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Who are the best girls lax teams in Rhode Island? Here’s how we ranked the four divisions

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Who are the best girls lax teams in Rhode Island? Here’s how we ranked the four divisions


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As I was enjoying Southern hospitality and being a patron at that little course in Georgia, you know what message was sent to me via text, email and direct message the most?

What happened to the win-loss standings on the Rhode Island Interscholastic League’s website?

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Listen, the only way the RIIL’s website would win a beauty contest would be in a game of Monopoly. But what it lacked in aesthetics, it made up for in functionality. Everything was a click away and wasn’t difficult to find.

The RPI changed that.

With the RIIL using RPI instead of wins and losses to determine playoff seeding – a decision that remains No. 1 on the most overthought and unnecessary things in the history of RI high school sports, as seen by this little lawsuit – it made the tradition win-loss standings page completely irrelevant.

The RIIL did everyone a favor in the fall and kept the page active on its website. While there was an RPI tab, the large majority of people used traditional standings to figure out how things worked. It was the same story in the winter season.

Things have since changed. The RIIL’s traditional win-loss standings are no longer being updated by their website provider, which has caused panic by those looking to find out how teams are doing – present company included.

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If you are one of the panicked, I have a solution.

My dumb brain remembered I was using the RPI Standings at the end of basketball season. While it might seem scary and confusion, trust me – it’s not.

So how do you navigate the RIIL’s standing pages now?

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Go to the website. Pick you sport, then click the giant blue “standings” button or the RPI Standings in the left tab. That’s the easy part.

When you see the standings, it provides information that’s unnecessary. There’s no explanation for what any of the letters or numbers mean, so here’s my advice – don’t worry about it.

The columns on the right tell you who teams have won and lost against and what teams are coming up on the schedule, but it’s presented in a way that makes me want to throw my laptop across a room. Ignore this stuff too.

There is a simple solution to all of this. When you’re on the RPI Standings page, just click the name of the team whose information you’re after. Once you do, it brings up everything you need to know – when and where it was played, what the score was, and whether or not it’s considered a league game or non-league, plus the future schedule.

Not every game is updated, but that’s on coaches not doing their jobs in a timely fashion. You can cross reference missing games on MaxPreps, provided you love pop-up ads and videos that play at an absurd volume.

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Do I like this change? I’m a Rhode Islander, so of course not. Is this change good? No, but only because RPI is inherently stupid and unnecessary for a state this small.

Is the website functional and the information easy to find? Yes.

And that’s what matters, at least for this column.

Now let’s get on to the rankings.

RIIL DIVISION I GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS

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1. Moses Brown (1-0)

It can be hard to get ranked first with only one game in two weeks, but when that game comes against a top five team and you win by two touchdowns it makes things easier. The Quakers beat Prout on April 9, but won’t play another RIIL team until April 21 when it hosts Portsmouth. This week MB will stay sharp with a non-league game against St. George’s Monday and a league game against out-of-state Bishop Feehan on Thursday.

2. East Greenwich (3-0)

The Avengers have come into the 2025 season ready to go and haven’t slowed down a step. Two dominant wins over North Kingstown and Chariho got Week 1 going and last week, EG took care of a tough Portsmouth team. If the Avengers have the same kind of success at Prout on Tuesday, it might be time to sound the alarm on this team’s chances of reaching the state final.

3. La Salle (5-0)

Five games into the season and the Rams have won in every possible way – blowouts, close and not-so close. La Salle has the potential to be a contender and just needs the consistency that comes with playing more games. This week the Rams only have one, hosting Barrington on Tuesday night.

4. Portsmouth (2-2)

The Patriots have to feel pretty good about their start so far. They could have easily beaten La Salle in the first week and while getting beat 13-6 by East Greenwich last week didn’t feel good, its only going to hep this young Portsmouth roster in the long run. We’ll see how the Patriots react to the L on Tuesday when they host North Kingstown, followed by a road game at Chariho Saturday morning.

ON THE BUBBLE: Prout (2-1)

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RIIL DIVISION II GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS

1. Cumberland (4-1)

The Clippers have wasted little time in establishing their presence as a D-II favorite. Their four wins have all been impressive, either in score or opponent, and the one loss was a battle against a D-I Portsmouth team that could play for a state title. Cumberland is legit and while it won’t play during vacation, it will be back to proving it can win a championship when it gets back on the field on April 21.

