BANGOR – The Bangor High School hockey team has turned in some good performances this season only to leave the ice with a loss.

But the Rams strung together two impressive periods against Cony High of Augusta and then received some clutch third-period goaltending from sophomore Aaron Buzzell to upend Cony 1-0 at the Sawyer Arena Thursday night.

Junior right wing Kevin Cobb scored with 2:30 remaining in the first period as Bangor improved to 3-4.

Cony fell to 4-4.

The game featured a tremendous duel between Buzzell, who finished with 21 saves, and Cony junior Casey Tuttle, who stopped 22 shots including 19 over the first two periods to keep his team in the game.

“This was a huge win for us,” said Cobb, whose goal came off a nice individual effort after he received the puck from Mike McPike.

Cobb went around a Cony defenseman, cut from left to right across the low slot, avoided a Tuttle pokecheck and tucked a backhander inside the far post.

“I slid it past his glove,” said Cobb. “He didn’t give me much to shoot at. He’s a real good goalie.”

“I made a bad mistake on the pokecheck,” said Tuttle, who more than made up for it with several top-notch saves.

“I knew I couldn’t let up another goal or two because our guys might have gotten down,” said Tuttle.

Cony had a goal waved off early in the third period because it was hit with a high stick. The visitors swarmed the Bangor net looking for the equalizer, especially over the final eight minutes.

Buzzell rejected a shorthanded breakaway by Derek Wing with 7:20 left. Wing’s backhander appeared to be going high but Buzzell didn’t take any chances.

“He tried to go upstairs and I got a piece of my glove on it,” said Buzzell, whose shutout was his second of the season.

He made another game-saving stop with 5:34 left when Ryan Danforth’s shot from the left point pinballed its way to Jesse Jean at the far post.

Jean backhanded it out of the air but Buzzell scrambled across and snared it.

“I just stuck my glove out and hoped the puck would go in it. It did,” said Buzzell.

“Bangor outworked us and beat us to the loose pucks,” said Cony coach Chad Foye. “We came on in the third period but their goalie came up big. Bangor has a good hockey team.”

Cony outshot Bangor 11-3 in the third period.

“They hustled and came out hitting. They were a tough team. We didn’t expect that at all. We didn’t come ready to play,” said Cony senior right winger Jean, who combined with linemates Chris Gay and Derek Wing to generate the majority of Cony’s chances.

Bangor, which played seven freshmen, had a decided edge in physical play against its smaller opponent but took just two penalties. Bangor was without captain John Huhn (separated shoulder) and junior defenseman Ed Frost (concussion).

The line of Cobb and freshmen Nick Payson and McPike was dangerous throughout for Bangor and defensemen Ben Payson and Ryan Largay were stellar.

BANGOR RAMS 1, CONY RAMS 0

Cony (4-4) 0 0 0 ? 0

Bangor (3-4) 1 0 0 ? 1

First period ? 1. Bangor, Cobb (McPike), 12:30. Penalties: Cony, Jean, cross-checking, 7:21

Second period ? No scoring. Penalties: Bangor, Lever, roughing, 1:26; Cony, Jean, interference, 3:07; Cony, De. Wing, hooking, 3:46; Cony, Da. Wing, tripping, 10:12; Bangor, Mansfield, holding, 12:58; Cony, Barber, tripping, 13:56.

Third period ? No scoring. Penalties: Cony, Bozeman, charging, 6:57; Cony, Barber, interference, 10:48.

Shots on goal: Cony 3-7-11?21; Bangor 10-10-3?23

Goaltenders: Cony, Tuttle (23 shots-22 saves); Bangor, Buzzell (21-21)

Power-play Opportunities: Cony 0-2; Bangor 0-7

Attendance: 125 (est.)

JV: Bangor 3-2