NEW HAVEN - Scott McLean took his first shift with Newtown's second line early in the first period of the Division III championship as a replacement for Dan Harrison, who had left the game with a possible broken wrist.
He ended it with the game-winning goal in overtime.
With 3:13 left in the extra frame, McLean pounced on a rebound out front and beat goalie Matt Schoen with a shot to the top corner to give second-seeded Newtown a 2-1 victory over fourth-seeded E.O. Smith/Tolland in the Division III final at Yale's Ingalls Rink.
The goal, McLean's first, gave Newtown (18-5-3) its first state championship.
"This means a lot for our program," Paul Esposito said. "We started in the 2001-2002 season. We've paid our dues, had a lot of close calls conference-wise and state tournament-wise. ... Our program has come a long way in 13 years. This win is going to continue to help our program grow. .... We knew this game was going to come down to a bounce or two."
McLean had been playing on the team's third line for the majority of the season.
"We just kept shooting and I was lucky to get one," McLean said.
Both teams were playing in their first championship.
"[Our players] played as hard as they could and so did Newtown," E.O. Smith/Tolland John Hodgson said. "It was a great game. Everyone got their money's worth."
The score capped off an entertaining overtime period, where both teams had their chances. Only a minute earlier, E.O. Smith/Tolland senior Justin Gagnon hit the cross bar. And a few minutes earlier, Ross Brancati was unable to finish off a pass from Peter Mayer.
But every time E.O. Smith/Tolland (17-7-1) looked like it had the game won, Patrick McLoughlin, who finished with 29 saves, was there stopping the Bucks. And in the final four minutes, it came back to haunt the co-op.
On the game-winning play, E.O. Smith/Tolland just missed getting the puck out of the zone. Brian Gregory then collected the puck at the point and fired a shot on Schoen. The puck bounced off Schoen's leg pad and right to a rushing McLean, who sent a shot just over the glove of goalie.
"The rebound came to the left side and I got a real good push-off and I knew I was in position to get my glove out, if I just got it a little higher, I would've gotten it," Schoen said. "I've had the same play a thousand times in practice and I love making the desperation saves."
McLean had barely any time to react to the shot."
"It just squirted out and I was right there and I just buried it," McLean said.
In the first period, E.O. Smith/Tolland jumped ahead of Newtown when Peter Mayer scored his ninth goal of the tournament off an assist from Austin Hill. But the lead was short lived.
Only four minutes late, Connor Hanley scored a power play goal to make it 1-1.
For the final 30 minutes, the two teams played even hockey with Schoen and McLoughlin exchanging saves. E.O. Smith/Tolland killed off three power plays in the final two periods.
Earlier this season, the two teams played a 1-1 tie in overtime. On Saturday, the Nighthawks changed the script just enough to get the win.
2014 Division III Ice Hockey Championship