MIDDLETON, Mass. — The host finished on top.
St. John's Prep took down Pope Francis, 3-2, on Saturday night to win the 11th annual Pete Frates Winter Classic.
It was a thriller, as St. John's Prep and Pope Francis traded goals. Eagles forward Brandon Ward (Melrose, Mass.) opened the scoring in the first period, while Pope Francis forward Wolfgang Zinger (Granby, Mass.) tied the game in the second.
SJP freshman Blake Ward (Melrose, Mass.) gave the Eagles the lead late in the second period before Pope Francis forward Wes Asselin tied the game midway through the third.
Then came SJP forward Christian Coleman with a blast late in the third, propelling his team to the win.
The Eagles beat BC High, 7-0, on Friday to advance to the championship, while Pope Francis beat Central Catholic 2-0 to move on. In the consolation game, BC High crushed Central Catholic, 5-0.
While all four games allowed some of the top teams in the MIAA Division 1 field to prove their worth, I was at Saturday's two games.
Let's dive into some standouts and takeaways from Saturday.
Jackson Ballard
BC High, D, left shot
Hometown: Milton, Mass.Â
Ballard can freaking skate. The Milton, Mass., native has a great, long stride and can get up the ice quickly. He scored twice against Central Catholic, with both shots coming from the right flank. He was unafraid to jump into the offense, but that skating also helped him in his own zone, too.
Jesse Bernardinelli
St. John's Prep, 3/4/2010, G, catches right, 6-1/150
Hometown: Wakefield, Mass.Â
At this point in the season, it's hard to find a bigger spot than starting for the No. 2 team in the MIAA against the No. 3 team in a tournament championship. That's exactly what SJP head coach Kristian Hanson did on Saturday, tapping Bernardinelli to start. The '10 was outstanding. His size obviously helps him, but his athleticism was on display, especially going post to post to make saves on the weak side.
He's no stranger to the spotlight. In the fall, Bernardinelli carried his 15O Militia team past the high-ranking Minuteman Flames in the state tournament.
Joseph Chianciola
Pope Francis, 12/9/2009, D, left shot, 5-10/134
Hometown: Feeding Hills, Mass.Â
Chianciola was a shutdown presence for Pope Francis. The late '09 maintained good gap control while defending the rush and was unafraid to step up and try to separate opposing forwards from the puck. He read plays well, at one point jumping a pass, intercepting it and springing play the other way. He's an intriguing prospect to track.
READ MORE: Our first in-season boys MIAA rankings
Tommy Misilo
BC High, 2008, F, left shot
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.Â
Misilo was effective as a waterbug for BC High. He created scoring chances on the left wing and used his speed to put defenders on their heels. BC High head coach John Flaherty deployed him at the top of the power play as the facilitator, and he was good, moving his feet to drag defenders out higher. He scored against Central Catholic on a low wrister that went straight in.
Nolan O'Sullivan
BC High, 2007, F, left shot, 6-3/230
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.Â
O'Sullivan is the go-to guy for Flaherty. Against Central Catholic, the big man did it all down the middle. In his own zone, he got low to support his defensemen and always seemed to be in the right spot to break up plays high in the zone. In Central Catholic's end, he drove play and protected pucks so well on the cycle. His vision was great, too, as he always found ways to make productive, small-area passes.
Blake Ward
St. John's Prep, 2010, F, left shot, 5-7/145
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.Â
It's telling when freshmen are on SJP's roster, let alone when they're getting consistent shifts. Ward potted a goal off the rush against Pope Francis, getting a pass from senior forward Andrew Macaulay and burying it. Hanson even moved Ward up for a shift with his older brother and sophomore Gavin Anderson on the top line. Ward showcased nice hands and good puck protection in tight.
Brandon Ward
St. John's Prep, 2007, F, right shot, 5-9/153
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.Â
Without question, Ward is one of the top players in the state. His goal was a complete snipe, as the '07 used his quick hands and fast release to stun Pope Francis goalie George Ramsey with a shot up high. Early in the third period, Ward dangled the same defenseman twice off the rush and just missed getting an in-tight scoring chance.
READ MORE:Â The prep rankings underwent a makeover after the holiday tournaments
Takeaways...
- St. John's Prep shouldn't have much trouble scoring, but its core on defense of seniors JR Goldstein, Brennan Waters and Kevin Correa, as well as junior Sefton Paradis, is big and reliable. Those four were physical against Pope Francis' forwards, play a structured game, and also move pucks reliably. Goldstein is the most dynamic of the bunch, but Correa also showed some flashes with the puck on Saturday. It's one of the better defenses in the state.
- This was my second viewing of Pope Francis this season (the first was against Catholic Memorial). The Cardinals were much better on Saturday night. Overall, I thought they controlled the game as much as St. John's Prep did, and their forwards did a good job of getting some solid high-danger chances on Bernardinelli. There's a reason Pope Francis is one of the top teams in the state.
- In its first three games, BC High totaled two goals and was shut out twice. That offense got going against Central Catholic, however, when BC High got a five-minute power play. Flaherty's team notched three goals on the man-advantage, looking much more confident and dynamic with the puck in the offensive zone.
