Framingham, MA – The Pat Serio Cup Championship Game featured the host team the Framingham High School Flyers taking on the Pioneers of St John’s Shrewsbury.
From the puck drop, the ice was tilted in St. John’s favor, as the Pioneers were in full attack mode all period. The first five minutes were played in the Flyers’ end, with Framingham buckling down and playing well in their defensive zone to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard. Junior goalie Danny McAuliffe was sharp early on, making some key stops. With 12:45 to go their hard work in the defensive zone paid off when freshman Colin Walsh picked up a puck on the blue line that was fumbled by the St John’s defenseman. Walsh carried the puck into the Pioneers zone and got a quick shot off from the circle beating senior goalie Paul Bonina far side to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. St. John’s would go on the power play not long after the goal but Framingham’s penalty kill with the help of McAuliffe killed it off and protected the one-goal lead. With 9:55 to go the Pioneers would finally tie it up. Senior Jonathan Wang and senior Jake Stacy created a 2-on-1, Wang slid the puck to Stacy and drove the net getting it back from Stacy at the doorstep and he tipped it home to tie the game 1-1. One minute later Stacy won a battle for the puck in the corner, put it out into the high slot where senior captain Dominic Reidy picked it up and ripped it past McAuliffe to give his team the 2-1 lead. St John’s continued the pressure and had the advantage in zone time but the period ended 2-1.
St. John’s picked up right where they left off in the first and got on the board just 1:30 into the period. Junior defenseman Kevin Bisson stopped a wraparound at the point and threw the puck at the net where junior forward Brady Chenevert tipped it past McAuliffe to give the Pioneers the 3-1 lead. With 10 minutes to go, St. John’s went on the power play and would add to their lead. Once again it was Chenevert banging home a rebound off sophomore Ryder Bisson’s point shot, giving St John’s the 4–1 lead. Framingham needed a break and with 8:00 to go they got one. Flyers junior Drew Deletti stopped a wrap attempt on the wall at the top of the circle and fired it to the net. Senior Luke Angelo got a stick on it and redirected the puck underneath Bonina to make it a 4-2 game. St John’s established some extended zone time late in the frame but in the last couple of minutes, Framingham punched back with a few point-blank scoring chances but neither resulted in goals.
To start the third period, just like the second, St. John’s didn’t waste time adding to their lead. Just 1:30 into the period, Chenevert once again picked off a fumbled breakout pass in the neutral zone, carried the puck into the zone and let a quick, hard shot go at the top of the circle beating McAuliffe clean. That would be the hat trick for Chenevert. Framingham tried to push the pace and play in the Pioneers zone but they struggled to win battles in this period. St John’s forecheck and backcheck were smothering and made it almost impossible for the Flyers to get back into the game. With four minutes left, Stacy broke down the right wing and fired a shot on McAuliffe, he made the save but left a rebound that was banged home by Chenevert for his fourth score of the night. The Pioneers would add their seventh goal with a minute left in the game. Sophomore Logan Cotter carried the puck down the right wall and slid it to Stacy in front of the net. Stacy played it over to senior Derek Mulligan who beat McAuliffe near side for his first of the game. That would produce our final score as St John’s Shrewsbury captured the Pat Serio Cup Championship with a 7-2 win.
Three Stars:
- F Brady Chenevert, St. John’s Shrewsbury
- F Jake Stacy, St. John’s Shrewsbury
- F Dominic Reidy, St. John’s Shrewsbury