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The Providence Journal is going to try something new this winter.
Readers swarmed to our weekly football scoreboard in the fall. The state’s football coaches did their part and submitted results to us, and we did our best to publish in a timely manner.
We want to do the same for hockey. We don’t know if it’ll work, but I really hope it does. The readership for hockey is strong and we think if this is done correctly, it will be successful. There’s probably going to be growing pains and it might take a bit to smooth out the kinks. But if done right, it will get hockey players in the paper weekly.
And if we get enough results, we can start publishing ballots for hockey athletes of week. Coaches have been asked to send results to pjsports@providencejournal.com after the games.
Now let’s get to the games from Dec. 20-21.
The top returning high school boys hockey players? Here are 30 players to watch this season
The top returning high school girls hockey players? Here are 14 players to watch this season.
Games are subject to change
Friday night is a formula Portsmouth boys hockey could use for a repeat championship run.
A quick start, contributions from its second line and a shutout from a title-winning goalie showcased the Patriots’ first win of the season. After trudging through their opening games against Barrington and North Kingstown, the Patriots scored on their first power play vs. Ponaganset.
Chase Pascoe put Portsmouth up with 2:59 left in the first period and then the sophomore tallied again just eight seconds into the second period. Portsmouth’s 2-0 triumph at Levy Arena comes on the heels of an 8-5 defeat to Barrington and 5-2 loss to North Kingstown.
“We need him to produce,” senior captain, Shane Temple said of Pascoe. “That was amazing from him today. And honestly, we just have to play like we did last year – with some heart and grit.”
Pascoe was Portsmouth second leading scorer last year. The sophomore winger finished with 10 goals last winter and is well on his way to topping that mark.
“The first few games were rough,” Temple said. “I feel like we played teams that were just ahead of us at this time in the season. But in both games we lost, we came out really hot in the third period. And I feel like today we fixed that. We came out hot in the beginning of the game and we played the whole game today.”
Goalie Jonathan Cabral faced 27 shots in the win and grabbed his first shutout of the year. Portsmouth finished with 31 shots on net.
“We just need to do the same thing we did last year [to have another successful season],” Cabral said. “And that’s just putting in more effort. Last season we hit a little slump, and then once we started trying a lot more and put in a lot more effort, it came together.”
Revenge came in the first week of the season for Barrington.
The Eagles were swept in the quarterfinals vs. Burrillville last year, but they already toppled the Broncos in their first in-state contest.
Burrillville’s Patrick Murphy redirected Cam Force’s shot for the game’s first goal just three minutes into the night cap of the doubleheader at Levy Arena. But Barrington responded with back-to-back goals in 45 seconds.
A Burrillville turnover in its defensive zone saw Henry Kelsey bury the tying goal off an assist from Joseph Carmone. The Eagles added their second when Austin McCarty found Trent Senn on the crease for a 2-1 lead with 5:03 left in the first period.
Force retied the match with a wrister, top left, with 59 seconds remaining in the opening frame, but that’s all Burrillville could manage.
Connor Hayes made it 3-2 with a goal off a rebound and Kelsey added his second with 5.3 seconds left in the second period. And then Senn and Kelsey finished the night with goals in the third period.
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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CRANSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday.
The event was held at the Cranston Public Library at 9 a.m.
Reed and other leaders of WFRI hosted a panel discussion with women leaders in environmental and agricultural advocacy, education, community resilience, housing, finance, workforce development, and more, officials said.
Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday. (WJAR)
“Women have played a critical role in this process, most often without any recognition,” Reed said. “Today’s panel brings together an extraordinary group of women who are addressing the challenged of sustainability from various angles and I want to thank you all for your great efforts.”
The panelists highlighted their experiences, shared insights and tips on lifting up women’s voices, provided strategies for sparking change and more.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (1)
According to officials, some of the panelists included Executive Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council Nessa Richman, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Rhode Island College Kim Bright, Newport Housing Authority Executive Director Rhonda Mitchell and more.
Local News
A Seekonk man is accused of murder after he allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island before causing a car crash in Swansea that killed two people last week, police said.
Demitri Sousa, 28, is charged with murder, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Cranston Police Department said.
The shooting occurred Thursday night in Cranston, police said in a press release.
That night, Sousa allegedly arrived at the Cranston home of Javon Lawson, 35. Sousa began banging on the side door of the home, police said.
When Lawson approached the door, he was hit by gunfire from outside, police said.
First responders transported Lawson to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cranston police said.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, the motive is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the victim over a mutual female acquaintance. Detectives are continuing this investigation to gain more insight, as well as to collect and analyze evidence,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of Cranston police, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.
Neighbors gave police video footage that “showed a male subject wearing dark clothing and a mask walking toward the residence moments before the shooting and fleeing immediately afterward,” Winquist said.
The suspect was also seen running to a white Infiniti sedan which then drove off, the Cranston police chief said.
Shortly after the shooting, a license plate reader captured the vehicle driving southbound on Route 10, and then later in Fall River and Westport, Massachusetts. The sedan’s license plate was registered in Sousa’s name, Winquist said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said.
Just moments later, Sousa allegedly “crashed into the side of another vehicle, a blue 2022 Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136,” Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Fire Chief Eric Hajder said in a joint press release.
Both vehicles had “catastrophic damage,” and the struck car was engulfed in flames, the Swansea officials said.
The driver and passenger of the hit car — a man and a woman — were declared dead at the scene, they said.
“Swansea Police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. However, Swansea Police were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash,” the Swansea chiefs wrote. Swansea official have not announced charges related to the fatal crash.
Sousa had been driving the Infiniti and appeared to be suffering from serious injuries, Winquist said. Inside the car, police found a pistol and “additional .22 caliber ammunition was recovered” from Sousa at Rhode Island Hospital, Winquist said.
Police arrested Sousa and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital. Sousa is expected to survive, Winquist said. Sousa will be held in Cranston police custody until he is conscious and medically cleared, Winquist said.
“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Winquist said.
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