CANTON, Mass. — If you're a fan of upsets, you would've thoroughly enjoyed Sunday's Catholic Conference Showcase.
St. John's Prep, Xaverian, BC High, Catholic Memorial, St. John's Shrewsbury and Malden Catholic converged on the Canton Ice House for a showcase on Sunday.
The results were a bit surprising. Here they are:
- Xaverian 2, No. 3 St. John's Prep 1
- No. 6 Catholic Memorial 2, BC High 0
- Malden Catholic 5, No. 7 St. John's Shrewsbury 3
Catholic Memorial taking down BC High wasn't much of a shock. But Xaverian, who has struggled through the first month and a half, getting a win over St. John's Prep, the team that knocked the Hawks out of the playoffs last season, is huge. And how about Malden Catholic?
Let's dive into standouts and takeaways from the event. Standouts are listed alphabetically.
James Baker
Catholic Memorial, junior, D, right shot
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.Â
Baker's great skating was on display. As CM protected a one-goal lead in the third period, Baker stepped up at the offensive blue line to keep a puck in, which killed time. His most impactful play was when he rushed the puck, kickstarting the rush and threw it to the slot for a CM forward to try and get. Even though it didn't result in a goal, the Knights got a long offensive zone sequence out of it.
Michael Bulkin
Xaverian, 2/16/2007, G, catches left, 5-10/180
Hometown: Sherborn, Mass.Â
Bulkin was far and away Xaverian's MVP on Sunday. When St. John's Prep was pressuring relentlessly in the final three minutes of the third period, Bulkin stood tall, turning away shots and never losing composure or overcommitting to shots. Even the one goal St. John's Prep scored came on a third chance after Bulkin stopped the first two. I was positioned behind Xaverian's net for the first period and Bulkin's positioning was impressive. He tracked pucks from far out well, too.
Michael Doe
Malden Catholic, junior, F, left shot
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass.Â
Doe gave Malden Catholic momentum it would never relinquish. With 11 seconds left in the second period and the score tied, 2-2, Doe won a puck battle at center ice and used his speed to get a breakaway, scoring and giving MC a huge, 3-2 lead. Doe tallied another goal midway through the third period when he got a pass from Brody McMaster off a 3-on-2. Doe's first shot was stopped but he put in the rebound, providing his team the eventual game-winner. Doe also tallied an assist early in the game when his shot was tipped by Steven Streeter for a goal.
AJ Farese
St. John's Prep, 4/10/2007, G, catches left, 6-2/161
Hometown: Beverly, Mass.Â
Farese had a very good game on Sunday. His size matched with his ability to be square to shooters was terrific. Xaverian forward Ryan Bello got a breakaway early and Farese never bit on his moves, staying in place and making a pad stop. On shots from the perimeter, Farese tracked them and stopped them, rarely allowing a rebound. On a 2-on-1 midway through the second period, he stayed with Xaverian forward Braden Pinkham the whole way and cut down all the angles to stop his shot. There wasn't much Farese could do on the eventual winner, as Xaverian Ben Kramer hit Joe Von Handorf on a 2-on-1 and Von Handorf put it past the outstretched netminder.
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JR Goldstein
St. John's Prep, 8/28/2007, D, left shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass.Â
What I liked about Goldstein is he wasn't afraid to make plays with the puck. Rather than rimming pucks or putting them off the glass, Goldstein looked to make crisp passes or skate it himself when he had the puck behind his net. He was elusive with pressure on him. He defended the rush well. In the second period, he stepped up at his own blue line and laid out a Xaverian forward cleanly and play went the other way.
Caleb Keyes
St. John's Shrewsbury, 2008, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Upton, Mass.Â
Keyes notched two goals on Sunday. The first was off the rush when he slid it through the legs of Malden Catholic goalie Connor Fitzpatrick's legs. In the third period, Keyes tied the game, 3-3, when he kept the puck in the offensive zone, got to the high slot and sniped one. He had the most scoring chances of anyone from SJS, as he hit the post and later missed an empty net early in the third period. He also showcased nice passing on the power play.
