BOSTON — In a highly-anticipated, top-10 clash, No. 3 Arlington took down No. 7 Catholic Memorial, 2-0, on Tuesday afternoon.
Until the 9:23 mark of the third period, it was 0-0, with Catholic Memorial mostly in the driver's seat. Arlington, however, struck first when sophomore forward JP Messuri found the back of the net. Under two minutes later, junior forward Nolan Russell extended the Spy Ponders' lead, making it 2-0.
The win improved Arlington's record to 4-1-0, while Catholic Memorial fell to 4-3-0.
Let's dive into some standouts and takeaways.
Nolan Russell
Arlington, 6/12/2007, F, left shot, 5-9/155
This was the Nolan Russell game. The junior was already having a strong game but took over in the third period. It started with his nice set-up in front of the net on Messuri's goal. Then, he picked off a CM breakout pass, went in alone and beat CM goalie Jaxson Fleming low blocker to extend his team's lead. Throughout the game, Russell showcased a high IQ in reading what CM was doing and going to do. He also always knew where to be. His chemistry with Messuri in every situation was outstanding.
JP Messuri
Arlington, 6/19/2008, F, left shot, 5-5/155Â
Messuri's goal was nice. He found some space at the back post and fired in a pass from Russell, scoring the eventual game-winner. The little things he did helped Arlington keep the game tied. He showed off his high compete in his own zone to win puck battles. There was one play that Messuri made that really caught my attention. It was a simple saucer pass to open space for his winger to skate into in the offensive zone. It had no real impact on the game and it was at the end of the first period. But it highlighted just how smart Messuri is.
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John Snider
Arlington, 2026 graduation, G, catches left
Snider was under siege for much of the first and third periods. Late in the first period, he denied senior forward James Willett on a chance from in tight. He made a massive stop on sophomore forward Christian Hinckle while on the power play midway through the second period. Snider was aggressive throughout the afternoon, coming out to cut down angles and not being afraid of being right outside his crease. That can be a dangerous game, but it paid off on Tuesday.
Dan Antonellis
Catholic Memorial, 1/22/2008, F, right shot
Hometown: Belmont, Mass.Â
What stood out the most with Antonellis were his hands. The Belmont, Mass., native showed great skill both on the rush and in the cycle game. He had a great sequence midway through the first period when he dangled through and around Arlington defenders, cut back towards the point and communicated with the strong-side defenseman to go towards the slot where he hit him with a pass. CM had some long offensive zone sequences and Antonellis was usually a part of them.
Colin Yandle
Catholic Memorial, 10/15/2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.Â
Yandle caught people's attention as an eighth-grader last year and was always one of the better players on the 15O Boston Junior Eagles. Along with being a very good skater, Yandle was aggressive in the neutral zone on Tuesday, stepping up to break up plays and transition the other way. He was crafty with the puck at the point and was always trying to find shooting lanes.
James Baker
Catholic Memorial, 2026 graduation, D, right shot
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.Â
Baker showed himself as a reliable, stable presence for the Knights on defense. He moved pucks well and looked to make the simple play. He showcased a heavy shot and was always shot-ready for one-timers at the point. Until Messuri gave Arlington a 1-0 lead, Baker had the game's best chance when his shot from the point hit Snider, went in the air and the Arlington netminder lost track of it for a second.
Christian Hinckle
Catholic Memorial, 2027 graduation, D, left shot
Hometown: Milton, Mass.Â
Hinckle used his hands and skill to earn some of the Knights' best scoring chances. His first big one was shorthanded late in the second period. He showed a lot of patience to wait until he could cut middle on the Arlington defender and get a shot off from high-danger ice. Early in the third period, he used his hands to get around an Arlington defender and get a 2-on-1 with Antonellis that resulted in a scoring chance.
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Takeaways...
- This was a classic public school win over a private school. Catholic Memorial was in control for most of the game. If someone tracked time on attack, it would overwhelmingly be for the Knights. Head coach Larry Rooney's team more than doubled Arlington's shots on net. But the Spy Ponders held on with gritty, structured defense and capitalized on opportunities when they mattered at the other end. Was it a pretty win? No. But Arlington proved why we have them at No. 4 in our rankings.
- I had my questions about CM after it lost a lot of talent the last two seasons. But Rooney's team has a high amount of skill for the MIAA. Sure, they didn't score on Tuesday. But the chances were there and they weren't all off the rush. The Knights cycled the puck well and utilized their defensemen at the point.
- It's impressive as heck that Fleming is starting for CM as an eighth-grader. He had a really good day. Prior to Arlington's two goals, he made two high-danger saves. He also was aggressive and used his stick to cut off Russell from getting to the front of the net with the puck. Throughout the game, he tracked pucks well from far out. To show that much poise and confidence as a '10 was incredible.
- Fleming is also a great example of why goalies need to go where they're going to play. Granted, most eighth-graders aren't starting for their high school team. But this season, which is a pivotal age, should do wonders for his development.
- People always wonder why Arlington is consistently good every year, why they bring in almost all of the talent from the town and retain it for longer than most other towns. Here's a reason: kids in Arlington grow up wanting to be Spy Ponders. Right behind the bench sat 7-10 kids who couldn't have been older than 10 years old. When Russell scored, one of them screamed, "Nolan!" Maybe those kids were siblings or maybe they were just some Arlington kids off from school. Either way, those kids are going to grow up and want to be Spy Ponders.
- CM did a really nice job of honoring team manager and former hockey player Jack Aalto, who recently had a heart transplant. All proceeds from the game will be donated to New England Donor Services, which coordinates organ and tissue donation throughout New England.
