CANTON – Many of the primary figures are a bit different from last year, but the season’s first meeting between Catholic Conference rivals Xaverian and BC High on Saturday proved to add yet another wild chapter to the matchup’s long history.
Three power plays for the reigning Super 8 champion Eagles in the second period ended a scoreless stretch to give them a monstrous shot advantage and a slim lead. A sloppy play to start the third period gave the lead right back, though, shortly before each team thought it took a lead on goals that were later called off due to federation rules. Save after save from both netminders kept their schools in it, all serving as an excitable pretense to the decisive blow – a Matty Ryan power play goal to help Xaverian (6-1-2) eventually claim a 3-1 win in front of a packed crowd at the Canton Ice House.
Ryan’s go-ahead score came with 4:22 to go, before adding an insurance goal on an empty net to save a tremendous performance from Hawks goalie Kyle Harvey (37 saves) for Xaverian’s first win over BC High (5-2-1) in five years.
“I thought we really battled hard, came back and I really liked how our guys came out (in the third),” said Hawks head coach Dave Spinale. “That’s one helluva team (in BC High). For us to get out and get after it, I was really proud of the guys. It was all heart, really. X’s and O’s go out the window.”
“Knowing (BC High) has been the top team for the past two years in the state … this is huge,” Ryan added. “We just realized this was going to be a dog fight, and we knew we had to come out (the third) period or that was going to be it.”
After a back-and-forth first period left the game scoreless as Harvey and Eagles goalie Aiden Webb (22 saves) flashed impressive early performances, the second period saw BC High take nearly full control of momentum with three power play opportunities and a 22-3 shot advantage within the frame. One went through on a Michael Dragon goal off the first power play, but it wasn’t enough for what was to come.
On the opening face-off of the third period, the puck flipped up in the air toward the BC High net, and Ryan Pomposelli out-hustled the closest Eagle and snuck the puck in right in front of Webb to tie it just eight seconds into the frame.
“I was jumping out of my seat, it was just what we needed,” Ryan said. “It kick-started the team to just keep rolling.”
Three minutes later, Xaverian scored again for a lead, only for the referee to call it off on federation rules of the puck deflecting off a Xaverian skate into the net. Spinale was furious until receiving an explanation, but it balanced out when a similar call negated a BC High goal with 8:31 to go.
Back-and-forth the teams continued to play, all until Xaverian cashed a power play as the penalty clock expired when Ryan’s shot, originally called a Jack Silva tip-in, found the back of the net. Ryan later stole a cross pass and buried it with under a minute to go to seal the win.
“It’s a good hockey team, (Xaverian) is well-coached,” said BC High head coach John Flaherty. “We knew they weren’t going to quit, we knew the game was far from over. We wanted a better effort in the third period, they took it to us, and we didn’t respond the way we were supposed to.”
Ryan and Spinale boasted about Harvey’s performance afterward, noting he’s been the team’s rock all year. He’s allowed just one goal over the past three games.
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Matty Ryan, big third hands Xaverian first win over BC High in five years - Boston Herald
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