By ERIC BENEVIDES

Sports writer

WOONSOCKET --- For the second straight game, Cumberland High goalie Michalangelo Federici went above and beyond the call of duty between the pipes, but again, his superb performance alone couldn’t save his team from dropping a nailbiter to North Kingstown High.
The sophomore netminder followed up his strong 38-save effort on Saturday night by turning away 33 shots in Monday night’s third game of the best-of-three Division II semifinal-round series, but the Skippers found a way to bus out of the Adelard Arena parking lot with a 1-0 victory.  
The Skippers scored their goal 5:12 into the second period when Sean Read took a pass from Kyle Theriault and flipped a backhanded shot past Federici in front of the Clippers’ net.
The defending champion Clippers did everything in their power to score the equalizer, but they were unable to light the lamp and finished the game with just 19 shots.
Their best shot to beat NK goaltender Mike Aptt came with 2:40 to play in the middle period when Michael Darlington unleashed a shot from the side of the net that clanged off the left post, and they also had a couple of quality  opportunities in the final minutes of play.
“We had our opportunities,” said Cumberland coach Mark Andreozzi. “We just couldn’t capitalize and that’s the way it goes. Twice at the end, we had an opportunity to put it in, but we just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
The Skippers, who two winters ago, were Division III state champions, will try to land a Division II crown when they face unbeaten Smithfield High in the best-of-three title series this weekend at Providence College’s Schneider Arena.
The series gets under way on Saturday at 4 p.m. and continues on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. If the series goes three games, the winner-take-all game will take place on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
“North Kingstown came out and played a great game,” remarked Andreozzi. “They’re an older team, they’re talented, and they work hard. Tonight, they played well. They’re a classy team and hats off to them. I wish them luck in the finals.”
The Clippers’ contests with the Skippers this season have featured some of the tightest battles of the Division II season.
A 3-2 overtime win and a 1-1 draw during the regular season. A 3-2 win that took four overtimes to settle in Game 1, followed by a 3-1 defeat in Game 2 that saw NK ice the game with an empty-net score with nine seconds to go.
Monday night’s meeting offered the same fierce competitiveness, with both teams displaying some strong checking and excellent defense.
While Federici turned in his great showing, which included 17 saves in the second period, he wasn’t the only Clipper who performed well on ‘D’.
“We have three strong defensemen, Andrew Bouchard, Jake Howard, and Michael Darlington, who in my opinion, are three of the better defensemen in our league,” added Andreozzi. “When they’re in front of you, it makes life a little bit easier, and as Mick always says, “When they’re there, I’m a little more comfortable.’ ”
And while Aptt also did a stellar job to record the shutout, he also received a helping hand from his defensemen, especially Bret Zimmerman and Shawn Henderson.
While it was a difficult loss to absorb, it didn’t make Andreozzi forget about the exceptional season his young team produced. The Clippers had lost eight players to graduation, yet came back to finish second in the regular season.
“No one gave us a shot to be where we are right now with four seniors and a lot of sophomores and freshmen,” said Andreozzi. “To be 12-3-3 and in the semifinals is a tribute to those kids in that (locker) room, and I’m proud of the way they worked. They came out hard in the final period and didn’t quit until the final buzzer. It’s a tribute to what they’ve done here all year. They worked hard every day and it’s been a honor to coach them.”
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North Kingstown        0 - 1 - 0 -- 1
Cumberland        0 - 0 - 0 -- 0
First period: No scoring.
Second period: NK -- Sean Read (Kyle Theriault), 5:12.
Third period: No scoring.
Shots on goal: North Kingstown 34, Cumberland 19. Goalie saves: NK -- Michael Aptt (19 saves). Michalangelo Federici (33 saves).