LEWISTON — Lewiston High School certainly has the Purple Panthers’ number.

Alex Robert had a hat trick and Cole Ouellette added a pair of goals as the Class A North-leading Blue Devils ended Watervile Senior High School’s 19-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Tuesday night.

The last team to beat Waterville, the reigning and previously unbeaten Class B state champions? Lewiston — which handed the Purple Panthers a defeat in the regular season finale a year ago.

“We knew that this was going to be a challenge for us. Honestly, this is a big wakeup call,” Waterville senior defenseman Andrew Roderigue said. “I’m glad we played them, because playoffs are approaching, and that’s the type of hockey we have to play there. Playoffs are a totally different game.”

Jackson Aldrich scored twice in the second period, once shorthanded, for Waterville (16-1-0). Justin Wentworth assisted on both Aldrich goals.

Few teams have made Waterville look as sluggish and disheveled as the Blue Devils did. Lewiston’s game flowed freely through the middle of the neutral zone, Waterville was twice whistled for too many men on the ice as it tried to keep up in transition, and the Blue Devils generated goals on give-and-go plays out of the corners that looked too easy.

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“Any little mistake, they’re quick and they get on you,” Waterville head coach Dennis Martin said. “You can’t make mistakes. You’ve got to react. You can’t think before you (play), it’s all about reaction. If you’re not reacting to what they’re doing, they’re going to be in your shirt and creating a lot of problems.

“You’ve got to give them credit. They’re a heck of a hockey team.”

Things got off to a rocky start for Waterville when Jean-Luc Dostie’s fluttering backhand found a way through Nathan Pinnette’s pads just 59 seconds after the opening face-off.

Pinette fought through that initial bad luck and made a pair of splendid saves, first on Joe Bisson’s one-timer from the slot and then on Jeromey Rancort’s breakway at the seven-minute mark.

Waterville finally found some traction in the attacking zone, and John Evans cashed in on a well-orchestrated two-on-one low with Cody Pellerin to knot the score at 10:02.

And then the floodgates opened, as the Blue Devils scored three times in a span of 1:35 to take control.

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“We responded well,” Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau said. “When that happens, it’s a good sign of the kids’ mindset, the kids’ mental framework, which is important. I think we responded well.”

Ouellette scored just 40 seconds after Evans’ equalizer, and nine seconds after that — with quick work up the left wing on the ensuing face-off — Robert made it 3-1. At 12:17, Ouellette struck again, smacking home Bisson’s feed from out of the right wing corner.

Lewiston could have had more in the first period, with Pinnette making 14 saves in the frame and the iron behind him stopping three pucks itself.

Joe Bisson (one goal, two assists) added to the lead early in the second period, and Robert scored his second to make it 6-1 with a power play goal at 5:22.

Aldrich’s goals bookended Roberts finishing off his hat trick at the 8:50 mark.

“We don’t really look at the individual stats, but (Robert) has played well all year,” Belleau said. “We want players to understand their role, and we don’t worry about whose putting the puck in the net.”

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Waterville, at the top of the Class B North Heal point standings, will finish their regular season against Old Town/Orono on Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. Old Town/Orono (14-1-2) is second in B North.

“The biggest thing was the pace of the game early and some of the mistakes we made and created,” Martin said. “You’ve got to make quick decisions. If not, you’re going to be in trouble… You make a mistake against a good team, they’re going to capitalize.”

Travis Barrett — 621-5621

tbarrett@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TBarrettGWC


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