Hopefully now that we’re a week removed from the final whistle at TD Garden and an exceptionally dramatic boys hockey season is over, all of us can finally breath comfortably and our heart rates have slowed down.
If not, it’s understandable.
We knew what would happen once the state tournament rolled around because the regular season was simply bonkers. But did we really?
Across all four boys divisions this postseason, the 36 times a lower-seeded team advanced – not all of them quite “upsets” – was the most in the young history of the statewide format. Two 11th-seeded teams in the state finals was a first, Div. 1’s 18th-seeded Arlington Catholic was the lowest seed to reach a boys hockey Final Four, and the mere seven teams seeded in their division’s top four to reach those state semifinals was about half of what we saw in 2022.
Throw in that only one of the three top-seeded boys teams at TD Garden left with a championship, and the state tournament was utter chaos.
The storylines within that are even better.
Reading was the preseason favorite in the Middlesex League Liberty race. The young Arlington Spy Ponders went on to steal the league crown at the end, only for Winchester to buckle down for a tournament run longer than both. Overtime magic thrice helped the Red and Black reach the title game and they pushed a heavily-favorited St. John’s Prep to the brink of heartbreak for an all-time public versus private battle. As head coach Gino Khachadourian likes to say, they put Winchester back on the map.
Those Eagles seemed like they were in a class of their own all year, too, somehow finding the secret to tame an otherwise title-worthy Xaverian group three times. It led to something they’ve never accomplished, taking great pride in winning the Pete Frates Winter Classic, the Catholic Conference and the state title, all in one year.
No upset was bigger than 11th-seeded Boston Latin’s over top-seeded Tewksbury for the Div. 2 state title. The Wolfpack were even bigger underdogs than Winchester after losing twice to a Redmen attack that seemed impossible for anyone to keep up with, but the pride of Boston took Round 3 to secure their first hockey championship in 19 years.
Marblehead was 0-6 to start the year and 2-8 after finally getting a couple wins, but finished the season on a 15-1-1 tear to snap top-seeded Nauset’s 19-game win streak in the Div. 3 state final. The Warriors look like they’re in good position to get back after reaching their first title game in 20 years, but it was the Headers’ turn to take the crown this time.
That’s not even to mention an all-time defensive push to a program-first state championship, with Dover-Sherborn/Weston locking down Div. 4 juggernauts Sandwich, Winthrop and then Hanover at TD Garden to win its title game debut.
In all, it’s hard to briefly characterize the many impressive feats that entertained us this year. Legacies were stamped beyond championships, it felt like four or five players reached big career milestones every week, and our heads were truly on swivels any given Saturday.
Boys, take a bow. Counting down the days until December.
Loose pucks
It’s on everyone’s mind – a Div. 1 state championship cannot end the way this year’s did. It’s a shame much of the public is already putting an asterisk on St. John’s Prep’s title because while it’s understandable, it’s also unreasonable.
Should the buzzer-beating goal to win it, which still-frame replay photos show clearly was still on the stick, have counted? Not at all. The game should have gone to overtime.
But was it close enough in real time to chalk it to a common human error in sports, which is also what negated a crucial Eagles goal earlier in the game? Absolutely. St. John’s Prep benefitted from a missed call at the end, but is certainly champion nonetheless.
Regardless, at TD Garden with the championship on the line, it’s time we look further into bringing in the capability of replay review in some form. We don’t have it available during the regular season, but there are also a couple other things we don’t do until the state final. Why not this, especially after what just happened? If not, goal judges used to be hired for the state finals. A goal judge quickly would’ve waved it off, and it also seems like an easy fix to bring back for the future.
Not addressing this in some capacity for next year would be a major shortcoming. Add it to a list of other things this tournament that could use tweaking.
Coaches have been vocal that shootouts should be at the top of the list, expressing disdain for a team’s postseason fate to come down to an individual-based challenge with an unnecessary amount of pressure on said individuals. It’s a pretty fair gripe.
The distinction for where the state quarterfinals would be played seemed to have blurred lines. It wasn’t necessarily meant to be “neutral” but more a guaranteed rink that fits qualifying criteria for the round. Woburn and Duxbury (girls) getting to play at their home rinks within that, though, doesn’t scream equality when other “home” teams weren’t fortunate to have their rinks as a pre-determined site. We might as well make the round neutral.
Playing at TD Garden is a wonderful experience high school hockey players are fortunate to get. Starting a state final after 9:30 p.m. isn’t so desirable. Six state finals in one day is great in theory, but too much happens in the day to stay on schedule. We need an alternative method of playing state finals on a grand stage.