By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

SMITHFIELD – Even though it didn’t start off too well for the Clippers, Eric Meunier made sure it ended just fine.

In a do-or-die Division II semifinal tilt with fourth-seeded Smithfield High on Saturday night, Meunier netted the game’s final two goals, including the clincher with 3:47 remaining as No. 2 seed Cumberland rallied to a 3-2 victory.
After the Sentinels routed the Clippers, 7-2, in the opener of the best-of-3 series, the victory by Cumberland forces a third and deciding game on Monday night at Adelard (7:30 p.m.).
Smithfield appeared as though it would repeat the first game, scoring twice with less than five minutes gone by in the opening period on goals by Cody Lange and Joseph Gonsalves.
The Clippers attacked often in the period, and held an 11-9 advantage in shots, but had trouble penetrating through the Sentinels defensemen. Lange scored on Smithfield’s third shot of the game, firing the puck from right in front of the crease just 2:34 into the contest. Gonsalves, who scored twice in Friday’s tilt, found the cage at 4:19, scoring on a breakaway.
That lead looked like it would stand, but with just eight seconds remaining the Clippers’ Andrew Bouchard fired a slap shot from beyond the blue line that took a funny bounce and snuck by SHS goalie  Vin Tedino (29 saves).
The Clippers carried that momentum into the second period where they dominated from the start. Cumberland fired 10 shots on net before Smithfield unleashed its first, nearly nine minutes into the period. On a power play, Meunier knotted the score with his slap shot at 5:12 just outside the circle.
The Clippers managed to fend off a vicious attack by the Sentinels in the final few minutes of the period.
Colby Fugere had two of those opportunities, but was denied on two shots from inside the crease.
In a tightly-played third period, Meunier made sure the Clippers’ season would at least survive another day with another slap shot from just inside the blue line.
Both squads received solid efforts between the pipes. Cumberland goalie Ed Norberg had 29 saves, while Smithfield’s netminder Vin Tedino had 30 stops.
***
Smithfield 2 0 0 - 2 
Cumberland 1 1 1 - 3
First period – 1. S, Cody Lange (Mike Giuliani, Colby Fugere) 12:30; 2. S, Joe Goncalves (Lange) 10:41; 3. C, Andrew Bouchard (unassisted) :08.
Penalties  - C, 2-4. S, 1-2.
Second period – 4. C, Meunier (Nicholas Haas) 9:48.
Penalties – S, 5-10. C, 3-6.
Third period – 5. C, Meunier (unassisted) 3:47.
Saves – C, Ed Norberg 29  S, Vin Tedino 30.
Shots -  C 33, S, 31.