted over a prone Jeremy Munoz from the right point.

“When we got it in the zone I got an excellent pass from Seth Karter,” Gunning said. “Their goalie likes to go down. I waited and lifted it over him. We worked on our power play all day yesterday.”

Bureau said Josh Lynch’s two-minute penalty for roughing that came with 2:27 left in the game, took the fire out of Stearns, while the man advantage gave the Raiders new energy.

Bowley agreed.

“That goal killed us,” the Stearns senior said. “We didn’t perform the way we can. I don’t know why.”

With 12 seconds left, Gunning scored an empty netter to seal the win.

Taylor stopped 20 shots and a barrage of high-percentage shots at the end of the third when Stearns rallied to make it 3-2 with less than two minutes to play.

Winslow, the defending state champ, will play in the state championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday at Colby College in Waterville against Western Maine champ Falmouth.

Winslow’s first three goals were the work of a variety of players. Six different Raiders displayed timing, precision and patience to help put Winslow up 3-0 after two periods.

Winslow jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals by Ben Fraser and Jake Savasuk.

At 6 minutes, 12 seconds into the first, Fraser got by his man on a 2-on-1 breakaway and took his time, lifting a wrist shot past Stearns goalie Munoz to the glove side.

Two minutes later, Savasuk took a Nick McCann assist and drilled it in to the stick side when Munoz moved to the left.

Winslow’s Gunning had a great chance to score on the penalty kill with 6:21 left in the period when he took off on a breakaway, but Munoz got hold of the puck.

The Raiders assailed Munoz with shots in the second, outshooting the Minutemen 12-5, but couldn’t produce until the final minutes.

The Raiders, who earned their 29th straight Class B victory, outshot the Minutemen 32-20 and went 2-for-4 on the power play.

Raiders 5, Minutemen 2

Winslow 2 1 2 – 5 Stearns 0 0 2 – 2

First period – 1. Win, Fraser (C. McCann), 6:12; 2. Win, Savasuk (N. McCann), 8:15; Penalties – Win, Poulin, hitting from behind, 6:21; Stearns, Pinette, hitting from behind, 11:59; Win, N. McCann, holding, 14:58

Second period – 3. Win, Karter (Dubois), 13:39 (pp); Penalties – Stearns, Lynch, boarding, 3:51; Win, Karter, cross checking, 4:06; Stearns, Merry, holding stick, 12:00

Third period – 4. Stearns, Ouellette (Lynch), 6:39; 5. Stearns, Bowley (Morrison), 12:12; 6. Win, Gunning (Allen, Karter), 13:04 (pp.); 7. Win, Gunning (Allen), 14:48; Penalties – Stearns, Lynch, roughing, 12:33

Shots-on-goal – Winslow 10-12-10-32; Stearns 6-5-9-20

Goaltenders – Winslow, Jon Taylor; Stearns, Jermey Munoz

Power-play opportunities – Winslow 2-4; Stearns 0-4