Hockey: St. Mary's ices Matignon Originally Published on Thursday, January 05, 2012 The St. Mary's boys hockey team got the jump on Matignon with three first period goals and never looked back in a 5-2 win Wednesday at Connery Rink.
The Spartans (6-1-1), 3-0 Catholic Central League) didn't waste any time getting on the board. Tim Aylward scored 1:38 into the game with Cam O'Neil and Frank Moreschi getting the assists. Five minutes later, Jarrod Fitzpatrick made it 2-0 with Tom Braswell and Nikko Markham providing the assists. Jordan Manthorne staked the Spartans to a 3-0 lead 12:14 into the period with Bobby Mullins assisting.
The lead ballooned to 4-0 thanks to an Andrew Markham goal 6:46 into the second period (Mullins and Brendan Mageary assisted). Matignon (2-4) finally made a little headway when Ricky Canales scored late in the second. Matignon cut the lead to 4-2 on another Canales goal early in the final period, but the Spartans pulled away for good on a goal by O'Neill (Ryan Madden assist) with 4:07 remaining in the game. Bailey MacBurnie and Steve Poliskey split the game in net.
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Showing posts with label Item articles. Show all posts
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Dec 28th
asabuski D1 action
SAUGUS - For nearly 50 minutes, the St. Mary's hockey team proved it was every bit the equal of the top-ranked team in the state in Malden Catholic.
The Spartans and Lancers went toe-to-toe through three periods and 4:59.8 of sudden death overtime until freshman Ara Nazarian beat Bailey MacBurnie with two-tenths of a second left to give MC a 4-3 win and the Division 1 title at the Kasabuski Holiday Classic. The game will go in the books as a tie on the teams' records.
Click here for a photo gallery.
"I am very proud of the effort that my entire team gave," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "It took everyone in there giving everything they have and we were able to answer the challenge of playing that team."
The Spartans (5-1-1) put the clamps on one of the most potent offenses in the state for much of the night and also showed their grit by twice battling back from a one-goal deficit, including a power play goal from Brendan Mageary after MC had taken a 3-2 lead with 6:54 left on Brendan Collier's breakaway tally.
With a little over a minute left in regulation, the Spartans had a chance to steal away a win from the Lancers when they went on the power play. Instead it turned into a showcase for the goaltending prowess of MacBurnie, who twice made spectacular sliding saves on Ryan Fitzgerald to keep the game tied and force overtime.
"Bailey made several big saves for us," Lee said. "And the defense really played well in front of him."
The extra session was dominated by the Lancers, as they had the Spartans hemmed in for much of the first three minutes. Only two saves from MacBurnie on Fitzgerald from near point blank range kept the game alive.
Inside the final 15 seconds, the Spartans had a shot blocked and Tyler Sifferlin freed the puck up to Nazarian, who rushed up ice and beat MacBurnie and the buzzer with a crisp wrister over the Spartan netminder's trapper.
"We respect MC. They have a tremendous team. But I think we have a great team too," Lee said.
The Spartans actually grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the first period when Tommy Braswell's dump-in took a weird bounce and got past Connor Maloney. The lead lasted all of 64 seconds as Fitzgerald worked free in the left circle and fired home a Collier pass to tie the game after a period.
MC's explosiveness showed up again early in the second when Mike Iovanna gave his team a 2-1 lead just over a minute in when he chipped home a rebound on a power play, giving Spartan fans concern that a trademark Lancers burst might be on the horizon.
But just over a minute later, Cam O'Neill picked up a turnover in the MC zone and deposited it past Maloney to even things back up at 2-2.
In the consolation game, Austin Prep's top line of Nolan Vesey, Scott Corcoran and Ryan Quinn were too much for Bishop Fenwick to handle as the trio netted five goals and handed out seven assists en route to an 8-3 win over the Crusaders.
Austin came out flying as Quinn scored twice and Vesey added another in the first five minutes for a 3-0 lead. Fenwick battled back as Andrew Young scored late in the first, assisted by Mike Napolitano, to cut the lead to 3-1 after one.
SAUGUS - For nearly 50 minutes, the St. Mary's hockey team proved it was every bit the equal of the top-ranked team in the state in Malden Catholic.
The Spartans and Lancers went toe-to-toe through three periods and 4:59.8 of sudden death overtime until freshman Ara Nazarian beat Bailey MacBurnie with two-tenths of a second left to give MC a 4-3 win and the Division 1 title at the Kasabuski Holiday Classic. The game will go in the books as a tie on the teams' records.
Click here for a photo gallery.
"I am very proud of the effort that my entire team gave," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "It took everyone in there giving everything they have and we were able to answer the challenge of playing that team."
The Spartans (5-1-1) put the clamps on one of the most potent offenses in the state for much of the night and also showed their grit by twice battling back from a one-goal deficit, including a power play goal from Brendan Mageary after MC had taken a 3-2 lead with 6:54 left on Brendan Collier's breakaway tally.
With a little over a minute left in regulation, the Spartans had a chance to steal away a win from the Lancers when they went on the power play. Instead it turned into a showcase for the goaltending prowess of MacBurnie, who twice made spectacular sliding saves on Ryan Fitzgerald to keep the game tied and force overtime.
"Bailey made several big saves for us," Lee said. "And the defense really played well in front of him."
The extra session was dominated by the Lancers, as they had the Spartans hemmed in for much of the first three minutes. Only two saves from MacBurnie on Fitzgerald from near point blank range kept the game alive.
Inside the final 15 seconds, the Spartans had a shot blocked and Tyler Sifferlin freed the puck up to Nazarian, who rushed up ice and beat MacBurnie and the buzzer with a crisp wrister over the Spartan netminder's trapper.
"We respect MC. They have a tremendous team. But I think we have a great team too," Lee said.
The Spartans actually grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the first period when Tommy Braswell's dump-in took a weird bounce and got past Connor Maloney. The lead lasted all of 64 seconds as Fitzgerald worked free in the left circle and fired home a Collier pass to tie the game after a period.
