Hockey: AHS boys win again; AC loses 2

UPDATED,  Feb. 18: The Arlington High boys’ hockey team kept its streak going, improving to 15-1-4 with a 6-2 win Monday, Feb. 17, to overmatched Weymouth (6-10-2), 6-2, at Ed Burns Arena.

The Arlington High skaters continued their combined streak of 30 games played without a loss (boys 17, girls 13).

The Arlington Catholic boys’ hockey fell to 7-9-1, as Hingham prevailed, 3-0, Feb. 17, at Falmouth Ice Arena.

Aidan Brazel, Will Ham and Paul Forbes scored in a dominant second period for the 10th-ranked Harbormen (12-6-3), who clinched a spot in Wednesday’s Buddy Ferreira Classic final in Falmouth. Junior goalie Jake Wilson picked up the first shutout of his career for Hingham. The Cougars dropped to 8-9-1, leaving them two point shy of qualifying for the Division 1 North tournament. AC will have to win in Tuesday’s third-place game to advance.

The Arlington Catholic girls’ hockey team (9-11) was swamped by Austin Prep (16-10-2), 10-2, at Stoneham Arena.

Streak at 29, as five town-linked teams win

How often does this happen? Five Arlington-related hockey teams won or tied on Saturday, Feb. 15.

 The Arlington High skaters continued their combined streak of 29 games played without a loss (boys 16, girls 13).

In the first round of the Buddy Ferreira Classic at the Falmouth Ice Arena, underdog Arlington Catholic boys (7-8-1) beat Duxbury (11-6-3), 6-2.  

The Arlington Catholic girls improved to 9-10, topping Archbishop Williams (6-13), 4-2, at Ed Burns Arena. One more win, and team s in the playoffs.

The Arlington High girls, ranked No. 7 by The Globe, improved to 13-1-4 with a 3-1 win over No. 11 Belmont (12-3-4), 3-1, at Ed Burns Arena.

 The No.-1 ranked Arlington High boys (14-1-4) tied Belmont (9-5-5), 1-1, at Skip Viglirolo Rink, Belmont.

The Minuteman boys (4-12) broke a long losing streak with a 5-3 over Greater Lowell/Nashoba Tech, (3-16), 5-3, at Valley Sports Arena, Concord.

AHS boys win again in a close one

The Arlington High School boys’ hockey team kept its streak alive and upped its record to 14-1-3, edging Winchester in a surprising challenge from a team with a record of 3-10-5. The score at O’Brien Arena, Woburn, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, was 3-2.

The No. 1-ranked Ponders have played have played 15 straight games without a loss; the AHS girls have played 12 consecutive games without losing.

Malatesta’s brother scores in game honoring sister

 Sophomore Reid Malatesta spurred the offense for the top-ranked Arlington boys’ hockey team in a 3-0 win over No. 7 Hingham on Sunday, Feb. 9, at Bentley Arena.

The Spy Ponders (13-1-3) and Harbormen (9-5-3) have met annually in the regular season for five years to play a game honoring the life of Catherine Malatesta, Reid’s older sister, who died from sarcoma in August 2015. Reid was named Arlington’s player of the game.

“It means the world to me, for my family and everyone else,” Reid Malatesta told The Globe. “The boys rallied around for me. They played hard and I was lucky enough to get the first one.”

Malatesta scored on the receiving end of a give-and-go with teammate Michael Dunning at 5:39 of the second period for the Spy Ponders, breaking open a scoreless deadlock. The Ponders grabbed control from there, limiting Hingham to seven shots on net over the final two periods.

John Hourican scored at 10:28 of the second for AHS, while Northeastern recruit Anthony Messuri, son of Arlington coach John Messuri, scored at 0:53 into the third.

“We tightened up on what we were trying to do,” the elder Messuri told The Globe. “We were a little too loosey-goosey early.”

Nathan Brennan earned the shutout in goal for the Spy Ponders, the fifth time this season Arlington has kept an opponent off the scoreboard.

Jake Wilson was named Hingham’s player of the game after stopping 25 of the 28 shots he faced. The loss snapped a seven-game unbeaten streak for the Harbormen (4-0-3) and marked the fourth time this season they’ve been held scoreless. 

The AHS boys have played 14 straight ganes without a loss; the girls 12 consecutive games without losing.

The Minuteman boys’ hockey team (3-11) lost to Bellingham (5-12-1), 3-2, on Monday, Feb. 10, at Pirelli Veteran’s Arena, Franklin.

AHS girls, boys continue streaks

The Arlington High School girls’ hockey team (11-1-4) kept is streak alive, edging Lexington (6-6-5), 2-1, on Saturday, Feb. 8, at Hayden Rink, Lexington. 

