ESPN

There are less than 24 hours remaining before the puck drops on the Super 8 tournament Sunday at UMass-Lowell’s Tsongas Center.

So we’re taking this opportunity to break down the final eight. As the tournament takes on a best-of-three format for its first-round matchups this year, we’re taking a look at the head-to-head breakdowns for each series, along with predictions:

Series: No. 1 St. John’s Prep (17-2-1) vs. No. 8 Central Catholic (14-5-3)

Players to watch: Prep – F Brian Pinho, F Tyler Bird, F Andrew Brandano, F Jack McCarthy, F Cam Shaheen, D Brent Murray, G Billy Price; Central – F Lloyd Hayes, F Corey Webber; D Nick Gorski, D Alex Lester, G Colin Soucy.

Previous meeting: Central 2, Prep 1 on Dec. 26.

The skinny: Central fought its way into the eight-team field with an improbable comeback against Hingham in Monday’s play-in game. But they’ll have to be ready to go out of the gate against the top-seeded Eagles. Prep is deepest team in the field — from its forwards to its defensemen — and the Raiders will have to weather the Eagles’ ability to wear teams down by consistently rolling four lines (Claude Julien surely would love this Prep team). The goaltenders will also be under the spotlight in this series with both Price and Soucy making their debuts in taking over for tournament stalwarts David Letarte and Kyle Williams, respectively. The play of both goaltenders has been a strength for their teams this year.

X-factor: Can the Raiders parlay some momentum gained from their dramatic play-in game overtime victory into a Game 1 win against the Eagles? Also, what kind of a factor will Central winger Mike Kelleher be?

Prediction: Prep in two.

Series: No. 2 Springfield Cathedral (16-1-4) vs. No. 7 Malden Catholic (12-6-3)

Previous meeting: MC 2, Cathedral 1 on Feb. 21.

Players to watch: Cathedral – F Peter Crinella, F Dominic Blad, F D.J. Petruzelli, F Johnny Leonard, D Matt Foley, D Jack Williams, G John Liqouri; MC – F Mike Iovanna, F Ara Nazarian, F Tyler Sifferlen, F Pat Wrenn, D Casey Fitzgerald, D Nick Rolli.

The skinny: While the Panthers enjoyed some down time this week, MC set about making a statement in its 9-1 dismantling of Archbishop Williams in Monday’s play-in game. Perhaps no team in the state has been hotter than the two-time defending Super 8 champion Lancers and they’d like to prove that, once again, this is their time of the year. There will be plenty of top-tier talent on the ice when the team’s top forward units face off with Cathedral’s line of Crinella-Artie Potter-Blad opposed by MC’s Iovanna-Nazarian-Sifferlen troika. The key to this series, however, will be which team’s second and third lines come to play.

X-factor: Cathedral goaltender John Liquori. As we saw in the Panthers’ game against St. John’s Prep in the final week of the regular season, he’s capable of stealing points and games for them. He’ll need to be at his best to curb the Lancers’ attack.

Prediction: Malden Catholic in three.

Series: No. 3 BC High (14-3-3) vs. No. 6 Catholic Memorial (12-6-2)

Previous meetings: BC High 5, CM 1 on Jan. 16; BC High 4, CM 3 on Feb. 2.

Players to watch: BC High – F Tom Besinger, F Pat Kramer, F Steve DeForge, F Chris LaLiberte, D Sam Topham, D Ryan Shea, G Peter Cronin; CM – F Liam Coughlin, F Jack O’Hear, F Kevin Hock, F Aaron Clancy, D Dennis Medeiros, D Sean Heelan, G Brandon Collett.

The skinny: Can’t get much better than this, right? Right up there with Bruins-Canadiens. The teams will add another chapter to their storied history in the 50th-anniversary year of their hockey rivalry. While the Eagles claimed both meetings against their Catholic Conference counterparts during the regular season, the play was largely even (minus one second-period outburst in BC High’s 5-1 win in January). So expect more of the same in this series.

