Leave it to the final week of the MIAA Division 1 boys hockey regular season for there to be the first big battle for the No. 1 spot.
Pope Francis has been the No. 1 team for the majority of the season. Teams Nos. 2-10 have fluctuated weekly, but the Cardinals have been the steady team at No. 1.
Until this week.
Catholic Memorial has been on an incredible hot streak to end the season and beat Pope Francis on Saturday. But was it enough to unseat the season-long No. 1 team?
There was also the normal movement of teams after the No. 1 spot. Did you really think that was going to stop in the final week of the regular season?
The bracket will be released this Saturday. If anything is clear, it's that this year's field is all about parity.
Let's dive in for the final time.
1. Pope Francis (19-4-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Brian Foley
Next game: Playoffs
This was extremely tight this week, given Pope Francis lost to Catholic Memorial, 3-2, in overtime and then fell to Belmont, 2-0, in the Cardinal Classic title game. Two things kept Pope at No. 1. The first is Foley's team did beat St. Mary's Lynn, 4-1, in the first game of the Cardinal Classic. The second is that they were the No. 1 team throughout the season. And even with CM's scorching hot ending to the season, I still think Pope Francis holds a slight edge.
2. Catholic Memorial (15-5-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Next game: Playoffs
What a way to end the season. The Knights got two overtime wins, taking down No. 1 Pope Francis and Winchester by 3-2 scores. Senior forward Luke Long (Braintree, Mass.) had a massive week, scoring both overtime winners. He also tallied the game-tying goal late against Winchester, as CM was down 2-0 with just over two minutes to play in the game. If you're looking for a hot team to go deep in the tournament, this is your squad. After tying BC High, 0-0, on Feb. 5, the Knights went 5-0-0 down the stretch, beating Hingham, St. John's Prep, Archbishop Williams, Pope Francis and Winchester.
3. St. John's Prep (15-5-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Kristian Hanson
Next game: Playoffs
St. John's Prep fell one spot through no fault of its own. The Eagles secured three wins. It started with a 4-1 win over Newburyport before blanking Andover, 7-0. In the season finale, they beat Franklin, 5-1. The highlight of the week was junior defenseman JR Goldstein potting a hat trick against Andover. The dynamic '07 will be vital for St. John's Prep in the tournament on breakouts and generating offense from the backend.
4. Belmont (15-6-1)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Tim Foley
Next game: Playoffs
I can't say enough about how dangerous Belmont is, and that was proven on Wednesday night when it took down Pope Francis, 2-0. Surprise, surprise: senior Adam Bauer and junior Leo Packard tallied both goals in the win. Belmont beat Central Catholic, 5-1, in the first game of the Cardinal Classic, too. While they fell to Arlington, 4-3, on Sunday, the Marauders still went 2-1-0 against the rival Spy Ponders this season.
TOP MIAA PROSPECT: Breakout sophomore Liam Guilderson, Belmont thriving ahead of MIAA tournament
5. Hingham (16-4-2)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Tony Messina
Next game: Playoffs
Hingham won the Buddy Ferreira Classic with three wins. It started with a 6-1 win over Bishop Feehan, before taking down Archbishop Williams and then-No. 4 BC High by 3-1 scores. Junior Cam McKenna continued his fantastic season with a goal against BC High. Freshman forward Nick Bigelow had a big game against Bishop Feehan with a goal and three helpers. While the Harbormen stumbled in early February with losses to Pope Francis, Belmont and Catholic Memorial and a tie against Reading, they finished the season on a four-game win streak.
6. Arlington (15-5-2)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: John Messuri
Next game: PlayoffsÂ
The Spy Ponders closed out the regular season with three wins. It started with a 4-1 win over a very good Woburn team. Then, they beat Belmont, 4-3, and finished the campaign with a 5-2 victory at Braintree. Arlington's best players are at their hottest to end the season, as sophomore defenseman Kurt Beck scored twice against Woburn, sophomore forward JP Messuri had two against Belmont and sophomore forward Nolan Russell has a goal and two assists against Braintree.
7. BC High (11-6-3)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: John Flaherty
Next game: PlayoffsÂ
BC High tumbled three spots after falling to then-No. 7 Hingham in the Buddy Ferreira Classic final, 3-1. Flaherty's team did, however, snag two wins in their first two games: an 8-1 drubbing of Falmouth and a 2-1 victory against Arlington Catholic. Senior forward Chris Brennick (Milton, Mass.) and junior forward Peter Luscko (Duxbury, Mass.) both had two goals against Falmouth. BC High continues to be one of the toughest teams to read entering the tournament. Its saving grace will likely be star sophomore goalie Drew Karlovits (Cohasset, Mass.).
BEST OF THE BEST: Top boys prep performers from Feb. 12-18
8. St. Mary's Lynn (14-7-1)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Matthew Smith Sr.
Next game: PlayoffsÂ
St. Mary's Lynn moved up one spot after going 2-1-0 at the Cardinal Classic. While the Spartans fell to No. 1 Pope Francis, 4-1, they beat Malden Catholic, 6-0, and Central Catholic, 3-1. Junior goalie Matthew Smith Jr.'s shutout of Malden Catholic was his seventh of the season. He is the key for St. Mary's Lynn to go deep this March.
9. Xaverian (12-6-1)
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Dave Spinale
Next game: vs. Notre Dame (CT), Feb. 20, 3:50 p.m.Â
The Hawks moved up one spot after taking down Natick, 2-0, and Marshfield, 3-0. They still have one game left on the schedule against Notre Dame (CT) on Thursday afternoon. Senior Michael Bulkin (Sherborn, Mass.) pitched a 30-save shutout against Marshfield, which is a good way for him to go into the tournament. He will be key to Xaverian making another deep run.
LATEST PODCAST: We evaluate the MIAA tournament field in final week
10. Reading (11-6-5)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Mark Doherty
Next game: PlayoffsÂ
The Rockets had a tough ending to a very good regular season, falling to Arlington Catholic, 4-3, in overtime and losing to Bishop Feehan, 3-0. In between those two games, Reading did beat Falmouth, 4-2. Since Feb. 1, Reading went 1-4-3 in its final eight games. The Rockets don't have a lot of momentum entering the tournament. They're still a very well-coached, structured team who shouldn't be overlooked.
DROPPED OUT:Â None
IN THE HUNT:Â St. John's Shrewsbury, Archbishop Williams, Winchester
