Courtesy of the Roslindale Wicked Local (Massachusetts)
A contrast in styles as Knights tie Angels from Minnesota
by Jody Kessler
Roslindale - At Harvard’s Bright Hockey Center, Catholic Memorial hosted Academy of Holy Angels, from Richfield, Minn. It was the third time Holy Angels has traveled to Boston to play CM, also coming in 2002 and 2005.
Holy Angels is one of Minnesota’s best high school programs, and Minnesota has some of the best hockey in the country. With a young team, they are down this year a bit, coming in with a 9-4 record, and ranked only 20th in the state; however, they have not lost a game in the Missota Conference in nine years and have won multiple state championships.
The game featured contrasting styles, Holy Angels playing the speed and finesse game of the Midwest, CM playing the grind-it-out power game of the East. It added up to one great hockey game, thrilling the large crowd on hand, playing to a 2-2 tie.
Both Holy Angels goals came from dynamo junior center Danny Mattson, who has committed to Division I powerhouse North Dakota, and is being recruited by the NHL. CM, ranked #1 in Massachusetts and undefeated at 8-0-1, got goals from senior Mike Collins and sophomore Shane Walsh.
Before the game, Angels coach Greg Trebil talked about the trip. “We like to play top competition. This seems like the best way to spend our nonconference games. We love the fact that they’re good top private schools and that they play real good hockey. That’s what we’re about. Also in Boston, there are a lot of educational things we can expose our kids to.”
One former Angels player, Mike Taylor, is now Harvard’s captain. After the game, Trebil was very excited about how the game was played: “It was a great game. It was up and down, really skilled hockey. That’s what we like to play, that’s the kind of hockey we teach, and they [CM] do the same thing. They’re a tremendous team. We love to come play these guys. They play as hard as they can, and that’s what we expect out of our kids.
CM coach Bill Hanson said on Holy Angels, “That’s a good program. You don’t face anyone better in our state than those kids.”
Hanson commented on the contrasting playing styles: “One thing about hockey out of the Midwest, especially Minnesota, is it’s more of a finesse game, a skill game, as opposed to the Eastern teams. And you see that on the NCAA level, too. Our style is to get the puck low, to bump and to grind.”
The game was started by CM freshman Patrick O’Mara playing “The Star Spangled Banner” on bagpipes. Holy Angels fans were very impressed. Then the hockey got under way, and it was excellent from the drop of the puck. The Angels looked good early, starting by stealing the puck when CM won the face-off, and carrying it all the way to the CM goal for a point-blank shot that Mike Conlin stopped. The Angels, dressed in blue to CM’s grey and red, controlled action for the much of the first period, although neither team could score for the first 14 minutes. That changed quickly when Mattson got the first of his two goals on a shorthanded chance, making a great move and scoring over Conlin’s right shoulder. The goal came at the 14:36 mark, but CM would come right back 16 seconds later to even the momentum going to the break, Collins scoring on a wicked slap-shot at 14:52.
After a couple of minutes of even play to start the second period, Mattson got his second goal at 2:25, on another rush outside, beating the defender with his speed. CM tied it up on Walsh’s goal, a slapper that trickled in behind the Angels goalie.
The third period was marked by the best play of the game by both teams. The puck was moving, and each team had chances. CM had two possessions where they held the puck in the Angels’ zone for a long time, but could not come away with the game-winner. Finally, what seems to happen in many hockey games, CM had a ridiculous rush in the last minute, the puck dancing around in front of the goal.
CM chopped at it relentlessly, but somehow it did not go in. Maybe it was destined to not go in to reward each team with the tie, and being a nonleague game, it doesn’t count towards the standing anyways.
CM wound up with 27 shots on goal. Angels had 21. It was a fairly clean game, with seven penalties between the two teams.
Angels defender Charlie Raskob was very happy with the game. “It was a good game, it was fun. They were a good team,” he said.
Mattson echoed Raskob. “This is a great team. Both teams played hard; it was a great experience. It’s a really fun city; there’s not as much going on in Minnesota.”
Conlin pointed to not knowing the players as a possible difference. “We had no idea what to expect. Most of the teams around here you know about. We didn’t know anything about their kids. Twenty-one [Mattson] was very good.” About the whole experience he said, “It’s a great way to see what competition is out there.”
Hanson talked about where his team is now. “We’re at the halfway point. We’re undefeated. We played a really tough schedule [recently], St. John’s Prep, Malden Catholic, BC High and these guys. To go 3-0-1 is an achievement for these guys.”
