MIDDLETON — Two teams that figure to be near the top of the state when the final Division 1 rankings come out in late February battled for 55 minutes Wednesday night at the Essex Sports Center in their respective season openers.
In the end, nothing concrete was decided.
Down a pair of goals early, St. John’s Prep came back to take a pair of one-goal leads, only to see Hingham respond both times as the two long-time rivals skated to a 4-4 stalemate before a festive holiday crowd.
“We discussed in the (locker room) that we’re not sure who’s going to fill what roles and who’ll step up in big situations,” St. John’s Prep veteran head coach Kristian Hanson said. “We’re learning as we go along, the coaches and players.”
Senior right wing Luke Horenstein had a pair of goals and an assist for St. John’s Prep, with linemate Drew Macaulay netting one of his own and dishing out one assist. Junior defenseman Sefton Paradis also scored once and had one assist.
After Hingham tied the game with six minutes left in regulation, St. John’s Prep took its second lead of the evening when Macaulay went left to right across the crease and slammed the puck home, with Horenstein and Kevin Correa assisting. The go-ahead marker came with 4:25 to go.
But the Harbormen kept battling and tied it at 4-4 when Brendan McCarthy took a fed while rushing the goal mouth and put a shot up top over Eagles netminder Nathan Michaud (21 saves).
St. John’s Prep had all four of the shots on goal during overtime, but Hingham’s James Whitmore (33 saves) turned the quartet of chances away.
John Walsh and Aiden Rotundo gave the visiting Harbormen a quick 2-0 lead by scoring 31 seconds apart midway through the first period. From there, though, the Eagles buckled down and managed to tie it up heading into the first intermission.
Horenstein got things started with a rebound goal 11 minutes into the opening frame. Paradis put a shot on net from the left post that was tipped out front by Macaulay. The rebound bounced right onto Horenstein’s stick for the easy putback.
“Luke played limited varsity time a year ago and got bumped up into a position where he’s allowed to get more minutes,” said Hanson. “Getting two goals tonight, he’s pretty good around the net. It’s what we hoped to get out of him.”
The Eagles made the most of a quick 5-on-3 power play before the period ended, cashing in with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock. This time it was Paradis who wired a shot from the right point into the opposite far corner of the Hingham cage after taking a cross-ice pass from captain JR Goldstein at the opposite point. Fellow captain Brandon Ward had the secondary assist.
“We get down 2-0 early and that really tested our resolve,” said Hanson. “It was nice to see guys step up and score those goals to tie it.”
Dominating the second period by a 12-5 shot count and skating much better than they did in the first period, St. John’s Prep grabbed the lead with 1:27 to go in the second stanza. It was Horenstein again, this time lifting a Hingham defenseman’s stick off an offensive zone faceoff to gain possession and beating goalie James Whitmore far post. Logan Daigle, a senior, had won the faceoff that led to the goal.
Almost always beginning the season vs. each other, St. John’s Prep and Hingham are now 2-2-2 against one another in their last half-dozen meetings.
St. John’s Prep returns to action Saturday afternoon at home against La Salle Academy of Providence, RI (2:50 p.m.) before hosting the annual Pete Frates Winter Classic at Essex Sports Center Dec. 26-27.
St. John’s Prep 4, Hingham 4
at Essex Sports Center, Middleton
Hingham;2;0;2;4
St. John’s Prep;2;1;1;4
First period: H, John Walsh (Nick Smith), 8:40; Aiden Rotundo (Colin Garrity, Ryan LaRonde), 9:11; SJP, Luke Horenstein (Drew Macaulay, Sefton Paradis), 11:14; SJP, Sefton Paradis (JR Goldstein, Brandon Ward), ppg, 16:57.
Second period: SJP, Hornstein (Daigle), 11:50.
Third period: H, Sean Callahan (Charlie Peck), 11:10; SJP, Macaulay (Horenstein, Kevin Correa), 12:35; H, Brendan McCarthy (Walsh, Sean Carroll), 14:38.
Overtime: No scoring.
Saves: H, James Whitmore 33; SJP, Nathan Michaud 21.
Records: SJP, 0-0-1; H, 0-0-1.
Contact Phil Stacey
@PhilStacey_SN