Schools
Cougars One Step Closer to Championship
Johnston-North Providence takes down Mt. Hope in Game 1 of D-III boys hockey state finals.
The two teams had battled all season to put themselves in this position, and on March 17, one team, the -North Providence Cougars, walked away a step closer to a state championship.
The Huskies from Mount Hope took the ice against the Johnston-North Providence co-op team in game 1 of the best-of-three boys' Division III hockey state championship at Providence College's Schneider Arena on March 17. It was a physical game, and in the end the Cougars came out on top, 3-0.
JNP finished the regular season 14-1-1 for first place in D-III , with Mt. Hope just a game behind, at 13-2-1.
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Game 1 was played at a quick pace right from the outset. Both teams set out to deliver a message and there were bone-crunching hits all night long.
Cougars senior Daniel Evans scored the first goal of the game with just under four minutes left in the second period. Less than a minute later, Johnston/North Providence struck again. Captain Damon Ascenzi fed senior John Sarah, who blasted home the shot, upping the lead to 2-0.
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Mount Hope squandered an opportunity late in the second. The Huskies had a 4-on-1 attacking the Cougars zone, but could not find the back of the net.
The Cougars put the game away about midway through the third period, when junior John Rappa buried home a rebound opportunity to push the lead to 3-0.
Cougars coach Fred Morrison stressed the importantance of game one.
"I think the first game is very important," he said. "It was a good up-and-down game."
David Accetturo, Johnston's co-coach, talked about the strategy going into the game.
"Our goal was to roll the three lines and get the pucks in deep, and we accomplished that goal," he said. He added, "We were disciplined tonight, and the kids were ready for this game."
Matt Grieve, Huskies head boss, gave Johnston's team credit for their performance. "Give it up to their team, they found a way to put it into the back of the net," he said. "Their goalie played strong," he added.
Moving forward, Grieve said he sees room for improvement. "We need better movement of the puck and better quality shots," he said.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Saturday at noon at Schneider Arena.
