MIAA Super 8 Hockey: Arlington, Central Catholic Advance to Final

Lowell, Mass. — Making it to the TD Garden for the final game of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) high school hockey season shouldn’t be easy.

The four teams at the Tsongas Center for Wednesday’s Super 8 semifinals discovered just that. Central Catholic and Arlington advanced to Sunday’s championship game with 1-0 and 2-1 overtime victories over BC High and Malden Catholic, respectively.

Thomas Manty chipped home a rebound just a few minutes into the four-on-four first overtime period to send the Raiders to their first Super 8 Final in school history.

Fresh off a change, Kevin Ouellette snuck in the right side and backhanded a puck into the back of the net to send the Spy Ponders into pure jubilation. Arlington has made more Super 8 appearances than any other school without winning the prize.

For Arlington, sophomores Cam Ryan ('99 F), Dara Conneely ('00 F) and Jack Simon (D) are players that could have a positive impact for a prep school team down the line. Kevin Ouellette ('98 F) Peter Scheschareg ('98 F) are doing a PG year at Phillips Andover and Phillips Exeter, respectively. John Pigott ('98 D) would make a good PG type for certain prep schools.

Here's a look at the top 2000-2002 prospects from the game:

Jagger Benson, #21 Malden Catholic, Soph., Defense, Right Shot, 10/23/00, 6-1/150 - He’s raw, but has serious upside. A late ‘00, he’s still growing into his frame. He’s a good skater who defends with his feet and can retrieve pucks and break the puck out of his own zone. He’s a puck-mover who likes to join the rush. If nitpicking, he needs to pick his spots and not always try to do too much. His dad played hockey at Merrimack and he comes from an overall athletic family.

Matt Pasquale, #35 Central Catholic, Soph., Goalie, Catches Left, 10/6/00, 6-1/150 - He’s the best goaltender in the MIAA by a wide margin. He moves really well in the crease and made a nice post-to-post save. Overall, he wasn’t tested all that much, but he saved every puck that came his way. He was square to shooters and did a good job taking away angles. He covered rebounds, but had a little trouble tracking a few shots tonight. The Shawinigan Cataractes selected him in the 2016 QMJHL Draft.

Sean Brown, #91 Central Catholic, Soph., Right Wing, Right Shot, 11/22/00, 6-0/175 - It wasn’t his best game on Wednesday as he didn’t generate much in the way of scoring chances, not that anyone really did. His speed and skating are his assets. He has pretty good hands. There’s something there to keep an eye on. He was drafted by the Bloomington Thunder (USHL) and Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) last spring.

William Winship, #21 Central Catholic, Soph., Left Wing, Right Shot, 10/25/00, 6-3/195 - Playing on his off wing on the top line, he didn’t generate much offense, but his size and strength playing below the dots were evident. His best work in the game came below the attacking goal line. On one particular power play shift, he won a battle in the right wing corner, sent it back out to the point for a shot. Later in the same sequence, he carried the puck before getting off a good shot in the slot.

Kyle Furey, #26 Malden Catholic, Fr., Defense, Right Shot, 5/2/02, 5-10/140 - He was obviously four years younger than many of the players on the Arlington squad, but he held his own. He’s poised and confident with the puck on his stick and saw a little bit of power play time. He has good feet, skates well and has above average hockey IQ for a player his age.

Mikey Adamson, #6 BC High, Fr., Defense, Left Shot, 8/16/01, 5-7/150 - He’s a small defender with good feet and mobility. He has some offensive upside from the backend and can get shots on net from the point. He has patience and composure with the puck. He’s a tough defender to play against and has a mean streak.

Alex Nazarian, #22 Malden Catholic, Fr., Right Wing, 1/1/02, 5-7/140 - He’s the younger brother of UNH sophomore Ara Nazarian. He’s slippery and has a quick stick. He scored the Lancers’ only goal of the night, finding a loose puck in the slot to push home. He has a nose for the puck and wasn’t afraid to drive the net. He had good chemistry with line mate Jerry Bazile who was a workhorse in the corners and along the wall.

Thomas Kramer, #27 BC High, Soph., Center, Left Shot, 8/8/00, 6-1/180 - His strengths are his vision and hockey IQ. He’s somewhat of an in between prospect right now as he needs to find a little bit more of a scoring touch or become more of a grinder. He’s the younger brother of Merrimack freshman Patrick Kramer. He has twin younger brothers who are promising ‘02s as well. The Youngstown Phantoms drafted him in the seventh round of the 2016 USHL Phase I Draft.