BC High rallies past Xaverian for second big win
CANTON — Just two games into the season, the BC High hockey team has made a bold statement about where it stands in the Catholic Conference pecking order.
After beginning the year by dispatching defending champion Catholic Memorial, the Eagles took out another main contender on Wednesday night, scoring four unanswered goals to pull away from Xaverian in a 5-2 victory at the Canton Icehouse.
“To get arguably the top-two teams out of the gate is not a great draw but we have persevered, and as I said to the guys, I would argue that this was probably not our best game but we got it done,” said BC High coach John Flaherty. “And they are going to come back at us just like CM is going to come back at us.”
Junior Ryan Flaherty scored twice for BC High, who had four different players find the net.
Tied at 2-2 after the first of the two periods, both 22:30 in length, BC High took the lead for good on a breakaway 1:30 into the second. Defenseman Nick Martin fired off a pass from deep in his own end that hit Aidan O’Donnell on the tape at the red line and the junior skated in and finished past the blocker of Xaverian goalie Kyle Harney for the 3-2 edge.
Midway through the final period, Xaverian was whistled for the first and only penalty of the contest and BC High capitalized with 7 seconds left in the power play when Flaherty deposited his second of the game at the left post for a 4-2 edge.
A Cormac Joyce goal sealed it with 4:53 remaining.
“It shows the character of our team and how much of a team we are and the bond that we have,” said Ryan Flaherty of shaking off the early deficit.
Flaherty got BC High on the board less than two minutes in, but Xaverian answered with a pair of goals from Max Lockwood, part of an electric all-junior first line with Jack Silva and Braden O’Hara that spurred the Hawks to a 28-20 edge in shots for the night. Senior Andrew Webb made 26 stops in net for BC High to register the win.
Jackie Murphy drew the Eagles even at 2-2 with 11:53 to play in the first, but BC High suffered a tough blow before the break between periods when Christian Bracher had to be helped off the ice with a lower leg injury.
“We got some bounces but we earned them,” said John Flaherty. “They had just as many pucks laying in the crease that we did but we put ours away. Credit to these guys getting to the loose pucks and getting to areas, and sometimes you get puck luck and I would say that we have had that the last couple days.”
Boys hockey
Joe Carrazza and Geoff Tocco provided two goals each for Hopkinton in a 5-1 Tri-Valley League win over Westwood.
Marty Rowan and Cam Fici scored as Belmont defeated Winchester, 2-0, in the Middlesex League.
In the Catholic Conference, Saint John’s (S) scored three unanswered goals as Brett Edgren netted the game-winner to lift the Pioneers to a 3-2 win over Catholic Memorial.
Girls hockey
In the Merrimack Valley Conference, Samantha Fantasia scored twice and assisted on two others as Billerica/Chelmsford defeated HPNA for the first in program history with a 4-0 victory.
Maddie Krepelka scored three of her five goals in the first half for
Arlington, while Shea O’Day excelled as a playmaker with three assists in an 11-1 oust of Lexington in the Middlesex League.
Maggie Lynch and Orla O’Driscoll each scored a pair of goals for Quincy/North Quincy ina 5-2 Patriot League win over Hanover/Cohasset.
Freshman Avery Bent recorded a hat trick as Dover-Sherborn/Hopkinton bested Medway, 4-1, in the TriValley League.
Ayla Abban found the back of the net twice to lift Duxbury (4-0) to a 3-1 nonleague win over Norwell.
Girls basketball
Avery Burns netted 17 points and Korin Mereste added 16 points to power Nauset (2-0) to a 56-20 win over Nantucket in the Cape & Islands League.
Lexi Polimeno scored 18 points as Tewksbury edged North Andover, 54-50, in the Merrimack Valley Conference.
Kylie Schrock netted her 1,000th-career point as Rockport edged Georgetown, 30-27, in Cape Ann League play.
Alyssa Slamin racked up 13 points for Holbrook (1-0) in a 37-34 Mayflower League win over South Shore Voke.
St. Mary’s (2-0) had four scorers in double figures led by 13 points from Yirsy Queliz to upend Arlington Catholic, 58-43, in a Catholic Central League matchup… Archbishop Williams (1-4) received 11 points from Ari Hay to take down Cardinal Spellman, 54-34.
In a Hockomock League contest, Amanda Kaiser led the way with 19 points for North Attleboro in a 63-19 victory over Stoughton.
Boys basketball
Matt Myron exploded for 41 points as he guided Bishop Connolly to an 85-50 nonleague win over South Shore Christian Academy.
Seniors Matt Veiga and Evan Ochenduszko each had 20 points for South Shore Tech in a 70-49 victory over Mayflower Athletic Conference opponent Holbrook.
In South Shore League action, Matt Maguire turned in 25 points and 12 rebounds as Abington (3-0) toppled Mashpee, 66-46.
Jevon Holley produced 24 points as Durfee cruised to a 86-54 Southeast Conference win over West Bridgewater.