2. Westerly (2-2)

Expectations were high coming into the season and right now the Bulldogs are living up to them. Westerly doubled up South Kingstown in its opener and bounced back from two losses – one to D-I Prout, the other to Stonington (Conn.) – with a nice win over D-I Chariho. The Bulldogs have some tests against out-of-state Harrison on Monday and at Ledyard Thursday as it gets ready to boost its resume in D-II.

3. Lincoln School (1-0)

There’s a very good chance the Lynx end up winning it all, but with one only game played this season it’s hard to rank them higher than this. Lincoln School won comfortably against Lincoln School last week and will have a tough challenge against D-I North Kingstown on Thursday. After that the schedule is going to get busy, but we should have a ready on this team by the end o the month.

4. Burrillville (3-0)

Are the Broncos going to be the underrated team in D-II this spring? With wins in its first three games, Burrillville should probably be ranked higher, but it’s tough to gauge how good its opponents were at this point of the year. Wins are wins, and if the Broncos can have two more good showings this week – at Mt. Hope Monday and hosting D-I Prout on Thursday – they might start to gain more attention.

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ON THE BUBBLE: South Kingstown (2-3)

RIIL DIVISION III GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS

1. East Providence (2-0)

It’s been a very interesting start to the season for the Townies, who pulled off a one-goal win over Smithfield to start the season before beating up on North Smithfield last week. EP won’t have to travel much this week, hosting neighboring Providence Country Day on Monday before traveling to city rival Bay View on Tuesday.

2. Smithfield (1-1)

Weather postponements haven’t allowed teams to build resumes, so the Sentinels are here almost by default. Smithfield has some talented players and after opening with a win over Pilgrim, the one-goal loss to EP that followed will look better as the season goes on. The Sentinels didn’t play last week because of weather, but have two games this week with a noon start at home against D-IV Scituate Wednesday and a matinee on the road against Toll Gate Thursday.

3. Ponaganset (2-1)

The first week of the season led to two tough games and a .500 record, but last week’s commanding win over Bay View got the Chieftains back to where it wants to be. Ponaganset has a tough road game this week at Mt. Hope, but needs to continue to build off its last win. The schedule gets tougher after break and if this team wants to win a title, it needs to have some momentum once the weather gets warm.

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4. Cranston East (3-3)

Six games in and nobody’s been through more battles than the Thunderbolts, who have three one-goal games under their belt already this spring. Going 2-1 in those types of games this time of the season is laying a foundation that could make Cranston East tough later in the season. They’ll look for a second win over Toll Gate this spring when the teams meet in Warwick on Tuesday.

ON THE BUBBLE: Toll Gate

RIIL DIVISION IV GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS

1. Classical (5-1)

The preseason favorite have left little doubt about their standing and while it hasn’t been perfect, it’s exactly what the Purple needed. Classical went 2-1 last week, with a tough win over Lincoln,  one-goal revenge win over Tiverton and a loss to D-III Toll Gate, which might have come at a perfect time of the season. The Purple get to hit the refresh button after Friday’s loss, with no games on the schedule until next week.

2. Rogers (1-1)

While there’s a clear No. 1, there isn’t a clear No. 2 and right now the Vikings have the best case. They opened with a tough win over Tiverton which was followed by a one-goal loss to D-II Narragansett. Weather kept the Vikings off the field last week and with no games on the schedule, it looks like they won’t return until April 21. They’ll have to make the most of their practice time and see if they can keep this thing going.

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3. Coventry (1-0)

There’s really not a lot to go on with any of these teams, so let’s give the Oakers some credit for pulling out a win in their season opener. The game took place on April 1, but the only joke is that they haven’t had a chance to take the field since. Coventry will have a good test Friday at D-III Toll Gate before playing teams in D-IV the following week.

4. Scituate (0-0)

According to the RIIL website and MaxPreps, the Spartans haven’t played a game yet this season which means they still have a perfect record so they earn this spot here. While it’s a late start, it’s not a bad deal for Scituate, which hosts Lincoln on Monday and plays an afternoon game at D-III Smithfield on Wednesday. If they grab a win in the first week of their season, expect to see the Spartans ranked again next week.

