MIDDLETON, Mass. — Pope Francis took down St. John's Prep, 4-1, in the 10th annual Pete Frates Winter Classic championship game.
It was the fourth and final game of a two-day showcase featuring BC High and Central Catholic. Pope Francis beat Central Catholic, 3-0, in the first game on Friday, while St. John's Prep narrowly beat BC High, 2-1, in a thriller that featured a final-minute, game-winning goal.
BC High beat Central Catholic, 3-1, in Saturday's consolation game.
The tournament offered a great look at four MIAA Division 1 contenders. St. John's Prep is the reigning Div. 1 champ and was our preseason No. 1 team. Pope Francis won the Div. 1 title in 2023 and opened the season at No. 2.
BC High will be in and around the top 10 all season, while Central Catholic projects to be a tough out in March.
It's still early in the season. Lots can change between now and the tournament. But Friday and Saturday offered great looks at some high-end MIAA prospects.
Let's dive in.
Cam Berry
BC High, 3/23/2007, D, left shot
Hometown: Abington, Mass.Â
Berry showcased a lot of confidence with the puck in every situation. He broke pucks out of his zone with poise. He kept his head up when he transitioned through neutral ice and found creative ways to move pucks up ice. Against St. John's Prep on Friday, his shot from the point led to senior forward Chris Brennick (South Boston, Mass.) scoring late. Berry also had underrated hands, at one point dangling a St. John's Prep forward so hard he fell. The senior used his good skating to put himself in optimal situations.
He would make a good prep postgrad player if he chose to go that route.
Nick Burns
Pope Francis, 12/25/2006, F, left shot, 5-11/185
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.Â
Burns was a force against Central Catholic with his hard forechecks, ability to finish every hit and cause chaos that resulted in scoring chances around the opposing net. But it was in the final that Burns logged his greatest impact. He scored his team's first goal, showing a relentless compete in front of the net to knock in a rebound. In the third period, he fired a heads-up, cross-zone pass to Joe Orszulak for the junior to one-time past St. John's Prep goalie AJ Farese.
Joseph Chianciola
Pope Francis, 2009, D, left shot
Chianciola showed a lot of promise as a freshman, top-pairing defenseman. His vision and passing stood out the most. Against St. John's Prep, his shot from the point causes a net-front scramble and Nick Burns' goal, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. He logged a secondary assist on Joe Orszulak's goal against SJP later in the game. On power plays, Chianciola was able to identify and create his own passing lanes.
Kevin Correa
St. John's Prep, 12/7/2007, D, right shot
Hometown: Georgetown, Mass.Â
Correa was St. John's Prep's most stable, reliable defender over both games. His most notable moment came against Pope Francis when his shot from the point was tipped by Brandon Ward to tie the game, 1-1. Correa was a calm, creative puck-mover in all situations. Whether it was on breakouts, in the neutral zone or in the offensive zone, Correa never rushed himself and had good awareness of pressure. He's a good skater who used his edges well to get to space. He also knew when to join the rush and pitch in deep in the offensive zone.
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Griffin Faherty
BC High, 8/1/2006, D, left shot, 6-5/194
Hometown: Hanover, Mass.Â
In the first half of the game, Faherty showed himself to be a reliable shutdown defender, but his plays with the puck mostly consisted of trying to get it out of his end. Faherty showed a lot more poise in the second half, taking his time on breakouts and looking for outlet passes rather than throwing it up the boards. He defended well, using his reach to limit St. John's Prep from moving pucks easily.
Troy Hamelin
Pope Francis, 6/8/2009, F, left shot, 6-0/163
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.Â
Hamelin fits the bill of high-end MIAA prospects with intriguing ceilings. He scored off the rush in the championship game when he drove the net on a 2-on-1. He drove play and used his body to protect pucks well in transition and deep in the offensive zone. Against Central Catholic, he had a nice behind-the-back pass to Wolfgang Zinger (what a name) in front of the net for a chance. He also led his line on set plays on offensive zone draws that he won. His skating and skill helped him get out away and around pressure.
Hamelin had three assists this summer at USA Hockey's Select 15 Camp.
JR Goldstein
St. John's Prep, 8/28/2007, D, left shot, 6-0/170
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass.Â
While Goldstein was much better against Central Catholic than in the final against Pope Francis, he's still on the ice in all situations for head coach Kristian Hanson and the leader on defense. He was confident with pucks, especially in his own zone. He used his skating and edgework to turn away from pressure and find space to make plays. He also made life hard on opposing forwards by finishing hits.
