BOSTON — Through two periods, Catholic Memorial and Pope Francis, two of the top teams in the MIAA, were neck-and-neck.
Then the final 17 minutes began and Catholic Memorial exploded for five goals to win the game, 8-3.
The Knights scored the eventual game-winning goal early in the third period on the power play when Nick D'Olympio (Rockland, Mass.) executed a perfect give-and-go with teammate Connor Fryberger (Needham, Mass.) to make it 4-3. Fryberger followed that up by earning a breakaway and finishing a nice goal, making it 5-3.
Moments later, senior defender Michael Corbett ripped a shot past Pope Francis goalie Nick Ritchie from the blue line, extending the lead to 6-3.
After that, CM tacked on two more goals: one from senior forward RJ Donahue (Canton, Mass.) and the other from junior forward Lincoln Hennessy (Quincy, Mass.).
The third period wasn't indicative of the entire game, as the score was 3-3 after two.
Pope Francis opened the scoring early in the first period when senior defenseman Bryce Russ' shot found the back of the net from the blue line.
CM answered later in the period. Freshman defender Brian McFadden's (Holbrook, Mass.) shot from the point was tipped by junior Cameron Reed (Norwood, Mass.) in the slot, tying the game, 1-1. Just three minutes after Reed's tally, Corbett scored his first goal of the game off a shot from the blue line (sensing a trend?), making it 2-1 Knights.
In the second period, Pope Francis sophomore forward Joe Orszulak tied the game, 2-2, finishing off a sweet feed on a 2-on-1 from senior forward Mossy Kearney.
The teams traded goals one more time in the back half of the second period. First, it was CM senior defenseman Adam Parker (Holbrook, Mass.) scoring on a shot from the point that sailed over Ritchie. While Fryberger was awarded the goal, I didn't see a tip from my angle. Then, it was Pope Francis senior defenseman Jake Jarrell finishing a give-and-go with junior forward Nick Petkovich.
It came down to the third period: While Pope Francis fell apart, Catholic Memorial found a new gear, which it needed to do. The Knights hadn't won since Dec. 20 against Hingham.
Let's dive into some standout prospects.
Michael Corbett
Catholic Memorial, 6/17/2005, D, right shot, 6-1/170Â
Any time a defender notches two goals in a game, it's a big deal. His ability to get shots through from the point earned him those two lamplighters. His stability is vital for CM's defense, as head coach Larry Rooney plays him in all situations — and pairs him with McFadden, who's a freshman.
Nick D'Olympio
Catholic Memorial, 6/8/2007, RW, right shot, 5-7/134Â
D'Olympio's hands, especially in tight, are impressive. Pope Francis has a good defensive group and for the first two periods, they did a good job at keeping CM forwards to the outside. That didn't matter for D'Olympio, who was able to keep the puck away from defenders with his stickhandling in small areas. He also has a sneaky quick release.
Connor Fryberger
Catholic Memorial, 10/25/2005, C, right shot, 6-3/181Â
Fryberger's powerful enough to do almost anything he wants on the ice at this level. He factored into five goals for CM, either scoring or setting them up. His size created a screen on Parker's goal. In that pivotal third period, Fryberger had four points. On a very young Knights team, Fryberger is clearly the X-factor.
Jake Jarrell
Pope Francis, 2/21/2006, D, right shot, 6-0/180
Jarrell was by far Pope Francis' best defender. He has a lot of skill with the puck on his stick, but he never tried to do too much. He made high IQ plays with the puck, especially in the offensive zone. When he joined the rush or went low in the offensive zone, it was with purpose.
Mossy Kearney
Pope Francis, 2006, RW, right shot, 5-8/155Â
The physical traits don't stand out with Kearney, but his brain and compete make him impossible to miss. One play displayed all of Kearney's good traits. Late in the second period, CM was trying to leave its own zone. Kearney hustled back to force a turnover and turned with the puck and went in for a scoring chance. The puck dribbled through CM goalie John Quinn and went wide. Kearney picked the puck back up and navigated along the wall, sifting through Knights defenders until he found a lane to the slot where he got a shot.
Brian McFadden
Catholic Memorial, 2008, D, right shotÂ
McFadden, an '08, plays on the top pairing for Rooney and sees significant power play time. The freshman has the size and poise to be effective at the MIAA level, making him an intriguing prospect to track over the next couple of years. He's also mobile, finding ways to get open in the offensive zone and he held the blue line well — even with pressure from Pope Francis.
Bryce Russ
Pope Francis, 2005, D, left shot, 5-7/160Â
Russ scored the first goal of the game for Pope Francis. That came after handling the puck well at the blue line. His mobility stood out and he made smart plays with the puck throughout the game.