ON THE BUBBLE: North Providence (2-1)



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Rhode Island

Two Rhode Island men charged, arraigned, after concealed 1.8 pounds of cocaine, gun, cash, seized

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Two Rhode Island men charged, arraigned, after concealed 1.8 pounds of cocaine, gun, cash, seized


Coventry, R.I. – According to police, over the past several months, detectives with the Coventry Police Department’s Special Operations Unit initiated a narcotics investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in and around the Town of Coventry. Through extensive surveillance and investigative efforts, detectives identified 33-year-old Richard Martin Jr., of Beach Street, Coventry, R.I., as the primary target of the investigation.

During the course of the investigation, multiple associates were identified, along with additional residences, located within the City of Warwick, frequently utilized by Martin Jr. and his associates.

On April 6th, detectives from the Coventry Police Department, in conjunction with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, executed multiple court-authorized search warrants in an effort to dismantle the organization.

During the course of a search warrant in Coventry, detectives, along with K9 Nixo, located approximately 1.8 pounds of suspected cocaine concealed within a sophisticated vehicle hide. Additionally, a 9mm handgun, a large sum of cash, along with packaging and weighing materials consistent with drug trafficking, were recovered from the residence.

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As a result of the investigation, Martin Jr. has been charged with two counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, Use of a Firearm While Committing a Crime of Violence, and Controlled Substance Conspiracy.

Additionally, 40-year-old Jason Tallo, of Warwick, R.I., an alleged narcotics trafficking accomplice of Martin Jr., was taken into custody in the Town of Coventry and was subsequently charged with Controlled Substance Conspiracy.

Martin Jr. and Tallo were transported to Kent County District Court, where they were arraigned on their respective charges before a 3rd District Court judge. Martin Jr. was subsequently ordered to be held without bail, while Tallo had his bail set at $25,000 with surety.

This investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests are expected

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Revs edge RIFC in US Open Cup thriller at Pawtucket. Here’s how

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Revs edge RIFC in US Open Cup thriller at Pawtucket. Here’s how



Revs beat RIFC in penalty kicks in US Open Cup thriller at Centreville Bank Stadium

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PAWTUCKET – The final result was all that eluded Rhode Island FC on this showdown Tuesday night against the New England Revolution. 

The effort over 120 minutes couldn’t be questioned. No keeper was saving the goal scored by Diego Fagundez. JJ Williams provided an equalizer in the 11th minute of stoppage time, proof that his side never gave up hope in the second half of regulation. 

Penalty kicks were required to decide this Round of 32 meeting in the US Open Cup on April 14, and it was only there where Rhode Island FC came up shy. Donovan Parisian stopped three of the four shots against him and Tanner Beason blasted home the deciding attempt to give New England a 1-1 (3-1) victory against a regional rival. 

The Revolution are through to the Round of 16 just like at Centreville Bank Stadium last season, but this was a different sort of match entirely in front of 6,073 fans. Rhode Island FC came to life after an indifferent first half of regulation, pulled even in the 101st minute and looked the more likely of the two sides to win it in the first 15-minute period of extra time. New England was able to stay the course and avoided an upset as the MLS entry. 

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“Soccer’s a cruel game sometimes,” Rhode Island FC coach Khano Smith said. “No disappointment on my end. I’m so proud of my team.” 

Hamady Diop found the net on the opening shootout attempt for Rhode Island FC, the only player to do so in what could have been a five-round format. The Revolution wrapped it up early when Luca Langoni, Andrew Farrell and Beason all converted from the spot. Parisian dove to his right to deny Jojea Kwizera and twice to his left to stop Leo Afonso and Williams. 

“We train them a lot, honestly,” Williams said. “It’s very hard to replicate. It is.” 

Each team enjoyed one real chance in extra time. Grant Stoneman cleared off the line for Rhode Island FC after keeper Koke Vegas got a finger on a Langoni shot from the right wing. Parisian was in the right place at the center of his goal to catch a Williams header chest high, an opening created when Aldair Sanchez made room for a cross off the left. 

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“I could go on for minutes talking about the positives,” Smith said. “But for me, if we’re able to play like that, we’re going to win a lot of matches in USL Championship playing that way.” 

