01:00 AM EST on Monday, March 21, 2005

BY ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Nobody's perfect?

Try telling that to the 24 East Providence players, their three coaches and the hundreds of Townies fans and parents.

East Providence completed a perfect season yesterday at Providence College's Schneider Arena by dominating Scituate, 6-1, in Game 2 of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Division III finals to capture its first ice hockey state title in 30 years.

The Townies, who won the first game Saturday, 6-4, end their 2004-05 campaign with a 24-0-0 record after failing to make the playoffs last season.

"This feels great," said East Providence senior center Louis Peterson, the series Most Valuable Player. "I can't even explain it in words. This is the greatest season that I ever had and it's my senior year. I couldn't wish to go out any better than this. . . . I never thought this would happen."

That's how all six of the Townie seniors felt about winning the state title. Four years ago, when they were freshman, the Townies were a dismal 4-15-2.

"This is incredible," East Providence left wing David Hill said. "I can't explain the feeling. . . . Freshman year we had nine players. I never thought this would happen."

East Providence coach Gregg Amore said, "Today might have been the best game that we played all year. This is a great way to go out. We were good from the minute the puck dropped until the final buzzer. This was the most complete hockey game that we played all year. These guys wanted 24 wins."

Both Peterson (20 goals, 38 assists, 58 points), a transfer from St. Raphael Academy who led the RIIL in points during the regular season, and Hill (16-21-37) scored hat tricks for the Townies, and Patrick Gormley dished out four assists.

Sophomore goalie Cameron Ford was stellar once again for East Providence. He turned away 18 Scituate shots before the Spartans' Nicholas Bryant scored with 10 seconds left in the game.

Scituate coach Mark Luther said that he wanted to go after East Providence early, but it was the Townies who put the Spartans away in the first period.

Hill powered the Townies' offense in the first period by scoring two goals, the first coming just 44 seconds after the opening face off. On assists from Gormley and Peterson, Hill muscled the puck into the five-hole from point-blank range.

Hill gave East Providence a 2-0 lead 4:26 into the game when his shot from the right circle beat Scituate goalie Alvin Durning top-shelf.

Peterson, with a defender on his back, gave the Townies a 3-0 cushion 1:10 into the second period when he found the back of the net from point-blank range, and with 3:46 left in the second period, he knocked in a rebound to extend East Providence's lead to 4-0.

Peterson, at the seventh-minute mark of the third period, and Hill, one minute later, put the icing on the cake with power-play goals.

Yesterday was another example of how East Providence dominated its foes all season. By scoring 117 goals and giving up only 18 during the regular season, East Providence had the highest scoring offense and gave up the fewest goals.

Scituate, which fell in the 2004 state title series as well, finished with an 21-3-0 record.

"We had a great season," Luther said. "We only lost three games. It was a great run."

First period -- EP, David Hill (Patrick Gormley, Louis Peterson) :44; D. Hill (Gormley, Peterson) 4:26. Penalties -- EP 3-6; S 1-2.

Second period -- EP, Peterson 1:10; Peterson (D. Hill, Jared Hill) 11:14. Penalties -- EP 1-2; S 4-8.

Third period -- EP, Peterson (Gormley, D. Hill) 7:54; D. Hill (Peterson, Gormley) 8:06. S, Nicholas Bryant (Derek Luther, Eric Lussier) 14:50. Penalties -- EP 4-8; S 8-16.

Saves -- Cameron Ford, EP, 18; Shane Santos, EP, 0; Alvin Durning, S, 1; Matthew Dionne, S, 19; Michael Brady, S, 3.