Game often respects game, but Xaverian junior goalie Cole Pouliot-Porter took that respect for an opponent to another level Sunday night at Tsongas Center.
Teammate Joe DiMartino had just delivered a goal in overtime to propel the Hawks to a 1-0 win over 14th-seeded Reading in a Div. 1 state semifinal, sending No. 7 Xaverian to TD Garden for another bid at the state title. On the far end of the ice, Pouliot-Porter – briefly soaking it all in – saw all his teammates bombard the senior at the glass by the student section in celebration. Right next to the frenzy was Rockets junior goalie Chris Hanifan, knelt to the ground in front of the net he posted a shutout in 48 minutes and 13 seconds of high-level hockey.
Skating the length of the ice slowly, Pouliot-Porter decided he could wait a few more moments before celebrating with his team. First, he’d embrace Hanifan for a job well-done.
“Chris obviously had a great playoff run and obviously he was a backbone of his team during the season, so I had to go over to him and let him know that there’s nothing to keep his head down about,” Pouliot-Porter said. “I just hate to see goalies have their heads down after such a great game. Just wanted to let him know that none of it was his fault.”
Many of the premier players in the state often run into each other at tryouts for the same teams in the offseason, so facing off in the MIAA tournament isn’t exactly against complete strangers. There’s always something to be said about the unity among those competitors, but goalies – in more ways than one – are a different breed. It’s a whole other sense of family.
“I feel like all goalies in general are very supportive of one another, and I totally believe Chris would’ve done the same thing,” Pouliot-Porter said. “If we had lost, I probably would have not felt at my highest, obviously. … I just wanted to support him personally. It wasn’t for the looks or anything, I just had to let him know that he had an amazing playoff run and he’s an amazing goalie.”
For Hanifan, who did perform sensationally all postseason to help the 14-seed reach the Div. 1 Final Four as the last public-school team standing, the interaction was quite meaningful. He didn’t need Pouliot-Porter’s words to legitimize the team’s complete turnaround from a late-season skid, the Burbank Ice Arena pizza awards he received and the overwhelming charge the community showed to rally around him and the team.
But it still touched him, and the two have messaged about it since it caught interest on social media.
“Goalies kind of have that connection … it did (mean a lot),” Hanifan said. “Huge props for coming up to me and not celebrating with your team about going to the Garden, that’s kind of a hard thing not to do. … There’s just a lot of respect between the (MIAA) teams because there’s so much history. Especially in the state tournament, anyone can beat anyone. There’s just that respect that goes on for a good game.”
Over a quarter-century of coaching Xaverian, head coach Dave Spinale is no stranger to his players performing remarkable acts of respect. Pouliot-Porter isn’t the first goalie to outwardly show sportsmanship, but what his first-year starting netminder did was still unique in the split moments after the biggest win of the season yet.
While Spinale wasn’t surprised with it, he was still quite impressed.
“It’s a great story of sportsmanship … kudos to his parents (for raising him like that),” Spinale said. “I can’t recall (anything in the past) to the level of what that was. At the moment, as a teenager, I would say most would just (celebrate) – and there’s nothing wrong with that. The fact that he had the maturity to know what it would’ve been like if he was on the other end of that, and to go over and give him a tap was – he gets the big picture, for sure.”
That maturity is something Spinale couldn’t speak enough on, especially considering the way he processed 44 saves to beat No. 2 Catholic Memorial in the game prior.
“He kind of sat back after the CM win and watched his teammates go to the student section to celebrate with the fans,” Spinale said. “He likes to take it all in. He’s a thinker, and he’s thoughtful, and he’s calculated, and he processes things. It’s a maturity that he has that’s super impressive. … It’s nice to see such a humble, grounded young man do so well because he’s just so happy, he’s enjoying it and having fun.”
Pouliot-Porter now continues his own sensational run heading into the final. Spinale has no doubt he’ll be locked in for it as one of the most intensely prepared, focused and competitive members of his squad. There’s also no doubt he’ll hear at least one or two of the ‘Cole-Tender’ chants fans have showered him with all tournament.
At least silently, he might even have one more supportive fan to join in.