By SANDY McGEE

LINCOLN — A Cumberland man and high school hockey star died Monday after a single-vehicle crash on Route 295.
Kyle J. McLaughlin, 19, of Cumberland, died Monday after the SUV he was operating rolled over on Route 295, just north of Route 146.

McLaughlin, who attended the Community College of Rhode Island last spring, was a 2008 graduate of Cumberland High School.
He was one of three captains that led the high school's hockey team, known as the Cumberland High Clippers, to win the Division II state championship in 2008.
“The Cumberland hockey family just lost a great member,” said former Cumberland High School hockey coach Mark Andreozzi. “They lost someone who epitomized what playing for Cumberland meant. They lost a friend and a great human being, and the family lost a son and brother.
“You can't put into words what he meant to us as a person and what he meant to this program as a hockey player. It is a huge loss to the community.”
The crash remains under investigation by State Police.
“We are currently trying to determine the cause,” said State Police Lt. Joseph DelPrete on Tuesday. “It doesn't appear to be speed or alcohol. We have also ruled out texting or the utilization of a cell phone.”
McLaughlin, who was operating a 1996 Ford Explorer, was traveling southbound on Route 295. The vehicle left the high-speed travel lane around 2:40 p.m., crossing over the middle and right lanes into the breakdown lane.
According to State Police, the SUV's operator apparently lost control of the vehicle. As the Ford Explorer traveled into the breakdown lane, the SUV rolled over twice.
The operator and sole occupant, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, was ejected from the vehicle. McLaughlin was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
DelPrete said that police are checking the vehicle for any mechanical defects that could have led to the crash. State Police could not confirm where McLaughlin was driving to at the time of the rollover.
According to his MySpace page, McLaughlin loved hockey from playing the sport to watching the game.
“He (McLaughlin) had a passion for it,” said Andreozzi, who coached the Clippers at the 2008  championship and now serves as a fitness coordinator for Roger Williams University. “He epitomized what a high school hockey athlete should be. He had a drive and a passion. He was also a team person. He was more about the team than himself.”
McLaughlin joined the hockey team as a freshman and continued playing throughout the next four years at Cumberland High School.
Heading into the 2008 championship season, McLaughlin, then a senior, was described as one of the team's top three scorers.
McLaughlin scored three goals at the state championship game. He also received the Rev. Robert C.  Newbold Most Valuable Player Award.
He was also one of the top scorers in the squad's history with 55 goals and 68 assists.
The 2008 win against St. Raphael Academy in the Division II championship series gave the Cumberland hockey program its first state title in 19 seasons.
“Kyle's a captain for a reason,” said Andreozzi at the state championships in 2008. “He was shut down a little bit in the series, but I kept telling him, 'Just keep going to the net and you'll get it. You'll get it,' and like a true leader, he led today.”
According to Andreozzi, McLaughlin talked about transferring to the University of Rhode Island someday and possibly playing hockey for the university's team.
“He wanted to keep playing,” Andreozzi said.
The former Clippers coach spoke with current and former members of the high school's hockey team on Monday evening. They gathered to remember McLaughlin and talk about the loss.
“We talked about what he meant to this program, and shared stories and remembered who he was,” Andreozzi said. “He won't be forgotten.
“Cumberland hockey has created a family over many years. Kyle leaving has left a hole in a big family.”
Cumberland school officials also made arrangements for grief counselors to speak with students on Tuesday.