ESPN

Former Malden Catholic and Kimball Union Academy hockey standout Nick Roberto has switched his commitment to Boston University, after de-committing from Maine in the recent weeks. He will join the Terriers for the 2013-14 season.

Roberto, a Wakefield, Mass. resident, tallied 23 goals and 48 points in 29 games for the Wildcats last season.

"Nick has worked very hard to attain this goal," KUA head coach Mike Levine said Monday. "The KUA community is very happy for both him and his family."

Roberto played the previous three seasons with Malden Catholic, where he was a part of the Lancers' Super 8 championship team in 2010-11, before enrolling at Kimball Union. He also was part of the Wildcats' Piatelli/Simmons Tournament victory in 2011-12 and was named Flood-Marr Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2012.

He joins former KUA teammates Doyle Somerby and John Macleod as BU commits and becomes the seventh player with Massachusetts roots joining the Terriers next year, including Robbie Baillargeon, Brendan Collier (former MC teammate), Tommy Kelley, Dalton MacAfee, T.J. Ryan and Somerby.

Roberto's change in commitment was first reported by Jasper Kozak-Miller of the "Over the Boards" hockey blog.

We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 baseball poll this morning. To view it, CLICK HERE.

The next poll update will be Monday, May 6.

A few notes and observations about this week's poll:

St. John's Prep is new No. 1: Following its 6-5 thriller over BC High last Wednesday, St. John's Prep ascends to the top spot in the land for the first time since last season. The Eagles have won 10 straight since their season-opening loss to rival Xaverian, and a big reason is for the explosion of bats. Offensively, they are averaging 8.5 runs per game.

Catholic Conference reigns supreme: Catholic Memorial makes its season debut at No. 18, following a 5-0 upset of Xaverian on Friday. With the Knights' entry into the poll, as the fifth Catholic Conference school, this marks the first time since 2011, a league's full membership has been represented in the poll. Along with Prep's ascent to No. 1 the Catholic Conference also boasts BC High (3), Malden Catholic (8) and Xaverian (10) this week.

For the unfamiliar, the last time all five Catholic Conference schools were represented was in ESPNBoston.com's very first baseball poll of existence, the 2011 preseason poll. That list had none other than CM, with three Division 1-bound arms, as the top team in the land.

SPM making moves: St. Peter-Marian scored a huge victory on Saturday afternoon when they knocked off Malden Catholic 2-1 in extra innings. It marked the first time all season they have reached .500, and it also avenged a 3-1 loss to the Lancers back on April 13. With the win, SPM makes its season debut this week at No. 17.

The Guardians had a brutal start to their 2013 campaign, opening at 1-5 with losses to Hudson, St. John's (Shrewsbury), Billerica, Shrewsbury and the aforementioned Lancers -- all of whom are currently ranked, or have been ranked, in our poll this season. Since then, the Guardians have won four straight, getting excellent production out of its pitching staff led by D1 commits Zach Zona (UMass) and Jack Riley (UConn).

Making returns: SPM and CM are the lone teams making debuts this week, while a number of teams make returns after short absences. Westfield (20) returns after a one-week hiatus, followed by Braintree (22), Coyle-Cassidy (23) and Hudson (25).

Here's how the poll breaks down by league affiliation:

Catholic Conference - 5
Bay State - 3
Central Mass. Conference - 2
Northeastern - 2
Old Colony - 2
Southern Worcester County - 2
Valley League - 2
Atlantic Coast - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Eastern Athletic - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Mid-Wach B - 1
Patriot - 1
Valley Wheel - 1

WORCESTER, Mass. -- With the minimal amount of run-scoring opportunities each team had, both Malden Catholic and St. Peter-Marian needed to play beyond the Saturday’s seventh-inning affair to claim a victor.

