BC High captures Pete Frates Winter Classic

MIDDLETON — Though Pete Frates’ alma mater did not play in the championship game of the sixth annual Pete Frates Winter Classic hockey tournament, his memory was on the minds of the teams that did play for the title.

“It’s an amazing honor to play in this tournament,” said BC High coach John Flaherty, whose team defeated Central Catholic, 4-1 on Saturday at the Essex Sports Center to win the tournament for the second straight season. “This year, especially with his passing, it meant a lot. We give our condolences to the Frates family. We hope their fundraising went well and we hope our play honored his memory.”

Frates, who died earlier this month after a long battle with ALS, was a captain of the St. John’s Prep hockey team and was also a standout baseball player for St. John’s Prep, as well as for Boston College. Saturday would have been his 35th birthday.

I coached against him,” Flaherty said. “He was a big, strong player.”

BC High defeated Frates’ alma mater in Friday’s semifinal in a shootout. In the consolation game on Saturday, St. John’s Prep defeated Pope Francis, 2-1.

“Obviously, it’s an honor to play in this tournament given what Pete Frates meant to hockey, baseball and all of athletics,” said Central Catholic coach DJ Conte. “Everyone played with a lot of emotion and intensity today.”

BC High (3-0-1) overcame an early deficit with a pair of goals in the second period. Michael Dragon tied the score at 1 with a wrist shot from the right of the Raiders’ goal on a power play at 6:17.

At 9:51, the Eagles took the lead when Matt Keohane scored his first of two goals on a slap shot near the outside of the left circle. Dragon claimed an assist on the play.

“After yesterday, it took us a while to get our legs under us,” Keohane said. “We picked it up in the second period and played with more discipline.”

Said Flaherty, “We got back to skating and moving the puck.”

In the third period, BC High put the game out of reach with two more goals. At 2:17, Colin Norton scored on a breakaway, putting the puck just inside the left post.

At 12:51, Keohane scored his second goal on an empty net with Dragon assisting.

Norton, who assisted on Dragon’s goal along with John Logan, had a chance to add another goal at 5:10 of the third period when the Eagles were awarded a penalty shot after a Central Catholic defenseman fell on the puck in the crease. Raider goalie Michael Brothers made the save.

Central Catholic (4-1-1) led 1-0 after the first period. Tyler DiBurro scored on a slap shot from the right circle at 5:55.

“After they got their first goal, we got off our toes and on our heels,” Conte said. “We weren’t attacking with confidence.”

In other hockey action, Peyton Defeo scored twice and Kai Roberto added three assists as Masconomet (4-2) defeated Newburyport, 4-2, in a Cape Ann League matchup.

James Demeo recorded two goals and three assists as Bedford (4-0-1) rolled to a 6-1 victory over Dual County League foe Wayland.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2Q97sKF