BELMONT, Mass. — Wednesday night's matchup will be remembered as the Drew Carr game.
In a top-10 matchup in boys prep hockey, the senior forward for No. 7 St. Mark's brought his best, scoring two goals en route to a 4-1 win over No. 6 Belmont Hill.
He got the scoring started midway through the opening frame. The Sextants tied it when junior defenseman Evan Jones (Arlington, Mass.) scored on a chance from the slot at the end of the period, making it 1-1.
Midway through the second period, Carr sniped a goal to give the Lions a lead they never gave up. Even as Belmont Hill pressed hard in the final frame, St. Mark's held on, getting two empty-net goals from junior forward Evan Nee (Arlington, Mass.).
St. Mark's improved to 11-1-2 with the win, while Belmont Hill fell to 11-3-3.
Let's dive into some standouts and takeaways.
Drew Carr
St. Mark's, 3/2/2006, F, right shot, 5-11/160
Hometown: Medway, Mass.Â
Carr was phenomenal for the Lions on Wednesday night. His first goal was a heads-up play, grabbing the puck in the slot after a shot from defenseman Moussa Seydi was blocked, turning and firing it in. The second goal was a thing of beauty, as Carr got the offensive zone entry, cut middle and sniped a shot over Belmont Hill goalie Keagin Wilson's (Hingham, Mass.) blocker. Carr even got another breakaway later in the second period, but Wilson won that battle. Carr's forechecking was strong, too, as he was often the F1 (first player on the puck-carrier) and was able to cause mistakes to help his linemates in sophomore Caiden Pellegrino (Uxbridge, Mass.) and Nee.
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Evan Nee
St. Mark's, 8/12/2007, F, left shot, 5-8/160
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.Â
Nee had two empty-net goals, but he could've had a lot more. He beat a defender wide and was all alone with Wilson but was stopped early in the second period. In the third, he got the puck off the rush, dangled middle and snuck it through Wilson, but Wilson got enough of it and was aware enough to grab the puck behind him just as it was about to go over the line. Nee also worked really well with Pellegrino and Carr, generating chances both off the rush and in the cycle.
Jack O'Connor
St. Mark's, 12/14/2005, D, right shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Canton, Ga.Â
This matchup turned into a defense and goaltending showdown and O'Connor was at the heart of it. He set an early tone when he rushed the puck on the first shift and, moments later ended up breaking up a Belmont Hill rush. He defended the rush well throughout and when stuck in his own zone, was able to clear the front of the net out. He also moved pucks cleanly and made smart, simple passes.
Grayson Cohen
Belmont Hill, 10/18/2006, D, right shot, 6-1/206
Hometown: Weston, Mass.Â
Cohen has turned into one of the best two-way defensemen in prep. Early in the first period, he had the puck next to his own net and did a spin move to get away from one forechecker and then stopped short and went the other way on another. He was able to consistently avoid pressure and get pucks up ice (or take it himself). In the offensive zone, he had a number of chances with his heavy shot. I also liked how he defended his own blue line, stepping up on St. Mark's forwards and closing gaps. I counted four college coaches at the game. I'd imagine Cohen was one of the players they were watching.
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Evan Jones
Belmont Hill, 2/9/2007, D, left shot, 5-11/180
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
NCAA: DartmouthÂ
Jones just keeps producing. His goal was all about his offensive instincts kicking in, as the puck bounced out in front of the net. Jones was already sinking down into the slot and no Lions were in front of the net, so the Dartmouth commit had all the time in the world to score low glove on goalie Justin BriseBois. Jones' calm demeanor with the puck and ability to execute a breakout in any situation has clearly translated well to prep.
Justin BriseBois
St. Mark's, 6/12/2007, G, catches left, 6-1/170
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.Â
Belmont Hill had a lot of sustained zone time, especially in the third period, but there was never a time when BriseBois was under siege or having to make acrobatic saves. The not-being-under-siege part was good interior defense; the not-having-to-make-acrobatic-saves part was due to BriseBois' positioning. The senior netminder never seemed to be out of position and was always able to cut down angles. His strong season continued.
Stephen Fabiano
Belmont Hill, 4/23/2006, D, right shot, 6-0/192
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass.Â
Fabiano can freakin' hit. The senior had some big checks throughout the game. He was able to step up and deliver clean hits that freed up pucks. He almost snuck one by BriseBois early in the second period with a shot through traffic. I also really liked his hockey IQ. In the second period, with Belmont Hill cycling, he was screaming from the point to keep the puck low as the forward came high. Often, defenders will yell that they're open at the point when they're not. That's an unselfish callout. In the third period, Fabiano noticed senior Michael Sullivan (North Andover, Mass.) had some speed so he threw a puck down ice that would've been icing, but Sullivan negated it.
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Leftover thoughts...
- While St. Mark's will likely rise above Belmont Hill in the rankings, the Sextants hemmed the Lions in their own zone for most of the third period and out-chanced them. Both teams play fast games to begin with, so Wednesday was up-tempo and back and forth as they went up and down the ice. If these two teams played a seven-game series, it would be a coin flip.
- The Belmont Hill line of Sullivan and juniors Matthew Carolan (Stow, Mass.) and Jake Tavares (Belmont, Mass.) was dominant at times. In the offensive zone, they cycled and played with such a high compete. Sullivan was great with pucks in tight and made smart decisions. That line drew a penalty late in the second period, but the team was unable to capitalize.
- The last two games have been the best I've seen Tavares look. He's playing with so much speed and his offensive instincts are helping to drive his line.
- David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.) played with an edge on Wednesday. He went for an open-ice hit on Seydi, which is no small task given Seydi is 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds. He got into it with Seydi after a whistle, too. Late in the second period, Bosco toe-dragged the puck into the slot and dinged one off the crossbar.
- Big test for St. Mark's on Saturday at St. George's. I'm not an Elite 8 algorithm expert, but I'm almost positive a win against the Dragons would put the Lions in the safe zone for the big dance.
