  Medicine Hat Tigers Chris Stevens (right) sends Lewiston Maineiacs Michal Korenko left flying through the air on hit during the first period of Memorial Cup action in Vancouver Saturday May 19, 2007.(CP PHOTO/Chuck Stoody)
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VANCOUVER -- As the game wore on the sense was Jonathan Bernier would not be beaten.
Not again anyway. And especially not after his Lewiston Maineiacs took a one-goal lead.
Bernier finished with 30 saves as the Maineiacs defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers 3-1 in the second game of the Memorial Cup yesterday at the Pacific Coliseum.
"Bernier is a great goaltender," said Maineiacs head coach Clement Jodoin. "He made some big saves for us which is one of the big reasons why we won."
Bernier needed to be sharp early. Just 15 seconds into the game the Maineiacs goaltender denied Tigers forward Derek Dorsett with a deft pokecheck.
Dorsett, booed every time he touched the puck by the local fans due to biting incident against the Vancouver Giants in the WHL final, somehow managed to get behind the Maineiacs defence shortly after the opening faceoff.
It wouldn't be the first time Dorsett was stymied by the Lewiston goaltender.
"It's a good way to start the game because I was able to make the save," Bernier said. "If I don't stop it then it's a bad way to start the game. But you have to make those saves at the start of game to help your team win."
Bernier, 18, was the Los Angeles Kings' first-round pick -- 11th overall -- in last June's NHL Entry Draft. He was the last goaltender cut from Canada's world junior team in December, then suffered an ankle injury in January that forced him to miss the second half of the regular season.
Bernier returned to the Maineiacs lineup just before the start of the QMJHL playoffs and posted a 16-1 record en route to the league championship.
"He's the best goaltender in our league and he's probably the best goaltender in the CHL, too," said Maineiacs forward David Perron. "He won the game for us and we're pretty happy about that."
