EAST GREENWICH — Rafe Dionne hasn’t scored a more important boys lacrosse goal this season for Portsmouth.
Prettier, cleaner, better team execution leading to a shot — there are certainly other options in those categories. But none of those granted the Patriots a chance to defend the Division II crown they claimed last season.
Dionne’s fourth tally of the night with 19 seconds left made the difference in a rematch with East Greenwich. The Avengers were denied in the title round by Portsmouth in 2025 and again in Wednesday’s semifinal, an 8-7 thriller under the lights at Carcieri Stadium.
Dionne flashed out from behind the East Greenwich net, twisted his way free and bounced a left-handed shot just over the line into the cage. It was his fourth of the night and third inside the last 19 minutes, as the Patriots erased a 5-3 deficit. Portsmouth’s four-goal run into the fourth quarter was ultimately enough to set up the late chance it needed to clinch a weekend spot opposite Westerly at Brown University.
“Dirty goals are goals,” Dionne said. “The only thing that matters is the score in the box. A one is a one and a win is a win.”
Jack Colna made 11 saves in net as the Patriots brushed aside a pair of defeats against the Avengers in the regular season by winning the only game that mattered. Joe Sanderson, Oliver Melanson, Teddy Gersen and Colby Nixon were also on target for Portsmouth, which steamed to a 17-0 shutout of rival Middletown in the quarterfinals.
“It really goes all to my defense,” Colna said. “We’ve been working all season for this, and now we’re going to the championship. It feels great.”
Dionne watched helplessly as the Patriots defended an East Greenwich man advantage with just over three minutes to play. Portsmouth denied the Avengers over that stretch of time and still held the lead when Wyatt Gelzhiser found Micah Dawson with a diagonal pass through traffic at the left post. Dawson put it away to make it a 7-7 game with 1:42 left, but the Patriots still had a chance to win if they could secure the ensuing faceoff.
“You’ve just got to embrace the ugly here,” Dionne said. “I had no doubt in my mind the whole game that we were going to come out with the win. No stress.”
Austen Dufresne’s pair of goals and assist in the first half helped East Greenwich (13-4) bury a quick 2-0 deficit and gain its footing. Dawson’s goal off a pass from Joey Bierwirth gave the Avengers a 4-3 edge into the break, and Cooper Lake’s turnaround shot in front made it a two-goal cushion early in the third quarter. Portsmouth (16-3) held East Greenwich scoreless over a 15:20 span to eventually take the lead, with Dionne’s pair of goals making it a 6-5 game after three.
“Definitely tracking the ball as much as I can,” Colna said. “Really getting a focus on hand-eye coordination before the game just so I can see the ball as well as possible.”
The Bulldogs cruised to a 16-4 win over Prout in the opposite semifinal and have dropped just one of their last 12 matches. The Patriots squeezed to an 8-5 home win against Westerly on April 7 — it will be two full months since that meeting when the two teams face off again this weekend.
“It’s such a blessing,” Colna said. “We beat them earlier — it was a fun game. It’s going to be a great one.”
PORTSMOUTH (8): Joe Sanderson, Rafe Dionne 4, Oliver Melanson, Teddy Gersen, Colby Nixon; assists — Dionne, Gersen.
EAST GREENWICH (7): Cooper Lake 2, Austen Dufresne 2, Micah Dawson 2, Brady Parks; assists — Dufresne, Wyatt Gelzhiser 2, Parks 2, Joey Bierwirth.
Halftime — EG, 4-3. Saves — Jack Colna, P, 11; Brendan Darcy, EG, 6.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Score of Portsmouth at East Greenwich boys lacrosse Division II semifinal