MC's explosiveness showed up again early in the second when Mike Iovanna gave his team a 2-1 lead just over a minute in when he chipped home a rebound on a power play, giving Spartan fans concern that a trademark Lancers burst might be on the horizon.
But just over a minute later, Cam O'Neill picked up a turnover in the MC zone and deposited it past Maloney to even things back up at 2-2.
In the consolation game, Austin Prep's top line of Nolan Vesey, Scott Corcoran and Ryan Quinn were too much for Bishop Fenwick to handle as the trio netted five goals and handed out seven assists en route to an 8-3 win over the Crusaders.
Austin came out flying as Quinn scored twice and Vesey added another in the first five minutes for a 3-0 lead. Fenwick battled back as Andrew Young scored late in the first, assisted by Mike Napolitano, to cut the lead to 3-1 after one.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Dec 27
to meet again in Kasabuski D1 tournament
It took two periods plus two minutes for the St. Mary's hockey team to get going against Austin Prep in the semifinals of the Kasabuski Christmas Classic. But once the Spartans got revved up, they were hard to stop.
Scoring three unanswered goals after trailing 1-0 in the third, St. Mary's advanced to today's (5) finals against Malden Catholic. The Lancers steamed past Bishop Fenwick, 8-1, in the second semifinal.
"Austin Prep is a good team and we know it's always going to be a battle against them," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "We didn't have our 'A' game but we were able to fight through it."
The Spartans (5-1, 2-0 CCL Large) controlled the play for most of the game, outshooting the Cougars 33-16 for the game, but freshman goalie Elijah Harris was brilliant in keeping the game deadlocked at zeroes for 30 minutes.
"I thought that it was a pretty even hockey game for the most part," Austin coach Lou Finocchiaro said. "But we need to generate more shots. And we didn't move the puck well through the neutral zone."
Despite their struggles, the Cougars grabbed a 1-0 lead just 20 seconds into the third when Scott Corcoran netted a Ryan Quinn rebound at the left post.
The resilient Spartans answered just 61 seconds later as Ryan Madden's drive from the left point was redirected past Harris by Cam O'Neill to tie the game.
"We had a lot of chances and their goalie made a lot of great saves," Lee said. "But we stuck to our game plan and did a good job."
The game seemed headed for overtime until the Cougars were called for a penalty with 3:10 remaining. The Spartans made Austin pay as Bobby Mullins took a nifty drop pass from Brendan Mageary and ripped a shot through Harris' legs for a 2-1 lead with 1:52 remaining.
Jarrod Fitzpatrick's empty net goal a minute later sealed the win for St. Mary's.
In the nightcap, the Lancers (3-1) dominated against Fenwick, finishing with a 40-8 shots on goal advantage. Brendan Collier led the way, finishing with four goals and an assist while Ryan Fitzgerald had a goal and three assists in his return from a shoulder injury.
Collier had two goals in the first and Ara Nazarian added another to give the Lancers a 3-0 lead after a period. The Boston University bound junior added two more in the second, sandwiching goals by Rick Keogh and Fitzpatrick to make it 7-0 after two.
Joe Shea got Fenwick on the board with 1:20 left before Casey Fitzgerald closed the scoring in the final minute.
It took two periods plus two minutes for the St. Mary's hockey team to get going against Austin Prep in the semifinals of the Kasabuski Christmas Classic. But once the Spartans got revved up, they were hard to stop.
Scoring three unanswered goals after trailing 1-0 in the third, St. Mary's advanced to today's (5) finals against Malden Catholic. The Lancers steamed past Bishop Fenwick, 8-1, in the second semifinal.
"Austin Prep is a good team and we know it's always going to be a battle against them," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "We didn't have our 'A' game but we were able to fight through it."
The Spartans (5-1, 2-0 CCL Large) controlled the play for most of the game, outshooting the Cougars 33-16 for the game, but freshman goalie Elijah Harris was brilliant in keeping the game deadlocked at zeroes for 30 minutes.
"I thought that it was a pretty even hockey game for the most part," Austin coach Lou Finocchiaro said. "But we need to generate more shots. And we didn't move the puck well through the neutral zone."
Despite their struggles, the Cougars grabbed a 1-0 lead just 20 seconds into the third when Scott Corcoran netted a Ryan Quinn rebound at the left post.
The resilient Spartans answered just 61 seconds later as Ryan Madden's drive from the left point was redirected past Harris by Cam O'Neill to tie the game.
"We had a lot of chances and their goalie made a lot of great saves," Lee said. "But we stuck to our game plan and did a good job."
The game seemed headed for overtime until the Cougars were called for a penalty with 3:10 remaining. The Spartans made Austin pay as Bobby Mullins took a nifty drop pass from Brendan Mageary and ripped a shot through Harris' legs for a 2-1 lead with 1:52 remaining.
Jarrod Fitzpatrick's empty net goal a minute later sealed the win for St. Mary's.
In the nightcap, the Lancers (3-1) dominated against Fenwick, finishing with a 40-8 shots on goal advantage. Brendan Collier led the way, finishing with four goals and an assist while Ryan Fitzgerald had a goal and three assists in his return from a shoulder injury.
Collier had two goals in the first and Ara Nazarian added another to give the Lancers a 3-0 lead after a period. The Boston University bound junior added two more in the second, sandwiching goals by Rick Keogh and Fitzpatrick to make it 7-0 after two.
Joe Shea got Fenwick on the board with 1:20 left before Casey Fitzgerald closed the scoring in the final minute.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sat, Dec 17
Boys Hockey: St. Mary's wears down Bridgewater-Raynham, 5-1 It took a while for the St. Mary's boys hockey team to solve Bridgewater-Raynham's standout junior goaltender Peter Drowne. Once they did, the Spartans struck in the frenetic manner to which their fans are accustomed, packing all of their goals into the final 16:41 of Saturday night's 5-1 non-league win at Connery Rink.