Amos Shapiro-Thompson’s yellow card for Rhode Island FC was the only noteworthy development through the opening 45 minutes. Both teams were a bit cagey and heavy-legged after playing league matches on Saturday, and a 0-0 tie into the break was just about right. New England needed less than six minutes out of the locker room to pull ahead, as a deep Peyton Miller cross off the left was headed down by Damario McIntosh and thumped home by Fagundez from the top of the penalty area. 

“I think we’re all very happy with how we fought,” Rhode Island FC defender Hugo Bacharach said. “We knew we had a great rival in front of us. We thought we could take them down.” 

Smith made three attacking substitutions within the next three minutes – Williams, Kwizera and Afonso were summoned from the bench to spark the front line. Parisian got down quickly to his left to deny Afonso in the 82nd minute before Williams struck for the tying goal. Diop’s searching ball off the left was deflected and Williams was quickest to react, placing his header inside the near post to erase a 1-0 deficit. 

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“They’re playing in our stadium,” Williams said. “Technically it’s a home game for them, but we had all the energy and momentum from that point on.” 

Smith said his players would have at least the next two days off after some covered more than 10 miles in the match. Charleston Battery visit next Wednesday night as Rhode Island FC gets back to league play. The club picked up its first USL Championship win over the weekend thanks to a 3-1 triumph at Lexington SC. 

“Their keeper made three great saves,” Smith said. “They’d obviously done their homework. He was excellent.  

“He made the difference. That’s all it was.”

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Rhode Island FC (1): JJ Williams; assist – Hamady Diop. 

New England Revolution (1): Diego Fagundez; assist – Damario McIntosh. 

Halftime – 0-0. End of regulation – 1-1. End of extra time – 1-1. Penalty shootout – RIFC 1 (Diop), NER 3 (Luca Langoni, Andrew Farrell, Tanner Beason).  

Shots – RIFC 10, NER 8. Saves – Koke Vegas, RIFC, 0; Donovan Parisian, NER, 2. Attendance – 6,073. 

bkoch@providencejournal.com 

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On X: @BillKoch25 



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Carjacking suspect hits cruisers during chase across 3 RI towns

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Carjacking suspect hits cruisers during chase across 3 RI towns


BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (WPRI) — A man is facing charges in three Rhode Island towns after a carjacking investigation led to a police chase Tuesday morning.

Cranston police said Jacob Zhawred, 32, of Johnston, allegedly assaulted a woman in the Stop & Shop parking lot off Garfield Avenue just before 7 a.m., then stole her car and fled.

Jacob Zhawred, 32 (March 2026 booking photo, courtesy Cranston Police Dept.)

Using the victim’s phone that was left inside the vehicle, officers tracked it heading north. Glocester police later attempted to stop the car in the area of Route 44 at St. Eugene’s Church, but authorities said Zhawred took off, crossing multiple residential lawns to evade officers.

Burrillville officers deployed stop sticks on Camp Dixie Road, flattening the car’s tires, but police said Zhawred continued driving on the rims.

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During the pursuit, police said he struck multiple cruisers from Cranston, Glocester and Burrillville. He appeared to be under the influence of drugs at the time, according to police.

The chase extended onto Eagle Peak Road and Wallum Lake Road, where police said Zhawred again hit cruisers and tried to cut across a lawn before crashing into a telephone pole.

Zhawred was arrested around 9:40 a.m. and taken to Landmark Medical Center for treatment of his “extensive impairment issues,” police said. He’s since been released from the hospital and is now being held without bail at the ACI.

In Burrillville, he is charged with:

  • Assault with a deadly weapon (6 counts)
  • Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in property damage (2 counts)
  • Vandalism (2 counts)
  • Possession of a stolen motor vehicle
  • DUI
  • Eluding/reckless driving
  • Resisting arrest

He also faces an eluding/reckless driving charge out of Glocester.

In Cranston, Zhawred is charged with second-degree robbery and shoplifting for allegedly stealing $100 worth of items from a Lowe’s before the carjacking.

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Police said the woman he allegedly assaulted is OK, and no one was hurt during the chase.

Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist also told 12 News that Zhawred was “recently released from prison.”

“He has multiple assault charges, shoplifting charges, breaking and entering, a lengthy criminal history, he has drug charges,” Winquist said. “This is somebody that’s dangerous to the community. I’m happy the officers were able to use teamwork to get this person off the streets.”

Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts.

Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.

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