Having upset the number four seeded team in the quarterfinals, Portsmouth advanced to the semifinals to face top seeded Ponaganset.  The Chieftains had lost only one game all season, an odd affair in which they were shutout by RMT in the first contest between the teams this season.  The loss spoiled an otherwise perfect season.  The team boasted a high scoring offense combined with a shutdown defense both of which were the best among the 11 teams of Division 2.

 

While it took Portsmouth the entire three game quarterfinal series to earn the spot in the semifinals, the team faced a situation where just one game would determine if they would move on to play for the state championship or see the end of their season.  Under the format adopted by the league last season, the old best of three series at each level of the playoffs was eliminated in favor of a collegiate-style single game elimination Frozen Four format.

 

With Ponaganset in the same sub-division as Portsmouth the teams met twice during the regular season.  In the first game played on the Chieftains home ice at Levy Arena, PHS was in a mid-season slump.  Ponaganset’s goalie turned in his second best game of the season against a team with a winning record and the Patriots were unable to generate the offense required to challenge him.  The result was a 4-1 loss that extended the team’s losing streak to four games.  The second regular season game was at the Abbey a month later.  In that game Portsmouth played their opponent head-to-head, staying even with Ponaganset the entire game.  It wasn’t until just 76 seconds remained in regulation time that the Chieftains broke the tie to claim the win.  Although Portsmouth had lost 5-4 the game was important in that it proved the Patriots could compete on the same level with the best team in the division.

 

The Chieftains scored first at 6:21 of the first period.  Five minutes later, Steve Madden matched the goal with a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and into Ponaganset’s net.  Although the Patriots carried most of the play in the first period when it ended the shots on goal were equal at eight for each team.  That would not be the case after the first intermission.

 

When the game resumed, most of the second period play was in the Patriots’ zone.  The team had trouble getting the puck out of its own end of the ice and Ponaganset took full advantage unleashing 16 shots on goal, every one of which was stopped by Johnn Cabral guarding the net for Portsmouth.  As the period progressed the Portsmouth’s tenacity paid off and the game momentum slowly evened out.  PHS managed only six shots in the period, but the team hung on to keep the score tied at 1-1 as the period ended and the teams headed to the dressing rooms for the second intermission.

 

When the teams returned for the third period the end-to-end action resumed.  Strong defensive play by each squad limited their opponent’s shot opportunities and the score remained tied.  The game had managed to make it through two periods without a penalty which was surprising since Ponaganset was the most penalized team during the regular season.  That ended four minutes into the third period when a Chieftain player was sent to the penalty box on a minor call for head contact while checking Henri Boneu. 

 

Portsmouth’s power play unit took the ice and managed four shots on goal but the Ponaganset netminder, “Rootie” Boisvert made the save on each one.  The penalty ended up being the only one called during the entire game.

 

With just under five minutes left in the third period, Shane Temple broke the game open for Portsmouth.  Picking up the puck on a pass on the right side from Chase Pascoe he skated in, shrugged off a defender as he moved toward the net and flipped a backhand shot high into the corner of the Chieftain’s’ goal.

 

With the score not 2-1 in favor of Portsmouth and time running out, Ponaganset ratcheted up pressure.  With about a minute and a half remaining in regulation, Boisvert was called to the Chieftains bench to allow for the extra skater.  The Patriots had allowed late goals in several games during the season and that was surely on many minds as the clock ran down to less than a minute go, but Cabral was up to the task. 

 

With 30 seconds left Connor Rogers put the game away with with an empty net goal assisted by Dan Biello.  With Portsmouth now ahead 3-1 and just half of a minute remaining in regulation time, the game was all but over - but Temple wasn’t finished.  After Oliver Melanson won the center ice face off, the Patriots again moved the puck into  Ponaganset’s zone where Temple picked it up on the left side, headed for the net and rocketed the puck past Boisvert one more time to seal the win for the Patriots.  His final goal of the game came just 12 seconds after Rogers’ empty netter.

 

With the final score 4-1, Portsmouth had been outshout in the game 34-24, with Cabral making 33 saves.

 

The win advances the Patriots to the championship final for the second consecutive season.  The team will face number three seeded BVS, the Blackstone Valley Schools, who knocked off the number two team, Nariho, in the game immediately following Portsmouth’s.  the Division 2 final will be a single game on Sunday March 17 at 1:00 PM, once again at Schneider Arena.

 

Come to the game and cheer for the Patriots to bring home the championship.

 

See you at the rink.