Arlington closes out its league slate with Winchester on Wednesday, Feb. 13, and No. 8 Belmont on Saturday, Feb. 16. 

The Arlington Catholic girls’ hockey team fell to 6-10 in a 2-1 loss to Matignon (7-9) on Feb. 8 at Ed Burns Arena.

The top-ranked Arlington High School boys’ hockey team improved to 12-1-3, topping Lexington (5-10-5), 3-1, Friday, Feb. 7, at Ed Burns Arena.

The AHS boys have played 13 straight ganes without a loss; the girls 12 consecutive games without losing.

AHS boys reach top of Globe ranking

As predicted, the Arlington High School boys’ hockey has risen to No. 1 in BostonGlobe.com ranking.

For the sixth consecutive week in what The Globe calls “a crazy season,” there is a new No. 1 team. Arlington moves into the top spot off Wednesday’s 2-2 tie with BC High, which bumps up to No. 2.

Last week’s No. 1 team, Pope Francis, falls to 3 after a loss to Hingham while the Harbormen made the week’s biggest climb, three spots to No. 7. Records based on scores reported to the Globe.

AHS boys rally for tie vs. BC High

Both highly ranked Arlington High School hockey teams tied on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The No. 2-ranked boys played BC High even, and the girls did the same against Woburn.

Dominic Laiosa scored on a shot from the point with 2:14 to play, and No. 2 Arlington (11-1-3) rallied for the 2-2 tie at Ed Burns Arena.

No. 3 BC High (10-3-3) had taken a 2-1 lead with 4:08 to go on a Declan Joyce tally. Joyce had another opportunity in the final minutes, but was denied by the Spy Ponders defense and goalie Nate Brennan.

“I’m proud of our effort in the third,” BC High coach John Flaherty told BostonGlobe.com. “We wish we could have closed it out a little better, but we just tied a very good hockey team.”

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead on Coleman Benson’s goal in the opening five minutes. Arlington converted its lone power play of the game as Brendan Jones made it 1-1 at 3:53 of the second.

A big turning point came when Arlington was whistled for a five-minute slashing major with 2:28 left in the second. But the Spy Ponders were able to kill off the penalty and settled down into the back-and-forth third period. “It could have gone either way,” Arlington coach John Messuri said. “I think our penalty killing kept us in it.”

AHS girls tie

The AHS girls (10-1-4) settled for a 1-1 tie at O’Brien Arena, Woburn. Read a summary at HNIB News >>

The Arlington Catholic boys’ hockey team improved to 6-8-1, beating Lowell Catholic (0-14-1), 3-0.

The AC girls (6-9) lost to Austin Prep, 9-1, at Ed Burns Arena.

AHS teams go 21 straight without loss; boys top Super 8 list 

The No. 2-ranked Arlington High School boys’ hockey team upped its record to 11-1-2 after a 5-3 win over Woburn (5-6-3) at O’Brien Arena, Woburn, on Monday, Feb. 3.

Expect to see the Arlington High boys’ and girls’ hockey teams rise in Globe rankings this week. Both teams have combined for 21 consecutive games without a loss.

The Globe-ranked No. 2 Arlington boys’ hockey team improved to 10-1-2 on Saturday, Feb. 1, beating Reading (8-4-4), 3-0, in a Middlesex (Liberty) match at Burns Arena.

The team has played 10th straight games without a loss, the last on Dec. 23. It may help the AHS boys’ rank that Hingham beat No. 1 Pope Francis. Read about it here >>

The Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Association on Sunday released its initial “Watch List” for the Super Eight tournament, and the AHS boys are No. 1. 

The list includes just 12 teams, a departure from past years when as many as 24 schools have been in the running at a given time. Last year’s initial list included 19 teams.

The No. 7-ranked Arlington High girls are 10-1-3 after shutting out Reading (6-5-2), 1-0, Saturday.

The team has also played 10th games without a loss, the last on Dec. 30.

The AHS girls face Woburn on Wednesday, Feb. 5 >>

Annual Hockey Festival Feb. 22

AHS boys will be holding their annual Alumni Hockey Festival on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Ed Burns Arena starting at 3 p.m. John Frederick will be honored this year for his 40 years of volunteering his services the AHS athletics. He is an equipment manager, statistician, manager, supervisor and a main supporter of Spy Ponders athletics. 

The Arlington Catholic girls’ hockey team (6-8) lost its second straight to St. Mary’s, this time 3-0, at Connery Rink, Lynn.

AHS boys, girls blank Stoneham

The Arlington High School boys’ hockey team improved to 9-1-2 on Wednesday, Jan. 29, shutting out Stoneham, 5-0. The Globe ranks the team No. 1; HNIB News No. 1.

The AHS girls beat Stoneham by the same score.