"For two periods, they gave us all we could handle. We didn't bring our A game but I like the way we stayed with it and responded in the third period. I thought (sophomore) goalie Bailey MacBurnie played an exceptionally good game," said St. Mary's coach Mark Lee.
The Trojans, out of the Old Colony League, broke a scoreless tie at 7:22 of the second period when John Rizzo converted a Nick Holmes set-up. St. Mary's pulled even with 1:41 left in the period on a goal by Frank Moreschi.
Jared Fitzpatrick popped home the game-winner at 1:54 of the third period, and then Nikko Markham created space at the 9:02 mark. Unassisted strikes by Bobby Mullins (two assists) at 13:18 and Brendan Mageary at 14:49 iced it. MacBurnie finished with 13 saves.
The Spartans take on Hingham Wednesday night at Connery in the second game of a boy-girl doubleheader between the two schools.
"For two periods, they gave us all we could handle. We didn't bring our A game but I like the way we stayed with it and responded in the third period. I thought (sophomore) goalie Bailey MacBurnie played an exceptionally good game," said St. Mary's coach Mark Lee.
The Trojans, out of the Old Colony League, broke a scoreless tie at 7:22 of the second period when John Rizzo converted a Nick Holmes set-up. St. Mary's pulled even with 1:41 left in the period on a goal by Frank Moreschi.
Jared Fitzpatrick popped home the game-winner at 1:54 of the third period, and then Nikko Markham created space at the 9:02 mark. Unassisted strikes by Bobby Mullins (two assists) at 13:18 and Brendan Mageary at 14:49 iced it. MacBurnie finished with 13 saves.
The Spartans take on Hingham Wednesday night at Connery in the second game of a boy-girl doubleheader between the two schools.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
December 12
Malden Catholic 5, St. Mary's 1
At Malden, the Spartans opened against the iron of Massachusetts high school hockey (the Lancers are the defending Super 8 champs). They were in the hunt through the first period and most of the second, but with 4:41 left in the second period and St. Mary's with two men in the penalty box, MC's Ara Nazarian scored what would be the game-winner. The Lancers went up 3-1 a couple of minutes later when Nazarian scored off a faceoff.
Malden Catholic put the game out of reach in the third period on goals by Brendan Collier and Michael Iovanna. Jarrod Fitzpatrick accounted for the lone St. Mary's goal 20 seconds into the second period. His effort tied the game, 1-1.
"Every mistake we made, they capitalized on it," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "They're the Super 8 champs. They're a very talented team."
The Lancers outshot the Spartans, 23-15. St. Mary's (0-1) was also hobbled by the loss of captain Tom Braswell to an injury midway through the game.
At Malden, the Spartans opened against the iron of Massachusetts high school hockey (the Lancers are the defending Super 8 champs). They were in the hunt through the first period and most of the second, but with 4:41 left in the second period and St. Mary's with two men in the penalty box, MC's Ara Nazarian scored what would be the game-winner. The Lancers went up 3-1 a couple of minutes later when Nazarian scored off a faceoff.
Malden Catholic put the game out of reach in the third period on goals by Brendan Collier and Michael Iovanna. Jarrod Fitzpatrick accounted for the lone St. Mary's goal 20 seconds into the second period. His effort tied the game, 1-1.
"Every mistake we made, they capitalized on it," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "They're the Super 8 champs. They're a very talented team."
The Lancers outshot the Spartans, 23-15. St. Mary's (0-1) was also hobbled by the loss of captain Tom Braswell to an injury midway through the game.
Monday, March 7, 2011
St. Marys vs. Burlington
St. Mary's boys hockey rallies, ousts Burlington
WOBURN - It took a 2-0 deficit and the end of its season staring it straight in the face to give the St. Mary's boys hockey team the boost it needed in its Division 1 North quarterfinal meeting with Burlington on Saturday.The Red Devils had outplayed the Spartans for the first 20 minutes on Saturday but with three goals in a 2:39 span of the second period, St. Mary's assumed control and rolled to a 5-2 win and a date with Winchester in the semis on Wednesday (5:10) at the Chelmsford Forum.
Click here for a photo gallery.
"This team showed (Saturday) that they want to keep playing," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "I am so proud of this group. They didn't quit down 2-0 and that's why they had the ability to come back."
Showing a bit of rust after four days off, the Spartans were held to only two shots on net in the first period and found themselves in a 1-0 hole when Dan McMahon scored at 3:03 just after a St. Mary's penalty expired.
The plight for St. Mary's got worse early in the second when Joe Berardi tipped home a Brian DeJoy shot at 5:33 for a 2-0 Red Devils lead. In need of a kick start, St. Mary's got it when it went on the power play midway through the period.
Nikko Markham's blast from the left point, assisted by Cam O'Neill and James Perkins, got the Spartans on the board. Just over two minutes later, Julian Yourawski scored on a Cam Kennedy rebound to tie the game at 2-2.
Off the ensuing draw, Connor Parent sprung Brendan Mageary for a breakaway goal 10 seconds later to give St. Mary's a stunning 3-2 lead after two periods.
"We've struggled on the power play all year and we spent extra time in practice working on it this week. It was nice to see it pay off," Lee said.
Derek Stella kept the Spartan bandwagon rolling at 4:18 of the third when he followed his own shot and tucked a wraparound inside the right post. Tim Aylward capped the comeback at 10:12, assisted by Bucky Surette.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
St. Mary’s boys hockey team in Division 1A
The St. Mary’s boys hockey team has climbed another rung in its mission to join the hockey elite in Massachusetts.The Spartans, who were a Division 3 program a little over a decade ago, have been selected as one of the 10 teams in the MIAA Division 1A (or Super 8) hockey tournament, which begins Monday.
The Spartans drew the ninth seed out of 10 invitees, which means they will play a preliminary round game (or play-in) Monday at the Chelmsford Forum at 8 p.m. against eighth-seeded Central Catholic.
Should the Spartans win, they will proceed into the Super 8 tournament. Should they lose, they would drop down to the Division 1 North category and participate in that sectional.
