LEWISTON — Andrew Roderigue’s shot is the biggest weapon in the Waterville Senior High School ice hockey team’s arsenal. On Saturday afternoon at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, Roderigue’s shot won the Purple Panthers the Class B state championship over Yarmouth.

Andrew Roderigue’s shot is so hard, in the future they’ll use it to cut diamonds.

“He was our leading scorer all year. He just shows up for us and makes everything happen,” Waterville coach Dennis Martin said.

Roderigue completed Waterville’s come-from-behind victory with a slap shot that was perfect. It came with 2:47 left to play in the second overtime, when legs are starting to get rubbery and lungs start to burn with every breath. Roderigue’s shot came from just above the right circle, to the left of Yarmouth goalie Dan Latham. It went over Latham’s right shoulder into the top corner of the net.

There was the crack of Roderigue’s stick connecting with the puck, and then there was the twitch of the net. They were almost simultaneous, like lighting and thunder of a storm directly overhead.

“I got the quick shot off, and got it all,” Roderigue said.

A junior, Roderigue’s game-winning goal was his 28th goal of the season. Roderigue led the Panthers in scoring, even as a defenseman, and a big reason why was this slap shot that approaches the net like a cannonball.

“I’m glad no one was in front to block it, because they were doing that the whole game. They were doing a good job,” Roderigue said of the game-winner.

Those who block Roderigue’s shot do so at their own peril. With just under 14 minutes left in the third period, Yarmouth’s Owen Ramsay stepped in front of a Roderigue shot. Ramsay took it off the leg, and was wobbly on his skates as he went back to the Clippers bench.

Andrew Roderigue’s shot is so hard, it’s going on tour this summer with Iron Maiden.

Roderigue honed his shot with hours spent skating on his backyard rink.

“I’ve just been out there, working on my shot, staying up until midnight on school nights, just practicing and practicing,” Roderigue said.

Roderigue’s shot sounds different. Every shot makes a thud when it goes wide of the net and finds the boards, but Roderigue’s shot makes a THUD. It’s a knock at the door at 2 a.m. It’s loud and jarring.

The game-winner was the only one of Roderigue’s shots to find the net on Saturday afternoon, but he certainly had other blistering chances. There was a low shot in the first period, which barely left the ice, a laser Latham was able to turn away. There was a shot Roderigue fired from just inside the blue line with 11 minutes left in the second period and his team down a goal that looked ticketed for the upper corner of the net only to have Latham make another strong save.

Andrew Roderigue’s shot is so hard, it’s worth a college calculus credit.

He has no idea how hard his shot is, Roderigue said. Let’s just call it hard enough. He wasn’t sure if Latham even got a good look at the game-winner.

“I had it timed when I was little, but not recently,” Roderigue said.

Andrew Roderigue’s shot is so hard… Help out here, Coach Martin.

“His shot,” Martin said. “It’s pretty darn good.”

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM