BOSTON, Mass. – Twice Canton took the lead in Sunday afternoon’s Div. 2 state championship game at the TD Garden, but twice top seed Billerica was able to respond. The Bulldogs, who were in the final for the fifth time in the last six postseasons, had plenty of chances to net the winner, but the game stretched into double overtime.

Both teams were battling exhaustion and playing 3-on-3 meant plenty of open ice. With 3:22 remaining in the second OT period, Billerica got an odd-man rush. Senior Daniel Viscione, who scored both goals in regulation, gained the zone and squared the puck to classmate Nolan Dawson, who made no mistake from the bottom of the right wing circle.

Dawson’s goal closed out a thrilling 3-2 win for the Indians, who won their first state title since 1977. The Bulldogs were left rueing missed opportunities to put the game away (they outshot the Indians 43-27).

Canton coach Brian Shuman said, “In a 3-on-3 against a team like that, you know they’re going to get chances. You just hope to land the knockout punch first and we had some chances. We just couldn’t land it. Give their top guns enough chances and they’re going bury one eventually.”

He added, “Credit to Billerica, they were the front runners all year long in D2 and they had the bullseye on their back and they still raised the trophy in the end, which is really, really hard.”

It was a cagey start to the game, as the teams looked to be feeling each other out. Billerica’s first shot came after five minutes with Edward Conley teeing up Ryan Johnson, but Connor Geoghan made the stop for Canton. Geoghan (24 saves) would be called into action again a couple minutes later to deny Conley from point-blank range.

Canton came close to the opener with just under five minutes remaining in the first. Cullen O’Brien tested Billerica goalie Stephen MacIntosh with a wrister but he made the pad stop. Seconds later, James Howard fired a pass from the left wing boards into Travis Thomas in the middle but that shot was saved as well.

The Bulldogs grabbed the lead on the game’s first power play and it was the top line that delivered once again. Joey Ryan held possession behind the net and he slipped a nifty pass into the slot for Thomas, who deftly redirected it past the goalie’s glove.

“He is such a good hockey player,” Shuman said of Thomas. “He’s always been one of the top players at his age group but he took it to another level this year. He’s so hard to play against, he’s so strong, and what a season he had. He just made big plays and had big goals in every big game.”

Billerica answered back early in the second period. Just five seconds into a power play, Dawson teed up Viscione and Billerica’s top scorer rocketed a one-timer in off the post giving Geoghan absolutely no chance.

Canton kept pushing to regain the lead. Shane Kelleher picked out O’Brien for a shot from the right wing circle that was saved. On the power play, Ryan found Teddy Shuman for a one-timer that was saved and then Shuman wristed a shot through a crowd in front that MacIntosh was able to hold. Freshman Brayden Dickie tested the goalie with a shot from the left wing boards.

The Indians nearly caught Canton in transition. First, Conley shrugged off the attentions of his defender to get in alone with Geoghan but he missed the net. A minute later, a turnover in the defensive zone gifted Johnson with possession and he slid a pass to Conley but this time Geoghan was able to make a huge save to keep it tied.

Kelleher intercepted a pass in the attacking zone and tested MacIntosh from the high slot and, with just a few seconds left in the period, Andrew Gillis forced a save with a spinning shot from the edge of the face-off circle.

Billerica got a man advantage early in the third, but it was Canton that nearly pounced for a go-ahead goal. Huck McCready’s hustle earned him a breakaway opportunity but his backhand missed the net. Shuman followed that with a steal and another shorthanded break but MacIntosh saved it.

Canton was making a push for the winner. Cam Guerschuny set up O’Brien for a rip that MacIntosh saved with the blocker. Thomas found Ryan in front for a shot on net and Ryan followed the rebound and went with a wraparound try that forced another good save from the Billerica netminder.

The Indian were inches from taking the lead with four minutes to play when Cameron Penti rang a shot off the crossbar. A minute later, Canton was in front. Thomas played provider this time, sneaking a perfect pass out in front from Ryan Elrick to finish off.

Canton’s fans were still celebrating the go-ahead goal when Billerica equalized again. Dawson picked out Viscione and he rifled a shot past Geoghan for his second goal of the game. The Canton lead lasted just 28 seconds.

Viscione nearly won the game for the Indians in regulation, testing Geoghan after a good rush up the left wing with just 24 seconds on the clock.

In the 4-on-4 first overtime, freshman Gavin O’Toole dragged the puck past his defender and brought out a good stick save from MacIntosh. Thomas nearly picked the top corner with a tight-angle shot from the right wing circle but it was also saved.

The teams matched each other rush-for-rush in the second overtime. Johnson had a chance when he found a seam down the middle of the ice but Geoghan came through with the stop. Conley nearly won it on a 2-on-1 with Viscione but he missed the net from close range. Canton almost pulled off a stellar move to win the game when O’Toole angled a pass into freshman defenseman Kellen Labanara at the far post but he wasn’t able to direct it on goal.

As the clock wound down, Billerica got one more chance with an odd-man rush and capitalized.

“You try to relate it to drills we have in practice,” Shuman said about Canton’s approach to overtime. “You just remind kids, we do this a lot. It’s obviously a lot different when you’re 53 minutes-plus into a game and you’re exhausted.”

Canton finished the season 23-2-1. The Bulldogs only losses were to Barnstable in the opening game of the winter and then in the state title game. Shuman credited his team’s focus on the day-to-day for helping put together a 24-game unbeaten run.

“There are teams that look ahead, they’re looking to win the state championship in January and these guys really were that ‘one game at a time’ team,” he explained. “Whoever was up next, they were ready to play. I think that’s why they were able to do what they did.”

Of course, being Canton, there is already talk about how the Bulldogs can get back to this stage again next season. Shuman relishes the standard that has been set for the program.

“Without saying it outright, [getting to the Garden] is the goal every year,” he said. “That is a testament to the kids in the locker room, the players that played before for us that set that standard. We don’t mention this game at all throughout the year but it’s still right there as a goal to work towards.”