Xaverian gets the early jump, cruises past St. John’s (Shrewsbury)

CANTON >> Stellar depth, speed and goaltending have made the Xaverian boys hockey team dangerous this season — something Catholic Conference foe St. John’s of Shrewsbury was well-aware of after two matchups in the regular season.

Add rapid scoring bursts to the repertoire in their third meeting Sunday night in the Div. 1 state tournament second round, and the Hawks are one step closer to reaching TD Garden for a third straight year.

Jack Fitzpatrick’s goal in the opening 42 seconds was the first of four different scorers for No. 4 Xaverian (17-4-1) at a packed

Canton Ice House, pairing with two more within an 11-second span later on to fuel a 4-1 win over the No. 13 Pioneers.

Colvin Callahan (goal, two assists) finished off the day with a third-period insurance goal, and Cole Pouliot-Porter’s 16 saves nixed a St. John’s comeback. The Hawks hope to get much of the same against a scary No. 12 Franklin in the state quarterfinals, while the Pioneers’ season ends at 119-2.

“We got fortunate to get one early, that is a super talented team (in St. John’s),” said Xaverian coach Dave Spinale. “Beating a team three times in one season in the league — I don’t want to say it’s unheard of, but it’s super difficult. So, I was really proud of our guys for staying focused and being able to finish on their chances.”

Senior goalie Dylan Fanale (23 saves) had moments he stood on his head for St. John’s in place of an injured Dante Sousa, including 12 saves in the first period. But Xaverian tallied a goal early, and it made a big difference.

Callahan ripped a shot from the right point in the opening minute that got to Fanale’s pads. Fitzpatrick got to the long rebound in front and finished it off for the 1-0 lead.

“That just gets the boys going, gets the whole arena going,” Fitzpatrick said. “We’re just playing ahead the whole game, and that’s huge, playing with a lead off the rip. … The goalie was kind of out of position, I just batted it out of the air and banged it in. It was kind of sick.”

St. John’s kept the deficit at 1-0 through the end of the first. Fanale withstood a bevy of golden opportunities Xaverian produced as it banged on the door, while the Pioneers’ potent attack pieced together seven shots on Pouliot-Porter.

After nearly 20 minutes of a one-goal game, Jesse Peck found sophomore Joe Von Handorf with one defender to beat at the left wing for the Hawks. He got around the edge before swooping in front of Fanale for a 2-0 lead with 9:19 left in the frame.

Only 11 seconds later, Callahan set up Jack O’Neil for a shot past the glove to build the big lead.

“It changes everything in terms of, like, the bench just kind of settles in,” Spinale said. “We’re not gripping our sticks as tight. We’re making sure we have F3, and it just really helps us get into what we want our flow of the game (to be), which is just highpace, high-tempo, and getting pressure on pucks and defending.”

Callahan said the team never treated the threegoal lead as overly safe, and St. John’s showed why when Daniel Menyalkin buried a power-play goal a couple minutes later to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Much of what St. John’s head coach G. Michael Mead emphasized to the team was to force Pouliot-Porter to make saves. The Pioneers had stretches where it really threatened in front, but Pouliot-Porter stymied what got on him and several looks went wide of the net.

The Hawks’ defense otherwise delivered what it needed to, and Fitzpatrick capped off the effort with a steal at the blue line and a perfect touch pass ahead of Callahan. Callahan finished off the breakaway for the 4-1 lead with 4:56 to all but seal it.

“It’s definitely important (to get three points), but I feel like it’s a good team effort,” Colvin said. “I wouldn’t have had that goal without (Fitzpatrick), the assists kind of just come. I feel like the team effort is all you need in a game like this, especially after playing them two times.”