CANTON — At the end of the day, it was another two points in the bank.
The St. John’s Prep hockey team used an effective first period to take down long time rival Catholic Memorial, 4-1, Sunday at the Canton Ice House as part of the day’s Catholic Conference Showcase. In winning their eighth straight contest, the Eagles scored all four goals in the opening period, gave up just 23 shots on net, and generally controlled the flow and pace.
Yet there were times over the final two stanzas where the Eagles seemed almost nonchalant, content with their three-goal lead instead of working to increase it. While it didn’t cost them, the coaching staff made sure their players knew about it afterwards.
“When we play like we played in that small window (if the first period), we’re really effective. That’s how we’ve played a lot of this season,” said head coach Kristian Hanson, his team now 8-1. “But we didn’t carry that same effort and desire into the second and third periods. We got a little complacent.
“It’s kind of funny; you win a huge game like this, and in the locker room after th game you’re picking apart things you didn’t do well,” Hanson continued. “But that’s the point we’re at as a team.”
Sophomore winger Cooper Hosmer did show relentless drive throughout by forechecking ferociously and in the corners. For his efforts, he earned the Prep’s coveted ‘Derek Hines Helmet’ as its player of the game.
“We started off a little slow and had to make our own energy,” said the 16-year-old Hosmer. “It was about trusting each other, playing with each other … and being loud on the bench and the ice.”
“He wins every puck race, he never backs down, and he wins battles against bigger opponents,” Hanson said of Hosmer. “(He has) just an awesome mindset to never stop moving.”
Catholic Memorial (5-3-2) had more jump off the bat, putting six shots on Prep goalie AJ Farese in the first three minutes of play. One of those found twine when a defensive zone turnover was cashed in by the Knights’ Nick D’Olympio for a quick 1-0 lead 31 seconds in.
It took a few shifts, but the Eagles struck back — twice.
Mason Luciano, a first-year junior left wing, followed up a Brady Plaza shot from the left point and, in traffic, poked the puck off CM goalie Ryan Littlefield and into the net, tying the score at 3:45. Just 30 seconds later captains Christian Rosa and Jake Vana connected for the go-ahead tally, with Vana feeding Rosa.
“We weren’t ready to play when the puck dropped …. ultimately, their goal might’ve been a wakeup call for us,” said Hanson. “That’s on the coaches, the captains … we need to be ready on the road against CM in a huge Catholic Conference game. If you’re not ready to go, that’s a problem and we weren’t, so that’s something we need to fix.
“But I’ve been around the game long enough to know that goals build momentum. And not getting one but two of them really quick changed our mindset.”
Captain Johnny Tighe made it 3-1 on a well executed play. Defenseman Ryan Finn threw the puck over to fellow rearguard Mason Lomasney at the right point, and Tighe — stationed about eight feet in front of Littlefield — redirected it into the cage. It resulted in Finn’s first varsity point.
Before the period ended, senior Caleb White ripped a slapshot from between the tops of the circles high into the Knights’ net.
“That energy we got as the period went on made us happy. That’s when we’re playing our best,” said Hosmer.
Lomasney had a noticeably strong game on defense, including a play in which he laid out and poke-checked the puck away from CM superstar Connor Fryberger, preventing him from walking in alone on Farese (22 saves).
“He plays a calm, composed style,” Hanson said of Lomasney. “Sometimes as a coach you’re like, ‘Where’s the urgency?’, but the effectiveness is there. So you just have to learn to appreciate it.”
St. John’s Prep has two more Catholic Conference road games this week, starting with 10-1 St. John’s Shrewsbury Wednesday night in Marlboro before meeting BC High at UMass Boston Sunday afternoon.
St. John’s Prep 4, Catholic Memorial 1
at Canton Ice House
St. John’s Prep 4 0 0 4
Catholic Memorial 1 0 0 1
First period: CM, Nick D’Olympio (un), :31; SJP, Mason Luciano (Brady Plaza, Hunter Steiner), 3:45; SJP, Christian Rosa (Jake Vana, JR Goldstein), 4:15; SJP, Johnny Tighe (Mason Lomasney, Ryan Finn), 12:50; SJP, White (Luciano), 15:34.
Second period: No scoring.
Third period: No scoring.
Saves: SJP, AJ Farese 22; CM, Ryan Littlefield 7, John Quinn 17.
Records: SJP, 8-1; CM, 5-3-2.
Contact Phil Stacey
@PhilStacey_SN