EAST PROVIDENCE — There likely weren’t many observers of boys’ high school soccer who pegged East Providence to be a top half of the table team come the final week of the 2022 campaign, but that’s exactly where the Townies sat as they prepared to play their last Division I regular season game.

East Providence improved to 6-4-3 with a pair of victories over the last week, 2-1 over Lincoln High and 3-2 over neighboring Barrington.

The six points the Townies earned this past week are part of a torrid stretch for the locals. East Providence has earned points in six of its last seven matches, including four wins.

The Townies had one last league contest to complete before the start of the state championship playoffs, a home game Thursday night, Oct. 27, against historic rival LaSalle. Kickoff at Townie Stadium on the EPHS grounds was set for 6:30 p.m.

Of his team’s play of late, EPHS head coach Tony Vieira said, “I think just getting healthy at the right time helps and you always want to be playing your best at the end of the season. But we still have a very good test on Thursday vs. LaSalle.”

Playoff prospects
Six wins and three draws total as of their win over Barrington gave the Townies 21 points in the league standings. Teams are awarded three points for a win and one for a tie.

That total was good enough to place East Providence sixth on the table. Unbeaten North Kingstown had 36 points as of mid-week followed by LaSalle with 31, Hendricken and Portsmouth with 25, South Kingstown 24 then the Townies.

Cumberland was next with 15. The other teams to meet the minimum 13-point standard to qualify for the playoffs as of October 25 were Tolman (15), Moses Brown (14) and Central Falls (14).
Classical (12), Central (11) and Lincoln (10) each had one game left to earn the points they needed to gain a playoff spot.

Depending on the number of teams to qualify for the state tourney, East Providence could have an opening round bye. Worst case, the Townies could also host an opening round game.

“We’ll see where the chips fall as far as seeding,” Vieira said of the playoffs. “I think we may have done enough to have a home game and possibly a bye.”

Lincoln notes
The Townies collected their fifth win of the autumn last week with the one-goal decision over Lincoln.

Andrew Jackson gave EPHS a 1-0 lead with his goal in the first half off an assist by Pedro Sousa, who led his mate at the far post for an easy tap in tally.

The host Lions leveled the score five minutes into the second half.

East Providence found the game winner with four minutes remaining. Sam Jackson converted Ricardo Lima’s free kick to put the Townies on top.

Keeper Nick Bento made seven saves in the EPHS net.

Barrington notes
Against the neighboring Eagles, the Townies never trailed, but also gave up the lead twice before scoring the eventual game-winning goal midway through the second half.

Most of the goals came in the first half.

Sousa put East Providence ahead off an assist from Martim Moniz. Barrington leveled at one. Ricardo Lima next made it 2-1 Townies when he potted a penalty kick.

Again, though, the Eagles found the tying tally before the break to make it 2-2.
In the 28th minute of the second half, 68th overall, Ethan Waters put the Townies on top for keeps.

Lima later had a couple of chances to give EPHS some breathing room but he hit the post twice, once during the run of play and the other as he took a corner.
Bento was credited with seven saves.