For the third year in a row, Portsmouth is set to meet Ponaganset in the opening round of the Division II State Championship Tournament.  The Patriots who finished the season in seventh place will face off with the second place Chieftains in a best of three quarterfinal series taking place this weekend.

Game 1 is set to be played this Friday, March 1, at 5:00 pm at the Levy Community Ice Center in Burrillville.  Game 2 will follow the next day at the Abbey beginning at 3:30 pm.  If the teams split the series a deciding Game 3 will be played, most likely on Monday, March 4, although the location and time have not yet been specified.

The squads met only one time during the regular season.  That game took place on February 15 at the Abbey, and was a disaster for the Patriots.  Entering the contest with a chance to rise to fourth place in the standings, the team was shutout 11-0 by the Chieftains.  Not only did the loss relegate the team to seventh place, the spot where it enters the playoffs now, but the drubbing also set team records for most goals against in a single game, and for the greatest margin of defeat in a game.

Ponaganset finished the season with 13 wins, 3 losses for 26 points and second place in the final standings.  The three defeats came at the hands of Cumberland, RMR, and PSW.  Portsmouth has been competitive with the latter two of those teams this season, and so looks to be able to mimic their success against the Chieftains this weekend.

Two years ago, in the first round of the playoffs, Ponaganset took the series but needed three games to advance.  Last season the Patriots swept the series, defeating the Chieftains in two straight games, to move on to the semi-finals, where the team lost to the eventual State Champion, the Barrington Eagles.

It will take a lot of work, and the Patriots’ best playing of the season to beat Ponaganset.  But the squad is ready and looking to repeat last year’s playoff performance.  Come to the games and cheer Portsmouth on to the next round of the playoffs.  See you at the rink.