HIGH SCHOOL BOYS HOCKEY: Matt Deminico's late goal helps Archbishop Williams fend off B-R

BRIDGEWATER – It was hard for the Archbishop Williams High boys hockey team not to feel uneasy late in the third period.

The three-goal lead the Bishops held entering the frame dwindled to one and Bridgewater-Raynham threatened once more when it earned a power-play opportunity with just over four minutes remaining.

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But even on the man-advantage, B-R’s tidal wave of momentum was quickly extinguished by sophomore forward Matt Deminico, who scored a short-handed breakaway goal to help the Bishops breathe a sigh of relief and secure the inaugural Bridgewater Ice Arena/Prisco’s Market High School Hockey Christmas Classic title with a 4-2 win Wednesday night.

“They had momentum and we were definitely on our heels,” said first-year Archbishop Williams coach Chris Cunningham as the Bishops improved to 3-1-1. “That was a huge play by all of our penalty killers and then Matt stepped up and made that huge play. Huge finish, too.”

Deminico had plenty of time to think about the move he would make as he gathered the puck at his own blue line and was faced with only B-R goalie Richard Popson (15 saves) in front of him.

As Deminico closed in on Popson, the left-handed shooter faked going to his backhand before moving the puck to his forehand and sliding a shot past Popson just 20 seconds into B-R’s power play with 4:03 remaining. Deminico finished with two goals and an assist in the win and was named the tournament’s MVP.

“I was just hoping to put the puck in the net,” said Deminico, who lives in Pembroke. “It was a big game and we wanted to win the game. It was a good goal. I was nervous, but lucky I got the goal and we were able to win the game. That’s all that matters.”

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The prompt response by Deminico when B-R (1-5-1) went on the power play deflated the Trojans after they rallied with a strong third period.

B-R finally got a shot past Archbishop Williams senior netminder Nick Buchella (20 saves) when sophomore center Ryan McInnis set up senior forward Dean Mason for a one-timer in front just 1:52 into the stanza to cut into the deficit, 3-1. Sophomore forward Robert Quill then got B-R within one by netting a power-play goal off of a rebound with 9:08 remaining.

But an ill-timed miscue ultimately did in the Trojans, something that has become a regular occurrence this season, according to B-R coach Scott Harlow.

“That’s kind of been happening to us all year,” Harlow said. “We don’t make small mistakes. We make huge mistakes. I keep telling the guys the positives behind the mistakes that we make is that they’re all correctable. But we got the power play, we got the momentum and we make a pass right to their guy. That can’t happen.”

Harlow added: “I thought in the third period we came out, we played with some passion, we played with some emotion. We were hungry, but you can’t play 15 minutes against the teams that we’re playing. You got to play 45 minutes.”

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Archbishop Williams took advantage of other B-R lapses to seize control in the first period as the Bishops scored three times in a 3:43 span late in the frame.

After not registering a shot on net halfway through the frame, the Bishops erupted when freshman forward Preston Fava of Plymouth stole the puck from behind in B-R’s defensive zone, which allowed Deminico to go in all alone and deposit a shot into the back of the net for an early 1-0 lead with 5:18 to go in the opening stanza.

Just 40 seconds later, the advantage expanded on a 2-on-1 opportunity when junior forward Shamus O’Toole (Quincy) fed sophomore forward Ben Sylvester (Carver), who fended off a B-R defenseman while he collected the puck and scored.

The lead only continued to grow with Deminico getting in the mix again. This time he blocked a shot at his own blue line and raced the other way to generate another 2-on-1 chance. Deminico dished a pass over to Jackson Sylvester (Carver) and the senior forward had an open net to register his fifth goal of the season.

“(Deminico) has a great hockey IQ,” Cunningham said. “So, he’s always stopping on pucks. He doesn’t cheat in the defensive zone. He makes sure that he makes the good, solid play first. Him and Jackson, they were in the right position and that’s why that play happened.”

B-R had notched points in its last two games after an 0-4 start and missing out on opportunities to record positive outcomes becomes even more glaring given the hellacious slate the Trojans face.

Playing as an independent this season, the Trojans have already gone against heavy-hitters in Xaverian and Hingham with many of the state’s top programs, including Braintree, Arlington and Pope Francis among others, still remaining on their schedule

“They’re learning,” Harlow said. “I kind of did the schedule for a reason in order to turn around the program. We've got to play good teams. I would much rather be 1-5-1 than be 7-0 playing weak teams.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Archbishop Williams boys hockey fends off B-R rally