Rhode Island Hockey Player Scores Game-Winning Goal After Family Tragedy

Blackstone Valley Schools hockey player Colin Dorgan scored a game-winning goal in double overtime on Wednesday, March 12, 2026, propelling his team to the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) Division II Boys Hockey Championship. This achievement comes less than a month after a mass shooting claimed the lives of three of his family members.

The Shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena

On February 16, 2026, a shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, resulted in the deaths of two victims and the gunman. NBC Boston reported that three others were hospitalized. The shooting occurred during a high school hockey game.

The shooter was identified as Robert Dorgan, who also went by Roberta Esposito, according to Pawtucket’s police chief.

Dorgan’s Loss and Triumph

Colin Dorgan tragically lost his mother, Rhonda Dorgan, his brother, Aidan Dorgan, and his grandfather, Gerald Dorgan, in the February 16th shooting. NBC News detailed the profound loss. Robert Dorgan, Rhonda Dorgan’s ex-husband, died by suicide during a struggle with bystanders.

Despite this immense personal tragedy, Dorgan led the Blackstone Valley Schools team to a 3-2 victory over Portsmouth in the RIIL Division II semifinals. He scored the winning goal on a breakaway in double overtime. NBC Connecticut reported that the crowd at Providence College’s Schneider Arena erupted in cheers as Dorgan celebrated with his teammates.

“We have tears in our eyes and goosebumps right now,” one of the NFHS Network announcers said reacting to Dorgan’s goal.

Looking Ahead

Blackstone Valley Schools will compete for the Division II Championship on Wednesday, March 18, at 4 p.m. At the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence. Colin Dorgan is a senior at North Providence High School, which is part of a five-school co-op that makes up the Blackstone Valley hockey team, including St. Raphael Academy, Smithfield High School, Johnston High School, and Providence Country Day School.