STONEHAM, Mass. — Austin Prep opened its 2018-19 season with a 3-1 win over Catholic Central Large rival Arlington Catholic on Wednesday night.
Sophomore center Joe Solimine, sophomore right wing Joe Thibodeau, and senior right Max Pineo scored for Austin Prep, a program still rebuilding after longtime head coach Louis Finocchiaro retired following the 2016-17 season.
After a scoreless first period, Solimine got the scoring started at the 12:08 mark of the second period. The Middleton, Mass., native stole a puck in the neutral zone, made a couple of nice jukes on his way to the net, and fired a low shot just inside the post for the score.
The score would stay that way heading to the third period. Just 38 seconds into the final period, Thibodeau collected a loose puck around his blue line and rushed the other way. He cut into the middle from the left side of the ice before beating Arlington Catholic goaltender Nicholas Pazzia high glove with a wrist shot.
Arlington Catholic cut the lead in half four minutes later when junior center Thomas Milne blew into the zone and beat Austin Prep goaltender Rob Farrell five-hole. The goal came immediately following an AC power play that wasn’t converted.
Pineo put the game on ice for Austin Prep with 4:13 left as he banged home a pass from Nolan Ricci who was positioned below the goal line. The secondary assist went to junior defenseman Will Cohen who had fired a shot from the left point.
Neither Austin Prep nor Arlington Catholic appears to be in position to make a run at a Super 8 bid, but Bill Pappas’ team should have a solid first line and an above average defense for Massachusetts high school hockey standards.
Prospect Notes
Thomas Milne
#27 Arlington Catholic, 6/2/01, Jr., C, Left Shot
Milne was part of the team’s stellar first line last year with Patrick Somerville, now with the Islanders HC 16-U, and Coleman Nee, who moved onto Rivers School. On Wednesday night, Milne was the best player on the ice by far, but he didn’t have much to work with. His skating ability and speed are what stood out. No one in the game could match his quickness. There were three or four occasions where he just used his speed to blow by an opposing defenseman.
Will Cohen
#5 Austin Prep, 5/23/02, Jr., D, Right Shot
The Billerica, Mass., native is a good two-way defenseman for high school hockey. He gaps well and has a good stick defending the rush. His footwork and shot are above average and he makes smart decisions on breakouts. If Cohen can improve his compete level, he’ll be a good addition for a prep school team come next fall.
Max Pineo
#14 Austin Prep, 8/7/00, Sr., RW, Right Shot
It’s easy to tell Pineo has been around the block when it comes to playing for a couple of good Austin Prep teams in his early years at the school. He plays with confidence and is strong on his skates. The North Reading, Mass., native has a hard shot that he unleashed four or five times. He had a shorthanded breakaway bid that rang the crossbar.
Joe Solimine
#17 Austin Prep, 3/3/02, So., C, Left Shot
Solimine is an undersized center that made plays in small areas. He’s crafty and uses his edges to have agility. He’s quick and also did a good job killing penalties. During one shorthanded sequence, the Middleton, Mass., native seemingly had the puck on his stick the entire time. He transferred over to AP this season after playing at Central Catholic previously.
Austin Prep Lines
8 N. Ricci - 17 J. Solimine - 14 M. Pineo
3 C. Roy - 7 S. Marino - 21 J. Thibodeau
13 R. Ackerly - 11 D. Russo - 18 E. Rago
16 D. DeMarco - 5 W. Cohen
19 J. Farrell - 4 B. Nichols
6 E. Foulds
Arlington Catholic Lines
2 E. Noonan - 27 T. Milne - 17 B. Murphy
11 E. Powers - 3 R. Tramonte - 19 (not rostered)
23 J. Smyth - 8 D. Harrington - 7 R. Keane
44 J. Smith - 20 D. Metro
13 (not rostered) - 5 J. Tresselt
33 N. Pazzia
