The Johnston/North Providence Co-op hockey team (2-7-1) battled to a 4-4 tie with West Warwick/Exeter-West Greenwich Co-op (6-4-1) on Saturday evening at the Rhode Island Sports Center to snap a three-game losing streak.
The Panthers, who currently sit in fifth place out of six teams in the Division III standings, came into the matchup in dire need of grabbing at least a point, and their desperation showed on the ice.
Michael Flori netted the game’s first goal just over three minutes into the opening period on an assist from Justin Harvey to give JNP a 1-0 lead.
WWEWG would storm back with three goals of its own in the first period, though.
Goals from Jake Hernandez, Zachary Magiera and Ernesto Watsky over a seven-minute span allowed the Wizards to take a 3-1 lead at the end of the first 15 minutes.
In the second period, JNP would tighten up defensively.
WWEWG failed to find the back of the net in the second period, and JNP’s leading scorer, Brandon Tanguay, would get loose and beat Wizards’ netminder Samuel Paiva for an unassisted goal at 7:24 – the lone goal of the period – to trim the Panthers’ deficit to 3-2.
The Wizards continued to have trouble containing Tanguay in the third period, as he potted his 17th goal of the season at 4:15 of the final frame to knot the score at 3. Tanguay is now sixth in the league in scoring with 24 points (17 goals, seven assists), and he’s tied for second in the league in goals behind Woonsocket/Scituate Co-op senior forward Matthew Besser (18).
JNP would then take a brief lead on a goal by Harvey, assisted by Flori and Ryan DiLorenzo, at 8:22, before WWEWG freshman Watsky netted his second goal of the game to tie the score at 4 less than a minute later.
The game would go to overtime, but both Paiva and JNP goaltender Jacob Frezza, who compiled 26 saves, stood tall in the extra frame to clinch a point for their respective teams.
The Panthers will have an opportunity to grab four points this weekend.
JNP will match up with Woonsocket/Scituate Co-op (7-4) at Adelard Arena on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.
The Panthers will then host Mt. Hope (7-3-0-1) to cap their weekend on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at the Rhode Island Sports Center.
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