MIDDLETON, Mass. — Kyle LoNigro scored twice, including the game-winning goal in overtime, to boost St. Mary’s to a 3-2 win over Reading in the championship game of the Playmaker Series at Essex Sports Center.
A great turnout of parents, students and other fans came to watch Wednesday night’s championship game. They were treated to an entertaining, intense, physical contest. St. Mary’s jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but Reading fought back to force overtime. The extra session was played at 3-on-3 until LoNigro buried the final tally.
St. Mary’s and Reading were part of 16 high school teams that continued playing after the conclusion of the MIAA season. The Playmaker Series, run by Chris Nagy, offered a great opportunity for high school players to compete with friends. Kudos to Nagy and Essex Sports Center for hosting these players and allowing them to play in front of fans with a trophy on the line.
Scoring recap
SMHS 1-0: The Spartans got on the board first thanks to Colby Magliozzi’s persistence. The senior stole the puck from a Reading defenseman who was breaking the puck out of his own zone. After retrieving the puck, Magliozzi fed LoNigro, who buried it into the back of the net.
SMHS 2-0: Christian Iacoviello gave his team a 2-0 lead a few minutes later when he blew down the left wing. Without breaking stride, he fired a shot past the goaltender’s glove.
RMHS 1-2: On an odd-man rush, junior Ryan Goodwin finished off a nice pass from classmate Jake Donovan, who was coming down the right wing. Goodwin drove the far post and banged home the centering feed.
RMHS 2-2: Goodwin recovered a puck just inside the offensive blue line after a careless puck touch by St. Mary’s. He found junior Mike Dufton, who had slipped behind the St. Mary’s defense. Dufton quickly deposited the puck into the back of the net.
SMHS 3-2: LoNigro came down the right wing on a partial breakaway and flipped a backhander past the Reading goaltender.
St. Mary’s prospect notes
Colby Magliozzi
St. Mary’s, 9/16/02, C, right shot, 5-8/179
Magliozzi has been a standout for a couple of years now for the Spartans. He might not be the most talented or the smartest player, but I’ve never seen him get outworked. He hustles, forces turnovers, gets in on the forecheck, and makes some plays with his grittiness. I don’t know what his plans are for next year, but there aren’t very many prep schools who wouldn’t benefit from his services as a postgraduate.
Brady Bullock
St. Mary’s, 2/25/05, LW, left shot, 5-8/165
Bullock was up to his usual tricks. He plays a similar game to Magliozzi, but is a few years younger. Despite being on the smaller side, Bullock hunts pucks and plays with an edge. He got under an opponent’s skin a few times and won a few battles for loose pucks.
Kyle LoNigro
St. Mary’s, 9/6/02, RW, left shot, 6-0/179
As he has shown in the past, LoNigro is a goal scorer. He buried two key goals in Wednesday night’s contest. He has good size, drives the net and can play the role of a power forward at this level.
Dante D’Ambrosio
St. Mary’s, 2/13/03, C, right shot, 5-7/161
D’Ambrosio had a good game. He’s not a player I typically notice when watching the Spartans, but he stood out here. The senior was around the puck a lot, forced turnovers, and forechecked hard.
Harrison Kinne
St. Mary’s, 6/12/05, D, right shot, 6-1/194
Kinne has good size and his mobility and puck-moving capabilities are solid. He looks to push the pace and jump into the rush. From Swampscott, Mass., he’s the younger brother of Davis Kinne, who is a junior at Berkshire.
Reading prospect notes
Cullen Emery
Reading, 8/2/05, C, right shot, 5-9/185
Emery is a smart, cerebral center whose skating and hockey sense make him a threat every shift, especially at this level. He didn’t find the scoresheet, but he was around the puck and made a lot of plays. The freshman is transferring to Dexter Southfield for the 2021-22 season.
Landyn Greatorex
Reading, 7/26/03, LW, left shot, 5-10/160
Greatorex played the wing on Emery’s line and his skating stood out, as it usually does when watching him play at the MIAA level. Greatorex is a talented forward, but if his consistency could improve, his production would increase to the level he’s capable.
James Lawhorne
Reading, 9/2/05, D, left shot, 5-10/160
Lawhorne has some upside on the blue line. He skates well and could blossom into an offensive defenseman. He’s made some strides in his game since the fall, but there’s more room for him to grow, if he becomes harder and learns to make decisions at a quicker pace. His older brother, Cam Lawhorne, plays for the Islanders Hockey Club in the USPHL Premier.
Mike Dufton
Reading, 1/1/04, LW, left shot, 5-7/140
Dufton had the second goal of the game, but he was noticeable a few times. He buzzes around and competes hard. It was one of the best games I’ve ever seen Dufton play.
Ryan Goodwin
Reading, 8/23/03, RW, right shot, 5-10/155
Goodwin had a goal and an assist. I thought his line with center Jake Donovan and Dufton on the left wing was good all night.