X-factor: Liam Coughlin. The Eagles had success neutralizing the rangy center during their regular season appearance, both in the offensive zone and in the face-off circle. But we’ve seen Coughlin (25-16-41) take control at times this season, and he’ll have to do so for the Knights to advance.

Prediction: BC High in three.

Series: No. 4 Austin Prep (13-1-6) vs. No. 5 Reading (16-1-5)

Previous meeting: N/A.

Players to watch: AP – F Nolan Vesey, F Bobby Carpenter, F Jake McKenelley, F Eric MacAdams, F George Sennott, D Andrew Cross, D J.J. Layton; Reading – F Rob Devaney, F Mike Thomson, F Jake Barbera, F Mark Dente, G Evan Morelli.

The skinny: The Battle of Reading is just one subplot to a group of first-round series rife with context. The high-flying Cougars attack will have to break through a sticky Reading forecheck that can give opponents fits. AP does enter tournament having played some of its best hockey of the year in the final week of the season, wrapping up a Cape Cod Classic championship. The Rockets, meanwhile, will gain the fan bases of the rest of the state as the lone remaining public school entrant in this year’s field.

X-factor: Nolan Vesey. Has the potential to be the best player in the tournament. For a young squad such as AP, however, Vesey’s leadership will be vital for their long-term Super 8 chances. He needs to set the tone.

Prediction: Austin Prep in three.

STONEHAM, Mass. -- Correspondent James Walsh checks in these highlights from Central Catholic's 4-3 comeback, overtime win over Hingham in the Division 1A play-in game Monday at Stoneham Arena.

After falling behind 3-0 to the Harbormen, Central scored four straight goals, including Corey Webber's game-winner in the extra session to advance to a Super 8 first-round series against top-seeded St. John's Prep:

STONEHAM, Mass. -- As Corey Webber streaked down the ice in overtime, looking to bury the game-winning goal, defenseman Nick Gorski trailed the play thinking about the fact that he was in the midst of a two-minute, 30-second long shift, hoping that his teammate would do them all a favor and end it.

Webber broke in on Hingham goalie John Grenier, watched as the senior made the stop on his first shot, then with eyes as big as beach balls when the rebound landed on his stick, Webber calmly put it home and brought a huge roar from the Raiders' faithful.

That marker came with 2:06 remaining in the extra frame, capping a three-goal comeback as eighth-seeded Central Catholic surged past No. 9 Hingham for a 4-3 victory in the first of two Div. 1A play-in games Monday at Stoneham Arena.

The Raiders (14-5-3) move into the Super 8 field and will face top-seed St. John's Prep in a best-of-three series that starts Sunday at Tsongas Arena.

"I got behind their D, calling for [teammate Kevin Regan] to pass it," said Webber when asked to describe his game-winner. "He changed it right to me, I saw there was a D there so I shot it low right through the defenseman's feet, got it to the net, crashed the net, got the rebound and it went in.

"It had been rebounds all game and I was just surprised it was right on my stick I was ready there," he added. "There was one in the third I actually missed off a rebound, I missed the net, so I was ready to bury that one."

It looked as though Central Catholic may have been left for dead as Hingham (13-8-2) seemed to be continuing the momentum from a 10-1 victor5y over Marshfield in the regular season finale. The Harbormen outshot the Raiders, 23-13, through the first two periods and needed just 27 seconds to score the game's first goal as Sam D'Antuono stuck in the third of a flurry of rebounds.

Hingham got itself a shorthanded goal just 2:51 into the second as D'Antuono left a nice drop for Matt Brazel, who unleashed a nasty snipe from the slot to give his team a 2-0 lead. Just under six minutes later, D'Antuono struck again, converting a pass from Brazel.

"They played a great game tonight," said Hingham coach Tony Messina in praise of his two stars, D'Antuono and Brazel. "We tried to get them out there a lot, they were tired at the end but they're our best chance to score. Sometimes we rely on them too much to score, unfortunately, but when the game gets going like that, that's what do - try to get them out there all the time. They had a great game."

