After the tough one-goal loss to league leading North Smithfield on Friday night at the Abbey, the Patriots took on another big challenge when they faced off with the league’s number two team in the standings on Saturday night.  Although the game was once again played at the Abbey, Portsmouth’s home rink, this time when the squad took the ice it was as the “visiting” team against the South Kingstown Rebels.  It was the second and final regular season meeting between the two teams and a critical contest for the Patriots who had won only one of their previous seven league games.

 

In the first meeting between the squads, Portsmouth had built a 3-1 lead by early in the second period, then inexplicably, lost control of the game.  The result was drastic; the Rebels walked off the ice at the final buzzer with an 8-4 victory.  While the loss was the worst suffered by the Patriots in league play this season, the team had shown early in the game that it could definitely play at the Rebel’s level.  Saturday, the team showed it could do so for the entire game, and earned a 3-2 overtime victory in a come-from-behind thriller.

 

The Patriots spotted the Rebels two goals in the first period despite matching them shot for shot.  Down 2-0 at the start of the second period Portsmouth went to work to close the gap.  At 5:50 of the second session, Evan Alvanas netted an unassisted goal to start the Patriots comeback.  The team remained competitive throughout the period, although South Kingstown outshot Portsmouth 9-7.  As the second intermission began Portsmouth still trailed by a goal, but equally as important as the goal that was scored, was the fact that the Patriots kept the Rebels off the scoreboard for the entire period, as well.

 

Just over a minute before the second period ended a South Kingstown player was called for a penalty and the Patriots went on the power play.  Portsmouth controlled the play, but time expired in the period before the team could capitalize on the man advantage.  As the third period began there was still just under a minute remaining on the Patriots’ power play.  With five seconds remaining with the man advantage, Ben O’Hearn fired a slap shot from the left side of the slot near the blue line that found its way through the traffic in front of the goal and into the back of the Rebels’ net.  Josh Arkins and Kevin Manning were credited with assists on the goal.  Fifty-three seconds into the final period the game was tied.

 

With almost a full period still to play the goal did not translate into a big momentum boost for Portsmouth, but it was clear it had a positive effect on the confidence level of the team.  The Patriots were unable to find a way to win in regulation time, but once again, they held South Kingstown at bay to ensure they had kept the chance for themselves to win the game.  The payoff came in dramatic fashion during the overtime session.

 

With a little less than two minutes remaining in the five minute sudden-death overtime period Ben O’Hearn got the puck in the center of the ice near South Kingstown’s blue line.  He immediately charged into the Rebels’ zone on a breakaway.  Pursued by both the Rebels’ defenseman as he closed on the goal, O’Hearn was hauled down by the player behind him and to his left.  Somehow as he went to the ice, O’Hearn managed to get a shot off which beat the South Kingstown net minder and ended the game with a win in the results column for the Patriots.

 

Portsmouth outshot South Kingstown 30-28 during the game.  Gage Aguiar made 28 saves in leading the Patriots to victory.  The team had one power play goal in four attempts, and allowed one goal during three penalty kill situations.

 

The Patriots have two weeks off until their next game.  When the team returns to action it will face off for the second time in three games with the North Smithfield Northmen.  That game is scheduled to take place on Friday, February 20, at 7:30 PM at the Smithfield Municipal Rink.  Portsmouth had as good of an outing against the Northmen as you can have in a close loss when the teams played last Friday.  The Patriots will work to take their game a notch higher and come away next time with the win.  Head over to the Smithfield rink and give the team your support in what is certain to be an exciting game.

 

The following evening, Saturday, February 21, the squad will meet the Narragansett Mariners in the back rink at the Thayer Arena in Warwick.  Portsmouth won the first regular season game with Narragansett, back in December.  The teams then met again in the Hockey Scores for Hunger holiday tournament and Portsmouth claimed the win in that game as well.  The Patriots will be looking to notch another win as they begin their final push to the playoffs.  Come out and cheer them to victory.  See you at the rink.