ARLINGTON – Relentless goaltending, public pride, and goosebumps.
The second game of the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament’s Doherty quadruple-header at Ed Burns Arena had it all Sunday afternoon, as Liam Hansen stamped his name in the book of clutch by scoring the double-overtime game-winner with 2:18 left for top-seeded Reading in a 1-0 first-round win over eighth-seeded Braintree.
Wamps (5-6-1) netminder Amir Cullinane (41 saves) was electric, trading game-saving stops with Rockets goalie Owen Holland (29 saves) from the last few minutes of regulation through overtime, and most of double overtime.
The game will go down as a tie in the MIAA power rankings, but someone had to advance in the eight-team public-school tournament. A controversial penalty called on the Wamps set up a 4-on-3 power play, and Hansen buried a beautiful feed across the slot from Nate Vitarisi for a signature win.
“It was a great game, it was awesome playing in,” Hansen said. “Just back-door, I saw Vitarisi come in and found me – I snuck it through. It’s awesome. We’ve been struggling with overtime the past couple years. This year, we beat (St. John’s Prep) in overtime, and this one. It’s been great.”
Hansen’s goal sealed it to help Reading move onto next Sunday’s semifinals against Arlington at Bentley, but goaltending stole the show and was the major driver for its suspense.
Both teams generated Grade-A looks in the final two minutes of regulation, with Cullinane saving a 2-on-1 and Holland sprawling to save a four-shot frenzy on the other end. Cullinane made six more saves in a high-flying overtime, while Holland made four. And after Holland kept Reading alive with a few more heart-stopping saves, Cullinane finally allowed a goal.
Holland felt motivated by Cullinane’s play on the other end.
“Oh, 100 percent,” he said. “(Cullinane) stood on his head. That was unreal. I think that was one of the greatest high school hockey games I’ve ever been a part of. … I just knew I needed to give us as much of a chance as he’s given his team, so I’ve got to step it up and really be on my A-game.”
“Holland came through when he had to come through,” added Reading head coach Mark Doherty. “I’m sure they felt the same way – tough to beat this guy on the other end. Two very good goalies and a tremendous high school game.”
Doherty was just as impressed with his team, Cullinane and Braintree, ranking this win high on the Rockets’ regular season resume.
“There’s a bunch of us, any given night,” Doherty said. “They’re in that group.”
It didn’t take long after the defensive battle for the fireworks to pop in the next game, as fourth-seeded Arlington used a four-goal first period to put fifth-seeded Tewksbury on its heels in a 7-2 win.
Three of those goals came from sophomore JP Messuri, who finished with four and an assist.
“The first couple of shifts, we were moving the puck really well – me, (Cam Petrillo) and (Nolan Russell), and Drew Beck too,” Messuri said. “I just feel like we were really clicking as a whole today, as a team for the most part.”
It took just 3:39 for Messuri to score, sniping a goal bar-down off assists from Russell (two assists) in his first game back from injury, and Petrillo (goal, three assists). Charles Fecteau’s takeaway generated a 2-on-1 to assist Sean Patterson, and a stretch pass from Kurt Beck hit Messuri in stride behind the Tewksbury defense for his second goal with 3:58 left in the frame.
Petrillo then drew attention in the high slot in the final minute before dishing it to Messuri for the hat trick and a 4-0 lead.
“To get up by four was huge against them,” said Arlington head coach John Messuri. “We’re not going to out-play that team the whole game. No chance. And we didn’t.”
Tewksbury looked much better over the next two periods, trading chances and limiting the Spy Ponders to three more goals. Jake Cunha and Jason Lavoie each scored for the Redmen.
Performing this strong in the first round of this tournament was big for Arlington after first-round exits last year and in 2022.
“It’s very meaningful,” JP Messuri said. “Last year, we got knocked out of our own barn against Marshfield, 1-0. That sucked. In our own tournament, in our own rink. We’ve lost some big games in our home rink and I think we’re sick of it.”