#3 Pope Francis Too Much For #6 CM
Framingham, MA: Catholic Memorial couldn’t have asked for a better start to this one, pushing the pace and capitalizing on a Pope Francis mistake for the 1-0 lead just three minutes into the game. Unfortunately, that was the final bright spot as the Cardinals scored early and often in a 6-1 win. Freshmen phenom Ryan Leonard embraced the big stage with a hat trick and two assists in the victory. Leonard’s five points came in a variety of ways whether on the power play or showing vision and poise as a playmaker. The Cardinals showcased team speed and scoring touch that left Catholic Memorial reeling.
Leonard along with linemate and fellow freshmen Ryan Shaw left the Knights searching for answers. Shaw chipped in with two assists while displaying a slick offensive game through all zones. The Cardinals’ blueline showed skating ability, active sticks and knew when to take the ice if available. Senior Logan Dapprich and sophomore Jack Kennedy were steady and effective all game. Kennedy provided an extra offensive punch with three assists split between even strength and the power play. It was a dominant performance from start to finish while making it known they will be a tough out in this year’s Super 8 Tournament.
Three Stars:
- F Ryan Leonard, Pope Francis
- D Jack Kennedy, Pope Francis
- F Ryan Shaw, Pope Francis/
TTPA: D Logan Dapprich, Pope Francis
Game 2: #1 Arlington Silences #8 Framingham, 2-1
Framingham, MA: The atmosphere was electric on and off the ice as Framingham and Arlington lived up to the hype in a fantastic high school hockey game. Not an empty seat in the house in Loring Arena to see the Flyers and Spy Ponders battle for a bid in the winner’s bracket. Both teams fed off the crowd energy and were buzzing around the ice with physicality and speed. Scoring chances were minimal, but both had their opportunities. Flyer forward Will Trischitta got a little puck luck, collected the loose disc before snapping off a bullet with 15.1 remaining in the first. Loring was deafening heading into the first intermission.
Arlington wasted no time in the middle frame, pushing the pace to start their forecheck and creating turnovers and chances. With the Flyers on their heels, Trischitta took an offensive zone penalty, sending the one seed to the man advantage. Arlington moved the puck around the umbrella before a seam pass found senior Brendan Jones, who had some real jump during warmups, made no mistake and buried a pretty feed past Framingham goalie Jake Handy. Handy had no chance on Jones’ quick, accurate snipe, but later in the middle frame, he kept Framingham within a goal. The third started off similar to the second as Framingham struggled with the Spy Ponders’ pressure. Senior and Northeastern commit Anthony Messuri outworked the Flyer defense to get the puck low to Jones, who wasted no time finding Messuri, who found a soft spot in the slot and went low blocker on Handy for a 2-1 advantage. The final 12 minutes saw Arlington slow the pace and use as much clock as possible to limit any Flyer chances. Framingham did push back, but nothing was sustainable against the strong Arlington defense led by Ryan Davies. Davies played big minutes, like usual, displaying poise and excellent decision-making that silenced the Flyers skillful attack.
Three Stars:
- F Brendan Jones, Arlington
- F Anthony Messuri, Arlington
- G Jake Handy, Framingham
TTPA: D Ryan Davies, Arlington