It finally came in the bottom of the ninth. With two out and Jon Roy standing on first base, Guardian right handed batter Desi Garcia ripped a Joe Velozo fastball deep into the gap between right and center field. With Roy, who was running on contact, chugging around the bases, the senior was sent all the way home by head coach Ed Riley once Riley noticed Lancers’ center fielder Dan Marini slip on the grass after retrieving the ball of the fence.

As Roy crossed the plate, the senior was mobbed by jubilant teammates in celebration of SPM’s hard-earned 2-1 triumph.

Velozo and Guardians starter Zach Zona refused to give an inch against one another in this duel between two of the state’s top hurlers. Both were outstanding in attacking zones and shutting down the opposition’s offense. Velozo, a Merrimack College commit, allowed six hits and struck out 10. Zona, who is UMass-bound, worked eight innings, surrendering five hits and also recorded 10 Ks.

"This was an absolute team win," said Riley, his team now 5-5 after starting the season 1-5. “The pitching on both sides was phenomenal. Zach came out and pounded the strike zone. That’s a very good baseball team on the other side and, to date, the best team we have played against this year.

"They’re a very good fastball hitting team so our game plan was to pitch a little backwards to them where we go off-speed early and fastballs later in the count. For Desi, he really deserved that. He’s been with me since his freshman year and this is the first year he has had an opportunity to get into the lineup regularly. I couldn’t be more happier for him to come up with a hit like that."

In the top of the ninth, MC (6-4) threatened to grab the lead after loading the bases with one out. After issuing a single and walk to begin the frame, Zona was removed for Steve Albert. Following a sacrifice bunt and a walk, Albert, a junior, got out of the jam after striking out Nick Turco and Jeremy Roberts.

In the bottom of the inning, Velozo opened by walking Roy. After retiring the next two Guardian batters, Garcia, on an 0-1 pitch, lined his run-producing shot as the Lancer outfield was playing straight up against him.

"I had been seeing the ball good all day but just hadn’t hit the ball square," said Garcia, a senior. "(Velozo) had really good movement on his ball so I tried to stay back. I was able to hit a nice seed the other way into the outfield and Johnny Roy got in to win the ball game. As a team we feel really good right now. We have momentum and we are a team. We’ve all been working very hard and now we’re starting to get wins. Hopefully more will come."

Zona and Velozo were locked in from the outset, keeping the game scoreless through the first five innings. SPM had an opportunity to go up in the first inning after loading the bases. But Velozo, a lefty, got out of the fracas unscathed.

"Velozo pitched a great game," said Lancers coach Pat Driscoll, whose club defeated SPM 3-1 back on April 13th. "That’s how he has been all year for us. He throws strikes, attacks the zone and gives us a chance to win every time he’s out there. It was two great pitchers going at it today. They capitalized in the end and we didn’t.

"When you have two good starters on the mound for both teams like today it’s going to be a difference of who gets a timely hit with two outs and who executes. Today they got that hit and we didn’t."

In the top of the second, MC's Steve Passatempo doubled to lead off the frame and took third following Cam Lanzilli’s sacrifice bunt. But the junior got no further as Zona rung up Dan DiMare and Paul Garozzo to get out of the inning.

The Guardians would break up the scoreless deadlock in their half of the sixth. Velozo quickly retired the first two batters he faced before Brandon O’Connor belted a triple to left. Roy followed with a ground single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.

Just three outs away from a complete game victory, Zona began things by striking out Passatempo. With Lanzilli next up, the junior drove Zona’s first offering deep over the left field fence to knot the game at 1-1. Following the home run, MC put two more runners on base with only one out. But Zona bore down by getting the next two hitters and avoid further damage.

"To hold a team like that to one run over nine innings, that’s no mistake," Riley said. "It says you have some pretty good pitching. Both Zach and Steve Albert did a great job today."

The NHL Central Scouting service released its final rankings of North American skaters and goaltenders ahead of the NHL Draft Wednesday morning.

Former Malden Catholic standout and Valley Junior Warriors (EJHL) product Ryan Fitzgerald leads the New England skaters, checking in at No. 56.

