The Patriots skated into the 2022-23 season Sunday afternoon at the Abbey when the team met the Barrington Eagles, a Division I squad, in the annual Injury Fund Exhibition game.

 

The Injury Fund event takes a variety of non-standard forms for the various teams around the league.  As the first opportunity of the season to play in an real game environment, the contest gives the teams an opportunity apply their skills in actual competition while providing the coaches a valuable look at where their teams stand after the first week of practice.

 

Just as last season, the Patriots and Eagles played a game with two, 30-minute halves with no clock stoppages.  Unlike last season where Portsmouth won a closely played game by a score of 3-2, this time Barrington completely dominated the game skating to an 8-0 shutout.

 

If there is a silver lining in the dark cloud that hung over the Patriots at the end of the contest, it is that the game was a freebie – it did not count in the standings and no team or personal statistics were recorded.  But, perhaps even more important, it revealed a few areas the that the coaches will concentrate on as the team prepares for begin league play in its own division next weekend.

 

That campaign for the playoffs begins next Friday, December 9, when Portsmouth heads to the Boss Arena on the campus of the University of Rhode Island to play the Narragansett / CHARIHO Gulls in the first of two scheduled games this season.  The Gulls were the D-III state champion runners-up last season.  The puck is set to drop at 6:30 pm.  It is sure to be good game you won’t want to miss.

 

Next Sunday, December 11, Portsmouth will open league play on its home ice at the Abbey when the team hosts the Ponaganset Chieftains in a game set to begin at 2:00 pm.  When the Patriots and Chieftains get together the contests are always competitive and exciting.

 

Head to the games and root for Portsmouth as the team begins its march to the playoffs.

 

See you at the rink.