Like the sport of hockey itself, this season continued to be played at a fast and furious pace leaving little time here for anything other than game preparations and housekeeping on this website afterward the games.  While the stats were kept up to date on this website, the regular stories about the games usually found in this section fell by the wayside.  So here is a brief recap of the games that followed the previous article.

 

After their opening weekend the Patriots had a slight lull of a week and a half with no games scheduled as the team awaited confirmation of its anticipated, but unscheduled remaining games.  When the decisions were eventually made the team found itself facing six games in 11 days as the league rushed to complete the season on its original timeline.  Following is a brief recap of each of those contests.

 

Thursday February 11 vs. RMR

The Patriots and RMR traveled to the Levy rink in Burrillville for a late afternoon start of their traditional rivalry game.  The rink has been the scheduled home ice for both Portsmouth and RMR since St George’s rink is closed this season, and the Abbey has allowed the teams to practice but not conduct games.  While the competition between the teams was at its expected best, the atmosphere was unusually subdued.  The raucous crowd usually present at the games was absent, a casualty of the need to limit the number of fans due to the effects of the COVID 19 virus.

 

Portsmouth entered the game hoping to build on its victory between the two teams in their contest last year - it was the first regular season win against RMR / Middletown since the Patriots’ nemesis moved to D-2, now twelve years ago.  Things were looking good for that quest after Portsmouth dominated the first period action, outshooting RMR 11-3 and building a  two goal lead on tallies by Mac Dunn and Hayden Krzych.  Krzych’s goal, his second of the season, was scored on a power play.  Aidan Toner assisted on the first tally and Andrew Alvanas had the helper on the second.  But Portsmouth’s dominance in the game ended with the horn at the completion of the period.

 

RMR scored two unanswered goals in the second period, one of them on a power play, then added another power play tally midway through the third period to take a 3-2 lead.  Just 40 seconds after the go-ahead goal by RMR, senior forward Tom Rocco, skating in his first season with the Patriots, tied the game once again with his first goal of the season.  Both Joe Rocco and Ben McGowan provided assists.  RMR took the lead in the contest once again with a shorthanded goal with four minutes remaining in the final period.  Portsmouth’s adversary then sealed its win with an empty net goal with eight seconds remaining before the horn ended the game.

 

RMR outshot Portsmouth 29-10 in the final two periods on the way to the win.  Sam Stamoulis, in goal for the Patriots, had 35 saves in the game.

 

The loss ran the Patriots record versus RMR / Middletown to 1Win / 16 Losses / 3 Ties in regular season games over the past 11 years.

 

Friday, February 12 vs. PSW

The day after their loss to RMR the Patriots travelled to Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, the usual home ice of the long time cooperative team of Providence Country Day, Saint Raphael Academy, and The Wheeler School, better known as PSW.  This time, however, due to the oddities of a schedule affected by the pandemic, Portsmouth was the home team.

 

After playing the first period and a half to a scoreless tie, Mac Dunn, assisted by Aidan Toner, gave Portsmouth the lead with just under six minutes to go in the second period.  The squad added two more unassisted goals in the final period, the first by James LeBreux, and then an empty netter from Parker West to finish the game with a score of 3-0 for the Patriots.  Sam Stamoulis had an outstanding game in goal stopping all 28 shots he faced to earn his first solo career shutout as a Patriot.

 

The win evened Portsmouth’s record at 2-2 in league games this season with four contests remaining.

 

Saturday, February 13 vs. Warwick Co-op

Playing their third game in as many days, Portsmouth made the trip to Thayer Arena to take on the newly formed Warwick Co-op.  Established for the first time this season, Warwick combined the best players from both the Pilgrim and Toll Gate hockey programs to compete this season.

 

The teams traded first period goals with each scoring two in the opening session.  Mac Dunn and Joe Rocco tallied for the Patriots with Ben McGowan, Aidan Toner, and Steve Madden each picking up an assist.

Warwick took control of the game with two goals in the second period to make the score 4-2 with Portsmouth trailing as the teams headed off the ice for the second intermission.

