MARLBORO, Mass. — With the Brookline Whalers up by a goal in the third period, forward Jack Fitzpatrick (Canton, Mass.) got the puck in the slot and looked to put his team up by another goal.
But Boston Junior Eagles defenseman David O'Brien (Weymouth, Mass.) closed quickly, went down and blocked the wrister. The 5-foot-6 defenseman took all of the 6-foot-5 forward's shot.
The Junior Eagles picked up the loose puck and went down the other way. The play ended in a Brendan Matthews (Westwood, Mass.) goal, which tied the game.
Momentum had shifted. The Junior Eagles built on that, eventually winning the 18U Mass. state championship, 3-1.
Right after Matthews' goal, Billy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) sniped a shot over Brookline Whalers' goalie Drew Karlovits (Cohasset, Mass.). With seven minutes to play in the third, Patrick Woods (Charlestown, Mass.) roofed a shot off an offensive zone draw, extending the lead to 3-1.
The scoring started in the first period when Brookline Whalers forward Joe Marchi (Foxboro, Mass.) one-timed a pass from Nick D'Olympio (Rockland, Mass.) past Junior Eagles goalie Tommy Saulnier (Medfield, Mass.).
With the win, the Junior Eagles earned a spot at USA Hockey 18U nationals, which are in Las Vegas from March 24-29, 2026.
Let's dive into some standouts.
Billy MacAusland
Boston Junior Eagles, 8/4/2007, F, left shot, 5-11/190
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
NCAA: BrownÂ
MacAusland took over in the third period. His shot is one of his best assets, and that was on full display when he ripped one that Karlovits didn't have much of a chance at. He got the puck by intercepting a breakout pass and converting immediately. He consistently pushed the pace in the third period, ramping up the pressure on the Whalers' defenders to force turnovers. On Woods' goal, MacAusland won the draw that freed the puck up.
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Joe Marchi
Brookline Whalers, 10/30/2007, F, right shot, 5-8/170
Hometown: Foxboro, Mass.Â
Marchi was speared late in the first period and looked to be in serious pain. That didn't stop him from being the most noticeable forward on the ice, using his speed and skill to consistently create offense. Even with the physicality in the game being high and Marchi not being the biggest guy on the ice, he was never afraid to dangle into high-danger ice. He certainly deserved that goal.
Drew Karlovits
Brookline Whalers, 8/26/2008, G, catches left, 5-9/150
Hometown: Cohasset, Mass.Â
Karlovits was the biggest reason why the Whalers held a 1-0 lead entering the third period. The former BC High goalie made several high-danger saves under pressure. Early in the first period, the Junior Eagles had two prime scoring chances shorthanded that Karlovits calmly made saves on. Late in the second, Karlovits denied Evan Jones (Arlington, Mass.) on a penalty shot.
Evan Jones
Boston Junior Eagles, 2/9/2007, D, left shot, 5-11/180
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
NCAA: DartmouthÂ
Jones was his normal, steady self on defense. He was assertive and calm on breakouts, handling the pressure coming at him and picking the right lane up ice. There were times when he was fine settling for chipping pucks off the glass, while other times, he found a player to hit with a pass up ice or skate it himself. When it came to defending, Jones was strong, too, using his great stick and high IQ to eliminate threats.
Myles Brosnan
Brookline Whalers, 10/19/2007, D, right shot, 6-1/195
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
NCAA: HarvardÂ
With NHL scouts in attendance, Brosnan had a solid game. He took smart routes on breakouts, getting away from pressure. In the offensive zone, he used his feet well to get to spots with better shooting lanes. He was a zone exit and entry machine. The game was physical, and Brosnan matched that with good checking low in his own zone.
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Tommy Broderick
Brookline Whalers, 1/21/2008, F, left shot, 6-0/200
Hometown: Norwood, Mass.Â
Broderick is a defenseman, but played up at forward on Sunday and Saturday. In the championship, Broderick got numerous scoring chances in tight, almost scoring a few times. He was able to get low in his own zone to help out defensively and then transition to offense.
