Canton, MA – Neutral Zone was also in attendance at the Canton Ice House in Canton, Massachusetts to catch Xaverian host Barnstable. The visitors jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, however, Xaverian would score five in a row and walk away with a 5-2 non-league victory.
Barnstable started quickly as Chris Cordeiro banged in a loose puck off a net-front scramble. A few minutes later, the visitors would double their lead as Brian Frieh scored a power play goal, walking off the half-wall and snapping the puck under the bar. Before the period was out, Xaverian would cut the lead in half, as Jack Silva scored the first of his three goals on the night. He would jump on a loose puck at the net-front and snap it into the back of the net.
The second and third periods were controlled by the Hawks and they scored four unanswered goals. Jack Silva scored back-to-back, before Ryan Pomposelli scored two in a row to give the home team a 5-2 victory. Barnstable generated some chances in the third, highlighted by a 5-3 power play advantage, however, Kyle Harvey was up to the task in net. Xaverian walked away with a strong 5-2 non-league win and will look to carry the momentum into Catholic Conference play.
Three Stars
- F Jack Silva – Xaverian
- F Ryan Pomposelli – Xaverian
- F Brian Frieh – Barnstable
NZ Notes
For the home team, Ryan Pomposelli and Matt Ryan are expected to drive the offense. Both are big bodies and play heavy, north/south games. Pomposelli has a slick set of hands and attacks defenders directly. Ryan drives the puck wide and uses his strong lower half to gain the outside edge and get the puck to the net. Both players are good off-the-cycle and very effective down low. Jack Silva centers the top unit and was constantly around the puck. He scored each of his three goals by being in the right spots and getting the puck to the net quickly. He was effective along the walls and below the dots in the offensive zone and uses his body well to protect the puck. On defense, Andrew Barton had a strong night. He is used in all situations and is long and athletic. He escapes pressure well and does a good job taking open ice through the neutral zone. He sees the ice well and made several nice reads to create scoring chances.
For the visitors, Frieh was all over the ice. He took a bad retaliatory penalty, but constantly was around the puck and creating scoring chances. He is a smaller player with quick feet. He spins away from pressure easily and always has his feet moving. He plays the half-wall on the power play and does a good job either getting the puck to the net or looking backdoor for his teammates. On defense, Jack Longueil had a strong night. He moves he puck quickly out of his zone. He will take open ice and is effective in transition. He makes the first forechecker miss and looks to stretch the ice through the neutral zone.