MIAA tournament: 10 takeaways from the Round of 32

There weren’t a lot of surprising results in any of the four brackets after the Round of 32 in the MIAA hockey tournament.

The only real upset that caused people to do a double-take was in Division 1 where No. 8 BC High fell to No. 25 Arlington Catholic, 3-2. Other than that, things pretty much went chalk as the four divisional tournaments enter the Sweet 16.

Defending champion and top-seeded St. John’s Prep made headlines with its 11-0 thumping of No. 33 Lexington. Calls for the return of the Super 8 and questions about why so many teams were in the field became the talk around the rink and on social media.

There were a number of other blowouts in Division 1's Round of 32, but there were a few notable close games. No. 6 Arlington needed overtime to put away No. 27 Westford Academy. Heavily favored Braintree and Marshfield both avoided disaster with 1-0 wins over Weymouth and Needham.

MIAA TOURNAMENT BRACKETS/RESULTS: Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 | Division 4

In Division 2, defending champ and top-seeded Tewksbury eked out a 2-1 win with the game-winning goal coming with just 37 seconds left.

I’ve watched four games so far in tournaments from Division 1 and Division 2. Here are 10 takeaways from the action:

1. I loved the Super 8 and it certainly provided great theater and exposure for the top hockey players in the MIAA. I’m a proponent of bringing it back, but there is something to be said for the excitement of the current single-elimination format.
2. Blowouts aren’t exactly a novel concept in various tournaments’ first rounds across high school and college sports. However, upsets like Arlington Catholic knocking off BC High make tournament time as exciting as it is. Here’s betting that the games will be closer from here on out.
3. The new format with the higher seed having home ice advantage for the first two rounds has its advantages and disadvantages. Selfishly, it makes it harder to see multiple games at a neutral site. One huge advantage is the electric atmosphere at some of the games. I was fortunate enough to take in Reading’s 4-1 win over Middlesex League rival Woburn. As I’ve said a number of times, the Rockets’ fanbase is second to none in the MIAA. It was on full display Wednesday night, but Woburn fans came out in droves, as well.
4. Lowell Catholic '08 freshman goaltender Vinnie D’Urso almost pulled off the improbable in Division 2. After shutting out Haverhill in the preliminary round, D’Urso made over 50 saves and was the hard-luck loser in a 2-1 decision against No. 1 Tewksbury in the Round of 32. The game was tied until 37 seconds left. D’Urso was one of the most valuable players in all of the MIAA circuit this winter.
5. I wasn’t there, but Arlington Catholic sophomore goaltender Patrick Clair was a big reason the Cougars upset BC High. He has stolen a number of games for first-year head coach Curt Colarullo’s team. Clair put on a couple of impressive performances in the fall for the North Shore Wings 16U. An '06, Clair is a goaltender to watch over the coming years.
6. I took in Wakefield’s come-from-behind 2-1 overtime win over Plymouth North on Thursday at O’Brien Rink in Woburn. The Warriors clinched the victory on senior Matt Elwell’s tally late in the first overtime. I’ve seen Wakefield a few times this season, but it was my first viewing of Plymouth North. Junior right wing Sean Hallisey scored the only goal for the Eagles. He was big, moved well, protected pucks, and was dangerous each time he hopped over the boards. For Wakefield, senior defenseman Joe Colliton must have logged over 40 minutes of ice time.
7. St. John’s Shrewsbury falls under the radar of all the teams in the Catholic Conference. Daniel Menyalkin and Dominic Reidy, a pair of sophomore forwards, are worth watching for prep school coaches looking for players for future years. Both played a key role in the Pioneers’ victory over Winchester in the Round of 32.
8. While there weren’t many matchups on paper that stood out in the Round of 32, outside of Reading’s tussle with Woburn, that’s hardly the case as the tournament moves to the Sweet 16. Franklin vs. Marshfield, Hingham vs. Reading, Xaverian vs. Belmont and Braintree vs. Arlington are all marquee matchups.
9. What matchup could lead to an upset? While I think any of the results could be best considered a mild upset, I wouldn’t pick against Marshfield, but Franklin is hot and is better than a typical No. 12 seed.
10. One thing to watch for that doesn’t have to do with play on the ice is a potential winter storm that could disrupt Friday and Saturday games, especially outside the 128 belt. Here’s hoping games continue to be played in front of large and boisterous crowds.

PREDICTIONS: Who will win the MIAA boys' hockey championships?