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Drummers and dancers greet tailgaters at Rhode Island FC’s first game
A marching ban parades through the parking lot at Bryant University ahead of Rhode Island FC’s first game
SMITHFIELD — Saturday night was a coronation for Rhode Island FC.
The club already secured a playoff spot entering the regular-season finale against Miami FC and RIFC used all 90 minutes to celebrate its postseason berth. JJ Williams tallied three first-half goals and Rhode Island trounced Miami, 8–1,at Beirne Stadium.
Rhode Island finishes its first regular season at 12-7-15 and earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The club travels to fourth-seeded Indy Eleven for its inaugural playoff game on Sunday, Nov. 3. The start time is TBD.
“It’s a nice way to cap the season off at home and give the fans something to celebrate,” RIFC coach, Khano Smith said. “I don’t think [Miami], at the end, provided much resistance. We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves and think we are that good. We are definitely going to play a much better team next week.”
More: Here’s a look inside the Tidewater Landing soccer stadium ahead of next year’s season
More: Rhode Island FC releases season-ticket pricing for next year at Tidewater Landing
Noah Fuson started the first-half blitz with a goal in the 10th minute and Williams doubled the advantage just six minutes later. Fuson corralled a Miami turnover at midfield and fed Williams for the easy score. Marc Ybarra made it 3-0 with a right-footed finish in the center of the box, while Williams added his second goal off a penalty spot.
“We haven’t done anything, we’ve qualified for the playoffs, but we’re going on the road,” Smith said. “We’re in no position to be taking anyone lightly or getting ahead of ourselves.”
Williams finished off the first-half hat trick, the first three-goal game in club history, with a deft move around the Miami keeper for an open-net score in the 45th minute. Miami was the worst team in the USL this season finishing with just three wins and a minus-63 goal differential. Miami’s first-half score was the first goal the club managed since Aug. 14 against Memphis 901 FC.
Rhode Island rode its second-half momentum and added goals from Frank Nodarse, Albert Dikwa and Jojea Kwizera. The club bested its most goals in game this season by three.
Rhode Island finished with 51 points on the year and a plus-15 goal differential. They tied Indy Eleven in points but lost the head-to-head matchup as the teams drew, 3-3, in July and Indy topped Rhode Island, 1-0, in August.
“A team that we haven’t beat, but certainly a team we think we can beat,” Smith said of Indy. “It’s going to be difficult, but I think we’re in really good form and we are healthy.”
jrousseau@providencejournal.com
On X: @ByJacobRousseau
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha will release on Wednesday findings from a multiyear investigation into child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
According to the attorney general’s office, the report will detail the diocese’s handling of clergy abuse over decades.
While the smallest state in the U.S., Rhode Island is home to the country’s largest Catholic population per capita, with nearly 40% of the state identifying as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.
Neronha first launched the investigation in 2019, nearly a year after a Pennsylvania grand jury report found more than 1,000 children had been abused by an estimated 300 priests in that state since the 1940s. The 2018 report is considered one of the broadest inquiries into child sexual abuse in U.S. history.
Neronha’s investigation involved entering into an agreement with the Diocese of Providence to gain access to all complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy dating back to 1950. Neronha’s office said in 2019 that the goal of the report was to determine how the diocese responded to past reports of child sexual abuse, identify any prosecutable cases, and ensure that no credibly accused clergy were in active ministry.
Rhode Island State Police also helped with the investigation.
Rhode Islanders who plan to join in the global celebration of Irish culture can choose from big and small events, including a parade in Providence.
The March 17 holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, and many big events will be held the weekend of March 14-15. Originally a modest, religious feast day honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day today is a vibrant, boisterous holiday observed by millions of people regardless of their heritage.
The Providence parade is March 21.
We’ve rounded up 10 more events to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. But first, are you planning an event this spring? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!
Here’s your guide to St. Patrick’s Day fun in Rhode Island:
Local News
A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.
Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.
Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.
The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said.
Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.
Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.
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