The MIAA boys hockey championships did not disappoint on Sunday.
There were stunning upsets (I'm looking at you, Nashoba), last-minute goals (yes, that's you, Pope Francis) and overtime thrillers (looking back at you, Nashoba, and you too, Norwell).
Along with exciting action, many big players rose to the top.
Here is the all-championship day team for MIAA boys hockey.
Forward: Josh Iby, Pope Francis
Iby had quite the day for the Cardinals. In the first period, he one-timed a missile past Xaverian goalie Cole Pouliot-Porter to tie the game, 1-1. Then, with 25.6 seconds left in the game and the score knotted, 2-2, he flew down the right side of the zone and got a pass from Mossy Kearney. That's when Iby tipped it into the back of the net, sending the Pope Francis fan section into a frenzy. His presence down the middle was massive for Pope Francis, as he drove play, too. Not a bad day for the senior.
Forward: Tim Ward, Norwell
Ward stood out all game for Norwell. He always seemed to be earning zone entries for Norwell, but he couldn't quite find the scoresheet. That was until overtime came and Ward showed off his dazzling speed and skill to sift through the Sandwich defensive zone and backhand a shot past Sandwich goalie Mitchell Norkevicius to give Norwell the state title.
Forward: Joseph Quinn, Nashoba
Nashoba, the No. 11-ranked team in Division 3, stunned Scituate in the championship. That was in large part due to Quinn, who factored into both goals in the 2-1 win. On the first goal, he made a great pass to teammate Sam Mongeon to make the game 1-0 in the first period. Quinn's biggest play came in overtime when he found a soft spot in the defensive zone and backhanded a shot into the back of the net, giving Nashoba the state title.
Defense: James Young, Canton
Young was a catalyst for Canton in its 4-1 win over Hopkinton. The defenseman moved the puck well and was setting up goals all game long — that was evident in his three assists. He also had no problem getting his shot through from the point.
Defense: Dylan Mansur, Hopkinton
Yeah, I know — picking a player from a losing team is controversial. But Mansur was one of the most noticeable players I saw all day Sunday. His poise and patience with the puck were impressive. His breakouts were squeaky clean and it seemed like he never left the ice. It's easy to understand why. Mansur, a senior, finished the season with eight goals and 21 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Pope Francis wins D1 | Canton wins D2 | Nashoba wins D3 | Norwell wins D4
Goalie: Nick Ritchie, Pope Francis
Ritchie's run to get to the Garden was impressive in and of itself, especially with his win in the semifinals against No. 1 St. John's Prep. The sophomore brought his best again on Sunday when he took down Xaverian and narrowly got the best of the spectacular Pouliot-Porter. While Pope Francis outshot Xaverian, 31-17, Xaverian had some terrific chances that Ritchie turned aside. He's small, but his quickness and ability to track pucks were impressive. His best saves came late in the third period when he stopped Xaverian forward Gavin Moynihan twice in the slot. Moynihan cut to the middle and had two high-danger chances that Ritchie turned aside.