Malden Catholic, whose premiere player, Mike Vecchione, comes from Saugus, is the top seed in Division 1A. St. John’s Prep of Danvers is right behind at No. 2.
The rest of the field, in order is as follows: Weymouth, Hingham, Needham, Woburn, Central Catholic, St. Mary’s, Springfield Cathedral.
Once the play-ins are settled, the tournament becomes a round-robin series with two pools for four teams each.
Pool A will consist of Malden Catholic, Weymouth, Hingham and the Central/St. Mary’s winner. Pool B consists of St. John’s, BC High, Needham and Woburn/Springfield.
The MIAA is doing the pairings for the entire hockey tournament today. Stay tuned to itemlive.com for further developments.
Newburyport Tournament
 Mark Lee St. Mary's closes out regular season with Newburyport tourney title NEWBURYPORT - The St. Mary's hockey team has done everything possible to earn its first trip to the Super Eight tournament this season. Now all the Spartans can do is wait to find out their fate this morning when the selection committee meets in Franklin.On Friday, St. Mary's completed a dominating performance in the Bresnahan Division of the Newburyport Bank Classic at Graf Rink. The Spartans rolled past Newburyport, 5-1, on the back of two goals from Bucky Surette and a four assist game from Cam Kennedy. After the game, Spartan coach Mark Lee was confident his team had done enough to warrant a trip to the Division 1A tourney. "I believe that we belong there. But I don't have a vote," Lee said jokingly. "What a great year this has been with a great group of players." The Clippers (12-4-4) had been St. Mary's (13-5-3) nemesis recently in the tournament. That wasn't to be the case on Friday as the Spartans had a 26-12 shots on goal advantage and kept a potent Newburyport offense at bay most of the way. "St. Mary's is a very good team," Newburyport coach Paul Yameen said. "I was happy with our effort and we can take a lot of positives out of a game like this." The Spartans controlled the play most of the first period but the game was scoreless until 4:23 was left when Surette took a Kennedy pass and snapped a shot over Alex Buckley's shoulder. Less than two minutes later, Julian Yourawski went hard to the net and jammed home the rebound of a Kennedy slap shot to send St. Mary's to the first intermission up 2-0. The physical play picked up in the second period with bodies flying into the glass on both sides with regularity. The Spartans extended their lead to 3-0 just past the midpoint of the second as Tommy Braswell roofed a James Perkins pass at 8:31. Just over a minute later, Surette picked up his second of the night, assisted by Andrew Dimaiti and Kennedy, for a 4-0 lead. "It wasn't perfect at times (Friday) but our effort was great," Lee said. "Newburyport is a good team that they've always given us good games." Perkins would close out the scoring at 1:52 of the third with a power play goal, assisted by Braswell. "We had some opportunities early but didn't take advantage of them," Yameen said. "St. Mary's has a great program and we will be rooting for them to make the Super Eight." |
Monday, February 21, 2011
Item article: St. Mary's vs. Weymouth
St. Mary's boys hockey drops close one to Weymouth
LYNN - In its quest to make the Super Eight for the first time in program history, St. Mary's came to Connery Rink on Saturday with a chance to make a big statement against Weymouth.The Wildcats were considered by most to be a lock for the 1A tournament when the pairings are announced this Saturday ... but it was the Spartans who breezed to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes last Saturday. Weymouth, though, showed its big game experience and fought back to take a 4-3 win thanks to a pair of third period goals from Trevor King.
"That is certainly one of the top three teams in Division 1 and my kids left everything they had out there," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "That was a great high school hockey game between two great teams."
Having already faced the gauntlet of Malden Catholic on Monday and Springfield Cathedral on Wednesday, the Spartans didn't show any sign of exhaustion at the start as they took the play to Weymouth in the first period.
It didn't take long for St. Mary's to jump in front as sharp play around the net from Derek Stella resulted in his banging home a rebound at 4:07 for a 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later, the lead doubled off a faceoff in the Wildcats zone.
Bobby Mullins won the draw cleanly back to Cam Kennedy at the left point for a slap shot that sailed past a screened Brian Brady.
"I thought that we came out and played exactly how we wanted to in the first period," Lee said.
Late in the period, Brady made a play that seemed inconsequential at the time but it swung all the momentum to Weymouth when he stoned Mullins' shorthanded breakaway.
The Wildcats fed off that stop when the second period began as Tyler Piacentini banged in a King rebound at the 33 second mark to make it 2-1.
A little over three minutes later, the Wildcats got the equalizer as Donald Hesse couldn't handle Joe Nardone's shot cleanly and Paul O'Keefe banged in the rebound at the top of the crease.
Hesse's save on Riley Flanagan's bid late in the second period kept the game knotted at 2-2 heading to the third.
After being caught flatfooted in the second, the Spartans had their jump back in the final 15 minutes as they swarmed around the Wildcats zone. Midway through the third, the pressure paid off on a power play as Tom Braswell banked a Bucky Surette rebound off the back of Brady for a 3-2 lead with 6:33 remaining.
Just over a minute later, though, King took advantage of a breakdown in the Spartan defensive zone to net an unassisted goal and draw the Wildcats back even.
King then got the game-winner at 11:56 when his drive off a faceoff bounced off a St. Mary's skate and past Hesse.
The Spartans would swarm the Weymouth zone in the final moments, barely missing twice on point blank chances, but time ran out.
"We're confident that we can play at this level with these teams," Lee said. "I'm just proud of everyone in that dressing room."
Friday, February 18, 2011
Springfield Cathedral 5,
St. Mary's 2
At Olympia West Arena, the Spartans (12-4-3) put up a good fight, outshooting Springfield Cathedral 21-19.
"They're one of the top teams in Division 1," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "It was up and down ... we'd hit the post ... we ran into a goalie. This was a very good high school hockey game."
