Braintree, MA – This was the biggest MIAA contest of the young season with longtime Catholic Conference rivals facing off in a rematch of Super 8 combatants from March of 2020. The Catholic Memorial Knights traveled to a new locale of Thayer Sports Center to battle with the BC High Eagles in a marquee matchup. Sadly, the router at Thayer was down, which knocked out the ability to livesteam the game via YouTube or LiveBarn. Fortunately, we were able to make the trip over to catch the game and here is what we saw.
The first half got off to a really quick start: only one minute into the proceedings the second line for BC High got to work as the puck squirted out to junior forward Aidan McDonnell who buried it to make it 1-0 Eagles. The assists went to freshman (2006 birthyear) James Marshall and 2005 born sophomore Ryan Flaherty. BC High was playing tough throughout the first half and took the play to CM early, but ended up taking a couple of penalties which allowed CM to make their own push. CM owned play in the final 10 minutes of the frame and looked as though they would escape only down 1 tally, but BC High posted another with about 1 minute left as Marshall connected with McDonnell in the corner and he winged it in front of the net where sophomore D Matt Cox was waiting to fire it home: 2-0 Eagles and that’s where we stood after 22:30.
In the second half, the Eagles went up on the power play early and cashed in: James Marshall poked one home in front of the net with the primary helper coming from Ryan Flaherty. Just a couple minutes later BC High went back on on the power play and this time Flaherty decided to do it himself, ripping one home on a one-timer from the point, 4-0 Eagles. After a couple of penalties assessed to BC High, CM began to find its rhythm with 12 minutes to go and that was punctuated by a seeing-eye bullet from the point by freshman defenseman Michael Corbett which beat the netminder high glove: 4-1 BC High. After an 8 minute lull, BC High cranked it up once again as Brian Bulger created a turnover and snapped one home under the bar: 5-1. Off the ensuing faceoff, the Eagles added another insurance marker with the freshman Marshall potting his second of the day, from Flaherty and McDonnell: 6-1 BC High. And they weren’t done, with a minute to go the Eagles added one more on the power play: Matt Cox‘s second on the day, by firing one five hole on the netminder to make it 7-1, with the primary assist going to…who else? James Marshall. And that would end up being your final score.
Three Stars
- F James Marshall, BC High
- D Matt Cox, BC High
- F Ryan Flaherty, BC High
