Blackstone Valley Pic of the Day Sponsor PORTS S THE TIMES, Saturday, April 24, 2021

NHL Buffalo snaps Bruins’ six-game winning streak By JOHN WAWROW Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped Ruotsalainen also scored for Buffa- scored for Boston. With the far more established Associated Press 36 shots in his NHL debut, and lo, which bounced back after being Boston scored three times in a fellow Finnish countryman Tu- the Sabres ended the Bruins’ sea- outscored 7-1 in losing the first two 5:06 span, capped by Hall’s cen- ukka Rask in the Bruins net, the BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sam Rein- son-best six-game winning streak. games of a three-game homestand tering pass deflecting in off Buffalo 22-year-old Luukkonen rebounded hart scored three times, including a Rasmus Dahlin had a and against Boston, including a 5-1 loss defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen’s after giving up a goal to Kampfer game-sealing empty-netter, and the assist as Buffalo snapped an 0-8-2 on Thursday. stick with 2:48 remaining that cut on the first shot he faced 2:15 into avoided a third-pe- skid against the Bruins, dating to a Steven Kampfer had a goal the Sabres’ lead to 5-4. Reinhart the game. riod collapse in a 6-4 win over the 4-2 win on Dec. 16, 2018. and two assists, and Nick Ritchie secured the win by scoring into an on Friday night. and Arttu and Kevan Miller and Taylor Hall empty net with 42 seconds left. See SNAPPED, page B2

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Tigers secure playoff spot

Photo by Ernest A. Brown Davies Tech junior running back/quarter- back Matthew Patenaude, right, ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown in Friday’s 29-14 defeat to North Providence. Patriots put up fight in loss to NP By BRANDEN MELLO [email protected] NORTH PROVIDENCE — Even though the Davies Tech football team went into halftime of Friday night’s Di- vision IV clash with North Providence trailing the Cougars by a point, the Patri- ots felt they were the better team, and if not for a few costly penalties at inoppor- tune times, would’ve been in the lead. The Cougars showed who the better team was in a dominant second half. After fumbling the ball twice in the first half, NP running back Miguel San- tana churned out 136 yards and touch- down on 28 carries while quarterback Christian Almagno and fullback William Wrage each carried the ball 11 times for a combined 168 yards and three touch- downs in the Cougars’ 29-15 victory to conclude the spring season.

See PATRIOTS, page B3 Photos by Ernest A. Brown Tolman senior running back Jamarus Godette (4, above) leads the way for quarterback Alex Medeiros during the Tigers’ 25-12 victory over Mount Pleasant on Friday night to secure the Tigers a Division II playoff berth and a trip to undefeated Barrington next week. NBA Tolman beats Mount Pleasant; C’s suffer loss faces Barrington in semifinals By BRENDAN McGAIR drive one of the two school busses [email protected] that transported the Tigers to and to Brooklyn from Conley Stadium. NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving PROVIDENCE – Elijah Osei, “I’ve been waiting for this boy just missed a triple-double despite an can you see the end zone – and the to show what he can do. He’s an awful shooting night, Joe Harris scored Division II playoffs? athlete and makes plays,” said 20 points and the Brooklyn Nets re- Not only did Osei score three Tolman head coach Jason DeLaw- gained first place in the Eastern- Con touchdowns in Tolman High’s rence, whose squad earned a semi- ference with a 109-104 victory over the playoff-clinching 25-12 win over final-round matchup against - Bar Boston Celtics on Friday night. Mount Pleasant on Friday night, rington, the top seed in II-B. Irving had torched his former team for but he also recovered three fum- Osei alternated between fumble 77 points in 67 minutes in a pair of victo- bles – two via onside kickoff at- recoveries on the kickoff and touch- ries this season, but this time shot just 4 tempts. Between running and re- downs during a first quarter that saw for 19, missing all six of his 3-pointers. ceiving, he totaled 103 yards. the Tigers jump out to a 12-0 lead. The only thing that Osei, a ju- See CELTICS, page B2 nior, didn’t do on Friday night was See TIGERS, page B3

