FRUSTRATING END
Rebels overcome two-goal deficit to eliminate Lincoln
NORTH SMITHFIELD – After winning the way it did on Monday night – overcoming a two-goal, first-period deficit and eventually winning in overtime – Lincoln was riding a wave of energy and good feeling.
That’s why head coach Mike Forrest warned his club before the rubber match of this Division II best-of-three semifinal on Tuesday night.
“I told our guys beforehand, ‘South Kingstown’s going to come out flying, so you better have an answer,’ and we did,” he said. “We skated well and took it to them in the first period. We were up, 2-0, but then … “
That’s right. The No. 3 Rebels did, in essence, what the No. 2 Lions had the night before, and their fans celebrated heartily after registering a 5-2 victory over the hosts at the Rhode Island Sports Center.
With the triumph, South Kingstown (16-4-1) earned a bid to the state finals against No. 5 South Kingstown. That series will begin at 6 p.m., Friday at URI’s Boss Arena.
The Lions’ season closed at 16-5.
“We lost Game 2, 4-3, in overtime after we were up, 3-1, in the first period, and Lincoln just got their legs, scored a goal in each period and then beat us in OT,” stated SK coach Tony Gibbons. “We thought we outskated them for a while (Monday) night, but then we stopped being physical, stopped moving the puck.
“In this one, we started the first period the same way, but we shortened the bench by one player, and I think that messed them up a little bit,” he added. “Then, all of a sudden, we started playing hard, started finishing our checks.
“The difference, I think, was that our seniors just weren’t ready for the season to end. Our seniors came out and finished their checks and were pumped and positive on the ice and on the bench.”
Naturally, the mood in the Lions’ downstairs locker room was much more subdued than SK’s upstairs.
“Coach told us there’s nothing to be ashamed of, and he’s proud of what we all did,” stated senilr captain Colby Acciardo, wiping away tears with her sweater. “He said that everything we accomplished, we should be proud.
“(On Monday) night, that was great. We felt like we had all the momentum (because) we hadn’t beaten South Kingstown all year, but we finally did,” he continued. “We were ready, we were pumped to play. We thought we were going to win this. Playing this was the reason we were able to come back from two goals down.”
And that positive attitude showed in Lincoln’s style of play from the get-go.
Freshman center Jake Kye scored on an Acciardo feed with 5:02 remaining in that initial stanza, and junior Kyle Costa converted senior Darien Carney’s pass with SK junior Kyle Hadley in the box for a hook 37 seconds later.
Just as fast as the Lions had surged to the lead, however, the Rebels forged their comeback. Junior Curtis Granville whacked home senior Evan Adams’ assist at 4:12 of the second, and frosh Andrew Gibbons tied it up on a feed from freshman Cody Granville 36 ticks later.
Photo by Ernest A. Brown
And, exactly 57 seconds after that, the Rebels actually took the lead when junior Ryan O’Donnell rifled a shot from Ben Paskalides and Adams past junior Nate Beals.
Not long after that, officials whistled junior assistant Kevin Degnan for a five-minute boarding major, and Cody Granville hooked up with Ben Collins to give the visitors the 4-2 cushion.
After outshooting SK, 10-4, in the first, the Rebels turned the tables and outdrilled the Lions, 13-4, in the second.
Lincoln produced some man-advantage situations in the third, but – in the end – SK survived all. In fact, it even notched an insurance tally, that when O’Donnell’s wrist shot sailed past Beals’ left skate at 7:21.
Beals finished with 19 saves, Rebels’ senior Ben Mather 20.
“We had a good first period, and I told the kids, ‘Just remember we were here at this point (Monday) night, but we were down two,’” Forrest noted. “Before I knew it, it was 2-2, and then they got the bounce off the post and came right out to the kid and O’Donnell buried it.
“The came the major on Deggie, and they ended up scoring a power-play goal on that,” he added. “For us, that two-goal hill is tough. There isn’t a worst lead in hockey than 2-zip, and I’ve been saying that for years.
“I don’t know if it all caught up to us, the fact we played three games in four nights, or not. My guess is it did.”
South Kingstown 0–4–1–5 Lincoln 2–0–0–2 First period: L – Jake Kye (Colby Acciardo) 9:58; L – Kyle Costa (Darien Carney), ppg, 10:39.
Second period: SK – Curtis Granville (Evan Adams) 4:12; SK – Andrew Gibbons (Cody Granville) 4:48; SK – Ryan O’Donnell (Ben Paskalides, Adams) 5:45; SK – Co. Granville (Ben Collins), pp, 9:57.
Third period: SK – O’Donnell
7:21.
Shots on goal: South Kingstown 4-13-7 – 24, Lincoln 10-4-8 – 22. Goalie saves: Rod Mather (SK) 20, Nate Beals (L) 19.
(Gibbons)