Pope Francis sends top seed CC packing

HOCKEY

Pope Francis kept its topsy-turvy Super Eight campaign alive again.

Already having survived a play-in game with defending champion Arlington, the No. 7 seed knocked out top-seeded Central Catholic, 4-1, yesterday in an elimination game at the Chelmsford Forum.

“It’s a great feeling for these guys,” said coach Brian Foley, whose team lost twice to the Raiders in the regular season. “They knocked us out of the tournament (last year) in this very building . ... We knew it’d be tough, but we thought we could get one or two.”

Pope Francis (19-4-3) struck the opening blow at 10:54 of the first period. Max Cocchi, Brendan Nehmer and Makem Demers caused a turnover and rushed on a 3-on-1 counterattack, with the trailing Demers settling a hurried pass and slotting the puck past Matt Pasquale.

Evan Digiovanni evened the score for Central Catholic (22-3-0) on the power play with 2:34 left in the first, making a sly cut toward the net and finishing a pass from Joseph Biddle.

Early in the second on a Raiders power play, Cardinals defenseman Jacob King raced past the opposing defense off a turnover and wristed the eventual gamewinner past Pasquale.

“I think he’s the best defender in the state,” said Foley of King. “He’s our leader emotionally on and off the ice.”

Senior forward Trevor Crawford clinched the victory with two goals in the final 2:17, including an empty-netter.

St. John’s Prep 3, St. John’s (S) 1 — The smaller dimensions of Chelmsford Forum caused the Eagles (15-4-4) to switch to a much more physical game, and it worked in an elimination victory against the Pioneers (14-6-3).

The game opened with two quick power plays for each team. The Eagles converted on theirs, with a Tim Usalis wrister finding the back of the net. St. John’s Shrewsbury put pressure on the St. John’s Prep defense to open the second, but Brian Carrabes picked up his own rebound and dished it in for a 2-0 lead.

Opportunity presented itself to the Pioneers late in the second frame in the form of a 5-on-3 power-play, but several indecisive passes helped the Eagles kill it off.

“That was the turning point of the game,” said coach Kristian Hanson.

Ryan Farrow made it 3-0 just past halfway in the third, with Dhillon Wilde breaking Cam Ludwig’s shutout bid with 3:41 left.