By ERIC BENEVIDES

Sports writer

PROVIDENCE ---- When Mark Andreozzi was named Cumberland High's hockey coach four years ago, he inherited a team that graduated the bulk of its roster, but awaited the arrival of a promising freshman class that hoped to make its mark on the program's history.

On Saturday afternoon, that class helped put the finishing touches on a marvelous season as the Clippers completed a sweep of their best-of-three Division II championship series with St. Raphael Academy and gave the program its first state title in 19 seasons.
The Clippers' senior class, which features left wings Jonathan Cox and Matthew Jones, centers Kyle McLaughlin and Jonathan Pora, right wing Nicholas Haase, defensemen Eric Meunier and Jon Partington, and goaltender Ed Norberg, has come a long way from the growing pains they suffered as freshmen on a 6-12 squad, and Andreozzi was quick to point that out in his post-game remarks after Saturday's 5-3 victory over the Saints.    
"When they walked in four years ago when I started coaching this team, no one gave Cumberland a chance in hell of winning a championship," he admitted. "But when this class walked in, I knew we had something special."
As sophomores, they played key roles in helping the Clippers qualify for the playoffs and finish in second place in the then-Division II-Small standings with a 14-3-1 record, and last season, they again notched double digits in victories to return to the postseason.
Unfortunately, each trip to the playoffs resulted in Smithfield High knocking the Clippers out of the semifinal round and the Sentinels skating to the state championship. But the third time to the semis was quite a charm this season for the Clippers, as they ousted the Sentinels in three contests and then turned their game up a notch in the finals.
"This is four years of hard work and so much pain, sweat, and tears put into this program," remarked McLaughlin, who shares the captain's duties with Meunier and Pora. "It's been a great season, and it's an amazing feeling to go out this way."    
McLaughlin also goes out as one of the top scorers in the squad's history with 55 goals and 68 assists. He was silent offensively in the series (one assist) against the Sentinels, but in the finals, he produced three assists in the Clippers' 8-2 victory in the opener and a hat trick and another helper in the title clincher.
For his efforts, he was named the MVP of the series, but that honor meant very little to McLaughlin.
"It's great, but it's really a team effort," he admitted. "I thought the team came out and played great, and if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here in this position."
"Kyle's a captain for a reason," admitted Andreozzi. "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. (And it was) Jon Pora the night before. That's what you want out of your captains and your seniors."
All but one of the Clippers' goals against the Saints came from their seniors. Pora (who graduates with 44 goals and 45 assists) contributed two goals and four assists and Cox had a hat trick and two assists in the Game 1 win. Haase finished the series with three goals and two assists, and Jones also found the back of the net in the opener.
Defensively, Norberg only stopped 32 of the 37 shots he faced, but he turned in a handful of quality stops in Saturday afternoon's win, and Meunier and Partington played key roles in the backchecking department and limiting the Saints' scoring opportunities.
"Those eight guys are why we won," said Andreozzi. "There's no question about it. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of guys."