Burrillville ends long week with win over Mariners

Toti’s goal with 15 minutes left in contest earns Broncos crucial D-II win over Narragansett

BURRILLVILLE — Considering all the yelling Burrillville High head coach Mark Gilchrist and enthusiastic assistant Joe Joyce did from the sideline on raw, damp Friday afternoon, the veteran tandem seemed mighty enthused about their Broncos’ ability to hold onto a 2-1 victory over gritty Narragansett.

“We were coming off a game (on Thursday night) at Mount Hope, one that ended in a 3-3 tie, so I thought we played pretty good here; I thought they worked hard,” Gilchrist stated after his club improved to a surprise 5-1-1 in its inaugural campaign in Division II action.

“We came back (Friday), and you could see we were playing tired, that the kids needed a rest. You could see the team is learning,” he added. “The intensity wasn’t there, the emotion and fire wasn’t there. Narragansett actually gained some momentum midway to late in the first half, but we got it back in the second.

“We did that the final six, seven minutes playing long balls.”

The Mariners may have fallen to 1-6-1 overall and in divisional action, but senior Kaelin Kilroy proved to be a thorn in the Broncos’ side throughout the contest.

He did so courtesy of amazing footwork, shifty moves and powerful shots at BHS sophomore netminder Brady Tupper, who finished with four stops.

“Brady has been playing tremendous,” Gilchrist noted. “We have a senior-oriented group, and he’s been learning quite a bit from those guys. They’ve taken him under their wings, so he’s learning the varsity game quicker and getting stronger every game.”

Senior quad-captain Cam Toti sealed the verdict with only 11:32 elapsed in the final, 40-minute stanza. That’s when junior Nick Hammond drilled a left-side corner kick into a bevy of players in front by the left post, but it popped loose to Toti.

He calmly turned away from one defender and ripped a hard grounder past diving sophomore keeper Adam Lurgio to break the 1-1 deadlock.

That came despite outstanding defense from senior captain Ben Reddington, junior Mike Ward and freshmen Austub Gibree and Tyler Reissner.

Burrillville didn’t need long to earn a 1-0 cushion, as – just 2:31 after the opening boot – senior Zach Bonnell sent a liner from the right inside the box and toward the right post, and Hammond used his head to drive it home.

Approximately 12 minutes later, the Mariners produced a fine chance to knot it; Kilroy weaved his way through at least four defenders on the right side, somehow broke free and fired a try at the cage. That, however, sailed wide left.

Narragansett nevertheless made good on its next golden chance. With 16:02 remining before intermission, junior Matt Rocchio delivered a crossing pass inside to – who else? – Kilroy, who juked a defender and scorched his shot past Tupper to knot it at 1-1.

It appeared the Broncos would regain the lead a scant 4:10 into the second half. Junior Matt Broderick con- trolled his dribble down the right side, then poked a feed inside to Hammond, who then found Toti in front. The latter wheeled around and whacked a try at net, but that flew just past the left post.

After the hosts took the lead, thanks to Toti’s smoker, the Mariners forged a furious attack to knot the score once more. With 23:51 on the scoreboard clock, Kilroy raced through and around a bevy of defenders and mustered a shot inside the right section of the penalty box; that, too, flirted with the left post.

Narragansett actually did tie it at 2-2 with 21:49 left in regulation, sophomore Jack Harris doing the honors, yet officials called it null-and-void due to an offside infraction.

Those achieving stellar defensive outings on the BHS side included Bonnell and seniors Jake Choquette, Camden Harrigan and Nick Gosselin.

“(Senior) Paulo Melo and Zach Bonnell did a good job controlling the midfield,” Gilchrist said afterward. “They fed off each other’s knowledge and read what the other team wanted to do. They worked the position game pretty well.”

Added Joyce: “Mark and I have been coaching together for years. We spent the last 14 at Smithfield (High) and the previous 13 in Scituate. This is our first year here, and I have to say the kids have embraced their first season in D-II after years in III. For us to be 5-1-1 in D-II, it’s tremendous.

“They’re all working really hard as a team, and I can’t credit them enough.”

**

Narragansett 1–0 –1

Burrillville 1–1 –2

First half: BURR – Nick Hammond (Zach Bonnell) 2:31; NARR – Kaelin Kilroy (Matt Rocchio) 23:58.

Second half: BURR – Cam Toti (una.) 51:32.

Shots on goal: Narragansett 3-2 – 5, Burrillville 9-3 – 12. Goalie saves: Adam Lurgio (NARR) 10, Brady Tupper (BURR) 4.