Colin Dorgan scored the overtime-winning goal to secure the Division 2 state title for Blackstone Valley Co-op, just one month after a shooting at his team’s rink killed his mother, brother, and grandfather.
On March 18, 2026, at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island, Blackstone Valley Co-op captured the Division 2 state hockey championship in dramatic fashion. With just 30 seconds left in regulation, Colin Dorgan scored the tying goal, sending the game to overtime where teammate Jaxon Boyes netted the championship winner. The victory was a stunning testament to resilience for a team and a player who had endured an unspeakable loss.
The Shooting That Changed Everything
The emotional weight of this championship cannot be separated from the tragedy that preceded it. On February 16, during Blackstone Valley’s senior day game at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, a shooter identified as Robert Dorgan (who also went by Roberta) opened fire, killing Colin’s mother Rhonda, brother Aidan, and grandfather Gerald. Colin’s grandmother Linda was critically wounded, a detail confirmed by WPRI-TV. The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and police stated the attack was specifically targeted at family members, a fact detailed by ABC News.
Finding the Courage to Return
In the aftermath, Colin Dorgan’s return to the ice was uncertain. He admitted to nervousness about playing again, but the support of his teammates and the broader community helped him find the strength to continue, a sentiment he shared with ESPN. The team rallied around him, wearing heart-shaped patches on their jerseys with the initials of his lost family members—a silent tribute that became a powerful symbol of solidarity.
The Road to the Championship
Just one week before the state final, Dorgan delivered what he called “the greatest moment of my life” in the semifinal round. He scored the game-winning goal to propel Blackstone Valley to the championship game, a moment of pure euphoria that offered a brief respite from grief. “My good buddy fed me the puck and I could hear the crowd. It was a surreal moment,” Dorgan recounted.
A Game for the Ages
The final against Lincoln was a nail-biter, with Blackstone Valley trailing until Dorgan’s dramatic goal with 30 seconds left. The tie forced overtime, where Boyes’ goal secured the title. For Dorgan, the victory was more than a trophy; it was a profound connection to those he had lost.
Quotes That Define the Moment
In the immediate aftermath, when asked how to explain the team’s performance amid such hardship, head coach Chris Librizzi simply said, “Angels.” Dorgan nodded in agreement, pointing to his heart patch. He elaborated on the feeling that guided him through the game and the overtimes: “Throughout all of the playoffs, even this game and the overtimes, I truly felt it in my heart and my soul that they’re still with me and I think that, I love them so much, and they’re still here and I know it.”
Credit: Eric Rueb/Providence Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn
More Than a Game
This championship run transcended typical high school sports narratives. It became a community’s collective healing process, a testament to how shared grief can forge unbreakable bonds. Blackstone Valley’s journey was not just about winning games; it was about honoring memories and finding light in profound darkness.
A Legacy of Resilience
Dorgan’s story resonates far beyond the rink. It speaks to the universal experience of loss and the struggle to move forward. In a season marked by personal tragedy, he and his teammates demonstrated that sports can be a vessel for emotional recovery, a platform where memories become motivation. The heart patches on every jersey were not just fabric; they were declarations that love persists beyond death.
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