WATERVILLE — You could barely thread a needle through the margin between the Messalonskee and Cony boys hockey teams when they first met two weeks ago. The rematch Saturday was no different 

Messalonskee defeated Cony 6-5 in overtime to win a showdown between the top two teams in Class B North at Colby College. Owen Kirk scored the winning goal midway through overtime for the Eagles, who returned to the top of the region after the Rams’ weeklong run at the top.

“That was like a playoff atmosphere,” said Messalonskee junior Denny Martin. “We’re 1 and 2 in the North, and they’re a phenomenal team; you’ve got to give them credit for what they’ve done. It was a great game all in all, everything about it.”

How Messalonskee did it

• The Eagles (10-2) successfully killed off a 5-on-3 power play late in the first period as Alex Beckwith scored a short-handed goal at 10.29. Then, with just 0.6 seconds left in the period, Kirk doubled Messalonskee’s lead to enter the intermission.

• The Rams (9-3) responded, scoring four goals in the second period to take a 4-3 lead at 12:18. Yet Messalonskee answered with a goal from Christian Salvadori, and after Connor Callahan put Cony back on top early in the third, Peyton Henning scored at 11:17 to tie it.

• Messalonskee dominated shots in the third period and overtime, outshooting Cony 12-6 in the third and 5-2 in OT.

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What it means

• Messalonskees win comes two weeks after Cony defeated Messalonskee, 7-5, in what had been a one-goal game until Cony scored an empty-netter.

• After Messalonskee had topped Class B North for much of the season, a seven-game winning streak by Cony propelled the Rams to the top of the region. The result snaps that streak and pushes the Eagles back to No. 1.

• Kirk’s overtime winner makes him the top scorer in all of Maine high school hockey this season with 25 goals. He was one behind Presque Isle’s Isaac Staples entering the day.

“I was kind of tired, but I just decided, ‘Why not rifle it on net?’” Kirk said. “Tatum (Doucette) was there for a screen, the goalie didn’t even see it, it hit the back of the net, and that’s all she wrote.”

They said it

“Coming into it, we were fired up. We had a big chip on shoulder (from the Jan. 16 loss). We’ve been looking at this one, and it was a good vibe. We just wanted to come out and give it our all, and that’s what we did. We gave it our best.” — Owen Kirk

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“We had nothing to lose in that last period. Coming into this, I think we were the underdogs because they beat us last time, so we had nothing to lose. We just had to come out and prove (what we could do).” — Denny Martin

“The kids played their hearts out. To be down 2-0 at the beginning of the game and come back, tie it, go ahead and ultimately lose in overtime, what more can you ask for?” — Cony coach Dan Foster

Stat leaders

• Cony: Lincoln Dawbin (two goals), Connor Callahan (goal, assist), Cale Harrington (goal, assist), Caleb Morgan (19 saves).

• Messalonskee: Owen Kirk (two goals, assist), Alex Beckwith (goal, assist), Tatum Doucette (goal, assist), Nathan Kirk (19 saves)

Next up

• Cony: at Camden Hills (5-7), 7 p.m., Wednesday

• Messalonskee: at Winslow/Gardiner/Waterville (1-11), 7 p.m., Monday

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