Prout Takes Lead in Division II Quarterfinal Opener with 3-1 Middletown Defeat

The Crusaders from the Prout School skated onto the home ice of the Islanders on Friday night at the St. George's School Ice Rink in the first game of a best-of-three series, leaving with a 3-1 victory over Middletown and 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Division II Quarterfinal series. 

Both teams played an aggressive first period. Lots of banging against the boards. Lots of bodies hitting the ice.  It was clear from the get go this was going to be a battle in the corners and between the pipes.  

The opening period saw excellent goaltending from both teams. Shots fired. Shots stopped. The physicality intensified, eventually leading to a scoreless conclusion of the first period.

The start of the second echoed the first. Lots of bodies colliding. Penalty minutes a plenty. Prout performed some fancy deking which led to a goal by #17 Nyle Sockbeson, assisted by #14 Dean Bogda.  The goal came at the 4:39 mark of the second and put Prout up 1-0 over the Islanders.

Less than a minute later, Prout struck again, as Senior Forward Thomas Williams put one past Bennett Coogan, with an assist from sophomore Forward Matthew Peacock. Prout was firmly in control and the Islanders began to shift into deficit hockey mode.  

The score was 2-0 with less than two minutes remaining, when Middletown put a goal in the Prout net and put themselves back in the game.  It came from Middletown's Kevan Sullivan, assisted by Ned Murphy.  The second period came to an end with the Crusaders still in control.  Up 2-1 entering the final period.

The final period of Game One saw several scuffles break out.  One incident even involved a stick being used as something other than a goal scoring device. Suffice to say, the refs had seen enough and separated the two teams to let them cool off.  

Middletown skated and shot often but just couldn't get it past #35 for Prout, junior Zane Morgan, who only allowed one goal on the night.

Any hope of a comeback by the Islanders was deflated by a breakaway unassisted goal by Prout's senior Forward, Thomas Williams, who scored his second goal of the night.  This put the Crusaders up 3-1 and doused Middletown's hope of taking Game One.  The final minutes wound down and Prout secured a 3-1 victory over Middletown and a 1-0 lead in the Division II Quarterfinal Series.  

The series now moves to "The Boss" on Saturday night.  If Prout wins, they advance and will end Middletown's season.  If the Islanders win, there will be a deciding Game 3 back at St. George's Rink Monday night.

Puck drop for Saturday's game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at The URI Brad Boss Arena.

Check back after tomorrow night's game to see how it all unfolds.