Team captain Jason Cliff scored four goals Sunday and goalie John Ribes was clutch as the Patriot Hockey Club claimed the 2010 state championship.
“This is awesome,” Cliff said. “We’ve been so close before, but today we were finally able to put it away. Our whole team wanted it bad and we just kept working at it and improving so it feels good.”
The Patriots capped a 13-game winning streak and perfect season with an 8-3 victory over Greenville North at the Carolina Ice Palace during the championship game for the South Carolina Scholastic Hockey League. This year isn’t the first the team has earned the trophy for finishing the regular season in first place, but Sunday does mark the first time the Patriots have captured the state championship by winning out during the league tournament.
Four different members of the team scored during the championship game. Cliff wrapped a goal in both the opening and closing periods around two in the second. Freshman Justin Leblanc added a pair of his own and Julian DiPaolo and Grayson Durham also scored.
Junior Zack Bunde had four assists during the game and assistant captain Tyler Durham had three. Other Patriots with assists were DiPaolo, JC Gaskins, Nathan Gagne and Jordan Murphy.
Assistant captain Jonathan Perry was injured in the first period and Fort Dorchester had to go without him the rest of the way. However, others stepped up in his absence.
The Patriots led 2-0 at the end of the first period and carried a 5-1 lead into the third after Greenville’s Sawyer Caldwell put Greenville on the board early in the second. Greenville also had goals from Austin McCall and Matt Houge in the final seven minutes of the game.
The Patriot defense was impressive as numerous players combined to thwart off Greenville attacks. Ribes made 27 saves.
Patriot coach Jeff Cliff attributes the win, as well as the 13-0 season, to team chemistry and the drive of his players.
“The bond these guys have is incredible,” he said. “From the first-year players to the four-year players, they look out for each other. From the third game of the season, this was in their eyes. They treated every game as if it were their last. I think it all started with our seniors who have played together for so long, but it spread to the new kids. Everyone played with so much fire and heart and I think that is what did it.”
For the first time since the league was formed, this year South Carolina is sending a representative to compete in the national high school hockey championship tournament so with Sunday’s win the Patriots advance to play in Chicago in April.
Seniors Ribes, Cliff, Gagne, Perry, Tyler Durham and Joseph McKenzie will play their final game for the Patriots there.

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com.