Springfield led 4-0 until late in the third period (2:24 remaining) when Julian Yourawski scored with assists to Brendan Mageary and James Perkins). Perkins scored less than two minutes later from Andrew Markham and Derek Stella, but Springfield iced the win with an empty-netter with five seconds remaining.
"We gave an awful good effort tonight. We just couldn't find the back of the net," Lee said.
St. Mary's 2
At Olympia West Arena, the Spartans (12-4-3) put up a good fight, outshooting Springfield Cathedral 21-19.
"They're one of the top teams in Division 1," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "It was up and down ... we'd hit the post ... we ran into a goalie. This was a very good high school hockey game."
Springfield led 4-0 until late in the third period (2:24 remaining) when Julian Yourawski scored with assists to Brendan Mageary and James Perkins). Perkins scored less than two minutes later from Andrew Markham and Derek Stella, but Springfield iced the win with an empty-netter with five seconds remaining.
"We gave an awful good effort tonight. We just couldn't find the back of the net," Lee said.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
February 14th
Cam Kennedy (23) of St. Mary's and Mike Vecchione (8) of Malden Catholic fight for the puck in the second period. (Item Photo / Alan Webster)
St. Mary's boys hockey falls just short against MC
LYNN - There wasn't a seat to be had at Connery Rink on Monday night when St. Mary's hosted No. 1 ranked Malden Catholic in a game that could be a preview of a possible Super Eight matchup in a couple weeks' time.And if what happened on Monday was any indication, North Shore hockey fans are going to be in for some great entertainment come March.
For 45 minutes, both teams turned the ice at Connery into their own personal track and gave the standing room only crowd plenty to remember. In the end it was the Lancers who came out with a 3-2 win in a game that went right to the final second.
Click here for a photo gallery.
For the Spartans, it was a drastically different outcome than back in December when MC had blasted them, 8-0, in the Saugus Christmas Tournament. And for coach Mark Lee, Monday's game left him plenty to be proud of.
"Every kid on this team sacrificed their bodies and gave us everything they had on every shift," Lee said. "They did a tremendous job controlling a great team."
"We ran into a very hot goalie (Monday)," Malden Catholic coach Chris Serino said. "We missed too many good chances but St. Mary's also played very well so give them a lot of credit."
It was a breakneck pace from the outset as the two teams didn't waste a lot of time in getting reacquainted with each other. It was the Spartans (12-3-3) who would get the game's first power play chance when Garrett White was called for tripping at the 4:02 mark.
It didn't take long for St. Mary's to get its crowd into the game as Bucky Surette was stood up at the MC line but made a slick pass to Bobby Mullins for a 2-on-1 that Brendan Mageary finished off over Pat Young's blocker for a 1-0 lead at 4:44.
The Lancers (12-2-2) began to crank the pressure up around Hesse and late in the first it paid off as Brendan Collier and Saugus' Mike Vecchione finished off a nifty give-and-go with Collier's 21st goal of the season and a 1-1 tie after a period.
"We had a game plan going in and it was great to see that for the most part we stuck to the defensive scheme that we wanted to play," Lee said.
Early in the second, Spartan defenseman Cam Kennedy was called for a trip and the Lancers would get the first of what turned out to be five power play chances in the middle period.
St. Mary's dodged bullets on the first two man advantages thanks to Hesse and a couple of goalposts but the third time was the charm for MC as Ryan Fitzgerald fired a laser over Hesse's shoulder from the right circle midway through the second for a 2-1 Lancer lead.
The Spartans nearly had that goal back moments later but Young made his best stop of the game when he robbed Connor Parent's bid on a 2-on-1 with Tom Braswell. Just over two minutes later, the Lancers upped the lead to 3-1 when Garrett Young worked his way past three defenders and lifted a shot over Hesse at 10:38.
Two minutes later, the lead was cut back to a goal as Surette picked the pocket of an MC defenseman at the Spartan blue line and fought off a hook to score on a breakaway to make it 3-2 heading to the third.
"(St. Mary's) didn't get a lot of shots but they were able to take advantage of them," Serino said.
The final 15 minutes served as a stage for Hesse to show why he's regarded as one of the top goalies in the state. The Lancers had an 11-3 shots advantage over the final period, but the senior came up with brilliant save after brilliant save.
"Any great team starts with a great goalie and we're fortunate to have one of the best," Lee said. "And he showed it (Monday) with how he played."
The Spartans would go for broke in the final minute, calling timeout with 42 seconds left to get an extra attacker on. But the Lancers thwarted St. Mary's final push.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Lynn Item February 14
 St. Mary's player Tommy Braswell scored twice in the Spartans' victory over St. Peter Marian. (Item File Photo) Spartans cruise past St. Peter Marian, 5-1 LYNN - There wasn't much of anything artistic about the St. Mary's hockey team's 5-1 decision over St. Peter Marian Saturday night at Connery Rink.Nevertheless, SPM provided little resistance as the Catholic Central Large champion Spartans ran their overall record to 12-2-3. Junior Tommy Braswell scored the first and last goals, bracketing single tallies from Julian Yourawski, Chris Surrette and Jordan Manthorne. St. Mary's skated four lines throughout and starting goalie Donald Hesse got a rare rest from freshman Patrick O'Leary, who provided third-period relief. "Certainly not one of our best outings," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "I wasn't happy with the effort. We were sloppy at times. We played in spurts and took a lot of time off. The positives are that we skated four lines and played two goalies." As they embark on a season-defining week of non-league games starting with tonight's re-match against Malden Catholic (Connery, 8 p.m.), Lee knows the Spartans must ratchet it up several notches. A Thursday visit to surging Springfield Cathedral - which shut down surging St. John's Prep Saturday - and Saturday's home date with Bay State Carey power Weymouth follow. "This is the week that will tell us where we are. For us to compete, our level of play has to be much higher. Certainly, up to this point, having won the league with a 7-0-3 record, I think we deserve to be considered for the Division 1A Tournament. We need to finish strong but the (selection) committee has usually rewarded our league champion with a spot," Lee said. Braswell staked the Spartans to a quick 1-0 lead Saturday, striking just 2:27 into the game. Defenseman Nikko Markham's shot from the high slot caromed off a Guardians defenseman and glanced off the outside of the left post where Braswell was stationed to sweep a backhander in behind SPM goalie Tyler Miller (33 saves).  St. Mary's scored twice 52 seconds apart late in an otherwise uneventful second period to put it out of reach. Brendan Mageary's indirect pass off the left wall sent Manthorne away for a five-hole finish at 11:59. Surrette made it 4-0 at 12:51 with a mid-air swat after Miller got a stick on Braswell's pass from the left circle but couldn't control the puck. Braswell's power play strike, a rebound deposit of defenseman Cam Kennedy's shot from the high slot, made it 5-0 with 9:44 to play. The Guardians (3-14-0) avoided the shutout when James Blute scored off a faceoff to O'Leary's left with the teams skating four aside with 7:59 remaining. Lee said that in order for St. Mary's to avoid a repeat of an 8-0 loss to Malden Catholic in December, the Spartans must build on their third-period performance in that game. |
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Lynn Item Feb 9
For those who haven't followed the St. Mary's boys hockey team, its rise to elite status in Division 1 would seem to be almost meteoric.
