VIDEO: Hingham’s Mulkerrin, Dzavik score in win over Braintree
Hingham’s Conal Mulkerrin and Paul Dzavik found the back of the net in a Division 1 Sweet Sixteen game vs. Braintree.
STONEHAM – Overcoming the odds-on favorite in the MIAA state tournament takes an effort unlike any other.
And sometimes that isn’t quite enough.
Hingham High head boys hockey coach Tony Messina spent extended time with his team in the Stoneham Arena locker room after a 3-0 loss to top-seeded St. John’s Prep in the Elite Eight on Thursday night. When the longtime coach emerged, he stood against the wall behind the visitor’s bench and took in the moment.
“I’m not sure how we could’ve played any better, to be honest,” Messina said. “That’s what I told (the team). Tough.”
No. 8 Hingham trailed 1-0 all evening, until a pair of empty-net goals by SJP’s Johnny Tinghe and Jake Vana in the closing minute ballooned the final margin.
“I thought it was a battle the whole way, a one-goal game the whole time which is what really stings,” said senior Travis Rugg. “It was a great game to end on, to be honest, even though it stings now, because it was such a hard battle against a great team. Very happy to share these last moments with Hingham on this ice.”
St. John’s Prep, which owns the No. 1 seed for the third consecutive year, advances to play No. 4 Xaverian in the Final Four on Sunday (time/location TBD).
“We were one bounce away from making this a totally different game,” Messina said. “We had times where we had some good shots and some opportunities but we couldn’t put them away.”
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Hingham fell behind early as SJP’s Mason Luciano put in the Eagles’ first goal on a rebound off the back boards at the 12:54 mark: “Just the way it went in, it was kind of devastating,” Messina said. “We were ready to go and it took the wind out of our sails a little bit.”
The shot totals were close the rest of the way, as the on-net opportunities of Hingham’s headliners (Rugg, Paul Dzavik and Cam McKenna) were shut down by standout SJP goaltender AJ Farese, a first occurrence for the Harbormen as it is the only shutout the team suffered all year.
“Obviously, very proud of the effort of every single guy. They gave everything,” Messina said. “(St. John’s Prep) is a really quick team. Obviously very talented. Every rush up the ice, you’re holding your breath, but we did a good job staying with…
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