Belmont-Gilford, in its first championship appearance since 2016, was primed to close out a successful season and take home some hardware to add to the trophy case.
It looked like that would happen after a first period goal, but the relentlessness of Berlin-Gorham’s offense got the better of the third-seeded Bulldogs as Berlin-Gorham won 3-1 in Sunday’s Division III state championship at Plymouth State.
The Bulldogs (16-5) struck first when Bradley McIntire scored in the first period and that was the peak of their offensive capabilities. Belmont-Gilford held its 1-0 lead until the second period after the Mountaineers’ scored two off the sticks of Landyn Croteau and Carter Poulin.
Berlin-Gorham capped off its third consecutive title with an empty net goal by Jamison Walsh. The Mountaineers in their effort also outshot Belmont-Gilford 32-5 and now have won four titles in six years.
Matt Parker can be reached at 603-369-3341or mparker@cmonitor.com.