MLS Revolution welcome fans back to Gillette Stadium By PETER GOBIS Fans haven’t been at stadium since 2020 season opener pect,” Bunbury said. ”This is my home now Attleboro Sun-Chronicle and I think the fans really welcomed me. “I think that’s when it might hit all of us. 12 percent capacity due to COVID-19 restric- I’m so grateful that I’m here and that this is FOXBORO — The New England Revolu- Like ‘OK, this is what it’s supposed to feel tions with a maximum of 8,000 fans allowed. my home. I’ve got a lot of love for New En- tion return to Foxboro just in time for fans to like to have our fans here again supporting us.’ New England is seeking to take at least a gland.” be back at Gillette Stadium as well. And it’s not just for us, but for the fans as well. point in its Foxboro debut for the 14th time in New England yielded two goals to Chicago “It’s definitely going to be different,” New It’s going to be different for them since they its last 15 matches. The Revolution have lost before working up a sweat. England forward Teal Bunbury said Thurs- haven’t been to a game in over a year. I think just once (7-1-6) in their last 14 debut matches “It’d be hard for us to do what we did in day after practice, looking ahead to the Rev- they might be even more excited than we are.” in Foxboro. Chicago again,” Revolution coach Bruce Are- olution’s home season opener Saturday night Fans of the Revolution haven’t been inside Bunbury recalled his first home match at na said. “I’m never 100 percent sure, but I against D.C, United. “I don’t know what it’s of Gillette Stadium to watch an MLS match Gillette Stadium in 2014 as a member of the would think we’re going to start the game in going to feel like until we walk out there for since New England’s 2020 MLS season open- Revolution after four seasons with Sporting better form than we did in Chicago.” warmups or until that first whistle goes and er on March 7 against Chicago. The crowd at Kansas City. the national anthem is being played, Gillette, which seats 65,878, will be limited to “To be honest, I didn’t know what to ex- See FANS, page B3 Saturday, April 24, 2021 Sports THE TIMES B3 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL with great efficiency, or find the seams in the intermediate passing game, the Kilties opt- Tigers ed to attack with the deep ball. Quarterback Continued from page B1 Duce Addison threw a perfect deep pass He recovered the ball on the game’s open- where he hit teammate Omarion Vidal on ing kickoff, then burned the Kilties on an in- the run for a 52-yard catch-and-run that got side route for a 13-yard receiving score that the home team on the scoreboard with 4:18 came on third-and-goal. remaining in the third quarter. There was no need to do a double take on Mount Pleasant’s final push came with the kickoff after Tolman’s first score. Once less than five minutes remaining when Vidal again, the Tigers opted to kick it short. Once covering 63 yards on punt return before get- again, Osei was in the right place at the right ting knocked out at the Tolman two-yard time to make the recovery. Tolman didn’t line. The Kilties needed all four downs be- capitalize on the second kickoff recovery, fore Kevin Franjul punched it in from one though you could make a strong case that yard out. The Tigers were able to out run out the visitors left the Kilties in a state of utter the final 2:14. shock. “I knew (Vidal) was going to make a few “We’ve been practicing that all year,” plays. We just can’t have him kill us,” said said DeLawrence. “The second [recovery], I DeLawrence. didn’t think we were going to get it. We were For a team that went from being out of the lucky. You’ve got to win in all three phases.” playoffs, to getting a shot to get in, to con- Added Osei, “You look for the weak spots firming another week’s worth of practices, in the kickoffs. This way, I have time to get DeLawrence was at a loss for words. down there.” “I can’t have a better weekend than what Osei barreled his way into the end zone I’m about to have,” said the coach. from three yards out on the final play of the Osei can’t wait to start preparing for Bar- first quarter. The Kilties threated on the en- rington. suing drive, but senior Nasier Johnson came “I’ll enjoy this, but we’ve got to up with Tolman’s second interception of the come back on Monday and get ready,” game with the ball at the Tigers’ 18-yard he said. line. Senior Leandro DePina notched the first pick. Follow Brendan McGair on Twitter @ The INT by Johnson was turned into BWMcGair03 points with – who else? – Osei running Tolman 13 – 12 – 0 – 0 --- 25 straight up the middle for a 32-yard score Mount Pleasant 0 – 0 – 6 – 6 --- 12 that extended Tolman’s lead to 19-0. A bliss- (First Quarter) T – Elijah Osei 13-yard pass from Kyle Medeiros (kick failed), 6:50 ful first half was capped when quarterback T – Osei 3-yard run (Leandro DePina), :00 Alex Medeiros called his own number from (Second Quarter) four yards out with 19 seconds left before T – Osei 32-yard run (run failed), 5:07 T – Medeiros 4-yard run (kick failed) halftime. The Tigers pulled into the break (Third Quarter) with a commanding 25-0 lead. MP – Omarion Vidal 52-yard pass from Duce Addison (pass Photo by Ernest A. Brown failed), 4:18 Tolman running back Elijah Osei (6) rushed for three touchdowns a recovered three fumbles to Mount Pleasant did make some adjust- (Fourth Quarter) ments. Knowing they couldn’t run the ball MP – Kevin Franjul 1-yard run (pass failed), 2:14 lead the Tigers to a 25-12 win over Mount Pleasant to secure a Division II playoff spot.

