St. John's Prep players Brendan Powers (left) and Cooper Hosmer react to their third goal in a win over Xaverian in the state tournament. The Eagles will play for the Division I state title on Sunday. (Chris Crist/Boston Herald))
There was no goal the St. John's Prep boys hockey team couldn't accomplish.
The Eagles won the Pete Frates Winter Classic for the first time since 2015 while still working out issues. They then won 12 straight games and won their first Catholic Conference title since 2013. Now, top-seeded St. John's Prep (21-3) is as sure as ever heading into Division II. 1 state finals will be held Sunday at 5:30 p.m. – looking for his second state championship in three years.
At their best, the Eagles dominate opposing teams with physicality, speed, and high IQ play. Brady Plaza and Jack Doherty lead a stingy defense. Junior goaltender AJ Fares made the necessary save. Lately, the rushing play of a number of seniors has forced opponents into early holes, including seniors Jake Vanna, Christian Rosa, Johnny Tye, Kam Umrah, Caleb White, Mason Luciano and Brendan Powers. They are finding ways to score in important moments.
All in all, they seem to be in a class of their own. But no one is measuring his ring size before facing No. 11 Winchester (16-9).
One tournament filled with division-heavy upsets provides the red and black with an opportunity to pull off the biggest match of all. In the Middlesex League Liberty Race, Winchester geared up for a tight race, scoring three golden goals in overtime or overtime to reach the state finals for the first time since 2019.
Winchester doesn't falter easily in the face of adversity and has won this tournament twice, even after losing the lead in the third period. Senior forwards Danny Collins and David Strong are key scorers to watch, and sophomore forward Luke Sardone is an impressive playmaker. Junior Aiden Emerick made a great play in goal, and senior defenseman Jack Duncan made a big play in a decisive moment.
The audience is sure to be excited by the new battle between public and private schools. The last public school to win a title was Arlington in the Super 8 in 2017, but Winchester already has a 2-2 record this postseason.
After this, a different type of rivalry takes place as MVC/DCL II foes No. 1 Tewksbury (21-3) and No. 11 Boston Latin (16-8) square off in the division. Become. 2 state finals.
Tewksbury is a dominant force seeking its second state title in three years. Few teams are as strong with three seniors (Matthew Cook, Jeremy Insogna and Tyler Burns) with 100 career points. That doesn't include sophomore Tyler Bruggia, who scored four points in the state semifinal win.
Cooper Robillard and Anthony DiFranco anchor a limited team's defense, including 5-2 and 5-1 wins over the Wolfpack. But any coach will tell you that it's difficult to beat a team three times in one year, especially one that advances to the state finals.
Boston Latin is playing with a lot of emotion and grit just to survive and move forward. Senior forwards Aidan Fitzpatrick and Matt Carrara teamed up with fellow senior captain Bobby Banks to lead the Wolfpack to nine wins in their last 10 games.
Nauset (22-1-1), the third-ranked and top-seeded team in the division, and No. 6 Marblehead (16-9-1) enter the tournament as must-win teams. I was feeling it. It's a fight for the state title.
Junior Logan Poulin has been a no-set machine and has won 19 straight races. His 18-2 goal differential in the tournament supports his case as a first-team player. However, Shawsheen was also on a winning streak until facing Marblehead, and since then Header has completely turned an 0-6 start into a 16-3-1 record. They have increased respect for what it takes to win, and impressive play from senior defenseman Hogan Sedky and goaltender Leo Burdge could slow Nauset's momentum.
Premier goaltending will be in the spotlight in this division. In the No. 4 state final, senior Andrew Goldstein led No. 5 Dover-Sherborn/Weston (20-4) to its first state final. Junior goaltender Thomas Perkins will have his hands full with No. 6 Hanover (15-9), which is making its sixth state final appearance since 2014. Won three state titles in 2022.
Senior captain Billy Razik was the only name on the Hawks' roster for that state championship, but past players have shown the current group the path needed to win. Head coach Jonathan Abban said it was not only the play of Perkins and the defense, but the culture and leadership of the captains that helped the team get to this point.
Hanover's win over Stoneham in the state semifinals was the first time in the tournament that they allowed multiple goals. Goldstein has yet to transfer to DS/Weston, despite playing against dangerous Winthrop and Sandwich teams.
prediction
1 winner in each category: St. John's Prep
The Eagles are a confident team, have good rhythm, and seem to be in the most dominant form all year. Their speed and athleticism will make it difficult for Winchester to get on the scoreboard. But if the Red and Black could force overtime, watch out.
Division 2 Winner: tewkesbury
Tewksbury was a title contender most of the year until Canton finally qualified. Returning to the origins of the team that led the Div. The second-place Redmen, who score well over five goals per game, are looking for a three-game sweep against Boston Latin.
Division 3 Winner: no set
The Warriors still seem to have the taste of last year's heartbreaking upset in their mouths. However, extra effort and focus will bring victory in these games, and there should be no shortage of that for either team.
Category 4 winners: Dover-Sherborn/Weston
Both teams had great defense and goaltending throughout the tournament, but Goldstein was the favorite for DS/Weston's first state title.
