It started the day the twins were born: Paul is a minute older than Dan and, according to Dan, his brother considers it “his one minute of freedom that he’ll never get back.’’

After their freshman year at Milton High, the two each wanted the same job at a summer camp. The Parks and Recreation Department did not allow siblings to work together, so the two flipped a coin.

Dan won, and last summer, Paul worked for the rival camp.

But when the fraternal twins are together on the ice, that competitive drive and familiarity with each other is magic.

Their play is a big reason why the Milton High boys’ hockey team (9-3-1) is in contention for the Bay State Conference’s Herget Division title.

“They’re both passionate players,’’ said third-year coach Paul Noonan. “They’re here early all the time, they want to play, they want to win, and they’ve been like that since they were freshmen.’’

Paul, at 6-foot-1, 160 pounds, leads the Wildcats in points (10 goals, 15 assists), while Dan (5-foot-9, 160) has been the vocal anchor of the defense.

The Wildcats didn’t have much clicking in their 10-2 loss to Bay State Carey leader Needham Saturday at Ulin Rink, but the Curran connection was on display early in the third period.

Centering the Wildcats’ first line, Paul won the face-off and pushed the puck to Dan. In an instant, Dan snapped a pass up ice that landed right on the stick of his twin. Paul dished over to linemate Brian Higgins to get the goalie leaning toward the post, and Higgins tapped it back to Paul for a goal. His second tally of the night came just 15 seconds into the period.

“We devised [that] plan,’’ said Dan. “If he were to win the draw back, wait, and then wait until he goes to the boards and swings, and then I was going to hit him with a pass. It actually worked out perfectly.’’

Their on-ice connection dates back to the days of neighborhood pickup games at Cunningham Park, and has resulted in success at nearly every level of hockey. They skated on a state championship bantam team in Milton, and followed it up with two state championships with the South Boston Shamrocks.

“We’ve been on the same team since we were 4 years old,’’ said Paul. “We’re always in the backyard shooting pucks and stick handling together and lifting. We’re pretty much brothers, best friends, and teammates.’’

They may be twins, but each brings a unique set of skills to the ice. Paul carries a natural finesse to his game, while Dan has worked hard to become a strong defender for the Wildcats.

“Paul has skills some coaches tell us you can’t teach,’’ said his father, Bill. “He’s always been a guy that always liked to pass more than shoot, but coaches over the years have told him to shoot more. [He] has great vision on the ice. Kids like playing with him because if you get open, he’ll find you.

“Dan is more of a blue-collar, lunch-pail kind of guy. He is the sort of guy, he always has his teammates’ back, and that’s always been the case, no matter what team we’ve been on. If someone takes a run at Dan’s teammate, Dan gets the number, so to speak.’’

Like all twins, the Curran brothers share a unique bond. Their chemistry on the ice is a reflection of having spent the last 18 years side by side. They share a room and many of the same friends, train together, and except for one season (in eighth grade), have always been teammates. But with college looming, that streak may be about to end.

At this point in the application process, they have both been accepted at Suffolk and Salve Regina and are waiting to hear from Westfield State.

“People ask us every day if we want to go to the same school, and if we want to room together and stuff, but we always just say if it happens it happens,’’ said Paul. “Whatever is the best decision for both of us. If it is [to go to the same school], then we’ll go to the same school, but if one school is better for another, he’ll go there.’’

Dan echoed his brother’s sentiments. “We don’t really talk about it. If it happens, it happens. I’m not going to not go to a school because my brother is going there. I’m probably more likely to. I’ll at least have someone to talk to if I need it.’’

This time, there will be no flip of a coin.

Gaughan boosts potent Canton

A year after an 11-6-3 season and a trip to the Division 2 South quarterfinals, the Canton girls’ squad is off to a 7-4 start, thanks in large part to the goal-scoring touch of senior forward Haley Gaughan.

“She’s a big goal scorer,’’ said third-year coach Kelly Rider. “A bunch of our games we’ve had to win by scoring six or seven goals. We can always count on her. She gives us more energy. She’s a threat every game, against whoever we play.’’

Gaughan has only been held off the stat sheet once in 11 games this season, going pointless in a 3-1 loss to Sandwich on Jan. 14.

In the team’s other 10 games, Gaughan has tallied 27 points (17 goals, 10 assists), including two games in which she scored two goals, and three in which she registered a hat trick.

The Bulldogs have also received a huge boost from sophomore defenseman Jill Eckler, who is back after missing a good portion of her freshman campaign with an injury. She was sidelined just as she was finding her stride at the varsity level.

“We have a lot of natural talent on our team,’’ said Rider. “We only have 17 players, but of those 17, we have a lot of depth in them. We had all the talent at the beginning of the year, and now it’s starting to click.’’

On fire for Thayer

Thayer senior forward Melissa Piacentini continues to assert herself as one of the more gifted offensive threats in the Independent School League. Through 12 games, Piacentini has amassed 27 goals and 16 assists, including both Thayer goals in a 4-2 loss to Middlesex, and three goals and an assist in a 6-5 victory over Rivers last week.

Andrew MacDougall can be reached at andrew.macdougall@globe.com.