Here's the list of skaters with local ties who made the cut:

(The full list can be found here):

SKATERS:
56. C Ryan Fitzgerald, Valley Junior Warriors (EJHL - Malden Catholic, North Reading), Previous Ranking - 46
60. LW Zach Sanford, Islanders (EJHL - Pinkerton Academy, Auburn, N.H.), Previous Ranking - 83
75. D Anthony Florentino, South Kent School, Previous Ranking - 79
94. C Nick Huthinson, Avon Old Farms, Previous Ranking - 133
97. LW/C Jason Salvaggio, South Kent School, Previous Ranking - 90
104. D Wiley Sherman, Hotchkiss School, Previous Ranking - 125
109. C Brian Pinho, St. John's Prep, Previous Ranking - 117
138. LW Miles Wood, Noble and Greenough, Previous Ranking - 163
169. D Ryan Segalla, Salisbury School, Previous Ranking - 136
182. C John Stevens, Salisbury School, Previous Ranking - 162
185. D Connor Light, Phillips Andover, Previous Ranking - 178
186. RW Ross Olsson, Cedar Rapids (USHL - Billerica Memorial), Previous Ranking - 121
187. LW Tyler Hill, Chicago (USHL - Hotchkiss), Previous Ranking - 85
195. C Daniel LaFontaine, Avon Old Farms, Previous Ranking - 172
198. D Quin Pompi, Berkshire, Previous Ranking - 160
201. RW Thomas Aldworth, Cushing Academy, Previous Ranking - Unranked
206. D Tyler Wood, Noble and Greenough, Previous Ranking - 197

GOALTENDERS:
15. Shane Starrett, South Kent School (Catholic Memorial), Previous Ranking - 35
26. Merrick Madsen, Proctor Academy, Previous Ranking - 34

We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 baseball poll this afternoon. To view it, CLICK HERE.

The next poll update will be Friday, April 19.

A few notes and observations about this week's poll:

BC High back on top: With its thrilling 2-1 victory over Malden Catholic under the lights Monday, BC High moves into the No. 1 spot for the first time since last season, when they were ranked No. 1 in the preseason. Once again, the Eagles make a clean sweep of the top spots, with St. John's Prep (2) and Malden Catholic (3) sweeping the top three positions. Preseason No. 1 Xaverian, off to a 1-3 start with a brutal schedule, falls back 10 spots to No. 11.

Here come the Raiders: One of the biggest statements of the early season has been Wellesley, which delivered a surprise 13-3 thrashing of Xaverian on April 6. For that, the Raiders make their season debut at No. 10. Overall, the Bay State Conference is off to a terrific start, with Walpole (4) and Newton North (6) also represented in the Top 10.

A few new debuts: Hudson storms into the poll for the first time since last season, at No. 17, following season-opening wins over D1 contenders St. Peter-Marian and Algonquin. The Hawks, along with SWCL mainstays Auburn (8) and Northbridge (20) make it three teams represented in the poll from the competitive Division 2 Central bracket.

Elsewhere, Malden (21), Lincoln-Sudbury (23), Beverly (24) and Barnstable (25) all make season debuts this week.

Here's how the poll breaks down by league affiliation:

Catholic Conference - 4
Bay State - 3
Northeastern - 3
Southern Worcester County - 2
Valley League - 2
Atlantic Coast - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Dual County - 1
Greater Boston - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Mid-Wach B - 1
Middlesex - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
Valley Wheel - 1

MALDEN, Mass. -- As far as league openers go, you can't get much better than Ryan Tufts' night.

Beneath the lights Monday night at Maplewood Park, the Virginia Tech-bound third baseman shone his brightest for Boston College High when it mattered most, in the Eagles' Catholic Conference opener against host Malden Catholic. Facing fireballing MC sophomore reliever Austin Batchelor with one out in the top of the seventh, tied 1-1, Tufts sat fastball and didn't have to wait long to get his pitch.

