FOXBORO, Mass. — It was quite the ending to summer hockey.
Joe Marchi (Foxboro, Mass.) had the puck right above the face-off circle and fired a shot at goalie Carson Mertz (Coventry, R.I.), who made the initial stop. But the rebound bounced out and onto Ben Short's (Lunenburg, Mass.) stick.
Rather than take an immediate shot, Short held onto it, moving to his backhand and putting it above Mertz, giving Team Cox a 4-3, double-overtime win over Team Omicioli in the Foxboro Prep League championship.
I was at most Foxboro Prep League games this summer and Thursday night's title fight was the best. It featured a little bit of everything.
The scoring began with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half when Cole Sabourin (Cumberland, R.I.) gathered the puck in the slot and sniped a shot off the crossbar and in, putting Team Omicioli up, 1-0.
Team Cox, led by former New England Hockey Journal writer and current Youngstown Phantoms assistant general manager Jeff Cox, responded roughly nine minutes into the second half when Cam MacPherson (Hopkinton, Mass.) got a pass from Marchi in front and finished a chance past Mertz, tying the game.
Cox's team stayed hot, adding on two more before the six-minute mark. Jackson Burns (Wellesley, Mass.), an '09, put his team up, 2-1, before Liao Zhu, another '09, extended the lead to 3-1.
But Team Omicioli, led by South Shore Kings president of hockey operations Drew Omicioli, wasn't done.
With 5:35 to play in regulation, Colvin Callahan (Lexington, Mass.) hustled for a breakaway, dangled goalie Vincenzo Durso (Andover, Mass.) and slid the puck just past the goal line, cutting the lead to 3-2.
Callahan struck again with 1:18 left when he drove the net and caught a pass from Tommy Anderson (Braintree, Mass.), which he finished to tie the game, 3-3.
Before fall hockey begins, let's dive into standouts from the Foxboro Prep League championship.
Will Bent
Team Omicioli/Mount St. Charles 16U, 3/12/2008, F, right shot, 6-1/196
NCAA: Providence
Hometown: Dover, Mass.Â
Bent faced a little bit of adversity midway through the second half when one of his skate blades fell out. He came back and posted numerous scoring chances. He did the same before his blade mishap, too. He was able to effortlessly drive play and showcased such a quick release, especially in tight spaces. He was certainly one of the five best players in Foxboro this summer.
Jackson Burns
Team Cox/Belmont Hill, 9/4/2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Wellesley, Mass.Â
It's always impressive when an '09 can stand out in a group of players much older than he is. Burns had a number of scoring chances. He scored by finding a soft spot in front of the net. Moments later, he tipped a shot from Evan Handler (Walpole, Mass.) that almost went in. Earlier in the half, Burns was thwarted by Mertz twice. It was an encouraging end to the summer for Burns.
Colvin Callahan
Team Omicioli/Tabor, 2/9/2007, F, right shot, 5-10/154
Hometown: Lexington, Mass.Â
Callahan showed up when it mattered most. With his team down, 3-1, late, the former Xaverian standout earned a breakaway for his first goal and drove the net hard on his second to tie the game. In the first overtime, he had a crucial backcheck that prevented a prime scoring chance for MacPherson. Callahan will be an excellent addition for Tabor this winter.
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Gavin Callahan
Team Omicioli/Mount St. Charles 16U, 4/12/2008, D, left shot, 6-1/174
Hometown: Lexington, Mass.Â
I really liked Callahan's aggressiveness in the neutral zone when stepping up on opposing forwards, using his good stick and positioning to stifle rushes. He also made creative first passes out of his zone and rushed the puck with ease. One of my biggest takeaways from this summer: Callahan is an extremely strong and promising Division 1 prospect.
Vincenzo Durso
Team Cox/Andover High, 3/7/2008, G, catches left, 5-10/185
Hometown: Andover, Mass.Â
Durso took over in the second half after Lincoln Molind's (Middleboro, Mass.) strong first half and didn't miss a beat. Throughout the half, Durso made multiple key stops on Bent, including a beautiful glove save after the Five Nations star walked right down the slot and ripped a quick release that the Andover High goalie snagged. He also made a big stick save on a Sabourin shot that was destined for the top corner.
Paulo Gualberto Jr.
Team Omicioli/Mount St. Charles 15O, 4/9/2009, F, left shot, 5-9/174
Hometown: Barnstable, Mass.Â
Gualberto Jr., hasn't just been an '09 who's stood out at Foxboro — he's been one of the best players. He was strong on Thursday night, using his good hands and vision to drive play and navigate through the neutral zone. Midway through the first half, he used all those qualities to almost score, putting the puck through the crease. His overall patience with the puck, especially against older, stronger players in a championship game, was impressive, too.
Joe Marchi
Team Cox/Dexter Southfield, 10/30/2007, F, right shot, 5-8/170
Hometown: Foxboro, Mass.Â
Marchi was a big part of three of Team Cox's four goals. He made a great, heads-up pass to MacPherson for his team's first goal. He was part of the passing trio that led to Burns' tally. And, on the winner, Marchi took the shot that created the rebound. It was a fitting end to Marchi's summer. The former Catholic Memorial standout's shot has only gotten better and he has a high level of skill and vision. He will be one of the most intriguing '07 prospects to watch this fall and winter.
Lincoln Molind
Team Cox/Undecided, 12/4/2006, G, catches left, 6-1/174
Hometown: Middleboro, Mass.Â
Team Omicioli came out firing in the first half. It was Molind who kept Team Cox in the game, making big stops with his athleticism. Cameron Omicioli (North Smithfield, R.I.) had a point-blank chance in the slot early and Molind made the save. His biggest came when he stopped Gualberto Jr., on a breakaway and while the rebound laid there, Molind stretched across to stop Bent of knocking in the rebound. As time winded down in the half, he made a nice pad stop on Omicioli and followed it up with a great blocker save on Sabourin.
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Cole Sabourin
Team Omicioli/Mount St. Charles 16U, 1/23/2008, F, right shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Cumberland, R.I.Â
Sabourin kicked the scoring off with a snipe. He has such a quick, accurate release. He constantly drove play for his line, using his hands to get around defenders and into scoring situations. He could've easily had a second goal, but Durso robbed him with the top of his stick. Sabourin is another prospect who boosted his stock quite a bit this summer and is definitively in Division 1 territory.
