MARLBORO, Mass. — Brothers Kevin and Ryder Bisson were the first two players announced in St. John's Shrewsbury's starting lineup. The defensive pair stood together at the blue line.
Once the game started, it was that defensive pairing that dragged No. 5 St. John's Shrewsbury into the fight, leading the Pioneers to a decisive, 5-1 win over No. 2 St. John's Prep.
St. John's Prep opened the scoring in the first period when junior forward Chase Brown (Gloucester, Mass.) capitalized on a puck misplay at the point, earning a shorthanded breakaway and finding the back of the net past SJS goalie Colin McCarthy (Worcester, Mass.).
While the Eagles took the lead into the first intermission, St. John's Shrewsbury quickly snagged back momentum — and it started with the Bissons.
Senior Kevin Bisson got the puck at the point and wired a shot past SJP goalie Jesse Bernardinelli (Wakefield, Mass.). Roughly four minutes later, junior Ryder Bisson did the same, getting a bit deeper in the zone and picking his spot, giving SJS a lead it never relinquished.
That lead was extended to 3-1 when sophomore forward Nico Santella (Worcester, Mass.) grabbed the puck off a mad scramble in front of the SJP net and fired it in.
Twenty-four seconds into the third period, the Pioneers set a tone when Santella got the puck off a weird bounce and netted his second of the game, making it 4-1.
The cherry on top for St. John's Shrewsbury came while killing a penalty with just under five minutes to play. Ryder Bisson went to clear the puck, but saw junior forward Jaydon Wrzosek streaking up ice. Bisson hit him with a perfect pass, and Wrzosek went in and sniped one past Bernardinelli, making it 5-1.
St. John's Shrewsbury improved to 6-2-0 with the win, while St. John's Prep fell to 4-1-2.
Let's dive into some standouts.
Ryder Bisson
St. John's Shrewsbury, 8/4/2009, D, left shot, 6-1/176
Hometown: Holden, Mass.Â
Bisson was dominant. On his goal, he came off the wall, dangled to the high slot and ripped a quick snapshot. In the offensive zone, Bisson was a fantastic facilitator, utilizing his skating and speed to maneuver around the zone effectively. He did the same in the defensive zone. He eluded forechecking pressure and was calm with pucks, as was evident on Wrzosek's goal. Most defensemen instinctively fire that puck out of the zone because they're killing the penalty, but Bisson settled it down and created a shorthanded goal. Overall, Bisson looked a step above everyone else.
Kevin Bisson
St. John's Shrewsbury, 6/14/2008, D, right shot, 5-10/185
Hometown: Holden, Mass.Â
More Bisson. His goal was all about one subtle play: a little shimmy to his left to change the shooting angle, enabling it to get past the wing covering him and get to the net. He was elusive and able to create offense. On one sequence, he spun away from a defender to space, hitting a teammate across the zone with a pass. He also assisted on Santella's second goal.
READ MORE:Â Latest boys prep rankings
Nico Santella
St. John's Shrewsbury, sophomore, F, left shot
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.Â
It was a heck of a night for the sophomore. Both of Santella's goals came from his being unafraid to go to the dirty areas and playing with pace to put himself in a position to score. He was hard on the forecheck all night. On one sequence in the third period, a St. John's Prep forward had speed through the neutral zone and looked to enter the defensive end, but Santella stepped up and negated the zone entry.
Jaydon Wrzosek
St. John's Shrewsbury, 6/23/2009, F, right shot, 5-8/145
Hometown: Charlton, Mass.Â
Wrzosek was dynamic as the Pioneers' No. 1 center. He's a good skater with very good skill. He took smart routes with the puck into and around the offensive zone, and did the same on the forecheck. His goal, which came shorthanded, showcased his speed and quick, accurate shot. He's a prospect I'm intrigued to watch throughout the season.
Colin McCarthy
St. John's Shrewsbury, 9/30/2008, G, catches left, 6-1/155
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.Â
McCarthy's poise and positioning stood out the most. No matter how much St. John's Prep was cycling, McCarthy never panicked or overcommitted. His rebound control was good, too, as he corralled shots from out high and often didn't let SJP forwards get second chances. His best save came on a breakaway by SJP senior Anthony Petruccelli (Lynnfield, Mass.). McCarthy read the shot and turned it away with his pad.
Conor Secrist
St. John's Shrewsbury, 3/17/2007, D, left shot, 6-3/200
Hometown: Southboro, Mass.
NCAA: Navy (baseball)Â
I wouldn't want to cut to the middle on Secrist. The Navy baseball commit was always heavily defending the front of his own net. At one point, St. John's Prep senior defenseman JR Goldstein (Lynnfield, Mass.) cut middle, but picked his head up at the last second and avoided a big collision. Midway through the second, Secrist stepped up and laid a major hit on Brown in the neutral zone. Secrist made life hard on SJP forwards, going to the front of the net all night.
READ MORE: Top boys prep performers from New Year's tournaments and games
Blake Ward
St. John’s Prep, 2010, F, left shot, 5-7/145
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.Â
It's no secret: This wasn't St. John's Prep's night. But I thought Ward showed some good flashes, building on my last viewing of him, which was in the Pete Frates Winter Classic championship. At the end of the first period, he went end-to-end on a power play, which resulted in a scoring chance. His hands and confidence with the puck, as well as his deception, were impressive.
