AUBURN — A big second period lifted Edward Little to a 5-1 boys hockey win against cross-town rival St. Dominic Academy at Norway Savings Bank Arena on Monday.

The Red Eddies scored three power-play goals in the middle frame. They went 3-for-4 for the game, while St. Dom’s went 0-for-2.

“I was really pleased and that was one of the goals — we were going to win the battle of power plays and the special teams,” Edward Little coach Norm Gagne said. “For the most part, I thought we did that on the penalty kill and power play.”

Edward Little (4-1) spread the goal-scoring, with five different players lighting the lamp. Campbell Cassidy notched a goal and an assist while defenseman Brody Keefe provided three assists.

The second period started with an even-strength goal for the Red Eddies, as forward Cassidy flew into the offensive zone. His shot beat St. Dom’s goalie Jayden Lynn (25 saves) cleanly, giving the Red Eddies a 2-0 lead nearly a minute into the middle frame.

On their first power play, Edward Little sophomore Andrew Clements’ shot from the slot went through Lynn’s five-hole at the 6:13 mark of the second period, giving the Red Eddies a 3-0 lead.

Three minutes later, Peyton Dyer set up on the weak side of the crease and Cassidy found him with a cross-ice pass as Dyer tapped home the puck for the Red Eddies’ second power-play tally of the period.

Gagne was happy with the puck movement on the goal.

“That was a great play and that’s what I was trying to tell them in practice, moving the puck and not forcing it,” Gagne said. “Our first unit was forcing the puck in the middle and (St. Dom’s) were clogging the middle, and you have to move the puck to the outside until you get the open guy on the back door.”

St. Dom’s (3-3) coach Dan D’Auteuil said he tried to change up the penalty kill strategy during the period.

“It was talking to the defense mainly, trying to get them to see that guy on the back door and watch what’s happening,” D’Auteuil said. “We were trying to get them to step into the players and take their space away. We weren’t doing it; we were flat-footed most of the night.”

Tate Morse found the back of the net on Edward Little’s third man-advantage of the second, as he pushed the puck past Lynn 10:27 into the stanza. Defenseman Joe Martel tallied the assist.

“I just got a shot from (Martel), and I just deflected it,” Morse said. “That’s what we all hope for.”

Spencer Morgan got the Saints on the board midway through the third period when he jammed the puck past Edward Little goalie Gage Ducharme.

The Saints played their best in the final 15 minutes.

“We were a little more aggressive and we were a little more offensive,” D’Auteuil said. “We hit a couple of posts: Timmy Ouellette hit a post, Ben Dumais had one off the post. We just had a little more energy, which is kind of odd since the third period you think you would tire out, but we had a little bit more energy.”

Edward Little sophomore Hayden Brown opened the scoring for the Red Eddies when he cut to the slot and fired a shot past Lynn midway through the first period.

D’Auteuil said it wasn’t the Saints’ best effort in the opening period, but he takes the blame for it.

“They just seemed like they didn’t have it,” D’Auteuil said. “We weren’t skating, we weren’t in the right positions and we weren’t changing up when we were supposed to on the bench. They weren’t ready and that’s on us (coaches) for not having them ready.”

The Saints had a power play late in the first period and Ducharme made a few saves. He finished with 13 saves in the game.

“Gage came up big when he needed to be,” Gagne said.

It was the second straight game the Red Eddies defeated a rival, after defeating Lewiston 4-3 last Wednesday.

“We had back-to-back rivalry games and we got it done here in the Twin Cities,” Morse said. “We got Lewiston and we got St. Dom’s. Tonight, we played how we needed to play and we got the job done.”