The Ponaganset boys’ ice hockey team was too much for Warwick Vets on Saturday as the ’Canes lost 5-0 to the top-seeded Chieftains at Thayer Arena.

It was an emotional game for the ’Canes, who were playing on home ice for the last time ever whether they won or lost.

“Just keep your heads up high, we made the city proud,” Warwick Vets head coach Michael Boyajian, Jr., said of his message to the team after the game. “These guys had nine wins in five years before we took this team over, and 18 wins over the last two. No matter what, just be proud of what we did. That’s all you can do, just be proud of what we did. Be proud of how far you’ve come. Unfortunately, we’re not gonna get this one back, but they worked so hard to get where they got. I just told them I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

The explosive Ponaganset squad, which had defeated Warwick 6-2 the night before, came out firing early and built a 3-0 lead by the late stages of the first period. Freshman Nathan Watts made Warwick pay for Collin Csoszor’s tripping penalty when he squeaked a goal past netminder Josh Belleville three minutes into the action.

Just more than two minutes later, Ryan Watts got himself on the score sheet with a hard shot just below the crossbar to build a 2-0 lead for the Chieftains.

The ’Canes had some chances to chip away, but Ponaganset goaltender Curtis Briggs (.953 save percentage for the season) was too efficient. D.J. Kowalik sent an attempt just over the crossbar, while Briggs made a blocker save on Greg Fontaine.

Nathan Morin added to the Chieftains’ cushion while they were down a man after Nicholas Ferrucci’s roughing penalty. Morin grabbed the loose puck and skated past two Vets defenders to beat Belleville on the left post.

Belleville had his best performance in the second period, turning away 12 Ponaganset shots to give the ’Canes a chance to get back in it. Right out of the gate, while on the power play, Kowalik and Jacob Mitchell both had contested shots stopped by Briggs.

After the early flurry of scoring opportunities, Vets went flat for the rest of the period. The ’Canes were forced to kill off penalties on their two most prolific scorers, Kowalik and Csoszor, while struggling to produce much already.

Vets kept fighting down the stretch, holding Ponaganset scoreless for more than 23 minutes of total ice time.

Eventually, though, the Chieftains broke through again and put the game away. Ryan Watts sniped a power play goal past Belleville with 5:25 remaining to up the lead to 4-0. Jacob Lincourt added another six minutes later to ice the win.

The loss brought about the end of Warwick Vets boys’ ice hockey, but Boyajian said the never-say-die mentality of his players will last forever.

“Muckers, scrappers, hard workers, blue collar,” Boyajian said of the legacy of Vets hockey. “That’s what Warwick Vets has always been, blue collar. No matter what division we were playing in, just a working team. You just worked your [butt] off every night, and that’s not gonna change in Warwick no matter what school they’re at. That work ethic’s gonna stay with them.”