After all, it was just about a decade ago that the Spartans were fighting their way to the top of Division 3. Then, they did the same thing in Division 2. Now, they're a week of competitive games away from being serious contenders for a Division 1A (Super 8) selection in the upcoming state tournament.
But don't try to tell coach Mark Lee the rise has been meteoric.
"It's been a lot of hard work ... and by a lot of people," said Lee, en route, with his team, to last night's game at Gloucester. Lee was reflecting on his team's victory Monday over Archbishop Williams that not only gave it the Catholic Central League/Large championship, but left it unbeaten in a league that - almost annually - produces at least one Super 8 team (and very often two or three).
"We've been making a steady climb," says Lee. "Last year, we finished second (in the CCL/Large). This year, we had high hopes of winning it. To do that, and finish undefeated as well, puts the icing on the cake for us."
There's still work to do, however. St. Mary's, including Wednesday night's game, has six games left on its schedule, and three of them will be played next week against the Crème de la Crème of Division 1: Malden Catholic, Springfield Cathedral and Weymouth. And although Lee would - naturally - like to win all three, he feels the Spartans will really help themselves, with respect to the Super 8, with strong showings.
"I think," he says, "that we just need to prove that we belong on the same ice with them. I don't think we necessarily have to win - though you go into every game you play with that expectation - but the committee looks at strength of schedule and how you compete against those types of teams."
Lee can only hope that the Spartans compete the way they did last Saturday in Hingham, when they took the defending Super 8 champion Harbormen to the last minute before the wheels just fell off the wagon - in every way imaginable.
"We were up, 3-2, with 1:45 to go, when we got a penalty called on us," Lee said. "Ten seconds later, we get another penalty, so we're playing them two down.
"I'm not making excuses," he said, "but they score one goal with us two down, and then one of our kids tries to ice the puck, he fans on it, it lands on one of their sticks and they score.
"It was a killer," he said, "but there were so many more positives than negatives. We played well enough to win the game, and it gave us confidence to know that we can skate with the best."
Lee has seen the program through since taking over 24 years ago. And though the team has risen in the divisional ranks, it is still waiting for its first-ever state title.
"Every time we felt we were ready to make the jump (to the next division) we made it," Lee says, "and we, perhaps, left a couple of state titles on the ice in the process. But we just felt it was better, overall, to make the jumps when we did."
Although Lee acknowledges that the team doesn't have a "sniper," and that for it to succeed it needs the collective effort of all involved, he feels lucky to have one of the better goalies in the state in Donald Hesse.
"Last year, he led us to the Division 1 North final with a goals-against average of under two," he said. "This year, his GA average is 1.82 and he has five shutouts.
"I also have to give credit to my three captains - Cam Kennedy and James Perkins (both of Lynn) and Julian Yourawski (of Peabody). They are unbelievable on and off the ice."
These days, there's some pretty lofty peer pressure within the St. Mary's athletic department. The football team last fall went 10-1, the boys soccer squad made the Division 3 North final, both basketball teams are having successful seasons and have to be considered major players in their respective divisions; and - of course - the girls hockey team is riding a 91-game unbeaten streak.
"Is it a coincidence that all our teams are peaking? It's hard to say," Lee said "I do know that there's a great atmosphere at St. Mary's. And it always helps when your sports teams are winning. But this winter season ... it doesn't get much better than this."
After all, it was just about a decade ago that the Spartans were fighting their way to the top of Division 3. Then, they did the same thing in Division 2. Now, they're a week of competitive games away from being serious contenders for a Division 1A (Super 8) selection in the upcoming state tournament.
But don't try to tell coach Mark Lee the rise has been meteoric.
"It's been a lot of hard work ... and by a lot of people," said Lee, en route, with his team, to last night's game at Gloucester. Lee was reflecting on his team's victory Monday over Archbishop Williams that not only gave it the Catholic Central League/Large championship, but left it unbeaten in a league that - almost annually - produces at least one Super 8 team (and very often two or three).
"We've been making a steady climb," says Lee. "Last year, we finished second (in the CCL/Large). This year, we had high hopes of winning it. To do that, and finish undefeated as well, puts the icing on the cake for us."
There's still work to do, however. St. Mary's, including Wednesday night's game, has six games left on its schedule, and three of them will be played next week against the Crème de la Crème of Division 1: Malden Catholic, Springfield Cathedral and Weymouth. And although Lee would - naturally - like to win all three, he feels the Spartans will really help themselves, with respect to the Super 8, with strong showings.
"I think," he says, "that we just need to prove that we belong on the same ice with them. I don't think we necessarily have to win - though you go into every game you play with that expectation - but the committee looks at strength of schedule and how you compete against those types of teams."
