Clippers top PSW in overtime
For the second time this season, No. 1 Cumberland was pushed to overtime by No. 3 PSW. In Game 1 of the Division II title series, the Clippers secured a 2-1 victory in overtime thanks to a goal from senior captain Jackson Shevlin (14). To read about how the Clippers moved within a victory of the Division II title, turn to
PROVIDENCE – Prior to the start of the opener of the Division II best-of-three title set, Cumberland High coach Mark Andreozzi was asked what he believed the ingredients to outplaying fellow finalist PSW co-op.
“That’s simple – we need to move our feet, attack the net and play solidly in our end,” Andreozzi noted while standing with his squad outside its dressing room at Brown University’s Meehan Auditiorium. “I think we’ve played pretty well in our previous two (playoff) series, but this is the state final, so naturally you’ve got to pick up your game, play with more urgency.”
Andreozzi also indicated this would be a huge set for his team, as his Clippers hadn’t won a state crown since 2014. That came before CHS dropped two straight finals to Burrillville in 2015 and 2016, the last by a shootout.
Through the first two stanzas, it appeared Cumberland was playing just the way its chief had desired, outshooting the Knights by a whopping 27-4 count.
Despite the discrepancy, PSW provided the hundreds of fans surrounding the Brown ice a most memorable evening, but it was the Clippers who eventually celebrated a stunning 2-1 overtime victory.
With 2:37 elapsed in the first seven-minute, 30-second extra session, junior Aidan Clarey grabbed the puck, spun himself around in the left circle and fired at PSW sophomore keeper Jeff Pimental. It looked as if he scored, but apparently senior co-captain Jackson Shevlin tipped it off the goalie’s left skate and into the net.
CHS now takes a 1-0 series lead, with Game 2 slated for 8 tonight at Brown.
Pimental finished with an 35 saves, while sophomore Jack Byrne stopped 10.
The top-seeded Clippers got on the board first with 3:15 remaining in the initial stanza – and exactly 1:35 after officials whistled SRA senior Nolan Carlson for a hook. Junior center Aidan Clarey received the puck in the middle of the left circle and rifled the power-play opportunity past Saints’ sophomore keeper Jeff Pimental for the 1-0 lead.
Alas, with only 11.9 ticks left in the period, PCD Ben Kaihler – while stationed by the left post – poked in feeds from Wheeler junior Mike Barone and PCD senior Cam Yee to knot it.
Just 4:12 into the middle period, Kaihler skated off the ice and into the penalty box for holding, giving the Clippers their second man-advantage opportunity, though the Knights killed off that.
And, with 3:45 left in the session, Kaihler soared in on a breakaway, juked CHS sophomore netminder Jack Byrne twice and tried to flip a backhand over him and inside the right post. Byrne, however, made an astonishing left-pad save to frustrate the PSW offense.
Only 11 ticks into the third period, CHS gained a gift when SRA assistant captain/ junior Drew Andella took a high-sticking penalty, delivering Andreozzi’s bunch its third power play, but – at the 13:55 mark – PCD junior Bennett Hicks stole the puck at the Cumberland blue line, raced in on the break and seemed destined to give the Knights a 2-1 cushion.
But, yet again, Byrne came up big with a stellar right-pad stop to save his club.