Xaverian boys dispatch Belmont in Div. 1 hockey playoffs
As Joe Di Martino and his teammates strolled into the illustrious Canton Ice House Sunday morning, they did so looking to leave a lasting impression. The Hawks were playing their final true home game of the season, and looking to keep their playoff journey going in front of a jampacked barn.
Thanks to the senior captain, they succeeded. Di Martino buried a pair of goals, as seventh-seeded Xaverian upended a fellow boys hockey heavyweight by knocking off No. 10 Belmont, 5-2, while advancing to the Div. 1 Elite 8 in the process.
“I think they got us on our heels,” Xaverian coach Dave Spinale chuckled. “It was kind of funny, because we usually come out quick. After that, we just kind of settled in.”
The game got off to a roaring start, but not in the manner that Xaverian (148-0) had hoped. Just 31 seconds into play, Belmont (147-3) star Cam Fici fed Adam Bauer a pass in front of the Hawks’ net, and the sophomore proceeded to bury a shot to provide the Marauders
a 1-0 advantage right out of the gate.
“We knew they were going to come out hot,” said Di Martino. “Hurts letting that early one in, but we’ve got belief on that bench. Come right back out firing, get back in the game.”
That’s exactly what the Hawks did. Less than two minutes later, Di Martino picked the bottom left corner of the Belmont cage with a snipe from the face-off circle, as Xaverian evened the score.
A few moments thereafter, Jackson Morse collected a loose puck in the slot, then ripped a shot home to provide the Hawks a 2-1 edge with 7:50 to play in the opening period.
The momentum carried on into the second stanza, when Di Martino started a rush up the ice. As the senior captain skated in transition, he faked a pass to Liam Capplis, then sniped his 12th goal of the season as Xaverian made it a 3-1 contest.
Belmont responded to open the final period, as Joseph Gaziano corralled the puck, then fired in a backhanded shot as the Marauders sliced their deficit to 3-2.
However, that was as close as they would muster.
Capplis proceeded to notch his ninth goal of the year for Xaverian 1:25 later. Then, senior Thomas Dunn registered his third goal this winter with 5:37 left in regulation, sealing the win.
Xaverian will now turn its attention to its Div. 1 Elite 8 matchup, where a very familiar opponent awaits. The Hawks will face second-seeded Catholic Memorial for an opportunity to advance to the Final Four.
“It’s just about getting ready for the Knights,” Spinale said. “We’ve seen them twice, they’re a heck of a team. So, we’ve just got to be better in our end, hopefully put some pressure on their ‘D’, and get more than one goal.”
The Hawks will be looking to snap a two-game losing skid at the hands of the Knights. Xaverian dropped its initial contest in a 4-0 showing on Jan. 4, before faltering 3-1 in its second bout with Catholic Memorial on Jan. 21.
“We’ve seen them twice this year,” said Di Martino. “Early in the season, it wasn’t our best. But our last game, we got a lot closer. We’ve all been begging for that third one, so we’re excited.”