When all seemed lost, junior defenseman Alex Lester came through with a controversial goal with just 1:21 left in the frame. It was hard to tell if the puck actually crossed the line or not (Hingham said no, Central said yes, no surprise). The on-ice official never blew his whistle but the goal judge flipped the light on. After a conference, the goal was ruled good and the Raiders had the spark of momentum they needed.

"After that goal by Lester, I guess it was controversial but we all knew it went in," Gorski said. "We were confident that the right call was going to be made and when they made the call, the place went crazy. We knew there was going to be a swing in momentum."



Indeed there was. Central turned up the heat and controlled the third period, exceeding their output in the first two with 14 shots. After a faceoff win in the Hingham zone in a four-on-four situation, the puck cycled around to Gorski, who fired in his shot from the point at 2:56.

The Raiders kept firing but Grenier (26 saves) kept getting in the way all the way until Regan won the battle for a rebound of a Lester shot and tied the game with just 1:09 remaining in regulation.

As he had done all game long, Raiders goaltender Colin Soucy (30 saves) continued to stand on his head and snuffed D'Antuono on a breakaway bid with just 25 seconds left. Off the ensuing faceoff, Brazel clanged one off the post and the game went into overtime.

"It started with Soucy. He made some great stops, back to back to back and he gave us every opportunity to win that game," Central head coach Mike Jankowski said. "He was fantastic, you can't say enough good things. Every time you're holding your breath and kicks something else out, another part of his body got the rebound. he just stood on his head for us. He did remarkably well."

Each goalie made big stops in the extra minutes, and just when everyone started thinking about a shootout, Webber got loose and banged in his own rebound to send his team into the Super 8.

"It's unbelievable character," Jankowski said of his team's comeback. "We talked about a lot of people not giving us a chance. We talked about being in the play-in before where they hadn't been, they've always been in the top six. We've been here before and just reminding them that every shift matters, every period matters and keep moving forward. Great resiliency, great character."

Hingham returns to the Div. 1 South tournament field for just the second time in the last 12 years and will be the second seed, based on win percentage.

"It's a tough way to lose," Messina admitted. "I just told the kids we gave it our hardest. Sometimes we have trouble sealing the deal and that's what happened tonight. We went out there and tried to change nothing in the third period, just be smarter about the pinching, giving up two-on-ones, three-on-ones, and I think we did for the most part. Couple of crazy goals but they were coming strong, they sensed it and they had momentum at the end."

LAWRENCE, Mass. -- Before the game began the Chelmsford High hockey team was announced as the Knights.

Their nickname is the Lions.

That bad omen turned into an 8-4 drubbing at the hands of host Central Catholic in a battle between the top two teams in the DCL/MVC Division 1 standings.

“We played well,” Central head coach Mike Jankowski said. “We’ve had some good jump, and we’ve had some good shots and the bounces went our way tonight.”

The Lions (6-2-1, 5-1-0) came out firing early and were able to disrupt Central (6-2-1, 4-0-0) with a physical forecheck. Chelmsford buzzed around Central goalie Colin Soucy, who stopped all seven shots he saw in the first, but were unable to finish.

Everything turned late in the period when the No. 9 Raiders put up three goals in 92 seconds. Juniors Kevin Regan and Lloyd Hayes got the run going and senior Mike Kelleher scored his first of three goals to cap the flurry.

“We knew we had to match their intensity,” Kelleher said. “A few minutes there we turned it on and kept forechecking and it worked out for us.”

The Raiders continued the attack in the second, putting up a pair in the first 97 seconds to extend the lead to five. A goal by Chelmsford’s Jesse Lye put the Lions on the board, but it was already too little too late.

Central added three more before the period was up to go into the second intermission up 8-2. The Lions added two goals in the back half of the third period.

The Raiders had six different goal scorers and 10 players make their way onto the score sheet overall.

“There’s no one guy, it’s a nice team flow,” Jankowski said. “That’s what we’re looking for in terms of leadership. Mike has stepped up. [Nick] Gorski has stepped up.”

The eight goals was the most the Raiders have scored all season.

