The Rhode Island College hockey team got a goal on a beautiful tip from senior captain Greg Dicomitis with just 1:27 to play in the game to tie the score at one before Roger Williams netted the game winner just 22 seconds later ending the Anchormen’s bid for a third consecutive New England Collegiate Hockey Association title.
The Anchormen made it to the finals for the third straight year but this year it did not end as planned. The past two years, the Anchormen took home the NECHA trophy and this season they wanted the coveted third year. The Anchormen played three games and only ended up winning two of them. Despite the loss, the team felt like they had a good and strong season and overcame a dozen injuries to make it to the finals.
The Anchormen defeated Springfield College on Tuesday, Feb. 14 in their the quarter finals on a shutout victory from sophomore goal tender Mark Bushy. Anchormen moved on to drop Worcester Polytechnic on Saturday, Feb. 18th. The Anchormen were on their way to face Roger Williams in the finals.
The in state rivals faced off on Sunday for the NECHA Colonial championship. The Anchormen and Roger Williams split their season series with the Anchormen getting the best of the Hawks just two weeks ago. The Hawks seemed to have struck first after getting a puck to the back of the net that was ruled no goal just minutes into the period. The Anchormen had their first chances on a power play at 16:29 after a Hawk hooked hard hitter Warnock; there were only two shots on net during the whole two minutes. Sawia had the best chance to score with 31 seconds left but he was the lone man in the offensive zone and no one was there to get the rebound. The game remained scoreless going into the second period.
The second period started out with the Anchormen holding down the forts and keeping the puck in their offensive zone throughout the first 10 minutes, but as soon as the puck got down the other end, the Hawks were first to reach the back of the net at 10:26 in the period. Brett Morra had the best scoring opportunity on a break away before four Anchormen were given penalties 30 seconds apart. The Anchormen would be down two men for the first two minutes of the last period of play and the beginning of the third.
The third period lasted longer than most after a referee took a hard shot to the face at 11:38 that resulted in a 45 minute stoppage of play. The Anchormen hoped this would be enough time to regroup and refocus on the game and scoring at least one goal to tie it. That goal came with 1:27 left in play from Dicomitis after he reflected a hard slap shot in from Warnock at the point. The Anchormen were back in it for a moment before the Hawks netted their game winner off an unusual bounce coming on a puck thrown from the corner towards the net.
The Anchormen were left stunned with their first playoff loss since 2009. They will lose just three seniors to graduation and will be back in the mix for next season.