 

Andrew Alvanas got the Patriots back to within one goal of the lead when he scored just 43 seconds into the final period.  But Warwick roared back with two more tallies, including a shorthanded goal, to close out Portsmouth by a score of 6-3  Sam Stamoulis allowed six goals on 23 shots before being replaced in the net by sophomore Chris Dutra.  Dutra played the final seven minutes of the game making three saves along the way.

 

Alternating losses and wins this season, the Patriots league record fell to 3-2.

 

Tuesday. February 16, vs. East Bay Co-op

East Bay is the name taken by Mt Hope and East Providence as the teams combined their talents to compete in Division-2 this season.  With school out for winter break the two teams were available to play earlier than usual, and so made trip to the other side of the state to start the game at 10:00 am.  Playing as the “home” team at the Levy Ice Center, the Patriots dominated the first half of the game scoring three goals to take what appeared to be a commanding lead in the contest.  Aidan Toner scored his first goal of the season and Andrew Alvanas added two more in building the lead for the team.  Five players each earned an assist on the goals: Parker West, James LeBreux, Mac Dunn, Dan Biello, and Hayden Krzych.

 

Then, as has already happened several times this season, Portsmouth watched its early lead evaporate.  With about five minutes left in the second period, East Bay scored two goals in the span of just nine seconds and then added another on a power play early in the third period to tie the score at 3-3.  The score remained knotted until the end of regulation time thereby sending the game to overtime.  Portsmouth regrouped and came out strong in the extra session.  With a minute and forty-five seconds remaining in the sudden-death overtime, Parker West gave his team the win when broke in on the left side of the East Bay zone and launched a shot from the top of the faceoff circle that found the back of the net.

 

Sam Stamoulis had 24 saves in the win as the Patriots evened their season record at 4-4

 

Wednesday, February 17 vs. WWEWG

The first ever meeting between Portsmouth and the Knight Wizards of the West Warwick-Exeter-West Greenwich Co-op squad began at 11:30 am at the Benny Magiera Ice Rink at the West Warwick Civic Center.  The Patriots came out flat and seemed to be caught off guard when their opponents, who entered the game with only one win on the season, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period.  Portsmouth settled down and gave a strong performance in the second period picking up goals by Mac Dunn and Aidan Toner, with assists from Steve Madden and Hunter Tavares.  But it was not enough as the Knight Wizards added another tally, and got exceptional play from their goalie to maintain their 3-2 lead as the second intermission began.  James LeBreux, assisted by Andrew Alvanas and Madden, tied the game for the Patriots three minutes into the final period.  Despite another strong period, Portsmouth was unable to gain the lead before the third period ended, and the game headed to overtime.  Neither team scored before time ran out on the extra session, and so the game went into the books as a tie.

 

The Patriots outshot the Knight Wizards 41-26.  Sam Stamoulis earned the tie with 23 saves in the game.  With one regular season game remaining the Patriots record stood at 3 wins - 3 losses - 1 Tie.

 

Sunday, February 21 vs JNPT

The final home game of the regular season is traditionally when teams recognize their seniors in a special ceremony before the game.  This year both Portsmouth and its opponent, the cooperative team from Johnston, North Providence, and Tiverton used the Levy rink as their home ice.  Appropriately then, each squad feted its seniors at the same game.  Following JNPT’s ceremony the Patriots introduced each of their four seniors individually and honored them rink-side along with their parents.

 

In the game that followed, Portsmouth goalie, Sam Stamoulis, earned his second shutout of the season and the team poured in seven goals, to end the regular season with a big win.

 

Finishing with three points on the night were Mac Dunn with two goals and an assist, and Andrew Alvanas and Parker West, each scoring a goal and two assists.  Aidan toner added two goals and Ben McGowan had one.  Other Patriots credited with assists included Hunter Tavares with two, and James LeBreux and Joe Rocco with one each.

 

The win brought Portsmouth’s regular season record to 4 wins-3 losses-1 tie, good for a second place finish in the D-2 East conference, thereby earning a playoff berth.  Overall the Patriots had the seventh best record of the 15 teams in D-2.  And so, on to the playoffs.