MSC deals with RIIL’s decision
State hockey final canceled because of COVID-19
WOONSOCKET — The starting goalie moved up to forward and scored a hat trick, the team’s leading goal scorer attempted to play in net and the final score of the scrimmage was preposterously high.
The Mount St. Charles hockey team’s practice Friday afternoon looked like the final practice for any team whose season already came to an end.
Except this final practice was different – much different.
The Mounties expected to be on the ice Friday, but they were prepared to play in the biggest game of their lives – Game 1 of the state championship series against No. 1 La Salle at Boss Arena. But at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, the R.I. Interscholastic League canceled the rest of the winter season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My immediate reaction was just sadness for my team because it’s never been about the championships – that was a goal – but to not even be able to go execute and play is heartwrenching,” Mount senior captain John Belisle said. “It’s very unfortunate how it all happened, but we realize that’s how life goes. I know life isn’t fair, but I know deep down we’re all proud of ourselves.”
“It was tough and the worst part about it was playing in our last game [Saturday’s 3-2 overtime victory over Hendricken to reach the final] and not even knowing it,” senior forward Bryan Testa said. “As a senior, I know I’ll never put the jersey on again.
“It’s very unfortunate how it all happened, but we realize that’s how life goes. I know life isn’t fair, but I know deep down we’re all proud of ourselves.”
— Mount senior John Belisle
“It is what it is and it’s out of the league’s control, but we had a lot of tears in the locker room. We can only control what we can control and life goes on.”
“It was tough all day and we were very emotional,” said senior Trey Bourque, who was a seventh grader at the middle school the last time Mount claimed the state title. “It was tough to deal with since we’ve been preparing all week for this game and the day of the game we hear the news. It’s not what you like to see.”
While the news was difficult for the Mounties and Rams to take, it didn’t come as a major surprise after the Connecticut Interscholastic Athlete Conference canceled the remainder of its winter tournaments earlier in the week and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association followed suit on Thursday.
The RIIL moved the championship series from Brown’s Meehan Auditorium to Boss Arena to try and salvage the event, but when Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo closed schools Friday afternoon, it was clear the league had to cancel both hockey championship series and the remainder of the Open basketball tournaments.
For both teams in this weekend’s title series, a state title has been the goal since the beginning of the season for different reasons. For the 13 Mount seniors, this season was all about overcoming the adversity of a new locker room, a new elite hockey program at the school and meshing with a new coach.
After a slow start, the Mounties earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and swept Hendricken in the semifinals. It was the first time Mount swept Hendricken in a playoff series since the 2011 state final.
“It’s going to take a couple of weeks to get over this, but life goes on,” senior Alex Pratt said. “You just have to find the next positive thing, work your hardest in it and don’t take anything for granted. I wouldn’t trade any of this for the world, it was the best year of my life – all the fun we had. We came so close and got to the final, we just didn’t have the chance to prove how good we were or if we weren’t good enough.”
After losing last season’s final to Hendricken, La Salle and its 12 seniors came into 2019-20 with the simple goal of avenging the loss and going out as state champions. The Rams were clearly the best team in the state – and one of the handful best teams in the Northeast – during the regular season. Led by John Devine, Robert Tasca and Zenas Kennedy, the Rams avenged their lone loss with a sweep of Burrillville to reach the title series.
“We are all crushed and in shock,” La Salle coach Shawn Tingley said.
“I feel for the kids on so many different levels that are hard to verbalize,” Mount coach Matt Merten said “I’m sure it’s the same thing with the La Salle side. I feel for Zenas Kennedy, who came back from prep school to play one more season with his friends, and all their seniors. They worked just as hard as we did and they should take pride in that.”
After an emotional few minutes in the locker room discussing what had transpired earlier in the day, the Mounties let out all of their energy in a 90-minute intersquad scrimmaged reffed by R.I. Hockey Hall of Famer and Mount assistant coach Paul Guay.
What the scrimmage lacked in quality it made up for in lifelong memories for the 13 seniors who put on the historic Mount jersey for the final time. Bourque, Belisle and Matt Guay were on the same school team for the last six years. Bourque, a lethal goal scorer, spent time in net Friday along with Pratt. Starting goalie Jason Mandeville recorded a hat trick in his team’s win. The winning team – of course – used the Mount bench.
“This was hockey in its purest form,” said Bourque, who a week ago was skating care free around the Mount ice after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to send the Mounties to the state final. “Having fun with the boys is what it’s all about. We put everything aside and just wanted to have fun one last time with the boys.”
“This was good and it was therapeutic, honestly, just to get out here one last time,” Testa said. “It was nice to skate around and have fun one last time.”
After Guay blew the final whistle at 6 p.m. to signal the end a season that was full of so many positive memories, Belisle skated to center ice and sat on the M for a few minutes to soak the last 13 years he’s experienced at Adelard. From watching his older brothers Brendan, Brian and James play to playing for his father, Dave, and his grandfather, U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Bill, the youngest Belisle has experienced everything at Mount.
“I was just taking it all in,” Belisle said about his moment of reflection. “This is where I learned to skate. I’m not going anywhere or leaving Mount, but wearing this Mount uniform is a privilege. Doing that for the last time is tough. Playing in this rink, you just feel it no matter if it’s practice or a game. It was just great to laugh and smile with these guys. It’s just a game and games are fun.”