LEWISTON — A prolific offense carried the Brewer High School hockey team to the brink of a state championship.
But a not-so-secret weapon known as Eric White helped put the Witches over the top.
The senior goaltender made 24 saves at the Colisee on Saturday, and his hot start in net propelled Brewer to a 3-1 victory over York and its second Class B state title in four years.
Alec Pacheco, Lucas Lamond and Nick Risser supplied the goals for coach David Shedd’s Witches, who capped off a 19-1-1 season with 15 straight wins and a return to the Class B championship podium after spending the last two seasons in Class A.
“York was an amazing team, our equal in every part and more,” said Brewer senior defensemen Chris Lopez. “It was a well-fought, tough game. We just had confidence in each other. We just never backed down. They kept coming, but we kept coming. We never quit.”
White, a reserve on Brewer’s 2007 state championship team, had little time to ease into this contest, because York forwards Paddy Murphy and David Figlioli applied immediate offensive pressure as the Wildcats generated the game’s first seven shots on goal.
“They came out flying,” said White. “They’re the best team we’ve played thus far this year and their defense was unbelievable, but coming out and playing the way they did offensively, they kind of caught us off guard.
“This is the first time I’d really been tested that early and that often in a game, and it felt real nice to keep us in a game like that and help us win.”
The Wildcats (17-4) thought they took the lead at the end of a brief flurry midway through the opening period when Figlioli tapped a loose puck toward what appeared to be an open net.
At least two York players raised their arms in celebration, only to stop just as suddenly when learning the puck was in White’s glove.
“The puck bounced off one of my defensemen in front and went to the far side and there was a kid sitting there and he just tried to hit in the net,” said White. “I reached back with my glove and got it just before it went in.”
White finished the opening period with nine saves.
“If it wasn’t for Eric White it could have been a 4-1 game,” said Shedd. “He’s big, he’s a great goaltender in tight situations.”
Brewer’s offense, which averaged more than seven goals per game in the 20 contests leading to the state final and produced fewer than four goals just twice during that span, had more difficulty building momentum against a veteran York defense.
And while White was stellar for Brewer, York got a strong goaltending performance from junior Alex Ahrikenchikh, who made 19 saves.
Brewer shored up its defense after the first period to complement White’s presence in goal.
“I think in a lot of games when we get on those offensive rolls we just keep going and going,” said Risser, a senior forward who along with Lopez was one of the few players on this year’s Brewer team who saw significant duty during the Witches’ 2007 title run.
“But in the close games like this we’ve really showed that we’re strong defensively, our goaltending is strong and we score when we need to. It shows we’re a pretty complete team.”
Brewer also persevered in the discipline battle, committing just three minor penalties compared to seven for York and scoring twice on the power play.
“I think if the game had been played five-on-five we’d have beaten them,” said York coach Michael Vessey. “We dominated the game five on five but we hurt ourselves with penalties.
“They’ve got a very good team. They move the puck very well, especially when they’re on the power play, and that hurt us.”
Brewer took a 1-0 lead on its second power play of the game. Freshman forward Kyle Alexander carried the puck around the back of the net before centering it to Pacheco, who redirected a shot high over Ahrikenchikh’s stick side and inside the left goal post to give Brewer a 1-0 lead at 11:44 of the opening period.
York tied the game 2:26 into the second period on a similar play. This time it was Craig Decato who took the puck behind the net, but instead of carrying it to the other side he stopped and flipped a pass out in front where Murphy was stationed for the one-time finish just inside the right post.
That tie lasted barely two minutes until Lamond scored what proved to be the game-winner on a rebound at 4:29 of the second period. Freshman Brody Valley took a shot from the left point that Arikenchikh blocked but could not control, leaving the oncoming Lamond with an open follow-up shot into the right side of the net.
Brewer later fought off a two-man disadvantage for 1:11 midway through the period. Figlioli got off a couple of solid bids from the left circle, but neither was on target as York forced White to make just two fairly routine saves during the power play.
Risser gave Brewer its two-goal lead with 4:18 left in the third period while the Witches were on a 5- on-3 power play. He took a short lead pass from Lopez along the boards just outside the left circle, then beat a defenseman and skated toward the net before scoring over Ahrikenchikh’s stick side.