Tufts blasted one deep to center, a ball that was eventually dropped but scored Dan Dougherty from third to make it 2-1. The Eagles then sealed it in the final frame with a double play, to improve to 3-0 and 1-0 in the conference.

"He's clutch, he can hit anybody," Eagles coach Norm Walsh said. "In fact, that ball might have been a little up and out of the strike zone, but he's got such talent that he just did the job for us. That was one fantastic baseball game."

Said Tufts of seeing the drop, "I was pumped. Any time you can get an extra baserunner there, it's really big, especially when we're trying push across a few runs."

BC High took the initial 1-0 lead in the top of the second with some smart baserunning from Ryan Tropeano. After reaching first on a fielder's choice and stealing second, the sophomore scampered home after the second baseman dropped the ball trying to tag out Sean Webster trying to steal second.

MC fired back in the bottom of the fifth with a dramatic shot from pinch hitter Paul Garozzo. Facing a full count with two outs and a runner at third -- Cam Lanzilli, who led the inning off with a triple -- Garozzo sliced one just inside the foul line down first base for an RBI triple and tie ball game.

McDonald grins and bears it: Clearly, there are divided schools of thought amongst MIAA coaches as to how to handle pitchers in the first month of the season, when temperatures are still cold and arms are still getting broken in after a winter with limited live throwing.

Some like to keep starters regimented around 60 to 70 pitches, approaching the subject like a faberge egg; then there are those like Walsh, who let senior righthander Tommy McDonald throw into triple-digits, watched as McDonald took a ball off his left knee trying to bare-hand a comebacker in the final frame, and said, "You can't get mad at him though, because he's just so competitive."

"He wanted to make that play," Walsh said. "I think [second baseman] Jake [Marotta] would have had it, but he's such a competitor. You can't fault him for that."

Said McDonald, "I had the adrenaline running, it didn't even faze me. I'm just glad I stopped the ball from going into centerfield."

McDonald, a UMass commit, threw close to 115 pitches in a complete-game effort, striking out seven and walking none while scattering five hits and allowing the one earned run.

"At this point, he's thrown a bunch of bullpens in the preseason," Walsh said when asked about pitch count. "He's not going to start again for eight or nine days. He was throwing strikes, he was pounding the zone. I talked to [catcher] Luke [Catarius], Luke said he was really throwing the ball well still, so at this point no. He was probably up around 115 or so, and that's reasonable for him. He's our horse."

It's easy to see why the reigns are a little looser on McDonald. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder demonstrates good command of his fastball, locating it around the zone, and doesn't labor on the mound. He generates much of his power from his legs, and is the kind of type-A personality you want as a starting pitcher -- asked how he'd characterize himself, he laughed, "I'm kind of a jerk out there...I don't want to give anything up."

Asked how he felt after racking up a high pitch count this early, McDonald said he felt fine.

"I was going into this thinking four or five innings, and leaving the rest for the bullpen," he said. "But my adrenaline was going and I felt in mid-season form. I just feel really good right now."

Seamless transition: Forgive the Eagles if they've been spoiled the previous three seasons with Bobby Melley behind the plate. The UConn freshman catcher was one of the state's most feared hitters a season ago, hitting .370/.557/.685 totals with 13 RBI and drawing 22 walks to earn a spot on ESPN Boston's All-State Team.

But it looks like the equally-bulky Catarius, bound for Princeton University as a linebacker at a burly 6-foot and 230 pounds, will keep everyone comfortable despite his limited varsity experience. Catarius batted .267 a year ago in just 17 plate appearances.

Confidence around Catarius is apparent immediately.

"We didn't lose anything, he [Catarius] picked up right where Melley was coming back from," McDonald said. "Good presence behind the plate, good presence in the dugout, good presence with everything...He knows where I like to throw [and] where, inside, outside. He knows when to go out there, when I'm having a tough time."

Said Walsh, "[Luke] is a really tough, competitive kid. He's the heart and soul. He's got that fire to him."

