Undefeated
WOONSOCKET — Cumberland seniors Sean Meers and Jackson Shevlin remember the last time two Blackstone Valley teams battled it out for a division title at Meehan Auditorium.
The pair of Clippers were freshmen who were on the bench when Burrillville defeated Cumberland for the Division I-Eccleston title back in 2016. After two difficult seasons in Division I, Meers and Shevlin will end their careers at Meehan because the undefeated Clippers begin a best-of-three series with No. 3 PSW co-op tonight at 8 o’clock for the Division II title.
“I remember watching that series and how intense it was and the shootout we lost,” Shevlin said Tuesday afternoon. “Cumberland’s always made it pretty far in the tournament even before I got there, so I knew we were a strong team and we’d do well. We know [PSW] is a good team and we’re going to have to play 45 minutes of good hockey to beat them.”
“It’s a very intense environment unlike any other league game,” Meers said of playing at Meehan. “We’ve seen it with the playoff so far, but the intensity and vibe will be even bigger when you get to the next level. The big thing is mental focus going into this series. We have to have composure and stay out of the box.”
Cumberland goes into the series as the only undefeated team left in the state, but the reality is no team in the state is playing better than the Saints, who have won eight games in a row and blew out No. 2 Ponaganset over the weekend, averaging six goals a game in the series sweep. Cumberland coach Mark Andreozzi has a good idea why the Saints have improved so much since a 3-2 overtime defeat to the Clippers at Adelard in January.
Defenseman Cam Yee, who had a goal and an assist in the Game 1 victory over the Chieftains, missed most of the regular season. The Providence Country Day student gives the Saints even more depth on the blue line, while also providing more offense to a team that’s scored nearly four goals a game.
Yee is joined on the blue line by St. Raphael’s Drew Andella (three goals and a teamy
high 16 assists), while the forwards were k
simply dominant over the weekend. Michael d
Barone (team-high 16 goals), Ben Kaihler (12 goals and 11 assists), Bennett Hicks (11 goals and nine assists) and Ben Force (three goals h and six assists) played a big role in the semifinal sweep.
“They have some very good players,” Andreozzi said. “They skate and they move the puck really well. They’re tenacious in their back check, so they do a lot of things well. The kid Pimental is a good goalie who has played well all year. He played well against us. We need to work hard to create scoring chances to get around their defense. We have a hard challenge ahead.”
Of course, Cumberland is coming off a series where – outside of the first period of Game 1 – the Clippers shut out a Cranston West team that had a pair of 40-point scorers. Sophomore goalie Jack Byrne has allowed just five goals in four playoff games after allowing just 13 goals during the regular season. Meers, John Mello, Sam Juntunen and Ryan Taylor are veteran defensemen who spent the previous two seasons battling in Division I.
The two teams met twice this season and Cumberland won both contests. The Clippers dominated the first meeting at Lynch, 4-0, in December. The second meeting at Adelard was headed for a similar result when Cumberland led 2-0 with just a minute left in the game. PSW scored twice in the final 40 seconds before Jordan Cullion finished off his hat trick in overtime to keep Cumberland perfect.
“We learned something that game and in the playoff games against Cranston West,” Meers said. “We have to keep our mental focus and stick to it and keep going. The game is never over. We just need to stay with it and keep our heads up.”
Unlike last weekend when the Saints only had to worry about one scoring line, Cumberland has two talented lines that Pimental has to worry about. Shevlin (16 goals and 14 assists), Aidan Clarey (seven goals and 15 assists) and Cullion (12 goals and five assists) make up the top line.
The second line of Stephen Ciolino (seven goals and six assists), Dom Rousseau (five goals and five assists) and Keith Sisson (three goals and four assists) did all the scoring Saturday against Cranston West. Alex Thomas, Max Pelligrini and Kole Sisson can also score.
For Andreozzi, whose team gamely battled in Division I over the last two seasons, getting back to Meehan is rewarding because the program went to the final four three straight seasons from 2014-2016.
“It’s rewarding any time you can make it to the finals,” Andreozzi said. “For the seniors, being up in Division I over the last couple of years, it’s rewarding for them that they can have this opportunity right now. We’ll see what happens this weekend.”
The series begins tonight at 8 o’clock at Meehan Auditorium after the opening game of the state final between Hendricken and La
Salle. Game 2 is tomorrow night at 8 o’clock. If a third game is necessary, it will be Monday night at a time to be determined.