It was a big holiday weekend for Patriots hockey with three games in three days last Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Abbey. The games featured two special ceremonies, saw several players attain personal milestones, but most importantly the team’s three wins  propelled them into first place in D2 with less than one week to go in the regular season.

 

 

PHS 4  Lincoln 1

The patriots met Lincoln for the second time this season on Saturday evening.  It was an important game as first place in the standings was at stake.  Both teams entered the game with similar records but due to the mysteries of RPI, the first place Lions were slightly ahead of the second place Patriots,

 

The game was preceded by the team’s annual Seniors’ Night celebration where the Patriots honored  the seniors on the team playing the final regular season games of their high school careers.  This year six players were recognized for their four seasons on the team along with their team contributions and personal accomplishments.  Seniors Gavin Chouinard, Kyle Kidd, Oliver Melanson, Finn O’Connor,  Connor Rogers, and Luke West were each introduced and feted on the ice with their parents and relatives.

 

 When the game began, Lincoln took the lead with a first period goal.  Portsmouth evened the score midway through the second period when Connor Rogers scored a power play goal assisted by Hadrian Dougherty and Oliver Melanson.  The Patriots took the lead early in the third period when Dougherty scored the goal that eventually became the game winner, assisted by Rogers.  Late in the period Rogers added the insurance goal and then tallied an empty netter to cap the scoring for the Patriots.  Both of those goals were unassisted.

 

The win made it a two-game sweep over the Lions and vaulted the Patriots into first place in the standings for the first time this season.  The game also featured several personal milestones for two of the players on the team.

 

Connor Rogers entered the game with 99 points in his high school career with the Patriots.  With three goals and an assist in the game, his four points moved him into an elite group of former PHS hockey players who have scored 100 points.   Rogers becomes only the seventh player in the 40 seasons of Portsmouth High School hockey to reach the century mark.

 

Rogers’ hat trick and four-point game were the first time this season he reached those marks.

 

Logan Garcia, the team’s backup goalie. made his first start in a varsity game and earned his first win.  He allowed only a single goal on 20 shots by Lincoln for an excellent .950 save percentage.

 

 

PHS 5  Coventry 0

Originally scheduled for the week prior, the game with the Coventry Oakers was postponed because of a large snowstorm.   With the end of the season rapidly approaching and available ice time at a premium, the game slipped into a Sunday afternoon slot at the Abbey between the contests on Saturday and Monday.

 

As originally scheduled, the game was billed as the team’s Salute to Service.  The annual event recognizes the of all those associated with the team who have served in the U.S. military or as first responders.  It features a short pre-game ceremony highlighting a special honoree and the team wears military themed uniforms during the game.  With some quick last minute coordination the event went on as originally planned.

 

Coventry, the last place team in the standings, was correctly considered to be a sure win for the Patriots and one that would not require the full effort of the full effort of the team’s top players.  It was viewed a a good opportunity for the skaters who have seen limited time on the ice to carry the play.  As such, several the squad’s best players were relegated to supporting roles.

 

Portsmouth scored three goals in the first half of the first period, added another at the end of the second period and notched the final tally less than a minute into the third period.  Luke West scored the first and last goals of the game.  Between his tallies the Patriots added goals by Finn O’Connor, Patrick Chouinard, and Kane Brule.  Each of those three goal scorers also had an assist  to finish the game with two points, as did West.  Matthew Alvanas had two assists and  Connor Soccio and Quinn Ordyna were each credited with one. 

 

The first assist by Alvanas and those earned by Ordyna and Patrick Chouinard were each the first  of their high school careers.

 

The Patriots goaltender, Logan Garcia, made 11 saves to blank the Oakers and earn his first shutout in only his second varsity start.

 

 

PHS 4  East Greenwich / Toll Gate (EGTG) 2

School was out for Presidents’ Day on Monday so the final game of the big hockey weekend began at noon.

 

The game was the only scheduled regular season meeting between the Patriots and Avenger Titans.  Aside from the importance of the game to the division standings, there was an underlying tone to the event.  It was the first time the teams had met since EGTG defeated Portsmouth in the state championship finals last season.

 

EGTG got on the scoreboard first five minutes into the game.  The teams then played even until late in the period when the momentum took a dramatic shift in the Patriots’ favor.

 

EGTG has been the second most penalized team in the division this season.  The character of teams tends to not change much, and so it wasn’t long until the Avenger Titans were in penalty trouble.  Connor Rogers evened the score with an unassisted goal scored on a five-on-three power play with just under two minutes remaining in the first period. 

 

The penalty problems continued for EGTG into the second period, as well.  In the first half of the period the Patriots made their opponent pay for their penalties with two more power play goals.  Chase Marston scored the first goal of his high school career, with an assist by Luke Brule, to give the Patriots the lead in the game.  Luke Brule then tallied with the man advantage, assisted by Hadrian Dougherty and Rogers.  Dougherty added an even strength goal with an assist from Oliver Melanson late in the period to give the team a three-goal lead.  With just a minute and a half remaining in the period, EGTG answered with a power play goal of their own to close within two goals of the lead.

 

The goal scoring ended with the second period, but the action continued into the third period, as well.  After three more power plays and a big penalty kill at the end of the game the Patriots skated off with a 4-2 victory.

 

Portsmouth outshot EGTG 39-21 on the afternoon.  Logan Garcia, in goal for PHS, made 19 saves in collecting his third win of the season.

 

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Portsmouth’s final regular season game is set for Friday at the Cranston Veterans Memorial Rind.  School is still out for ski week so the game with the Cranston Falcons is scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM.  Come on out and cheer for the Patriots as they wrap up the season and prepare to begin the playoffs next week.

See you at the rink