Velozo battles: In five complete innings of work, senior lefty Joe Velozo worked his way out of jam after jam on the mound for MC. In the third, he retired the first two batters (K, 6-4) then loaded the bases up, then put out his own flames with some high heat to Tom Russo, getting him swinging up and out of the zone.

The next inning, he evaded trouble again thanks to a 3-2 double play from first baseman Steve Passatempo to Batchelor. Passatempo dove to his left for an unassisted out at first, then fired home to Batchelor, who made a terrific block at the plate for a tag on Tropeano. In his last go-around, the fifth, he struck out the first two batters then allowed batters to reach second and third before ringing up Russo again to end the scoring chance.

Velozo finished with six strikeouts and scattered six hits while walking three. Nick George relieved him in the sixth, followed by Batchelor in the seventh.

"Very little fazes him," MC head coach Pat Driscoll said of Velozo. "I think he likes being in the big pressure situations. He wants to be that guy in that situation, making the pitches and getting his team back in there to hit."

Recently named ESPN Boston's Mr. Hockey, Malden Catholic sophomore center Ara Nazarian has given a verbal commitment to the University of New Hampshire.

Nazarian, a Boxford resident, helped the Lancers to their third straight Super 8 title, after a dazzling run with nine goals and five assists in tournament play, including four short-handed goals. He tallied 26 goals and 22 assists for 48 points during the regular season.

"I am thrilled for Ara," Lancers head coach John McLean said. "He really came into his own this season and showed everyone his outstanding on-ice ability.

"We are proud and honored to add Ara to a long list of many who have achieved both academically and athletically here at Malden Catholic."

The date of Nazarian's arrival in Durham was unknown, but last year was selected by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the sixth round of the United States Hockey League Futures Draft.

Nazarian becomes the fourth Hockey East commit on the Lancers' roster last year, joining linemates Mike Iovanna (UMass-Amherst) and Tyler Sifferlen (UMass-Lowell) and defenseman Casey Fitzgerald (Boston College).

FIRST LINE
F - Liam Coughlin, Sr., Catholic Memorial
Finished third among all Division 1 players in scoring, while leading the Knights back to the Super 8 for the first time since 2009-10. The South Boston native put up 28-20-48 totals, tied for first among Catholic Conference scorers this season.

F - Ara Nazarian, Soph., Malden Catholic
ESPN Boston’s Mr. Hockey award winner this season, Nazarian had 26-22-48 totals for the regular season, along with nine goals and five assists during the Super 8 tournament for the three-time defending champions. The Boxford resident and center is the first underclassman to win the Mr. Hockey award.

F – Brian Pinho, Sr., St. John’s Prep
The Providence College commit led the Eagles to a No. 1 seed in this year’s Super 8 tournament. The North Andover resident compiled 12-24-36 totals this season and, in January, was ranked No. 117 among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings.

D – Casey Fitzgerald, Soph., Malden Catholic
The North Reading resident earned his second Super 8 title with the Lancers, playing on all defensive units and is one of two players making a second-straight appearance on our All-State team. The Boston College commit had 5-17-22 totals on the season and recently was accepted in the United States National Team Development Program’s U-17 team.

D – Matt Foley, Sr., Springfield Cathedral
The two-way blue-liner finished third on the Panthers in scoring with 10-16-26 totals this year while leading them to another Super 8 apperance. A Longmeadow resident, the captain is deciding among prep schools for next year, as well as offers to play in college.

G – Peter Cronin, Sr., BC High
The only repeating First-Team All-Stater this year, Cronin finished in the top five among Division 1 netminders in both goals against average (1.40) and save percentage (94.6) while starting all 23 of the Eagles’ games. He is currently considering colleges among playing opportunities at the prep school and junior levels.

