CM looking like an easy choice

By Peter Martin, Globe Correspondent  |  February 22, 2009

The Super 8 tournament selection process yesterday at MIAA headquarters in Franklin was one of the least debated in the 19-year history of the event.

When the dust settled Catholic Memorial, the winningest team in the history of the tournament and Catholic Conference champ, was unanimously named the top seed.

The Catholic Conference managed to grab two other spots, with Malden Catholic slotting in at No. 3 and Xaverian at No. 6.

The rest of the field consists of Needham at No. 2, Hingham (4), Central Catholic (5), Burlington (7), Winchester (8), Springfield Cathedral (9), and Arlington Catholic (10).

The major discussion centered around the sixth seed, the last team in that avoids a play-in game. Xaverian got the edge by one vote over Middlesex League champion Burlington, primarily because of the Catholic Conference's strength of schedule.

The Middlesex League, home of last year's champion Reading, earned some extra respect, getting bids for its top two teams, Burlington and Winchester.

The only other point of contention was for the final team. Winchester and Andover both were nominated by the committee, but neither unanimously, so the committee had a second vote for the final spot.

Andover got an edge for strength of schedule because the Middlesex League mandated 18 league games for its teams. But Andover posted an 0-4-2 record against the 14 teams considered by the committee, compared to a 2-0 mark for Winchester.

In the end, Andover's lack of a marquee win proved decisive, and Winchester was voted in by a wide margin.

Arlington Catholic, the Catholic Central champion, got the 10th seed, a year after the league was shut out of the field for the first time.

Hingham earned the fourth seed, edging undefeated Central Catholic, which is making its second appearance in the tournament. Western Massachusetts power Springfield Cathedral got the ninth seed, barely scraping in after losing three straight to close out the regular season.

One team was conspicuous by its absence - four-time champion BC High. The Eagles finished last in the Catholic Conference with a 7-8-5 mark. This will be the first time the Super 8 is contested without BC High since 1994.

The tournament begins tomorrow night at the Chelmsford Forum with play-in games at 6 and 8 p.m. Winchester takes on Springfield Cathedral in the opener, with the winner joining CM, Hingham, and Central Catholic in one bracket. Burlington and Arlington Catholic meet in the nightcap, with the winner joining Needham, Malden Catholic, and Xaverian.

Prediction: Catholic Memorial is the top seed for the sixth year running and is hungry to return to its former dominance, having gone three years without a title, its longest drought since the Super 8 began. The Knights are the clear favorite.

They have a solid defense, led by Garrett Noonan, who is one of the best offensive defenseman in the state. Up front, Derek Collucci and TJ O'Brien provide a ton of firepower. The only areas where some opponents might have an edge would be size and goaltending.

CM's offensive firepower should be enough, however. This team scored four goals in back-to-back wins over Malden Catholic's John Carbonneau and BC High's Sam Marotta, two of the best goalies in the state. The Super 8 title will return "home" this year to CM.

While lacking the glitz of the Super 8, this field is no less competitive, with a number of strong teams in contention.

Although at least one team among Winchester, Burlington, and Arlington Catholic will land in the North sectional and become immediate threats, look for Andover, denied the final spot in the Super 8, to be playing with a purpose.

Also lurking in the field is St. John's Prep, the fourth-place finisher in the Catholic Conference. Although its 7-6-7 record isn't stellar, the Eagles did beat Super 8 squad Springfield Cathedral, and tied Arlington Catholic, Central Catholic, Hingham, and Malden Catholic, Super 8 teams all. Another contender for the D1 North crown is Austin Prep, out of the Catholic Central.

In the South, Braintree, the runner-up in the Bay State's Carey Division, looks dangerous, especially with a win over Super 8-bound Needham.

Milton, which took the Bay State's Herget Divison, is another team that is a threat in the South, along with Herget foes Walpole and Norwood.

Falmouth, the Atlantic Coast League champion, rounds out the field of talented and dangerous teams.

Prediction: It's hard to look past whichever team from the Middlesex League might fall into the D-1 bracket to win here. Burlington and Winchester are big, physical and deep, a handful for any team.

If they both advance in the Super 8, look for St. John's Prep or Austin Prep to be the team in beat in Division 1.

One-loss Winthrop is the team to watch in Division 2 North, but that doesn't mean the Vikings won't have to earn it.

With teams like Peabody and Revere lurking, Winthrop will need to continue playing the kind of hockey that helped it win the Northeast Conference.

Peabody will be a threat, though, led by a line of Andrew Bucci, Matt Rodgers, and Elijah Cohen, which compiled nearly 150 combined points this season. Any team wishing to take the North will have to find a way to slow them.

In the South, Hockomock League champion Canton has the top seed and the easiest road to the championship, but other Hockomock contenders Franklin and Mansfield are hot on its trail.

A potential spoiler for the Hockomock party is Coyle & Cassidy, which comes in sporting possibly the best goaltender in Division 2, Tim Carey. Carey brings an impressive 1.88 goals-against average into the tournament and has the ability to lead C&C deep into March.

Prediction: It's all Winthrop here. The Vikings' only loss this season was a 2-1 decision to Peabody. They are playing the best hockey in this bracket, and have all year.

Coyle & Cassidy may have the best chance to deny Winthrop. With ties against Hingham and BC High, the Warriors have shown they are capable of raising their game, but it remains to be seen if they can play at that level for the whole tournament.

Concord-Carlisle, the top seed in Division 3 North, is a dangerous team given that it hasn't lost to a Division 3 team all season. While the Patriots have two losses, they both came at the hands of Division 2 teams Peabody and Lincoln-Sudbury.

In the South, undefeated Ashland (18-0-2), is the prohibitive favorite, and Barrett O'Neill and his 42 points are a big reason why. Though there are some high-powered offenses in the bracket, O'Neill and the stong play of Connor McLaughlin in net should spell a happy March for Ashland.

Prediction: Concord-Carlisle's stellar record against Division 3 teams and John Nessa's microscopic 1.09 GAA very likely add up to a state championship.