BOSTON — Catholic Memorial relentlessly pressed St. John's Shrewsbury in the final minute of regulation. With 21.3 seconds left, the Knights were rewarded.
Catholic Memorial junior defenseman James Baker (Dorchester, Mass.) pinched and kept the puck in after St. John's Shrewsbury tried to clear it. He threw it to the netfront where CM sophomore forward Christian Hinckle (Milton Mass.) laid it on a platter for senior Tommy Hurst (Hyde Park, Mass.) to fire it past SJS goalie Colin McCarthy (Worcester, Mass.) for the 4-3 lead.
The Knights held on, winning the MIAA D1 boys state title game by that score. It's their first title since 2009 and 18th all time.
The chaos of that final minute came after a chaotic third period. The final frame began tied, 2-2, but the Pioneers took a lead halfway through when junior forward Caleb Keyes (Upton, Mass.) rifled a one-timer past Catholic Memorial eighth-grade goalie Jaxson Fleming (Waltham, Mass.), making it 3-2.
But the Knights responded with just over four minutes to play in the game when senior forward Luke Long's (Braintree, Mass.) shot went off McCarthy's glove and in to tie the game, 3-3.
The scoring started late in the first period when Hinckle banked a shot from behind the net in off McCarthy with just under two minutes to play.
Then came a wild start to the second.
St. John's Shrewsbury responded less than two minutes in. Pioneers forward Tyler Bergman (Berlin, Mass.) sped through the neutral zone, got himself a breakaway and finished a shot over Fleming, making it 1-1.
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Moments later, CM senior forward Cam Reed (Norwood, Mass.) tapped in a goal off a great passing play by sophomore forward Mike Melvin (Marshfield, Mass.) and Long. But the Pioneers tied it again 35 seconds later when sophomore Ryder Bisson (Holden, Mass.) wired a shot from the point to make it 2-2.
Let's dive into some takeaways.
1. The biggest reason Catholic Memorial won this game was Fleming. With roughly two minutes left, he robbed Menyalkin on a point-blank chance from the slot. As the Pioneers pushed, he made late saves on deflections and his poise was well beyond his years. Late in the first period, he robbed St. John's Shrewsbury junior forward Brady Chenevert on a shot from the slot. Fleming's positioning was extremely strong — and the biggest reason why the Knights are champs.
2. Reed had a phenomenal game for CM. The senior assistant captain set the tone for the Knights early with a big hit. Early in the game, when both teams were playing stingy defense, he was one of the few who was able to break through St. John's defense for chances and was rewarded in the second period with a goal. He was a pain to defend low in the offensive zone. His compete was high, too, as he hustled in the neutral zone to break up plays going the other way.
3. CM freshman defenseman Colin Yandle has been dynamite over the last month, so it was only fitting that he was at his best on Sunday. The Dorchester, Mass., native was a wizard with the puck, especially at the blue line as he weaved through and around SJS defenders. He had several great scoring chances, including one from the point that just missed the top of the net. He was stout on defense, too. Midway through the first period, Menyalkin looked to have a chance all alone, but Yandle hustled and dove across to break it up.
4. While McCarthy likely wants CM's third goal back that tied the game late, it can't be understated just how incredible his run was over the last few weeks. He was the junior varsity goalie at the end of the regular season when Pioneers head coach Michael Mead, who was looking to shake his team out of a 1-9 slump, tapped him as the starter for the postseason. McCarthy made huge, key stops throughout the game, preventing potential Knights goals. He has every reason to keep his head up.
5. Bisson had a terrific game on defense for SJS. His puck-moving and skating were notable, as he settled pucks down at 5-on-5 and on power plays. His decision to shoot early on a power play resulted in a goal. In an age when MIAA defensemen often reserve to throwing pucks away, he has the right mindset with moving pucks.
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6. CM did a nice job of bottling up Menyalkin with pressure, but the Bowdoin commit still got prime chances. His best play was his effort to get Keyes the puck on the goal in the third period. That entire play was an example of how powerful Menyalkin is as a skater and playmaker.
7. Head coach Larry Rooney's team entered this season with numerous questions. The Knights lost a whole lot of talent over the last couple of seasons. They didn't have a bona fide "star" scorer and had an eighth-grader in net. How'd that turn out? After losing to Xaverian, 3-0, on Jan. 22, they never lost again, going 12-0-1 en route to a state title. They finished with a 10-game winning streak.
