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Messalonskee’s Tatum Doucette and Cony’s Jackson Wing compete in a face-off during the first period of a high school boys hockey game Feb. 7 at Colby College. (Mike Mandell/Staff Writer)

WATERVILLE — Another game, another tight battle between the Cony co-op and Messalonskee boys hockey teams.

Messalonskee prevailed 4-3 in a showdown of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in Class B North on Saturday at Colby College. The win keeps the Eagles atop the region with just three games remaining in the regular season.

Despite being called for three penalties in the game’s first five minutes, Messalonskee (12-3) held strong as its penalty kill got the job done. Then, after Cony’s Cooper Clark was called for interference, Alex Beckwith scored a power-play goal, with an assist from Christian Salvadori, at 10:44.

Messalonskee controlled play to start the second period, but Cony (11-4) tied it when Chase Callahan found the net at 6:22. Salvadori restored the Eagles’ lead with an unassisted goal at 12:19, but Kyle Lepage tied it again at 13:34.

After Messalonskee killed another penalty early in the third, the Eagles got a power-play goal from Tatum Doucette at 5:36. Salvadori then scored his second of the game at 8:10. Cony’s Jackson Wing’s power-play goal with 1:20 to go made it 4-3, but Messalonskee held on for the victory.

Nathan Kirk stopped 24 shots for Messalonskee, which avenged a 3-1 loss to the Rams on Dec. 11. Cony’s Ryan Bourque made 26 saves.

Mike Mandell came to the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel in April 2022 after spending five and a half years with The Ellsworth American in Hancock County, Maine. He came to Maine out of college after...