The Arlington Catholic boys fell to 5-8-1, losing to Archbishop Williams (6-4-2), 2-0, at Burns Arena.

Hockey news site ranks boys’ team tops

The Globe ranks the Arlington High School boys’ hockey team No. 2, but that may change this week. HNIB Hockey News, in a later ranking, puts the Ponders at No. 1.

The news service writes: “Hey, Arlington: Come on down! New No. 1 Arlington (8-1-2) becomes the fourth team in as many weeks to find itself at the top of the division. Call whatever is happening in the division this year what you want, but if it’s not parity, not sure what it is.” 

 No. 2 AHS tops Burlington, as 3 teams win

Three Arlington-based hockey teams beat opponents on Saturday, Jan. 25, as both Arlington High squads topped Burlington.

The No.2-ranked Arlington High School boys’ hockey team improved to 8-1-2, winning, 5-2, at Ed Burns Arena, in a highly touted match-up. Burlington boys (10-3) lost their second straight.

The AHS girls won their fourth game without a loss and are now 8-1-3 after a win at Burns over Burlington (4-7-2), 4-1.

The Arlington Catholic boys beat Bishop Fenwick, 6-3, Jan. 25 at McVann-O’Keefe Memorial Rink, Peabody. 

Senior forward Thomas Milne (2 goals, 2 assists) and junior forward Carson Priante (2 goals) powered the offense for the Cougars (5-6-1), as junior netminder Trevor Lally battened down the hatches on the other end with 30 saves. 

AHS girls win; AC boys lose

The Arlington High School girls’ hockey team improved to 7-1-3, edging Winchester (4-7-1), 2-1, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Ed Burns Arena.

The Arlington Catholic boys’ hockey team fell to 4-7-1 after a loss to Austin Prep, 5-0, Jan. 22 at Burns Arena.

The Minuteman boys’ hockey team lost its second straight by 6-0, to Essex Tech, on Jan. 22 at the Essex Sports Center, Middleton, as senior captain Nick Ippolito had a four-point night (2 goals, 2 assists) for the Hawks (5-3-3).

The night before, the team lost to Bellingham by the same score at Pirelli Veteran’s Arena, Franklin.

AHS boys even up behind Messuri; girls tie

On Monday, Jan. 20, Pope Francis played No. 3-ranked Arlington High School at Burns Arena — a second rematch of Super 8 combatants this season. The Spy Ponders suffered their lone loss to the Cardinals on Dec. 23 in West Springfield. The rematched ended in a 2-2 tie, BostonGlobe.com reported.

Anthony Messuri scored the tying goal with 3:39 left for the No. 3 Spy Ponders (7-1-2), who were dealt their lone loss of the season to Pope Francis on Dec. 23. Brendan Pigott also scored for hosts Arlington, while Matthew Pelletier and Ryan Leonard had the goals for the No. 5 Cardinals (5-3-2).

The Arlington High School girls’ hockey team, at 6-1-3 and without a loss since Dec. 30, tied Longmeadow, 1-1, Jan. 20 at Ed Burns Arena.

 The Arlington Catholic boys fell to 4-6-1 after a 6-3 loss to Bishop Guertin at Burns Arena.

AC girls win

The Arlington Catholic girls’ hockey teams avenged a loss earlier this season, shutting out Bishop Fenwick/Essex Tech, 4-3.

On Sunday, Jan. 19, at McVann-O’Keefe Memorial Rink, Peabody, sophomore Maggie Milne recorded three goals and an assist to propel the Cougars (8-6) to a win over the Crusaders (7-3-3). Sophomore goalie Emily Moran earned the shutout for AC.

 Highly ranked AHS teams win

The No. 3-ranked Arlington High School boys’ hockey team improved to 7-1-1 with a 4-1 win over Wilmington (5-5-1) at Ristuccia Memorial Arena, Wilmington, on Saturday, Jan. 18.

The No. 8-ranked Arlington girls’ hockey team (6-1-2) also topped Wilmington (3-5-1), 4-2, at Ed Burns Arena. BostonGlobe.com reported no details on either.

After a 1-6 start to the season, Minuteman boys’ hockey improved to 3-6 with two shutouts over East Boston (0-9), the latest 11-0 on Jan. 18, at Lt. Porrazzo Memorial Rink, East Boston.

 Two Arlington Catholic games listed at Burns Arena had no results listed — Exeter (N.H.) and Latin Academy/Fontbonne.

Boys’ hockey: AC wins

In boys’ hockey on Thursday, Jan. 16, Arlington Catholic edged St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 3-2, at Ed Burns Arena. 

Hockey summaries: Dec. 15, 2019 to Jan. 16, 2020

This news summary was published Friday, Jan. 17, 2020, and updated Feb. 16.

Would you like more, in-depth reports about Arlington sports? Contact the publisher >>