It’s a concept about which players for the Lewiston High School hockey team are reminded every time they slip into their warm-up jackets, every time they step into their locker room at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, and every time they skate in the shadow of the blue-and-white banner that hangs from that building’s rafters.

With 20 state crowns to the school’s credit, and several other appearances in the championship game, Lewiston is one of three high schools active in Maine Principals’ Association competition that earned a Class A state crown prior to 2003.

Thornton Academy, the fresh-faced new kid on the block, is trying to etch its name into Maine high school hockey lore. The Trojans skated into the league in 1986, and they will look to become the fourth team since 2002 other than the “Big 3” to earn a Class A crown.

The two meet Saturday night at the Colisee after each posting impressive regional final victories in the same building on Tuesday.

“It’s nice to continue to build upon our tradition, and I’d like to think it does (add an edge),” Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau said. “But the reality is that, it’s a hockey game. I don’t think that, for this team, the fact that the school has won 20 state championships is going to be the reason we win the game or don’t win the game. What it can do is help build upon the fact that they want to be part of that tradition.”

“It’s a great opportunity to be there, to have that chance,” Thornton coach Shawn Rousseau added. “The kids are certainly competing for something that’s important and meaningful for themselves, but much of what we’ve been talking about of late is the number of players who’ve played for Thornton for the last, almost three decades, wanting this opportunity and never having had it. The amount of alumni support we’ve seen in the last few days has been extraordinary. I think the kids are taking to heart that they’re representing a program, and hoping to win that elusive first championship.”

To win, both teams are going to have to face a dynamite opponent. Both teams will have a hard time shutting down a deep and explosive offense, both teams will have to fight through a stingy defense, and both teams are going to have to solve a hot goaltender.

“They’re good on all ends of the ice, they’re coached well, they execute well and they don’t tend to make a lot of mistakes, and they tend to exploit teams when they make a lot of mistakes,” Belleau said. “In addition to working hard, which gets you halfway there, we’re going to have to be playing our best game, we’re going to have to execute well in the defensive zone, we’re going to have to break out well, we’re going to have to play well in the neutral zone and we’re going to have to play well at the blue lines. If you make mistakes at the blue lines, Thornton is a team that can expose you real quick.”

Start to finish

Perhaps the most glaring difference in the two opponents in Saturday’s Class A championship game is the way the teams have arrived. In November, Lewiston and TA were widely regarded — along with Biddeford and St. Dom’s — as the teams to beat.

But while Lewiston took off, winning seven of its first eight games (and tying the other with Biddeford), Thornton Academy stumbled early. The Trojans lost games to Lewiston, St. Dom’s and Biddeford in that stretch by a combined 15-5.

“Maybe the greatest thing that could have happened to us was to have some adversity early in the season,” Rousseau said. “I think it forced us as a coaching staff to really be thoughtful and deliberate in identifying what’s best for this particular group, bringing them together as one. Sometimes it takes a full season to develop a hockey team, and I think that’s been the case this year.”

One thing both coaches are hesitant to look at are the previous results between Lewiston and Thornton Academy this season. The Blue Devils defeated the Trojans 5-0 on opening night. In the second meeting, Lewiston won 6-3. That game was only one in which Lewiston allowed three goals, and the only time another team outshot them.

But they will both look back for different reasons.

“What our players can draw upon from the first two games is, this is a team that, if you execute well, if we work hard, we have a chance to beat them,” Belleau said. “That being said, that’s all we can think about from those last two games. If it gives them a certain level of confidence in their abilities, that if they do the right things, we can win, then that’s how we have to look at them.”

“It has less to do with Lewiston,” Rousseau said. “We could be playing anybody right now and we’d be saying among ourselves that we are a different team now than earlier in the season. All of our elements are together. They’re firing on all cylinders, let’s take care of our business and let’s make sure we deliver our best product on Saturday.

“We feel like we’ve closed in on the league,” he added. “We’ve taken the strides we’ve needed to take and we’ve earned the right to be in the championship game.”

Back to front

In any championship season, on any high-end hockey team, there will inevitably be a backbone between the pipes, a player who has done more than his fair share during the season to, at one time or another, help carry the team in tight games.

Cam Poussard and Jamison Finch fit that description. So much has been made this season of Poussard’s abilities, and his career numbers, which are stellar.

But quick: Name the one of the two who has allowed fewer goals over his team’s past six games.

The answer is a tie. Poussard and Finch each finished the season strong, allowing only four goals in six games each.

“Jamison is an excellent goalie,” Rousseau said. “You could say that he had a really slow start, letting in five to Biddeford, letting in five to Lewiston, letting in five to St. Dom’s, or you can say, ‘Wait a minute here.’ The overall team play wasn’t excellent and Jamison was seeing shots that goalies shouldn’t see. So I think his play has been excellent all along, and it took all of the elements to come together to put him in a position where everything was in place where he could make the saves he needed to make.”

“Obviously Poussard is a good goalie, very proven, and I think Jamison is right there, too,” he said.

Speed and firepower

One component the teams share is a knack for scoring goals. The Blue Devils and Trojans have combined for 220 goals this season in 41 combined games, nearly six goals each per game.

“Your really good offensive players have a funny way of delivering in big moments,” Rousseau said, “but it takes a lot of goals in a tournament. We’ve been fortunate to have several players step up and contribute.”

C.J. Maksut is the teams statistical and on-ice leader on offense. He led the team during the regular season with 22 goals in 18 contests. In three playoff wins, he’s netted four of the Trojans’ 18.

He’s also been a key ingredient in a stretch offense TA has run in recent games to great success.

“It’s something that gets your attention, and it’s something we have to be ready for,” Belleau said. “If they do it, we’ll have practiced and be ready for it.”

Lewiston, meanwhile, is a bit more of a meat-and-potatoes kind of team, using speed and agility from the first pass, craftiness through center and a strong finish to secure most of their offense. And the Devils do it well.

Colt Steele, in his one-year return to high school hockey, has blended well with classmates Ben Wigant and Sam Cloutier. At one time, the three led Eastern A in scoring, each taking turns at the top. Wigant suffered an injury, from which is now recovered, but the team rolled on thanks to its tremendous depth.

Been there, done that

With tradition as a theme, it would also be an easy assumption — although incorrect — to paint Lewiston as the more-experienced team in the Class A final. A core of a dozen seniors might sway your decision. But while many of the team’s seniors this season played as sophomores, hardly any of them did so as freshmen.

The Trojans are junior-heavy, with a good mix of seniors. But that group did play, more or less, together as first-year skaters.

“The advantage is called experience,” Rousseau said. “You don’t have to be a senior to be an experienced player. I think in Lewiston and Thornton, you have two very mature teams with guys who’ve been in playoff situations, with guys who’ve lost like they shouldn’t have a year ago. I think both teams are hungry, both teams are playing well, and I think the experience factor ought to be a wash.”

Lewiston has played in its share of big games, state finals or otherwise, as well.

“There’s definitely some experience playing in big games on this team,” Belleau said. “I think none more important than the two we just played. Having to beat Waterville, speaking of tradition, and the tradition that they have … and then playing St. Dom’s on the stage (Tuesday) night, that’s about as good as it can get. Both of those games, in conjunction with the fact that this team has been in the playoffs the last three years, is something that gives us a certain level of comfort, a certain level of confidence.”

Confidence and experience, depth and skill, quality goaltending and defense. The only thing left?

The drop of the puck, scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at the Colisee.