CANTON, Mass. — Jerseys were tugged, helmets flew off and Xaverian goalie Cole Pouliot-Porter even landed a full body check on an opposing player.
Just another chapter in the rivalry between Xaverian and Catholic Memorial. Ho hum.
Wednesday night marked their first meeting of the season with Xaverian leaving the ice as the winners, taking down Catholic Memorial, 5-2.
The Hawks got the scoring going roughly three minutes into the game when junior Devin Gosciak sniped a shot over the glove of CM goalie John Quinn. That lead was extended around the halfway mark of the first period when senior defender Matt Dion cleared the puck while killing a penalty and senior forward Jack O'Neil knocked the puck down, getting a breakaway and scoring a shorthanded goal.
Just one minute into the second period, Xaverian junior forward Jackson Morse made it 3-0. Quinn denied junior defenseman Michael Rossi's shot from the point and a shot by Morse, but couldn't stop Morse's chance on his own rebound.
CM responded a few minutes later when senior defenseman Michael Corbett knocked down Xaverian's attempt at clearing the zone and sniped a shot over Pouliot-Porter's glove, cutting the Hawks' lead to 3-1.
But with 8.6 seconds left in the second frame, Xaverian junior forward Colvin Callahan deposited a pass from sophomore Jack Fitzpatrick to make it 4-1.
The Knights got a breath of life early in the third period when freshman defenseman Brian McFadden's shot was tipped by sophomore forward Nick D'Olympio and into the net. But any chance of a comeback was squashed late when Morse notched his second goal of the game.
That's when the tension rose, as there were multiple scrums after whistles. During the most extreme one, two Catholic Memorial players had a Xaverian counterpart between them. Pouliot-Porter saw this and lined one of the Knights up, joining the fray.
Even though Xaverian took this game by three goals, Catholic Memorial had lots of offensive zone time and was dominant at times. The difference was in net.
Let's dive into the standouts.
Cole Pouliot-Porter
Xaverian, 7/24/2006, G, catches left, 6-1/168
Pouliot-Porter was very busy, making stop after stop on strong Catholic Memorial chances. One of his best saves came in the first period when he perfectly positioned himself to stop a point-blank chance from CM senior Connor Fryberger. Pouliot-Porter's athleticism and ability to get into position for every shot are impressive and elite for the MIAA.
Jack Fitzpatrick
Xaverian, 10/22/2007, LW, left shot, 6-4/190Â
Fitzpatrick got a lot more noticeable as the game went on. On Callahan's goal, it was Fitzpatrick who got the puck in the neutral zone, used his big frame to hold the puck away from the CM defender and sifted a nice pass over to his center. Fitzpatrick drove play and showcased a high level of skill. His most unheralded play of the game came late in the third period when his backcheck stopped Catholic Memorial defenseman Seamus Tattan from depositing a rebound.
Jackson Morse
Xaverian, 2007, RW, right shot
Morse's line, which was centered by O'Neil and had Gosciak on the left wing, was dominant, scoring four of Xaverian's five goals. Morse had two. The first was all about effort, while the second was a snipe. Morse and his line regularly hemmed Catholic Memorial in its own zone and created chances through strong forechecks.
Colvin Callahan
Xaverian, 2/9/2007, C, right shot, 5-10/154Â
Callahan, who was one of the MIAA prospects that impressed in fall hockey, entered Wednesday night leading Xaverian in points with six. He added to that total, scoring his team's fourth goal. What I really liked from Callahan was his ability to support plays low in the defensive zone as a center and help out his defensemen. It's great to produce points, but it's another thing to prevent them.
Luke Long
Catholic Memorial, RW, right shotÂ
The junior played alongside Fryberger and Cameron Reed. Long showcased good hands and a lot of patience, especially when cycling the puck in the offensive zone with his linemates. In the second period, his hustle on the forecheck led to a turnover that landed on the stick of CM forward RJ Donahue, who hit the post. He gained the offensive zone a handful of times and drove play.
