St. Charles West goalie Andrew Phillips covers up with Lafayette's Alex Corno on the doorstep. (Paul Kopsky/STLtoday Prep Sports)

The third time was not the charm.

After falling in their two previous trips to Savvis Center for the championship game of the Mid-States Club Hockey Association Wickenheiser Cup (losing to Althoff in 2003 and John Burroughs in ’05) the St. Charles West Warriors hoped to finally get over the hump against Lafayette on Wednesday. But it wasn’t to be, as the Lancers scored three goals in the first period and held on to beat West 5-3.

"It’s tough, we really felt good about our chances," West coach Shawn Lewinski said. "And especially for these seniors that have been here three times, and to fall short all three times, it’s hard."

Lafayette finished the season 13-9-7, while the Warriors fell to 20-7-2.

"We had a great season, and you can’t really be that disappointed about it," said senior forward Matt Johnson, who scored a goal with an assist. "But it would’ve been nice to win."

Particularly after scoring the game’s first goal on a tremendous effort by Johnson just past the seven-minute mark.

Johnson carried the puck into the offensive zone, then dropped it for Bill Loser and went to the net. Loser wound up for a big shot and Johnson missed on the deflection as Lafayette goaltender Matt Gentile made the stop. The puck caromed behind the net but Johnson, who was down on the ice, reached out with his stick to gather the puck, then quickly got to his feet and fed a pass through the crease for Aaron Schulz coming out from the other side and Schulz chipped the shot past Gentile.

"Matt was a horse tonight, and just the fact that he not only came away with the puck, but he was able to get it over to Aaron," Lewinski said. "And Aaron, that was a beautiful shot to bury it up under the bar like that. I thought their goaltender had great position on that shot. Great effort on both players’ part."

But the 1-0 lead wouldn’t last long as Lafayette tied the game less than a minute later. With West trying to gain a step into the neutral zone, Lancers forward Mitch Hayes kept the puck in and sent it ahead for Jacob Silverman, who hit a quick wrist shot that beat West goaltender Drew Phillips to the stick side with 7:05 left in the first period.

Still buzzing after its first goal, Lafayette quickly struck again to take a 2-1 lead just 18 seconds later as Dustin Kaminsky, crashing to the net, jumped on a loose puck and rifled a shot from the edge of the right circle that slipped through Phillips’ pads.

"Once we scored that first goal, I thought we were going to get going," Lewinski said. "Unfortunately they actually settled in, they started playing their game. I think we relaxed, and that was a big mistake."

And Lafayette would take advantage, adding to its lead with 1:25 remaining in the first period. Defenseman Elliot Corwin took a shot from the point and Zac Moore got a piece of it in the slot. Phillips made the initial save, but Moore was able to whack the rebound into the net.

"We had some defensive breakdowns," Lewinski said. "We had some guys that were loose in front of the net, and you can’t have that."

Lafayette outshot the Warriors 15-5 in the first period and 34-17 for the game.

"We didn’t want that to happen," Lewinski said. "We definitely wanted to limit their opportunities, and we didn’t do a very good job of that."

After a scoreless second period, Lafayette went up 4-1 just 1:43 into the third. Kaminsky dug the puck out of the corner and threw it in front for Max Huber, who hit a quick, low shot that beat Phillips.

"I thought that Andrew did a great job," Lewinski said of Phillips, a senior. "Drew, he stood on his head, he made fantastic saves. But when you’ve got a guy standing in your face and there’s nobody tying up his stick, that’s a tough save to make. That’s a lot to ask from your goaltender."

Johnson did his best to keep the Warriors in the game, scoring a shorthanded goal with 8:50 left to make it 4-2. After Dan Rackovan sent the puck up the left wing, Johnson chased it down in the offensive zone and just powered his way to the net, pushing Lafayette defenseman Shaun O’Rourke back into the crease until the puck deflected off of O’Rourke’s skate and slipped past Gentile.

"I had no idea that it went in," Johnson said.

"That was sheer guts. Nothing more," Lewinski said.

But Lafayette would take the last bit of wind from West’s sails just 39 seconds later as Corwin threw the puck on net from the point and it appeared to deflect off a Warrior defenseman and find a hole through Phillips.

"That was kind of a back breaker," Lewinski said.

Schulz scored his second goal of the game on a breakaway with 3:45 left, but it wouldn’t be enough.

"They came out really strong, and we weren’t ready for it," Johnson said. "It’s just hard."