Luke Long
Catholic Memorial, 2007, F, right shot
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.Â
Long tallied insurance for the Knights with 3:4o to play in the game when he jumpstarted a 2-on-1. He picked the perfect time to pass it across to sophomore forward Mike Melvin. While Melvin's shot was stopped, Long picked up the rebound and scored. It was a key play at a key time.
Mikey McClory
BC High, 12/13/2006, F, right shot, 5-5/150
Hometown: Hanover, Mass.Â
In crunch time in the third period, McClory brought it. It started with a nice hit in the neutral zone and immediately turning on the jets and forechecking CM hard. Right after the Knights went up 2-0 with 3:40 left, McClory outskated an opposing defensemen for a loose puck deep in their own end and passed it middle for a scoring chance.
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Brody McMaster
Malden Catholic, sophomore, F, right shot
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.Â
McMaster had a really good game on Sunday. He tallied an assist on Streeter's goal in the first period to cut SJS' lead to 2-1. He added another helper on a great, heads-up pass across the offensive zone off the rush to Doe for the eventual game-winner. Even when he wasn't getting points, McMaster showcased a lot of speed off the rush, forcing St. John's Shrewsbury defenders back. He got multiple offensive zone entries. He also had some great work on the penalty kill using his speed to rush SJS' breakouts.
Jackson Morse
Xaverian, 2007, F, right shot
Hometown: Raynham, Mass.Â
Morse is one of Xaverian's big guns up front. While he didn't have any points, his speed put St. John's Prep defenders on their heels. He was able to generate chances off the rush and fight through checks. Late in the first period, he zipped past a defender and got a 2-on-1, funneling a pass to the netfront. His line also had some long offensive zone sequences in SJP's end.
Dominic Reidy
St. John's Shrewsbury, 11/28/2006, F, left shot, 5-9/160
Hometown: Sturbridge, Mass.Â
Reidy tallied a goal for St. John's Shrewsbury midway through the first period when he put in a rebound. But it was everything else that made the senior stand out. He showcased good speed, driving play and using his legs to get through Malden Catholic's defense. He used his good hands and elusiveness low in MC's end and was able to facilitate pucks to the front of the net.
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Steven Streeter
Malden Catholic, senior, F, right shot
Hometown: Saugus, Mass.Â
Streeter always found a way to pick the perfect spot in the high slot to tip shots. In the first period, he tipped a shot from the point that hit the post. Moments later, he tipped another shot that St. John's Shrewsbury goalie Bryce Miller stopped, but the defensemen in front knocked it in his own net. Streeter scored again late in the second period when he tipped in Doe's shot from out high. Streeter almost tipped in a goal for the hat trick in the third period, too. Streeter also showcased good puck skills.
Brandon Ward
St. John's Prep, junior, F, right shot, 5-9/153
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.Â
Every year, there are a couple of MIAA prospects I'd previously never heard of who catch my attention. Ward is very much in that category. On Saturday, he scored SJP's lone goal. After Bulkin made two saves, Ward stayed with the play, tracked the rebound and finished the goal. Ward showcased a quick, hard release, especially off the rush. He also changed angles on his shots and found ways to get to space to take them.
Leftover thoughts...
- What a win for Malden Catholic. According to the Boston Globe's Jake Levin, Malden Catholic was 0-24-1 in its previous 25 games in Catholic Conference play. The Lancers also entered Sunday 1-9-0. Head coach Brendan Collier will look to build off such a stunning upset.
- In my MIAA rankings on Jan. 9, I mentioned that Xaverian was going through growing pains and would likely work towards playing its best hockey in the second half. The Hawks even fell out of my latest rankings. But a win over No. 3 St. John's Prep on Sunday should change that. Head coach Dave Spinale's team was physical and didn't give St. John's Prep a whole lot offensively. Again, I can't stress how good Bulkin was.
