Connor Little had a hat trick and Max Dooley added another goal but it wasn’t enough for Portsmouth to overcome the Ponaganset Chieftains’ high powered offense as the Patriots lost Game 2 of the quarterfinal round of the state championship tournament by a score of 7-4.  The loss, the Patriots’ second of the series, eliminated the team from the tournament and ended its 2018-19 season.

Portsmouth matched the Chieftains goal for goal in the early going of the game before taking a 3-2 lead at 6:32 of the second period.  That lead held for about five and a half minutes and then Ponaganset made it a tie game for the third time in the contest.

The score remained knotted at three goals apiece until the midpoint of the third period.  It was then that things fell apart for the Patriots.  The team made several mistakes in its own zone and also ran into penalty trouble.  Ponaganset, the league’s top scoring team during the regular season, took full advantage of the opportunities and rang-up three goals in a span of four minutes and forty seconds.

The Patriots got one goal back with 2:32 remaining in regulation time after the coaches pulled the goalie for and extra skater.  Still down two goals, Portsmouth’s net minder, Sam Stamoulis, remained on the bench as the team continued its effort to tie the score.  Along with the advantage the extra skater provides, there is also increased risk with no one in the crease to protect the goal.  Ponaganset put the game away for good with an empty net goal with twelve seconds remaining in the third period.

Portsmouth scored its four goals on just seventeen shots, while the team’s opponent launched 52 at the Patriots net.  Stamoulis had 45 saves.  The Patriots allowed one goal on five penalty kills, and did not score on wither of its two power plays in the game.  The team did, however give up one shorthanded goal to the Chieftains while skating with the man advantage.

In addition to their goals Dooley had two assists and Little had one.  Niklas Pedersen was also credited with an assist on one of Little’s tallies.

Game note:  This is the third season in a row that the two teams have met in the first round of the playoffs.  Ever since Ponaganset moved from Division III to Division II in 2016 the teams have opened their playoffs against each other.  With the series victory this year, Ponaganset takes a 2-1 edge in the emerging playoff rivalry.  Two years ago Ponaganset won the series in three games to advance to the semi-finals.  Last year Portsmouth took the round in two games, and this year it is the Chieftains that are moving ahead after sweeping the Patriots in two games.  Because the playoff brackets are based on the league standings at the end of the regular season, it is just coincidence that the teams have met in the first round of the championship tournament.