The Patriots made the long trip to the Levy Community Ice Center in Burrillville Thursday night and came home with a hard earned 1-0 victory over the Ponaganset Chieftains in the first game of the best-of-three quarterfinal series of the D-II playoffs.

After two scoreless periods, Nolan O’Brien, making his first appearance in a playoff game, scored the only goal in the contest at :57 seconds into the third period.  Jonah Callandret assisted on what turned out to be the game winning tally.  The goal broke a run of five scoreless periods between the teams, when their single regular season game is included.

Just as in that previous meeting last December at the Abbey which ended in a scoreless tie, defense and goaltending ruled yesterdays’s contest.  Two of the best goalies in D-II, Matt Nordhill for the Patriots and Curtis Briggs for the Chieftains, once again dueled through three periods and put on a terrific display of netminding skill.  Nordhill made 19 saves in blanking Ponaganset for the second time this season, while it took the Patriots twenty three shots in the game to produce their single goal with Briggs in the net.

The teams will play again this evening, Friday, March 3, at the Abbey at 6:00 pm.  Portsmouth, the number six seed in the playoffs, is certain to be tested as it works to close out its series with third seed Ponaganset.  The Patriots will be facing a desperate Chieftains squad that needs a win to extend the series to a deciding game three next Monday.

Come to the Abbey and root for Portsmouth tonight.  Cheer the team to victory and on to the semi-final round of the playoffs.  If the first two games between the Patriots and Chieftains are any indication, you will be in for an exciting hockey game. 

See you at the rink

Game note:

With his shutout of Ponaganset last night, Portsmouth goalie Matt Nordhill tied the team’s individual record for career shutouts, which currently stands at six.  The record was set during the 2011-12 season by Matt Maggiacomo.  Nordhill previously tied the team’s regular season individual shutout record by blanking three opponents during the just completed campaign leading to the playoffs.  That record was originally established during the 2003-04 season and had been tied twice before Nordhill added his name to the list.