ORONO – Usually, when a game has a turning point, it occurs at a fairly late juncture.

Unfortunately for those who stopped by the concession stand on the way to their seats, the turning point Saturday evening came just seven minutes and 44 seconds into the “Fill the Alfond” game between Bangor and Brewer.

Brewer had just scored an apparent goal to take a 2-0 lead, but the goal was waved off due to a Bangor penalty and the dislodging of the goal net from its moorings.

The 2-0 lead disappeared, the Witches’ ensuing power play was snuffed out by Bangor, and the rejuvenated Rams tied the game just two minutes later en route to a 3-1 high school hockey victory before a crowd of 1,529.

“That was the big turnaround for us when that goal was waived off,” said coach Dan Kerluke, whose Rams improved to 4-2.

Bangor’s tying goal came on a power-play goal by Nick Payson, who snapped a wrist shot into the upper left corner of the net off a pretty pass from Dylan George.

“We had the momentum, but they had that penalty and we lost the goal and after the power play, we lost the momentum,” said Brewer coach Steve Van Dolman.

The teams finished the first period tied and battled to a scoreless deadlock in the second before George scored two third-period goals to provide the winning margin despite a 17-8 Witches’ shot advantage in the final period.

“They came back with great offense in that last period,” said Rams senior goalie Aaron Buzzell. “We just tried to keep them on the outside so they didn’t get good shots. The guys did a good job clearing the front of the net so I could see almost every shot coming in.”

George’s first goal came as a loose puck came right around the net to him and he poked it through the left corner of the net before Brewer goalie Aaron Saunders could block it.

“I took it down on the right side and went around a couple guys, but I got knocked off the puck, so I just sat there,” said George, a junior right wing. “A Brewer guy tried to hand pass it and I took it and put it in the back of the net.”

His second goal came courtesy of a fortuitous bounce off the dasher of his clearout pass. The swat from the blue line bounced off the boards and into Brewer’s empty net with four seconds left.

The Witches, who were hampered by nine penalties which created seven Bangor power plays, dropped to 3-2.

“If we play five-on-five hockey, we’re a great club, but we had too many penalties,” said Van Dolman.

The Witches also failed to take advantage of four of their own power plays, two of which were two-man advantages.

Buzzell saved 31 of 32 shots.

“We had a lot of opportunities, but not Grade-A opportunities. We put a lot of shots at his chest,” Van Dolman said.

Brewer’s first goal came six minutes and 21 seconds into the game when senior right wing Matt Grimes’ light shot from just over the blue line skittered slowly into the right corner of the net by a befuddled Buzzell.

“He’s not used to the creases being cut off and since he uses that as a guide for the angles, that made that first goal kind of fluky,” Kerluke said.

Saunders saved 25 of the 27 shots he faced.

It was the second year that the two teams played the game at Alfond in an attempt to break the single-game high school hockey attendance record of 3,100 set by Lewiston and St. Dominic.

RAMS 3, WITCHES 1

Brewer (3-2) 1 0 0 – 1

Bangor (4-2) 1 0 2 – 3

First period – 1. Brewer, Grimes (Caldwell), 6:21. 2. Bangor, Payson (George, Vanidestine), 9:47 (pp); Penalties: Bangor, Eremita, tripping, 6:48; Bangor, Silver, tripping, 7:16; Brewer, M. Kotredes, roughing, 9:30; Brewer, T. Kotredes, elbowing, 12:09; Brewer, too many men on ice (served by Relford), 14:26; Brewer, Z. Wilson, 10-min. misconduct (mouthpiece), 14:58

Second period – No scoring. Penalties: Brewer, too many men on ice (served by Harding), 2:46; Brewer, Grimes, interference, 7:10; Bagnor, Vanidestine, roughing, 9:55; Brewer, Fitzpatrick, tripping, 13:11

Third period -. 3. Bangor, George (una.) 7:57; 4. Bangor, George (una.) 14:46 (en); Penalties: Bangor, McPike, tripping, 1:59; Brewer, M. Wilson, hooking, 4:18; Brewer, Caldwell, roughing, 5:40; Bangor, Marin, holding, 5:40; Bangor, Silver, tripping, 8:01; Bangor, Vanidestine, hooking, 9:31

Shots on goal: Brewer 7-8-17-32; Bangor 10-10-8-28

Goaltenders: Brewer, Saunders (27 shots-25 saves); Bangor, Buzzell (32-31)

Power-play opportunities: Brewer 0 of 4; Bangor 1 of 7

Attendance: 1,529