The Cranston co-op boys hockey team fell to Rogers in two games in the Division II Quarterfinals last weekend to see its campaign come to an end. Rogers would win Games 1 and 2 by scores of 5-2 and 6-0, respectively. 

Rogers came out hot in Game 1 and would take a 4-0 lead in the first period. Justin Drohen and Grant Bailey would score in the final two periods but the early deficit was too much to overcome as Rogers skated away with the win.

Drohen and Harry Woloohojian recorded assists while Jaedon Case racked up 24 saves in net for Cranston.

“(In Game 1), we didn’t get off to the start that we were looking for and were outmatched by a team with a lot more experience than us. They had a little more speed and anytime that you have a senior-led team going up against a team of freshmen and sophomores, they’re eventually going to take over,” said Cranston coach Matt Brannon.

Rogers would dominate Game 2, taking a quick 1-0 lead in the first and a 3-0 advantage into the third period. The team would add three more goals to roll into the Division II Frozen Four this weekend.

“It was definitely a good learning experience, we were happy to be there. Obviously it was not the outcome that we wanted but we went in there with a pretty good game plan in effect. We just fell behind quickly and it was tough to bounce back from,” said Brannon.

Although Cranston was hoping to see a better result, its roster was the youngest in the division with 12 underclassmen and just four juniors. Despite the young roster and late season injuries, the team was able to earn a playoff berth then pull off the upset win in the prelims over Exeter-West Greenwich.

“I couldn’t have asked the kids for anything more than they gave this season. The kids were behind the 8-ball pretty much all season. Having 12 (underclassmen) on the roster, injuries happen, at one point down the stretch we were playing with only 11 kids. I commend them for all of their hard work and dedication to finish off the season. Then getting the upset playoff win was the icing on the cake for a team that is going through a rebuild,” said Brannon.

The Falcons will now flip the page to 2023-24, and are hoping to take a big step forward as they continue to rebuild their program.

“The kids got to see what it takes to go on a run. I think the goal will be to get to the final four next year, get to the playoff at (Providence College),” Brannon said. “I think with the core we having coming back, the freshmen saw a lot of minutes, they took it as an experience, they’re going to come back hungry. After (Game 2) was over, a couple kids spoke up saying, “Next year starts tomorrow.”