Six Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) state champions in boys and girls hockey will be crowned at the TD Garden on Sunday.
The games start at 9:00 a.m. with Sandwich and Watertown doing the honors in Division 4 and will continue throughout the day until St. John’s Prep and Xaverian meet in the Division 1 title game at 7:45 p.m.
It will be the first high school hockey game held at the TD Garden since BC High’s epic quadruple overtime victory over Pope Francis in the 2019 Super 8 championship game. Two years of possible memories were taken away by concerns over the Coronavirus. Expect the 12 teams competing Sunday to leave it all out on the ice.
If the state semifinals were any indication, hockey fans could be in for a treat on Sunday. Of the eight semifinals in the four boys divisions, four games went to overtime and seven of the eight were decided by one goal.
MIAA Hockey State Finals Schedule
9:00 a.m. - Division 4 Boys - Watertown vs. Sandwich
11:00 a.m. - Division 3 Boys - Marlboro vs. Hanover
1:00 p.m. - Division 2 Girls - Canton vs. Algonquin
3:15 p.m. - Division 2 Boys - Tewksbury vs. Canton
5:45 p.m. - Division 1 Girls - Austin Prep vs. Arlington
7:45 p.m. - Division 1 Boys - St. John’s Prep vs. Xaverian
Below is a preview, players to watch and predictions for all four boys games:
Division 1
This is the heavyweight matchup I expected since seeing both St. John’s Prep and Xaverian separate themselves from the rest of the pack in the first month of the season. The Eagles and Hawks have talented, deep, veteran-laden teams.
Dave Spinale’s team won the Catholic Conference in the Covid season of 2020-21. Despite losing quite a few key defenders, the team has taken the next man up mentality in 2021-22. Jack Silva, Max Lockwood and Joe DiMartino lead the way up front while Aiden Rodriguez and Nolan Dion are the defensemen to watch.
St. John’s Prep has the deepest forward group in the state by far. All three lines have difference makers that have stepped up at different times this winter. The first line boasts brothers Cole and Pierce Blaeser along with Tommy Sarni. On the second line, Ben McGilvary and Will Van Sicklin are centered by Jimmy Ayers. The third line could be the first line on just about every other team in the state. On a team full of juniors and seniors, a Christian Rosa centers Jake Vana and Cam Umlah on an all-sophomore line.
This game is tough to pick, but I’ll give the edge to Kristian Hanson’s Eagles. He’s got a little more depth up front. When the season was on the brink in the final minute of the semifinal, down a goal against BC High, SJP came through.
Prediction: I expect a low scoring game with St. John’s Prep prevailing 3-2.
Division 2
This is a rematch of the 2019 MIAA Division 2 Final, won by Canton, 4-2. If you throw in Gloucester, these teams were clearly the class of the field in Division 2 for much of the 2021-22 campaign.
Tewksbury has been the top team in Division 2 from start to finish. A few of this year’s key players skated at the TD Garden when the Redmen lost to Canton in 2019. Senior defenseman Caden Connors puts up a ton of points while senior Jason Cooke is a big time goal scorer. His younger brother, Matt Cooke is a newer face, but one to remember. Junior defenseman Nick DiCioccio is underrated and the best defensive blue liner on the squad. Junior goaltender Ben O’Keefe has been solid in my viewings.
Don’t let Canton’s six goal outburst in the semifinal fool you. The Bulldogs are a team that has enjoyed success, due to playing strong team defense and getting timely scoring. In the semi, the blue line contributed greatly to the offense with Brennan Pecararo and Sean Connolly each scoring twice. Freshman goaltender Colin Davis earned the starting role early in the season and has run with it.
Prediction: Another tough contest to predict, I’ll go with Canton making it three straight titles with a 4-3 win.
Division 3
This is another powerhouse matchup in Division 3 with Marlboro going up against Hanover, a program that has enjoyed a ton of success over the past decade. The Panthers have not lost a game in regulation all season.
Each team has a skilled forward worth watching. A trio of seniors on the top line are all notable for Marlboro. The group is led by Marcus Chrisafideis is small, but has a quick twitch and good stick. Jeremy Lacroix can also score and Mark Evangelous is the playmaker. All three players have skated on notable club teams in the past and can blow things up offensively, as they did against Lynnfield in the semifinals.
Hanover got to the TD Garden by exacting revenge for a late regular season loss against Scituate. The Hawks squeaked past the Sailors by a score of 1-0. The team’s leading scorer is senior Robert Hanna, who has close to two points per game. Freshman Mikey Munroe is the Hawks’ top prospect. He’s scored 17 goals and 18 assists in 24 games, which are remarkable numbers for a player that young.
Prediction: This game is a toss up, but it’s hard to bet against Marlboro. Panthers win, 4-3.
Division 4
This is the matchup I know the least about. I’ve seen Watertown three times this winter, including in Monday night’s victory over Stoneham at Tsongas Center. Sophomore center Alec Banosian is the leading goal scorer and he found the back of the net twice Monday night. On defense, two smaller, mobile blue liners, Jack Dickie and Mauricio Souza, can move pucks north. Junior goaltender Casey Williams catches with his right hand and certainly knows how to flash the weather.
I saw Sandwich play last season, but didn’t get a chance to catch the Blue Knights in 2021-22. I’ve only seen a little tape and an exciting double overtime tally against Norwell to punch its ticket to the TD Garden.
Prediction: Watertown wins, 5-2.
