Framingham, MA: Sophomore defenseman Jack Kennedy’s individual effort 4:57 into overtime sent the Cardinal faithful home happy, and more importantly punched a ticket (for a third consecutive season) to the Super 8 Championship on Sunday at the TD Garden. Kennedy gained entry into the offensive zone, circled around the net and fired a shot past Prep goaltender Noah Dorsey-Sorofman. The overtime produced scoring chances for both teams, but Pope Francis was one better and has the pleasure of facing Arlington this Sunday for the title.
It was evident early in the game that Prep wanted to establish physical play, including some extracurriculars after whistles. Junior forward Jacob Iby got the Cardinals on the board first when he pounced on a rebound from Dorsey–Sorofman and made no mistake filling the net. Prep sniper Ned Malolepszy tallied his third goal in the last two games to level the score heading into the first intermission. Prep threw the body early and often in the second before Patrick Moran buried a clean faceoff win for a 2-1 lead. Late in the period, Pope Francis’ freshmen sniper Ryan Leonard took a huge hit and never returned, which meant the Cardinals would need to soldier on without their top scorer.
The Cardinals’ pushed back in the third resulting in a 5-on-3 advantage where they cashed in thanks to senior defenseman Logan Dapprich. The third provided more of the same type of action, but neither team could break the tie as overtime loomed. Overtime was short-lived thanks to Kennedy as he beat Dorsey-Sorofman’s glove and guaranteed a rematch with top-ranked Arlington. Final: Pope Francis 3 SJP 2 OT
Three Stars:
- D Jack Kennedy, Pope Francis
- D Logan Dapprich, Pope Francis
- F Patrick Moran, St. John’s Prep
TTPA F Matt Burke, Pope Francis