Lee can only hope that the Spartans compete the way they did last Saturday in Hingham, when they took the defending Super 8 champion Harbormen to the last minute before the wheels just fell off the wagon - in every way imaginable.
"We were up, 3-2, with 1:45 to go, when we got a penalty called on us," Lee said. "Ten seconds later, we get another penalty, so we're playing them two down.
"I'm not making excuses," he said, "but they score one goal with us two down, and then one of our kids tries to ice the puck, he fans on it, it lands on one of their sticks and they score.
Lee has seen the program through since taking over 24 years ago. And though the team has risen in the divisional ranks, it is still waiting for its first-ever state title.
"Every time we felt we were ready to make the jump (to the next division) we made it," Lee says, "and we, perhaps, left a couple of state titles on the ice in the process. But we just felt it was better, overall, to make the jumps when we did."
Although Lee acknowledges that the team doesn't have a "sniper," and that for it to succeed it needs the collective effort of all involved, he feels lucky to have one of the better goalies in the state in Donald Hesse.
"Last year, he led us to the Division 1 North final with a goals-against average of under two," he said. "This year, his GA average is 1.82 and he has five shutouts.
"I also have to give credit to my three captains - Cam Kennedy and James Perkins (both of Lynn) and Julian Yourawski (of Peabody). They are unbelievable on and off the ice."
These days, there's some pretty lofty peer pressure within the St. Mary's athletic department. The football team last fall went 10-1, the boys soccer squad made the Division 3 North final, both basketball teams are having successful seasons and have to be considered major players in their respective divisions; and - of course - the girls hockey team is riding a 91-game unbeaten streak.
"Is it a coincidence that all our teams are peaking? It's hard to say," Lee said "I do know that there's a great atmosphere at St. Mary's. And it always helps when your sports teams are winning. But this winter season ... it doesn't get much better than this."
Feb 9
St. Mary's 2, Gloucester 1
At Talbot Rink in Gloucester, a night after clinching the Catholic Central League/Large crown, the Spartans (11-2-3) needed a third period goal from James Perkins to get out of Dodge with the win.
"We really didn't come to play, and give Gloucester a lot of credit, they challenged us all game long," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said.
The Spartans actually trailed 1-0 after one period on a goal from Gloucester's Mike Russo. St. Mary's tied the game early in the second on defenseman Nikko Markham's goal, assisted by Connor Parent.
Perkins notched the game winner at 2:52 of the third, assisted by Bucky Surette and Tommy Braswell.
Swampscott 4, Lynn 1
At Talbot Rink in Gloucester, a night after clinching the Catholic Central League/Large crown, the Spartans (11-2-3) needed a third period goal from James Perkins to get out of Dodge with the win.
"We really didn't come to play, and give Gloucester a lot of credit, they challenged us all game long," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said.
The Spartans actually trailed 1-0 after one period on a goal from Gloucester's Mike Russo. St. Mary's tied the game early in the second on defenseman Nikko Markham's goal, assisted by Connor Parent.
Perkins notched the game winner at 2:52 of the third, assisted by Bucky Surette and Tommy Braswell.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
It's been a steady climb for the St. Mary's hockey team since it made the move into the upper division of the Catholic Central League in 2007 and on Tuesday at CDL Arena in Raynham, the Spartans made themselves a little bit of history.
James Perkins broke a 1-1 tie in the second period and added an insurance goal late in the third as the Spartans claimed the CCL Large title with a 3-1 win over Archbishop Williams.
"I am so very proud of these guys," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "We have gotten better every year since we came up to the D1 league and now they've went out and gone undefeated in it."
The Spartans (10-2-3, 7-0-3) bounced back from Saturday's heartbreaking loss to Hingham by not taking a penalty on Tuesday and putting together three brilliant periods of hockey.
Connor Parent gave St. Mary's a 1-0 lead late in the first before Williams tied it early in the second. Perkins' goal midway through the middle period, assisted by Tom Braswell and Bucky Surette, made it 2-1.
It stayed that way until Perkins struck again at 11:21 of the third, assisted by Derek Stella and Tim Aylward.
"I am so proud of this group. Everybody is so dedicated," Lee said.
James Perkins broke a 1-1 tie in the second period and added an insurance goal late in the third as the Spartans claimed the CCL Large title with a 3-1 win over Archbishop Williams.
"I am so very proud of these guys," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "We have gotten better every year since we came up to the D1 league and now they've went out and gone undefeated in it."
The Spartans (10-2-3, 7-0-3) bounced back from Saturday's heartbreaking loss to Hingham by not taking a penalty on Tuesday and putting together three brilliant periods of hockey.
Connor Parent gave St. Mary's a 1-0 lead late in the first before Williams tied it early in the second. Perkins' goal midway through the middle period, assisted by Tom Braswell and Bucky Surette, made it 2-1.
It stayed that way until Perkins struck again at 11:21 of the third, assisted by Derek Stella and Tim Aylward.
"I am so proud of this group. Everybody is so dedicated," Lee said.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
January 26th
St. Mary's 4, Matignon 1
At Connery Rink, the Spartans (9-1-3 overall, 6-0-3 Catholic Central League/Large) didn't bring their "A" game, but still got the job done against a team they defeated 7-1 the first time around..
"It wasn't our best effort of the year," coach Mark Lee said.
The Spartans led 3-0 heading into the third period thanks to two goals by Bobby Mullins and one by Cam Kennedy. Matignon got one back, but Bucky Surette scored with 29 seconds remaining to ice the win. Donald Hess, who has only given up two goals in the last six games, was in net for the win.
At Connery Rink, the Spartans (9-1-3 overall, 6-0-3 Catholic Central League/Large) didn't bring their "A" game, but still got the job done against a team they defeated 7-1 the first time around..
The Spartans led 3-0 heading into the third period thanks to two goals by Bobby Mullins and one by Cam Kennedy. Matignon got one back, but Bucky Surette scored with 29 seconds remaining to ice the win. Donald Hess, who has only given up two goals in the last six games, was in net for the win.