Keegan Hunt
Central Catholic, 1/16/2008, D, right shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: Lowell, Mass.Â
Hunt was the most effective playmaker for Central Catholic. Against Pope Francis, Hunt showed poise with the puck, which is always an elite trait for MIAA defensemen. He was creative in his zone exits, always looking for passing lanes and not wanting to throw the puck away for the sake of getting it out of the zone. He made good reads, such as when he got down and blocked a pass on a 2-on-1 against the Cardinals. He also had no issue with getting down and blocking high-danger chances in front of his own net.
Since Hunt is only a junior, I'm intrigued to see how he progresses the rest of this season and as a senior next season.
Mason Luciano
St. John's Prep, 8/27/2007, F, left shot, 5-8/160
Hometown: Salem, Mass.Â
Luciano entered the season as SJP's most established forward from last season. While I didn't have him down for any points, he consistently drove play with his speed and skill. He was always involved in offensive zone sequences, especially around the net. He hit the crossbar on a chance early against BC High and against Pope Francis, he backhanded a shot just wide of a relatively open net with eight seconds to play in the second period.
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Michael McGrath
Pope Francis, 3/14/2007, F, right shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Wilbraham, Mass.Â
Pope Francis will go as far as McGrath takes them this season. He was the heartbeat of the Cardinals over the two games. His compete was evident on shorthanded forechecks, as he did his best to get in and stifle Central Catholic and St. John's Prep power play breakouts. He created offense with his high IQ and ability to get to dirty areas. He was the Cardinal to finally break through against Central Catholic when he went hard to the front of the net and wouldn't be denied on a rebound.
Max Monroe
Pope Francis, 3/11/2008, D, right shot, 6-0/175
Hometown: Ellington, Conn.Â
When Pope Francis was struggling to score against Central Catholic, it was Monroe who had his team's best chances. Early in the second period, he blocked a shot at the point, got a breakaway and drew a penalty. Later in the period, he rushed the puck and used his hands to deke a defender and ding the post with a shot. Monroe played a heavy game that made life difficult on opposing forwards.
Logan Sheedy
Central Catholic, 11/17/2006, G, catches left, 6-1/154
Hometown: Dracut, Mass.Â
Pope Francis dominated the first two periods against Central Catholic, but the score remained 0-0. That was mainly due to Sheedy, who was stout in net. He robbed Hamelin midway through the second period when the Pope Francis forward came out of the corner and got a Grade-A look. He showcased a good glove and, despite giving up three to the Cardinals, made various big saves in the final frame.
Brandon Ward
St. John's Prep, 12/11/2007, F, right shot, 5-9/153
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.Â
Ward played like a breakout star this weekend. Against BC High, Ward was the one who took the puck hard to the net, which led to Sam Croke putting the rebound in and giving St. John's Prep a 1-0 lead midway through the third. Ward's biggest moment came with 23.1 seconds left when he sniped the eventual game-winner over goalie Drew Karlovits' blocker. Ward followed that up by scoring his team's only goal on Saturday. The junior can fly, which helped him push the pace and drive play.
Takeaways...
- It's clear St. John's Prep isn't the same power it was last season (at least not yet). There are lots of new faces in prominent roles. But Hanson's team consistently tried to make plays. His defensemen looked to move pucks and jumpstart the breakout rather than chucking pucks off the glass. His forwards pressured in the offensive zone and looked for high-danger ice. Are the Eagles perfect? Far from it. But they will steadily improve throughout the season. Don't be surprised when they're playing their best hockey in March.
- Pope Francis is deep. Head coach Brian Foley has three lines he can put out in any situation. Those lines forechecked like dogs on raw meat, which caused chaos on breakouts. While there isn't a favorite in Division 1 yet, Pope Francis is the closest thing to one.
- BC High didn't have a go-to guy on offense, but the Eagles make up for it with high compete and scrappiness on offense. They're physical and against St. John's Prep, stifled the Eagles' breakout with a strong forecheck. Head coach John Flaherty's team is a good candidate to push deep into the Div. 1 playoffs.
- Against Pope Francis, Central Catholic was good defensively. Yes, the dam broke and three goals were scored late in the third. But up until then, good goaltending combined with defending the interior kept the Cardinals off the board. It's easier said than done, but if head coach DJ Conte's team can always trot out that kind of defensive effort, they'll be in good shape.
