Middleton, MA – We made our second trip in two days up to Essex Sports Center to catch both games including the Consolation and Final of the Pete Frates Classic. The first game on the docket at 1pm was BC High and Central Catholic, and the title game at 3:10pm featured defending Champs Pope Francis taking on St. John’s Prep. It was cold and rainy out, so we welcomed the warm hospitality of St. John’s Prep and North Shore Hockey Academy at Essex Sports Center, giving us VIP access.
Pete Frates Classic FINAL: Pope Francis vs St. John’s Prep
The second of our two games on the day featured the top two teams in the bracket and the crowd swelled compared to the previous game with fans lining the glass at both ends. Pope Francis was looking to avenge last year’s runner-up finish while SJP wanted to return to the mountaintop from a couple of years prior. This promised to be a top-tier tilt and we were ready for some great hockey.
The first period lived up to expectations as the speed of play picked up from the prior game by a couple of notches and the smart passing plays and physicality picked up as well. The early minutes of this game featured St. John’s Prep setting the tone physically and putting immediate pressure on Pope Francis by winning pucks and gaining inside ice. Those early shots were turned away by Pope netminder Nick Ritchie and the Cardinals were able to skate the puck out of trouble and start their own transition looks. A couple of key passes off the rush led to quality shots but AJ Farese for St. John’s Prep was up to the task. We would wrap the period with no goals on the board but both teams were amped up and looking to deliver the opening salvo.
In the middle frame, we saw a lot more of the same as both teams were competing hard and looking to spring the forwards up front with odd-man opportunities. The defenses were stout: gapping up tight and limiting what the puck carrier could do plus utilizing active sticks to deflect shots and knock down passes. Both Ritchie and Farese were locked in, both limiting rebound chances and staying square to ensure the puck hit them in the chest. Any open ice was closed down quickly and the shot attempts were largely one and done, very few rebound looks were available. We would wrap the period scoreless yet again, after 43 minutes.
In the final regulation frame, both teams put the pedal to the metal and looked to score the game-winner. Ultimately though, the defenses won out yet again. On both sides the seniors were playing massive minutes and despite being double shifted, they came up with play after play. Both teams were blocking shots and anticipating by jumping into passing lanes. It was hard work and tough sledding out there, but if nothing else, it was vastly entertaining. Again, Ritchie and Farese battled shot for shot with neither one giving an inch. Both teams had power play looks, but both came up empty, we would need extra time to settle this one.
Once we moved to overtime, the teams skated 4 on 4 and that opened up the sheet a bit more. Pope Francis was able to utilize their skating legs a bit more, but St. John’s Prep found a way to cut off their lanes to the net, they also limited space well and that’s how they ultimately secured the win. Senior captain Jake Vana stole a puck at the red line and skated it into enemy territory. he got Ritchie to bite on the forehand and pulled it to his backhand to lift it over him for the Championship-winning tally just two minutes in.
Three Stars
- F Jake Vana, St. John’s Prep
- G AJ Farese, St. John’s Prep
- G Nick Ritchie, Pope Francis
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Consolation Game: BC High vs Central Catholic
We made our second trip in two days up to Essex Sports Center to catch both games including the Consolation and Final of the Pete Frates Classic. The first game on the docket at 1pm was BC High and Central Catholic, but things were a little different. The parking lot was packed due to the Masconomet and Wakefield game on the other rink and it was a muddy walk up the hill but it was intriguing once we got in the rink as there were two new starters in net: junior Logan Sheedy for CC and freshman Drew Karlovits for BC High. Each team was looking to avenge yesterday’s losses and come out of the weekend with a split.
The opening period started a bit slowly as both teams got into the flow of the game. It seemed like both teams were attempting to play more conservatively and prevent mistakes but as they got deeper into the frame, the physicality picked up and the speed intensified. There were not a high volume of shots on goal early but it started to percolate later in the period. BC High started to put the pressure on and it paid off as freshman Diego Menes crashed the net and grabbed a rebound to pot the first of the game: 1-0 Eagles with 6:30 left on the clock. There would be a few more noteworthy looks to speak of but none of great consequence as we ended the first period with the Eagles up 1-0.
In the second period, we saw more of the same. There were several shot blocks early, plus both teams were looking for the perfect shot opportunity which combined to drive the shot totals down. The physicality was still evident along the walls but the goaltenders were happy to avoid high-pressure situations. Early in the frame BC High grabbed the momentum as Menes again found a patch of ice in front of the net, beat his defender and buried to make it 2-0 Eagles. That is when Central Catholic responded and they created a strong push of their own. Two minutes later they would cut the lead in half as senior defender Jake Lydon took a shot from the point that snuck through the goalie and was sitting behind him and fellow senior Adam Godfrey was more than happy to bang home that loose puck: 2-1 was our score. The remainder of the frame saw a combination of strong penalty kills, a slight rise in the temperature down at ice level with some pushing and shoving, and a couple of shots just missing their target. We would wrap the period still at 2-1, with the final 17 minutes deciding who would capture the W.
In the final frame, admittedly there was not a great deal to write about in terms of scoring chances. Both teams seemed to be looking to make plays but most were either canceled in the neutral zone, or shots in the attacking zone went wide of the net. There were not many Grade A looks to speak of, but when they did happen, Sheedy and Karlovits were able to jump on them. We would conclude the Consolation Game by a final of 2-1 in favor of BC High.
Three Stars
- F Diego Menes, BC High
- F Adam Godfrey, Central Catholic
- D Jake Lydon, Central Catholic