The annual rivalry game between Portsmouth and RMT, or its predecessors, has always drawn packed crowds at the Abbey or St. George’s rink to see the teams battle it out for Aquidneck Island bragging rights.  Saturday afternoon the stage was bigger, and the stakes were higher for the Patriots and Hurricanes.  So, over 1000 enthusiastic spectators made the trip to Providence College’s Schneider Arena to see, for the first time ever, the two Newport County teams face off for the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division II state championship title.  The highly anticipated match-up of the top two teams in the league resulted in exactly the kind of exciting, well played, closely contested hockey game everyone hoped for.

Through 14 regular season games, and three in the playoffs, no team had defeated Portsmouth on the ice this season.  That magical run came to an end in the final game of the championship tournament.  By a score of 3-1 the Patriots lost to the RMT Co-op and finished the season as runner up to the Hurricanes who earned the championship title.

For the first time in some 84 years of Rhode Island championship tournaments, the finals were conducted as a single elimination round, instead of the traditional best of three series.  With each team having just one shot at the championship, they held nothing back, and left it all on the ice at the end of the game.  The final score belies the fact that the contest was really a one-goal game.  RMT’s final tally was into an empty net.

The Patriots’ top goal scorer this season, Shane Temple, notched his team’s only goal in the first period at the 10:33 mark.  Joey Levreault and Steve Madden were credited with the assists.  The lead stood until five minutes remained in the second period when the Hurricanes got the equalizer on a power play.  The score remained tied a one goal apiece into the second intermission.  The game would come down to the final 15 minutes of regulation time.

 RMT’s top goal scorer, Keaton O’Shea, netted the go-ahead goal on a breakaway with six minutes remaining in regulation time. The Patriots best efforts afterward were unable to tie the game as the clock ran out in the third period.  With just over a minute remaining, the coach called goalie Steve Dutra to the bench for an extra skater in a final push for a goal.  With 24 seconds remaining, The Hurricanes scored an empty net goal to seal their win.

Portsmouth outshot RMT 25-24.  Dutra had 21 saves on 23 shots   The team allowed one goal in three penalty kill situations, and did not score on its own single power play opportunity.

Although the loss was disappointing, the trip to the finals capped a memorable season.  It was the Patriots’ seventh appearance in the finals over the past 23 years.  As a Division III team Portsmouth went to the finals in 2000, 2001, and 2002.  The squad, under Head Coach Ken Bird, was champion in 2001 and runner up the other two times.  Under Head Coach Mike Monahan, the Patriots, playing in Division II, headed to the finals in 2010, 2011, and 2016.  The team won the state title in 2010 and was runner up in 2011 and 2016.  This year, with new Head Coach Greg Cunningham the team once again played for the title.

Interestingly, Mr. Bird led the team to the finals his first three seasons as head coach.  Mr. Monahan took his teams to the finals in his first two seasons as head coach, and then again in his seventh season.  Now Coach Cunningham in his first season with the Patriots guided the squad to the championship game once again.  One would almost think there is a pattern there with head coaches leading the team to the finals multiple seasons when they are new to the team.  Perhaps it bodes well for a return appearance in the division final next season, too.

Congratulations to all the players and coaches on a terrific season.