progress and I’m really hap- tion moved the ball back five size-wise they wore us down Cougars covered 57 yards on eight-yard touchdown in the py with the staff we have yards and the Patriots failed as the game went on. We’re 10 plays in 3:24 to start the fourth quarter to extend the Patriots here,” Cabral said. “Next to take the lead following a undersized compared to oth- second half to build a 15-6 lead to 29-6. Continued from page B1 year is going to make a big pair of Cabral incompletions. er teams and we struggle advantage. Santana scored a Davies grabbed a touch- “We tend to play well difference for us. We had a “Those two penalties when teams want to run the three-yard touchdown on his down back later in the quar- in spurts and we make our hybrid schedule at school, were frustrating, but it’s a ball.” fifth carry of the drive and ter on a Patenaude one-yard mistakes – a lot of it’s grow- which meant we had kids in learning experience for the NP offensive coordinator Almagno dove in for the two- run, but the Patriots only ran ing pains and a lot of it is the school a lot, but it’s also kids,” Cabral said. “I feel Michael Tuorto, who is also point conversion. three more plays the rest of on me as a coach,” Davies tough because there are days as the game goes on we do Lincoln’s wrestling coach, The NP quarterback the game. Tech coach Henry Cabral when kids aren’t at school. get better, but there are little only threw the ball twice in scored on a one-yard touch- said. “I’m proud of the kids Happy we finished the season spurts here and there where the second half, while run- down later in the third quar- Follow Branden Mello on for the way they played, but and happy that all our seniors we make mistakes that tend ning the ball 26 times. The ter and Wrage scored an Twitter @Branden_Mello this game was the story of are on course to graduate. I to kill us. We take two steps our season. Spring football believe football really helped forward and then take two is great for them because it them out in a tough year.” steps back.” really gets ready for the fall. North Providence (2-2 The Cougars went on a 16- All the mistakes we made Division IV) is likely going play drive that spanned both will be fixed in September, I to miss the playoffs because quarters to take a lead they Pic of the Day know that.” it didn’t get the chance to would never relinquish. San- Davies (1-4 Division IV) play Scituate earlier in the tana and Wrage did most of had plenty of reasons to cel- season. The Cougars are cur- the heavy lifting on the drive, ebrate during a very difficult rently tied with Toll Gate for but it was Almagno, a junior, season. The Patriots picked the final playoff spot, but the who opened the scoring with up their first win in program Titans play winless Hope in an eight-yard touchdown. history earlier in the month their regular-season finale. Davies answered three against Hope and they were Davies, thanks to a 30- plays later when Rose caught one of just two Blackstone yard pass from Antonio a pass in front of the Da- Valley teams, along with Di- Cabral to Rose, drove the vies bench and juked or ran vision I playoff squad Bur- ball down to the North Prov- through a number of Cougar rillville, to play all five regu- idence 1-yard line on the would-be tacklers to score lar-season games. game’s first drive. On fourth a 43-yard touchdown. The Friday, running back/quar- down, the Pats were called two-point conversion failed, terback Matthew Patenaude for a false start and then so the visitors went into the and freshman receiver Dan- Cabral was sacked to end the break down a point. ny Rose scored touchdowns. drive. Santana fumbled the “At halftime we talked Rose caught a game-high six ball back to Davies on NP’s about holding them defen- passes for 101 yards, includ- first play from scrimmage, sively to start the second half ing a 43-yard touchdown late which allowed the Patriots to and then go score, unfortu- in the first half. drive back to the 1-yard line. nately that’s not what hap- “I believe we’re making Again, a pre-snap infrac- pened,” Cabral said. “I think

Photo by Ernest A. Brown February 12, 2021 - Davies senior Raheim Rainey sails to the net for two Davies quarterback Antonio Cabral (11) completed six of his 13 passes for 104 yards and a touch- points during first half action against Prout at home Friday night. Minutes down in the Patriots’ 29-14 Division IV defeat to North Providence on Friday night. laterm Rainey scored his 1,000th point after draining a three-pointer. Ernest A. Brown photo

MLS This action shot brought to you by: Blackstone Valley weekend. The Revolution can be. We have to make sure have fared well of late against we’re focusing on those little Fans D.C. United, going 3-0-3 in things” Continued from page B1 six matches. Arena coached D.C. Unit- www.navigantcu.org • 401-233-4300 Sports D.C. United beat NYCFC Bunbury, like the rest of ed from 1996-98, winning 65 in its first match. the Revolution, were baffled matches over that span and Free Pic of the Day Photo Give-A-Way “I think they’ll come into by their poor first-half per- taking the club to its first two If your child’s name appears in the Pic of the Day you are welcome to receive FREE photo Foxboro with a lot of confi- formance, but encouraged by MLS Cup championships in reproductions of the Pic of the Day. Call our Classified department at 401-767- 8503 to request your Pic of the Day photo set and you will receive one 8”x10” photo as a free gift dence,” Arena said. “They’ll their second-half rally. 1996 and 1997. from Navigant Credit Union. be a tough team to play. They “It’s more indicative of “That’s our goal (MLS Please give us the date that your Pic of the Day ran in the paper. play with a lot of energy, a lot now we’ve got to figure out Cup) and I think having fans Additional photos can be ordered at a cost of of commitment on the defen- what our strengths and weak- in the stands is going to be a $8.00 each for one 8”x10” or two 5”x7” sive end of the field. They’re nesses are, what we can im- big proponent of that,” Bun- 11”x17” Posters can also be ordered at a cost of $10.00 Please leave your order quantities and contact information when you call. You will be called going to be a team that’s diffi- prove on,” Bunbury said. bury said. “I think missing out when your order will be ready for pick up. We accept cash, check and all major credit cards. cult to break down.” “Things that we’re really on having fans will be giving New England tied at Chi- taking into account that if we us that extra boost when we cago in its season debut last want to be the best team we need it most.”