SOUTH KINGSTOWN – South Kingstown won the Division III men’s hockey championship two games to one against rivals Narragansett/Chariho in a thrilling series of finals.

After winning Game 1 of the series and dropping Game 2, the Rebels clinched the title with a dramatic 6-4 victory Tuesday night in front of a raucous crowd at Boss Arena.

This is the first true championship in South Kingstown men’s hockey history. The Rebels were named co-champions after a COVID cancellation of the D-II Finals in 2020, but had never been crowned on the ice in the program’s 18-year history. Seeded fourth this year, they beat No.1 Ponaganset in the semi-finals before defeating the third-seeded Gulls in the final.

“It was a solid effort across the board,” South Kingstown coach Rick Angeli said. “These games are hectic. They are crazy. They take several turns. We had the chance to do better. »

‘Nariho’ was seeking his first championship since forming the co-op program in 2015. The Gulls had never won more than three games in a season prior to this year’s emergence.

“The main message was that we were proud of where they were this year compared to where they came from,” said Nariho coach Ryan Meade. “We probably weren’t meant to be in this position at the start of the season. We took it one week at a time. We had our ups and downs. We’re proud of the way they played, proud how they presented themselves.

“We told them, ‘When you come out of here, come out with your head held high.’ They have much to be proud of, we have come a long way.

The scene at Boss Arena lasted two years. A year ago, the South County Hockey Center was empty on game nights due to the URI pandemic policy. Teams could train there, but not play. On Tuesday, the line to get through the gate stretched deep into the parking lot. Large sections of students crowded into the stands.

Wild games back and forth matched the scene. In three regular season meetings, the Rebels and Gulls have won one game each and tied the other. It was more or less the same in the final, with South winning 5-1 in the opener on Saturday night before Nariho leveled the series with a 6-3 win on Monday.

The first two games were marked by offensive surges, and the Rebels delivered the biggest of the series in Game 3. Sean Dwyer and Cody Granville scored two goals apiece as the Rebels took a 4-0 lead . All of the goals came in the final 5:55 of the opening period. Dwyer’s tally broke the ice.

Eison Nee, Ethan Hood and Nick Peters had assists early in the wave. The Rebels outshot the Gulls 13-3 in the first 15 minutes.

As expected given the stakes and how the series unfolded, it wasn’t over.

Nariho’s Jacob Correira scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway just over a minute into the second period. Four minutes later, it was a power play for the Gulls and Correira scored again, assisted by Nicolas Keegan. It remained a 4-2 game in the third period.

More drama ensued down the stretch. With 6:01 to play, Adam Leander scored a power play goal to bring Nariho within a point, 4-3. The Rebels responded with 2:39 left on a Nee goal, with assists from Granville and O’Grady, making it 5-3.

With just over a minute to play, Nariho pulled out goaltender Mason Campbell for an extra skater and again made it a one-goal game on another tally from Leander with 49 seconds left.

“To see them come back from 4-0 down, watching the fight, was really impressive,” Meade said. “It’s hard to come back from a 4-0 deficit. It would have been a hell of a comeback. They gathered as a team. They fought for each other.

And they continued to attack. As the clock ticked under 30 seconds, Ben Avedisian placed the puck on the goal line and sent it back towards the net. He went past South Kingstown goalkeeper Joe Bruno and through the crease, clear to the other corner.

“Across the crease,” Meade said. “That would have been amazing.”

The rebels went the other way soon after. Nariho defender Matt Beaudry dived to block a Granville shot, but Nee rushed to send the rebound into the empty net when time expired.

Nee, Granville and O’Grady celebrated at one end of the ice, as the Rebels bench emptied and stormed Bruno to the net. Nee was named the series’ Most Valuable Player.

“We had a 4-0 lead,” Nee said. “We ended up almost blowing it, but we came back and finished the job.”

“They’re a great team,” Angeli said of the Gulls. “They never give up. They just kept coming.

Although the result was not what he wanted, Nariho did his part in creating a memorable championship series.

“The crowd was amazing,” Meade said. “Seeing all the students and people who have supported us all year, the noise, the support – I’ve been coaching here for six years and I’ve never seen such an electric crowd. It was an incredible environment.