The Warwick Vets Hurricanes fell to the Johnston/North Providence Panthers, 3-2, in a battle at Thayer Arena on Friday night.

“It was one hell of a hockey game,” JNP head coach Manny DaCosta said. “It was probably for third place and we got the job done today… Third place is where we want to be.”

First, JNP won the faceoff and took it right into the attacking zone, but a shot by forward Justin Harvey was wide. Next, Warwick went on the attack. Sophomore forward Noah Kane passed to Jacob Mitchell, but his shot was wide of the net.

After two more Warwick shots went wide, forward Collin Csoszor had a shot blocked by JNP netminder Dave Kelly, who was a stalwart in the net all night. Kelly followed with a save on junior captain Greg Fontaine.

“Kelly played fantastic and took care of the puck,” DaCosta said.

Next, after shots by JNP’s Brandon Tanguay and Justin Gomes went wide, Shawn O’Brien found the net, only to have it stopped by Warwick goaltender, Joshua Belleville. Later in the period, Belleville made saves on shots from O’Brien and Tanguay.

Both goalies would continue their stellar play and at the end of the first period, the teams were scoreless.

Warwick had four chances early in the second period, but all of them were stonewalled by Kelly. Next, it was Belleville’s turn, who stopped two shots from Tanguay.

Warwick broke the scoreless drought when Fontaine passed to Dylan Tindle, who found Tim Chaffee in front for a goal 3:35 into the second period. Warwick would have two more chances shortly after, but shots from Chaffee and Mitchell were denied by the JNP goaltender.

With 4:04 left in the second period, JNP got even when Andrew Costa charged the net and put in a pass from Harvey, making it 1-1.

In the final moments of the period, Warwick crashed the JNP net when D.J. Kowalik shot in front and forward Noah Kane tried to put in the rebound, but Kelly stopped both shots. The teams ended the period tied at 1.

Then, 3:42 into the third period, Harvey scored on a pass in front from forward Brian Iannuccillo to put JNP on top, 2-1.

However, less than two minutes later, Warwick would even it at 2 when Chaffee scored his second goal, this one on an assist from Mitchell.

JNP got into the attacking zone again. First, Jacob McCollough’s shot was high. Next, Amara Gibau missed a shot, but Tanguay put in the rebound with 8:18 left to play to give JNP a 3-2 lead.

Warwick tried to even the score, but a Chaffee wrister was stopped by Kelly. Then, JNP tried to increase the lead when defenseman Mike Petracca fired a shot on net, but Belleville made a save.

In the final minute, Vets had a chance, but Kowalik’s slap shot was blocked by O’Brien, who took a bullet for the team to preserve the victory.

The win guarantees JNP a spot in the playoffs.