Connor Little scored  an unassisted goal with ten seconds remaining in the first period of Saturday night’s game with the South Kingstown.  It was all the Patriots needed to defeat the Rebels as the squad went on to shut out its opponent at the Abbey by a score of 1-0, to earn a sweep of the regular season series between the two teams.  Portsmouth’s defense once again ruled the game.  Backed by their all-star goalie, Matt Nordhill, the team held South Kingstown to just eighteen shots in the contest to earn the shutout.  It was the fourth time in their last six games that the Patriots have held their opponent scoreless.

For their part, the feisty Rebels did not make it easy for Portsmouth.  South Kingstown goalie, Colin Eagan kept his team in the game and gave it a fighting chance by stopping all but one of the Patriots twenty-seven shots in the game.

Portsmouth also did not make it easy on itself.  Already the most penalized team in the league, the squad was called for six minor penalties in the game, each of which resulted in shorthanded situation.  But the Patriots special teams of penalty killers extended their hot streak to six games, holding opponents scoreless over the past twenty-six occasions when they had a man-advantage.

The Patriots had three power play opportunities in the game, but failed to notch a goal with the extra skater on the ice.  Interestingly, South Kingstown was called for a delayed penalty just before Little’s goal, but since he had possession of the puck, play continued and he buried it in the Rebels’ net before the whistle to stop the play.  Because Portsmouth scored before the play ended, it was not a power play goal and the penalty on South Kingstown was not assessed.

Game notes:  Nordhill’s shutout, his fourth of the campaign, established a new Portsmouth High School record for shutouts by a goalie in a single regular season (league games only).  The previous record of three shutouts had stood for fourteen years.  First established during the 2003-04 season by James Farrea, the record had been tied four times over the years by three of the most outstanding goal tenders to have played for the Patriots; Brendan Hammatt (2006-07), Corey Martin (2008-09), and Nordhill (2016-17 & 2017-18).  Nordhill, who already owns the Patriots career shutout record, extended that mark to ten games with yesterday’s performance.

Saturday’s shutout also equaled the team record of four shutouts in a regular season (league games only).  That standard was set just last season through the combined efforts of Nordhill, who contributed three shutouts, and backup goalie, Gage Aguiar, who added one.

The Patriots are now two thirds of the way through their regular season schedule.  The team has a break coming up with no games on tap for almost two weeks.  The squad roars back into action on Friday, February 16 against the Toll Gate Titans.. That game has a late start time, 9:00 pm, at the Thayer Ice Arena in Warwick.  The team will have a busy schedule after that featuring two games a weekend for the final three weeks of the regular season.  Three of the remaining contests will be at the Abbey, including the big seniors night celebration on March 2, when the team will recognize the contributions of the biggest class of seniors in the team’s history.  Twelve seniors will be feted before the start of that important game with the Coventry Oakers.  Take a look at the Patriots schedule on this website, and plan now to head to the games as the team races to the playoffs.  See you at the rink.