Monday, January 24, 2011
January 23
Spartans overtake AC, take control of CCL Large
Stymied throughout by the unyielding play of Arlington Catholic goaltender Jon-Michael Busa, time was running out on the St. Mary's hockey team's bid to seize full control of the Catholic Central Large race Saturday night at Ed Burns Arena in Arlington.Despite a clear territorial advantage that would eventually lead to a 30-12 advantage in shots against the reigning Division One state champs, the Spartans were unable to break down Busa for more than 41 minutes. That's when the trio of Chris Surrette, Cam Kennedy and James Perkins took charge, producing Surrette's sixth and seventh goals of the year - including the game-winner with 59 seconds to play - and a crucial 2-1 win that put St. Mary's on the fast track to the league title.
With two league games remaining, the Spartans stand at 5-0-3 (7-1-3 overall) and will claim the crown with wins against Matignon on Wednesday and Archbishop Williams on Feb. 2.
"This is our biggest win of the year to date. I thought we outplayed them, but Busa was outstanding and stopped a couple of breakaways. But, we kept the pressure on throughout and I'm very pleased with the effort. To come from behind and win at this rink speaks volumes about our character as a team," said St. Mary's coach Mark Lee.
The host Cougars grabbed a 1-0 lead at 5:52 of the first period when Dan Graham converted a set-up by Shaun Teeven and Jon Byrne for his league-best 17th goal of the year, the only puck that would find its way past Spartans keeper Donald Hesse (11 saves). The senior has been next to unbeatable recently and entered the game with three straight shutouts and four in his last five outings.
"Donald's been outstanding, playing the way everyone expected him to," said Lee.
The game-winner came in transition with Kennedy's breakout pass sending Perkins through neutral ice and away on a 2-on-1 with Surrette. Perkins flipped a pass to Surrette, who ripped a mid-range shot past Busa with 59 seconds left.
"That was a beautiful pass and a very pretty goal," said Lee.
The Spartans head south for a non-league clash at Coyle-Cassidy tonight (8 p.m.)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Jan 19
Hockey roundup: St. Mary's boys hockey stops Matignon
The St. Mary's defense is making Scrooge look like a philanthropist these days, posting its third shutout in a row with a 7-0 win over Matignon Wednesday at Stoneham.The Spartans blew this one open with four goals in the second period. James Perkins finished with two goals and two assists: Tom Braswell, Brendan Mageary, Bucky Surette, Jordan Manthorne and Tim Aylward had one each. Cam Kennedy had three assists and Cam O'Neill, two.
The bad news, however, is that defenseman Bryan Wilkins suffered what coach Mark Lee said appeared to be a broken collarbone with about three minutes remaining in the game.
"He's one of our starters," Lee said. "So losing him hurts a lot."
Senior Don Hesse was in net for the first two periods with freshman Bailey MacBurnie preserving the shutout. St. Mary's is 6-1-3 overall, 4-0-3 in the Catholic Central League. The Spartans have a big league game against Arlington Catholic on Saturday.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
January 15, 2011
The St. Mary's boys hockey team made the most of its Saturday trip to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. Unfazed by the journey, the Spartans played "tough, disciplined hockey" according to their coach, Mark Lee, and defeated St. Peter-Marian 6-0.
Bucky Surette (Brendan Mageary, James Perkins) scored St. Mary's (5-1-3) lone goal in the first period before the team bolstered its lead with tallies by Julian Yourawski (Brian Wilkins, Bobby Mullins) and Zack Witkowski (Tim Aylward, Frank Moristhi) in the second period.
"(St. Peter-Marian) is a pretty good Division 1 team," Lee said. "We came out with continued intensity after a big win against Austin Prep."
St. Mary's doubled its lead in the third with a trio of goals by Cam Kennedy (Cam O'Neill, Jordan Manthorne), Mullins and O'Neill (Manthorne, Nikko Markham).
Donald Hesse made 12 saves to record his second consecutive shutout.
Bucky Surette (Brendan Mageary, James Perkins) scored St. Mary's (5-1-3) lone goal in the first period before the team bolstered its lead with tallies by Julian Yourawski (Brian Wilkins, Bobby Mullins) and Zack Witkowski (Tim Aylward, Frank Moristhi) in the second period.
"(St. Peter-Marian) is a pretty good Division 1 team," Lee said. "We came out with continued intensity after a big win against Austin Prep."
St. Mary's doubled its lead in the third with a trio of goals by Cam Kennedy (Cam O'Neill, Jordan Manthorne), Mullins and O'Neill (Manthorne, Nikko Markham).
Donald Hesse made 12 saves to record his second consecutive shutout.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Saturday, January 8
BOYS HOCKEY
Williams 3, St. Mary's 3
At Connery Rink in Lynn, the Spartans (3-1-3, 2-0-2) shook off a shaky start and picked up a point for the sixth time in seven games.
Williams ran out to a 2-0 lead before Bucky Surette scored late in the first, assisted by Andrew Markham and Bobby Mullins. Cam Kennedy tied the game for St. Mary's early in the second with a power play goal assisted by Derek Stella and Cam O'Neill.
The Bishops went back in front late in the second but eighth grader Jake Witkowski tied the game at 3:50 of the third, again assisted by O'Neill.
"Early on we have come out with the habit of being behind in a lot of these games and that's a problem," St. Mary's coach Mark Lee said. "But we've also done a good job of fighting back against good teams."
Williams 3, St. Mary's 3
At Connery Rink in Lynn, the Spartans (3-1-3, 2-0-2) shook off a shaky start and picked up a point for the sixth time in seven games.
Williams ran out to a 2-0 lead before Bucky Surette scored late in the first, assisted by Andrew Markham and Bobby Mullins. Cam Kennedy tied the game for St. Mary's early in the second with a power play goal assisted by Derek Stella and Cam O'Neill.
The Bishops went back in front late in the second but eighth grader Jake Witkowski tied the game at 3:50 of the third, again assisted by O'Neill.
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