North Kingstown hockey squad looking to repeat last year's successes
By Jordan Segal

The North Kingstown ice hockey team hopes to protect their state championship. The team is currently undefeated after 13 games. Thomas Abbood of Jamestown, back row, third from left, said team chemistry has been key in the team's success.

Last year, the North Kingstown hockey team did something that has never done in its five year existence: it won its first state championship.

This year, the team continues to skate past the competition after moving from Division-III to Division-II. The team is currently sitting at the top of the standings and is two games ahead of second place Portsmouth High School. The team is 12-0-1 in division play and has been raining terror on its opponents.

The hockey team is coming off back-to-back wins last week, against East Providence and Smithfield, which brings them to two games shy of an undefeated season. They worked almost flawlessly for the win, and if they continue to play at this level, an undefeated season is highly possible.

The Skippers are coached by Keith Higgins. Most people know him as a physical education teacher at NKHS, but he is also one of the reasons the team is having great success this season.

"Coach Higgins is one of the most dedicated coaches I've ever had," said island resident Thomas Abbood. "He comes all the way from East Providence for our 5 a.m. practices and is always trying to make us better players. He works so hard to teach us to sense our weaknesses and fix them to become better players."

Higgins has been a part of the team since its first season in 2002, and has since been made head coach. He coached the team to its first state championship last year and hopes to do it again this season.

The team may have lost some talented players from last year, but this year, talent is something the team does not lack. Abbood, a recent transfer from the Moses Brown School, is one of these additions to the team.

"Tom joined the team and currently is a contributor on defense. They call themselves the DSquad," Higgins said of Abbood.

Switching schools is always a hard thing to do, but switching a sports team is even harder. Watching Abbood and his teammates, one would guess they have been friends for years, when in reality, they have been friends only a few months.

"I was immediately accepted by everyone on the team," said Abbood, "Everyone was so welcoming and treated me as if I was already on the team. Our chemistry off the ice makes us an even better team when it comes time for games."

The chemistry on the team has been amazing, as they outscore opponents by an average of six goals a game.

"I definitely see a repeat in winning the state championship," said Abbood, "This is one of strongest teams I've ever played on, both offensive and defensive."

Only two teams stand in the way of an undefeated season, and those teams are Portsmouth and Saint Raphael. The team was scheduled to play Portsmouth last night, Feb. 13. Results were not available at press time. They will face St. Raphael's this Saturday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bradford Boss Ice Arena on the University of Rhode Island Kingston campus.

The team will continue to fight for a spot in the D-II State Championship and will vie for another state title.