PORTSMOUTH — The Patriots lost their bid for a repeat of last year’s Division II boys’ hockey championship by the slimmest of margins Sunday.

Facing the East Greenwich-Toll Gate team at Providence College’s Schneider Arena, the Patriots forced the Avengers into a sudden death period after tying the game at 3.

The extra period was over almost as soon as it began, however, with the No. 1-seeded Avengers’ Jack Kiernan tipping the puck into the net just over 30 seconds into OT.

Portsmouth sent the game to overtime on a goal by Shane Temple with just over five minutes to play in regulation. A great save from Avengers goalie Wyatt Gelzhiser prevented the Patriots from scoring a go-ahead goal with about two minutes left.

Temple also handed the Patriots an early lead with a goal about two minutes into the first period. Portsmouth’s Connor Rogers also scored early in the second period to tie the game at 2.

Patriots goalie Jonathan Cabral finished with game with 24 saves. The Patriots’ four seniors graduate after reaching the Division II championship in three straight seasons.

The defending champion Patriots, reached the D-2 finals for the third straight year, came into the match as the No. 3 seed, with a 17-7 record. East Greenwich-Toll Gate, in its second year as a co-op team, was at 22-2.

The Patriots edged St. Raphael Academy in a semifinal matchup, 3-2, on March 5 at Schneider Arena. They advanced to the semis by defeating Narragansett in a best-of-three series, 2-1.