It took just sixteen seconds into sudden death overtime for Mac Dunn to score the game winning goal and give his team their second win this week, and a sweep of the regular season series with the North Smithfield Northmen.

 

The game Friday night at the Abbey was dedicated to the support of Go Purple: The Herren Project, which aims to help those with substance addictions and to promote awareness of substance use addiction prevention.  As part of the program, Mite level hockey players from the Newport Whalers Youth Hockey Program were in attendance at the game.  The predominantly eight year old skaters were on the Portsmouth players’ bench as the team warmed up so they could meet the Patriots, and during the second intermission they played a mini-game prior to the ice being resurfaced.

 

The Patriots got off to a fast start in the game and dominated play for all but the last few minutes of the period.  Playing mostly in the Northmen’s end of the rink, Portsmouth fired nineteen shots at their opponent’s goalie.  Sam Stamoulis, in the crease for the Patriots did not have much work to do in the first period and easily handled the five shots that were taken by the North Smithfield skaters.

 

Portsmouth cashed in on its efforts at the 6:57 mark with a goal by Gus Nightingale assisted by Mac Dunn.  The game was so stunningly one sided that after the goal, North Smithfield used its time out to set the team settled and back into the game.  The break did not have an immediate effect, but it was enough to keep the Patriots from scoring again, as the Northmen slowly worked to get back into the game.  And they did.

 

The Patriots carried a 1-0 lead through the first intermission, but when the second period began, their advantage did not last for long.  At 1:16 into the period, a newly invigorated  North Smithfield squad got the puck past Stamoulis to tie the game.  Things had gone too easily for Portsmouth in the first period, and the team had backed off too much on their efforts.  The Northmen saw the opportunity and took advantage of it.  They held Portsmouth without a shot on goal for the first 7:33 of the period.  But the Patriots recognized the wake-up call and got back into the lead with two tallies by the team’s leading scorer, Connor Little.

Little’s goals at 8:45 and 13:42 were assisted by Ian Gerdin, William Hayes, Max Dooley and Dunn,  raised the team’s lead to two goals, but by that time it was clear the remainder of the game would be a battle.  North Smithfield cut the lead to a single goal with forty seconds remaining in the second period.  For the second time in the game, the Patriots carried a one-goal lead into the intermission.  But despite scoring two goals, they had been outshout 10-8 in the period, and it was clear they had lost the momentum they started the game with.

 

Following the extended intermission as the Mites played their mini-exhibition game in front of the sizable crowd at the Abbey, the teams returned to the ice for the final period.  Portsmouth held the Northmen scoreless until a mistake with four minutes to go in regulation time resulted in a turnover and a goal by North Smithfield.  The Patriots were unable to come back in the time remaining before the period ended, and were faced with heading into overtime.

 

After a short break of a few minutes, the teams swapped ends of the ice and the five minute overtime session began.  Little, the best faceoff artist on the team, won the opening draw and Portsmouth moved into the Northmen’s zone.  It took only sixteen seconds for Little and Nightingale to assist Dunn in earning his first game winning goal, and handing the victory to the Patriots.

 

Portsmouth outshot North Smithfield 36-26, but that was completely due to the squad’s dominance in the first period.  The Northmen outshot the Patriots in the second and third periods 21-16.  There were only three penalties called in the game; one in the first period on North Smithfield, and single offsetting minors on players from each team in the third period.  The result was a first period power play for the Patriots, that they were unable to capitalize on.  Stamoulis had twenty-three saves in the win as the team raised its record in league play to 5 Wins -2 Losses -1 Tie - 1 Overtime Loss; good for 12 points and a tie for fourth place in the standings with RMR.

 

Game Notes:  After scoring his first high school goal in the team’s previous game with South Kingstown, Mac Dunn added his first game winning goal against the Northmen, which when added to his two assists on the night, earned him his first three-point game.  For the second game in a row Connor Little led the scoring with two goals and an assist, giving him his third three-point game of the season.

 

The Patriots will face the toughest part of their schedule next week when they host the two former Division I teams which moved to D-II this season.  Both teams are currently tied for second place in the league standings, but only two points ahead of Portsmouth as they plan to meet the Patriots at the Abbey.  On Thursday, January 31 at 7:30 pm it’s the Cranston West Falcons in the only meeting between the teams scheduled for the regular season.  On Saturday, February 2 at 3:30 pm the squad will face-off with the Cumberland Clippers for the second time this season.  Portsmouth will be looking to even the series after its worst loss of the season to the Clippers back in December.  The Patriots were shut out 7-0 in that game, but Portsmouth has shown big improvement of late, and the game will be played on the team’s home ice.  The squad needs your support.  Get to the games and cheer the Patriots on to big wins.  See you at the rink