Game 1 (Consolation): BC High vs Central Catholic
Middleton, MA – After a full day of games from Essex Sports Center yesterday we returned for the Consolation and Championship game of the Frates Classic. The opening tilt at 2:50pm featured the Eagles of BC High and the Raiders of Central Catholic. The Final would feature the top seed Cardinals of Pope Francis against the third-ranked Eagles of St. John’s Prep. Once again, all proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Team Frate Train Foundation. We would encourage everyone reading this post to learn more about Pete, the Foundation’s mission here and consider a donation as well. After a very short preamble pre-game, we were ready to rock.
In the first period, as we somewhat expected, both teams were feeling out the game pace, the physicality and how much time and space they had to make decisions. As a result there were more than a few missed passes, and shots that went wide in the offensive end. There was no shortage of attempts but the game flow was very fluid. Each team was going back and forth looking to establish momentum but neither team was able to fully grasp it. Both teams created good looks at the net but only one found it’s way into the net. With 3:34 remaining in the frame the puck was loose in the Central Catholic end and a quick whistle blew the play dead just before the puck crossed the line. The way we started the period is the way we ended it: tied up at 0-0.
In the middle frame the pace began to pick up and both teams were looking to hit more home runs. We saw multiple two line passes but several missed the mark and went for icing. Additionally, Central Catholic was fully embracing the dump and chase mentality but BC High’s bigger defenders were able to win battles along the walls and keep the puck away from the forwards. On the opposite end, Central Catholic’s active sticks were a factor as they blocked passing lanes and got their bodies into shooting lanes to make life easier on their netminder. With that said, it would take a mistake in front of the net to break this 0-0 tie. Early in the frame, a turnover led to an initial shot by senior forward Max Ryan of the Eagles and the resulting rebound was ripped bar down by sophomore forward Sean Keenan: 1-0 BC High. The remainder of the period felt like more of the same: lots of trading chances at both ends. Both teams would have the benefit of power play time, but neither would cash in. We would head to the decisive third period with BC High up 1-0.
In the third period, BC High took control of this game and would not let up until the final buzzer. Just a few seconds into the frame, Central Catholic was whistled for an infraction and a few seconds later, BC High would extend their lead. At the 1:12 mark on the power play senior forward Tommy Misilo sent the puck to the top of the circle where senior defender Jackson Ballard was waiting and he fired it through a sea of bodies on a screen the make it 2-0 BC High. After that goal, Central Catholic looked to push back with more physicality. As it turns out they turned the dial up a little too high as they were penalized after a scary hit on the half wall left one of the Eagles on the ice for nearly five minutes at the 5:41 mark. The subsequent 5-minute major would decide this game. A couple of minutes into the penalty the Eagles would strike again as it was Ballard once again who took a quick rip from the faceoff dot and buried to make it 3-0. Just a minute and 40 seconds later they would add another power play tally as Misilo fired a shot from the point through a sea of bodies and beat the netminder five hole to make it 4-0 Eagles. Another 30 seconds went by and the Eagles to continue to pad their lead as senior forward Landon Littlewood found a lane open and delivered a perfect feed to a wide open Keenan in front who tapped it in to make it 5-0. At that point, the penalty was just about over and the game was largely decided. The Raiders continued to battle until the final whistle, but the Eagles took this game comfortably by a final of 5-0. Next up: the Final: Pope Francis vs St. John’s Prep.
Three Stars:
- G Dom Conte, BC High
- D Jackson Ballard, BC High
- F Sean Keenan, BC High
Game 2 (Final): #1 Pope Francis vs #3 St. John’s Prep
Middleton, MA – And now the main event. This is one of, if not the premier matchup across the State as two of the top three teams are looking to capture the Frates Classic crown. St. John’s Prep enters at 2-0-1 and Pope Francis entered at 4-1-1. Last year Pope Francis took the Championship…would this season be a repeat? The warmups were active and both teams looked ready to go. No need for additional platitudes, it was time to get after it.
In the first period, this game started exactly as you might suspect for two of the top teams in the State: a stalemate with good positioning, good decision making and good work around the net. Both teams were working hard to clear pucks away from danger areas despite good work to find quality ice by each offense. The entire frame felt like it was played with additional vigor and both teams were expending all the energy they had to skate away with the trophy. There were stretches where both teams were trading chances but the early puck possession largely belonged to the Eagles who were moving the puck quickly and playing keep away before the best option to shoot presented itself. The momentum continued to build as the game wore on and they eventually broke through at the 14 minute mark when a simple faceoff play dropped the puck back to senior sniper Brandon Ward who buried a twisted wrister top shelf to make it 1-0 St. John’s Prep. Full credit to Pope Francis who made a strong push after the goal and created two Grade A chances at the net that caused plenty of tension before the period ended. After 1 the score was 1-0 SJP.
In the second period, it was more of the same from the first: two teams competing hard and looking to gain the upper hand to take control of this one early. The early momentum was on St. John’s Prep’s side but Pope Francis continued to string together better and better shifts and six minutes into the period they would tie things up. There was a bit of confusion up in the press box but there was a loose puck in the slot and it was fired home top shelf by sophomore Whitaker Zinger and the game was knotted at 1-1. The Cardinals were flying after the goal, but the Eagles looked to chip away at the territorial advantage and sophomore netminder Jesse Bernardinelli made a couple of key stops to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard again in this period. That also gave the Eagles time to retake the lead, which they would do just four minutes later as a loose puck in the attacking zone found its way to Rated Rookie Blake Ward who knew what to do with it, snapping off a quick wrister and burying to make it 2-1 Eagles. From that point on, the Eagles really clamped down defensively, looking to defend their ice. We were headed to the third period with the winner taking all the marbles.
In the third period, both teams were emptying the tank and the pace kicked up an additional notch. A pattern continued to develop as the period unfolded: both teams were cautious in their defensive alignment, looking to prevent that next goal. At the same time, both teams were looking to exit their zones quickly and push the pace up ice. Both teams were trading opportunities in the final frame, but the puck possession advantage stood with the Eagles. Despite this, the Cardinals were undaunted and they would strike next to tie this game up. A power play led to a shot by senior forward Liam Dolan and in the right position to take advantage of the rebound was sophomore Wes Asselin at the 9:31 mark to knot the game at 2-2. The momentum swung over to the Cardinals bench and they were flying with enthusiasm, but to the Eagles credit, they stayed focused and did not panic. Just two minutes later, they would net the game winner as Anthony Petruccelli delivered an accurate seam pass right to the tape of senior Christian Coleman who buried a one-timer at the 11:02 mark to give his team a 3-2 lead. They would spend the next six minutes defending that lead and the Cardinals made a strong push near the end with a couple of netfront looks developing in the closing minutes. With 1:28 remaining, the Cardinals called their timeout and they pulled the goalie shortly thereafter. They were able to generate a couple of netfront looks with the sixth skater on, but the St. John’s Prep defense stood tall and the Eagles claimed the 11th Frates Classic Championship.
Three Stars:
- F Christian Coleman, St. John’s Prep
- F Whitaker Zinger, Pope Francis
- G Jesse Bernardinelli, St. John’s Prep