BOSTON — Third time was the charm for Xaverian.
After losing to Catholic Memorial in both regular-season matchups, Xaverian goalie Cole Pouliot-Porter brought his best, backstopping his squad, the seventh seed, to a 2-1 win over the No. 2 Knights in a playoff game on Wednesday.
It's the second straight year the Hawks have a spot in the final four. Xaverian will play No. 14 Reading for a chance to go back to TD Garden and the Division 1 state final.
Catholic Memorial was all over Xaverian in the offensive zone early, but with 2:02 to play in the opening frame, Xaverian sophomore left wing Devin Gosciak found himself on a 2-on-1 with linemate Colvin Callahan.
Gosciak's shot bounced off CM goalie Owen Watson's pad and onto the stick of Callahan, who deposited the goal, giving Xaverian a 1-0 lead and all the momentum.
That momentum continued into the second period when Xaverian sophomore Jackson Morse capitalized on a CM turnover, brought the puck into CM's zone and let a missile go over Watson and into the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0.
Xaverian spent the rest of the game protecting that two-goal lead.
MIAA TOURNAMENT BRACKETS/RESULTS:Â Division 1Â |Â Division 2Â |Â Division 3Â |Â Division 4
Catholic Memorial head coach Larry Rooney pulled Watson with 2:59 to play and the Knights kept the puck in the Xaverian zone for almost the entire balance of the game.
With 44.5 seconds left, CM earned a glimmer of hope when senior defenseman Finn Burke's shot was tipped by sophomore Tyler Hamilton and past Pouliot-Porter to cut the Xaverian lead to 2-1.
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But Xaverian held on to win one of the most exciting games of the season, continuing the trend of upsets in the MIAA boys Division 1 bracket.
Here are standouts from the game, as well as some takeaways.
Cole Pouliot-Porter
Xaverian, 7/24/06, G, catches left, 5-9/168Â
In the MIAA state tournament, a hot goalie can single-handedly beat a much better team. On Wednesday night, Pouliot-Porter was the reason Xaverian won. CM came out and dominated the first period, but Pouliot-Porter denied the Knights' attack time and time again. He stopped two 2-on-1s and multiple point-blank chances in the first 15 minutes, the best coming in the final moments when he stopped three chances right around his net. He was square to shooters and his athleticism allowed him to make some unbelievable saves.
EARLY ON: Here are 10 takeaways from the Round of 32
The best save came on a 2-on-1 in the second period. CM senior forward Mike Birch sifted a pass over to senior Brendan MacNeil who looked to have a wide-open net. But Pouliot-Porter reached across and made a magnificent glove save.
Joe Di Martino
Xaverian, 5/16/05, RW, right shot, 5-9/179Â
What didn't Di Martino do? A team captain, Di Martino left it all on the ice and did everything he could to make sure Wednesday night wasn't his last in a Xaverian sweater. He drove play and created chances, like when he dangled through two CM defenders and almost scored. He forechecked hard, like when he hit CM senior forward Connor Fryberger so hard that Fryberger's helmet flew off, which got a rise out of the Xaverian student section. In the third period, he dove out and blocked a shot from the point. Di Martino earned the right to play another round.
Jackson Morse
Xaverian, sophomore, RW, right shot
Morse's goal was nice — the sophomore sniped one over Watson, which was the eventual game-winner. When his number was called, he was hard on the forecheck, helping to create chances for his linemates. He also drove play well, gaining zone entries for Xaverian a few times.
Tyler Hamilton
Catholic Memorial, 12/7/06, C/RW, right shot, 5-11/180Â
The Framingham, Mass., native used his speed and quickness to create off the rush and drive play for his line. His speed also helped him while killing penalties, such as when he earned a scoring chance shorthanded in the second period. Hamilton's two-way game continues to get better, as he broke up a handful of plays in his own zone with hustle and smart positioning.
Joe Marchi
Catholic Memorial, 10/30/07, RW, right shot, 5-7/154Â
Marchi played on the right side of Hamilton on Wednesday and for most of the season. Marchi showcased his skill against Xaverian, as he made plays happen in the offensive zone and got shots to the net. Only a freshman, Marchi's stock rose a lot this year.
FULL BRACKET: Check out the full bracket for the MIAA D1 boys tournamentÂ
Takeaways and leftover thoughts
1. Catholic Memorial controlled almost all of the first period, but that wasn't the case all night. In the second and third, CM certainly had some long offensive zone sequences, but Xaverian responded with good rushes and offensive zone time of its own.
2. Yes, No. 1 St. John's Prep won its part of the bracket and so did No. 4 Pope Francis. But on the other side? Wow — what a year for upsets. No. 7 Xaverian against No. 14 Reading in the final four isn't the matchup most had in mind for this point in the playoffs. But both have worked incredibly hard to get here.
3. It cannot be overstated just how great Pouliot-Porter was against CM. In three games this postseason, the junior goalie has only allowed four goals.
4. Hamilton and Marchi are both interesting prospects to watch over the spring, summer and fall to see how they develop. So is CM freshman forward Nick D'Olympio.
5. Warrior Ice Arena was packed over 30 minutes before the 7 p.m. start. Eventually, spectators were two and three rows deep around the glass and on the concourse. The atmosphere lived up to the hype.