“This game we all showed we can score,” junior Corey Webber said. “I think it was a statement game for sure.”

HE DID WHAT?
Kelleher had a strong four-point performance, but it was his second goal that will be remembered. Time of the goal: five seconds into the second period.

Webber shot the puck in off the faceoff and Kelleher flashed in to clean up the rebound. No one in the Central locker room said they could remember a goal coming in a shorter amount of time.

“It was awesome,” Kelleher said. “I told Corey [Webber] to get forward on the play because I know that the defenseman liked to take it back. He did and it worked out great. Fortunate to get the goal.”

WEBBER STEPS UP
On a young team like Central, it is imperative that the upperclassmen step up. Yesterday, Webber did just that.

Not only did he set up Kelleher’s quick strike, but he also set up another goal a minute later and netted one of his own.

“Whenever we’re on the ice I always know where he is,” Kelleher said. “Corey [Webber] and I work well together.”

Jankowski stressed that there was no “one guy” his team was based around that it was players, such as Webber, who are the reason why the Raiders are ranked in the Top 10.

“There’s no superstar, but we do have guys who have a lot of speed and a lot of strength,” Jankowski said. “When we’re playing well, we can compete with anybody.”

NORTH ANDOVER – Local hockey fans who hadn't heard of Malden Catholic forward Ara Nazarian before this year's Super 8 tournament have probably heard of him now.

Nazarian, a freshman, collected a goal – his fifth in four Super 8 games – to help the top-seeded Lancers defeat seventh-seeded Central Catholic 4-0 Wednesday in the Super 8 semifinals.

“He tends to figure out the game at each level as he moves up,” Malden Catholic head coach John McLean said. “He's got a pretty good hockey IQ and when he gets a chance he's gonna put it in the net.

“I know what he can do because I've coached him since he was a Mite. He scored in some big games [during the regular season] and he's scored some big ones here. He's a big-time player.”

Malden Catholic, last year's Super 8 champion, also received goals from sophomore defenseman Nick Rolli, senior forward Brendan Collier and junior forward Ryan Fitzgerald.

The victory earned the Lancers a spot in the Super 8 championship game, where they will face BC High on Sunday (6 p.m.) at TD Banknorth Garden. BC High moved on with a 3-2 triumph over St. John's Prep in Wednesday's other semifinal.

“I've had them [BC High] marked from Day 1 as the team that would be there,” McLean said. “Just nonstop. Great coach, great kids and it's gonna be a great game.”

Central Catholic made the program's deepest run in the Super 8 tournament.

“The kids fought all the way to the end,” Central Catholic head coach Mike Jankowski said. “We wanted to be a little more conservative in our own zone. Give up a little bit. Be patient. The kids stayed with it. They did a great job.”

SHOOTING BLANKS
Although Malden Catholic collected both goals scored in the second period, the best chances in the period belonged to the Raiders.

Malden Catholic goaltender Connor Maloney stopped Central Catholic's Corey Webber on a penalty shot with 4:15 left in the period, and then Maloney stopped Michael Hovnanian's breakaway attempt with 3:36 remaining in the period.

“You gotta put those away when you're in trouble,” Jankowksi said. “When you don't finish them the sticks start to get a little heavier.”

“[Maloney] made a few more big saves besides those two,” McLean added. “He kept us in it. This is two games in a row where our offense gets going and we forget we have to play defense. The kids get excited when they score the goals and hear the fans, but defense wins hockey games.

“Maloney had a great game tonight. He was our player of the game.”

OLD FRIENDS MEET AGAIN
Sunday's game will be the fourth time Malden Catholic and BC High have faced each other this season. Malden Catholic posted a 7-4 victory during the regular season, and a 3-1 victory earlier in the Super 8 tournament. The teams also skated to a 2-2 tie during the regular season.

“I'm looking forward to it,” McLean said. “We always have good games with them. It's gonna come down to who going to eat the puck, block a shot. Who's gonna want to get in front and get dirty. I think it's gonna come down to heart. I think it's gonna be a great game for the fans.”