After two dominant years in Division III, the Johnston/North Providence co-op hockey team made the move to Division II last season and got a rude welcome. Despite hanging tough and playing well against some of the league’s best teams, JNP finished with an 0-18 record.
As the Cougars get set for the 2013-14 season and their second go-round in D-II, there’s nowhere to go but up – and they hope they have a better idea of how to get there.
“Our outlook is bright,” said co-head coach Stephen Morrison. “Hopefully, we’ll see a lot of improvement. After last year, we can only get better. We like the competition, and the kids have a year under their belts now.”
JNP might have been better equipped to compete in D-II several years ago, when their deep and talented rosters were rolling through D-III. Last year’s team was smaller and younger, and the higher of level of play in D-II was a tough adjustment.
That said, the Cougars never stopped battling.
“We had the potential,” Morrison said. “We took Lincoln to a 1-1 tie for most of the game and they were one of the better teams in the league. We were right there.”
And though the challenge is difficult, the Cougars like where they are.
“It’s a better caliber hockey,” Morrison said. “It’s a higher level of play. You see good, clean games. It’s great competition. It’s more fun.”
A little more success would equal even more fun, and the Cougars hope they’re equipped for it this season. They have some key players back, and the lumps they took last year represent a valuable learning experience.
“I think it’s a tremendous help,” Morrison said. “You can see it in the younger players. The kids who were freshmen in D-III were in shock last year against the D-II teams. It was a big step. Now they’re juniors and they’ve seen it before. You always say athletes rise or fall to the caliber of the competition, and I think that’s the position we’re in.”
The Cougars used two goalies last year and have both of them back in the fold this season. Johnston’s Joe Peters and North Providence’s Andrew Costa-Curtis are both ready to go.
“They’ve got that year of experience,” Morrison said. “They’re competing for a spot so that should be good motivation for them.”
The defense will be led by senior Antonio Manzotti of Johnston and junior John Gibau of North Providence.
“They’ll both be excellent blue-liners,” Morrison said.
Younger players will provide depth on defense.
Up front, the Cougars have most of their leading scorers back in the fold. Junior Nicholas Threshier of North Providence paced the team with three goals and four assists last year, while junior Samuel DaCosta of Johnston had four goals and one assist. Both are back, along with veterans Stephen Morrison, the coach’s son, and Nicholas Fournier. Sophomore Jacob McCullough of Johnston is also back after tallying three assists last season.
The Cougars hope the forwards can break through this year. JNP was the lowest-scoring team in D-II last season.
“We’ve got a good group there,” said coach Stephen Morrison.
Also on the roster are John Gesualdi, Justin Harvey, Jay Nelson and Shawn O’Brien from Johnston, plus North Providence’s Andrew Costa, Justin Gomes, Brian Iannuccillo, Alexander Musard, Michael Petracca and Brendon Summerhill.
It isn’t the deepest group, but that just means that everybody will have a role.
“It’s going to be a full team effort,” Morrison said. “Everybody has to contribute.”
The Cougars will jump right into the fire when they open the season this weekend. They’ll play Cumberland on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Adelard Arena. On Saturday, they’ll take on Lincoln in Smithfield, also at 7:30 p.m. The Clippers and Lions were the top two teams in Division II-North last season. Lincoln won the D-II title.
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