Rhode Island hockey team rallies to championship after ice rink shooting

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — When Colin Dorgan takes the ice Wednesday to compete in the Rhode Island Division 2 boys' state championship, three seats will be noticeably empty in the crowded arena.

The high school senior's mother, brother and grandfather should be there to celebrate one of the most exciting moments in his hockey career, but that opportunity was robbed when all three were killed in a shooting that erupted while Dorgan was playing a game with his Blackstone Valley Co-op teammates.

The shooting rattled a close-knit hockey community, with many wondering whether and how the high school hockey season could continue. Yet in the weeks since, Dorgan has not only repeatedly laced up his skates as team captain but performed so well that his team is now in the championship.

The team's success has sparked national attention, fueled most recently by Dorgan scoring the game-winning goal in double overtime in a playoff game this month. That paved the way for the final match against Lincoln High School.

“It's just a game for Lincoln High School and for everybody that's coming here, but for us who lived through that shooting? It's our lives. It's a tragedy we all went through and are still healing from it,” Blackstone Valley Co-op head coach Chris Librizzi said, wiping away tears during an interview.

Police have identified Robert Dorgan as the shooter who killed ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and son Aidan Dorgan on Feb. 16 in the stands of the ice rink in Pawtucket. Authorities say the shooting was targeted. Colin Dorgan's grandfather Gerald Dorgan was also shot and later died from his wounds, and two others were severely injured.

The chaotic attack was stopped after a handful of bystanders rushed the shooter as the crowd fled. Robert Dorgan, who police say also went by the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano, ultimately died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Librizzi, a retired firefighter who has coached hockey for more than 30 years, struggled with what to do in the aftermath. The team took some time off, and the coach made sure they participated in 10 days of counseling sessions.

He also gave each player the option of not returning to play, while encouraging anyone who made that choice to still show up on the bench or in the stands to support the team.

Despite some initial hesitation, every player came back — including Dorgan, who took the longest to decide.

“I sent Colin a text saying, ‘Bud, playoffs are this Friday night, it’s your call,” Librizzi said. “He didn't respond all day, but at about 9 o'clock at night, he sent me a text saying, 'Coach I'll see you tomorrow at practice.'”

The process has not been perfect. Librizzi had to stop the first practice back several times due to players being rattled. There have been tears, from the coach to family members to even unconnected people following the team from afar. Meanwhile questions remain about what life looks after the championship game.

Regardless of its outcome, Librizzi is in awe of his team and the outpouring of support from the hockey community in a time of need. Friends volunteered to stitch hearts with the initials of the three who died on the front of the team's jerseys, and many Rhode Islanders are displaying hockey sticks outside their homes in solidarity.

“We're all still struggling with it,” Librizzi said. “We just need to be family with each other, we need to be supportive of each other moving forward and to heal from this.”