MIDDLETON — Rather than seeking revenge, the St. John’s Prep hockey team took a different tact Saturday and wanted to avenge from its loss to league rival St. John’s of Shrewsbury two-and-a-half weeks earlier.
Playing with a fully healthy lineup for the first time all season, the Eagles accomplished their goal as five different goal scorers paved the way for a 5-2 triumph over the Pioneers at the Essex Sports Center.
“They beat us at their place (5-1) on January 7, so it was our chance to turn the tables,” said junior winger Tim McColgan, who scored his first career goal late in the second period to give St. John’s Prep a 2-0 lead.
Now 7-3-2 after their third straight win, the Eagles outshot their opponents, 15-1, in a dominant second period to take a two-goal lead into the second intermission. Two more strikes early in the third period, off the sticks of McColgan’s linemate, Anthony Petruccelli, and senior captain and defenseman JR Goldstein, doubled that advantage and helped secure the victory.
The line of McColgan, center Christian Coleman and Petruccelli — who had prior chemistry together, having played half a season with the North Shore Wings’ fall team —accounted for five points on the day and were the Eagles’ best performers.
“Great play out of Coleman’s line,” said St. John’s Prep head coach Kristian Hanson, whose team came into the contest ranked sixth in the latest Division 1 power rankings (the Pioneers had been ranked fourth). “Timmy not only got his first goal but had several other great opportunities and was go-go-go the entire game. Petsy (Petruccelli) also had a terrific game and that goal early in the third period was a big one, with a two-goal lead becoming three and giving us a huge lift. And Christian (2 assists) was buzzing, too.
“When they beat us earlier this month, that was our first 4-goal loss since December 2019. That meant something to us,” Hanson continued. “That was the first of three straight losses, so we knew this game was coming back around, and we wanted to come out and give a better effort.”
Nathan Michaud, the Eagles’ senior goaltender, held the Pioneers (now 8-5) off the scoresheet for the first 43 minutes of play. He finished with 20 saves.
A power play goal by junior defenseman Sefton Paradis, a wrister from the left point, gave St. John’s Prep a 1-0 lead after one. Some great work by McColgan with a minute-and-a-half to play before the second period concluded, where he came out of the right corner with the puck, attacked the net and sniped it home, allowed the Eagles to head into the room up a pair.
“It was very exciting,” the 17-year-old McColgan, still beaming ear-to-ear after the game, said. “Our line worked hard to keep possession of the puck, and once I got it I just drove towards the crease and put it on net, hoping something good would happen. It did.”
Petruccelli and Goldstein (who scored for the fifth straight game and has a team-leading 9 tallies) extended the lead in the third before the Pioneers finally cashed in. Captain Brandon Ward got it back for the hosts four minutes later, and a final goal by the visitors with less than a second to play accounted for the final score.
Andrew Macaulay also had two assists for the winners.
“We were much more aggressive on the forecheck today, had that great second period with a ton of possession down their end, and we were able to wear them down,” Hanson said. “We’ve been trending in the right direction since the Xaverian game (two weeks ago). We’re certainly not where we need to be — there’s a long way to go — but this was an important step for us to take.”
Before the game, the Eagles held a moment of silence for former team scout and goalie coach John Doto Jr., who died unexpectedly last summer at age 57.
St. John’s Prep has another huge test Wednesday at home (4:20 p.m.) against the defending Division 1 state champions from Catholic Memorial. The Knights defeate the Eagles, 5-3, on Jan. 11 in Allston.
St. John’s Prep, 5, St. John’s Shrewsbury 2
at Essex Sports Center, Middleton
St. John’s Shrewsbury;0;0;2;2
St. John’s Prep;1;1;3;5
First period: SJP, Sefton Paradis (Gavin Anderson, Andrew Macaulay), ppg, 9:09.
Second period: SJP, Tim McColgan (Anthony Petruccelli), 15:22.
Third period: SJP, Petruccelli (Christian Coleman), 6:09; SJP, JR Goldstein (Coleman), 7:45; SJS, Matthew Mischel (Brady Cheneveret, Brayden Reidy), 9:09; SJP, Brandon Ward (Macaulay, Anderson), 13:24; SJS, Connor Secrist (Reidy), 16:59.
Saves: SJS, Colin McCarthy 34; SJP, Nathan Michaud 20.
Records: SJP, 7-3-2; SJS, 8-5-0.