SECOND LINE
F – Tom Besinger, Jr., BC High
The Eagles’ top center and captain was force to reckon with in the circle, in addition to leading the Eagles with 35 points (10 goals and a team-best 25 assists).
F – Cam Owens, Sr., Wilmington
Finished his high school career with back-to-back Division 2 state championships. Owens racked up 30 points, playing alongside All-State honorable mention Brendan McDonough. Owens is currently weighing prep and junior options for next year.
F – Nolan Vesey, Sr., Austin Prep
The senior captain led the Cougars back to the Super 8 for the first time since the 2009-10 season and all the way to a finals appearance at the Garden. Vesey led AP in goals (18) and points (31) while kicking in 13 assists.
D – Nick Gorski, Sr., Central Catholic
A player who head coach Mike Jankowski repeatedly called his “most improved player” since freshman year, the Raiders captain played on all units, leading Central to another Super 8 appearance.
D – Jack Williams, Sr. Springfield Cathedral
A major component to perhaps the state’s best blue-line core, Williams did a little bit of everything for the Panthers, including playing forward on power-play units. The Suffield, Conn. resident tallied four goals and 19 assists for 23 points. He is currently weighing his playing options for next season.

G – Colin Soucy, Jr., Central Catholic
The break-out star of this year’s Super 8 tournament, Soucy nearly delivered the Raiders to a quarterfinal-round upset of No. 1 seed St. John’s Prep in his first year as Central’s starting netminder.

Best of the Rest – Honorable Mention
Forwards
Tyler Bird, Jr., St. John’s Prep
Tommy Bishop, Sr., Chelmsford
Matt Brazel, Jr., Hingham
Brian Brooks, Jr., Canton
Mike Carbone, Sr., Marshfield
Bobo Carpenter, Soph., Austin Prep
A.J. Couto, Sr., Danvers
Ben Cox, Sr., Medfield
Peter Crinella, Soph., Springfield Cathedral
Cam Curley, Sr., Franklin
Sam D’Antuono, Jr., Hingham
Jordan Dow, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Josh Edwards, Sr., Blue Hills
Brendan Greene, Jr., Winchester
C.J. Grinnell, Sr., Burlington
Marc Happy, Jr., Wachusett
Lloyd Hayes, Jr., Central Catholic
Kevin Hock, Frosh., Catholic Memorial
Mike Iovanna, Sr., Malden Catholic
Andrew Irving, Sr., Beverly
Connor Irving, Jr., Beverly
Ryan Jones, Sr., Coyle-Cassidy
Jack Kilty, Sr., Medway
Pat Kramer, Soph., BC High
Tom Koopman, Jr., Marblehead
Matt Kustra, Sr., Natick
Brendan McDounough, Jr., Wilmington
Anthony Lespasio, Sr., Bedford
Jack O’Hear, Sr., Catholic Memorial
Derek Petti, Sr., Tewksbury
Eddie Pratt, Sr., Xaverian
Nolan Redler, Jr., Winchester
Tyler Sifferlen, Jr., Malden Catholic
Mike Sorenti, Jr., Archbishop Williams
Sean Spohr, Sr., Westfield
Max Turcotte, Sr., Holliston
Max Willman, Sr., Barnstable

Defense
Matt Burchill, Sr., Marshfield
Derek Butler, Jr., Natick
John Carlson, Jr., Hingham
Adam Crowley, Jr., Burlington
Nick Edwards, Jr., Blue Hills
Sean Heelan, Sr., Catholic Memorial
Kurt Leavitt, Sr., Canton
Bryan Nelson, Soph., St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
Nick Rolli, Jr., Malden Catholic
Ryan Shea, Frosh, BC High
Sam Topham, Sr., BC High

Goaltenders
Tim Birarelli, Soph., Beverly
Alex Buckley, Sr., Newburyport
Brandon Collett, Frosh., Catholic Memorial
Jordan Davis, Sr., Norwood
Derek DeCastro, Sr., Burlington
Drew Foley, Jr., Wilmington
Nolan Greene, Jr., North Quincy
Elijah Harris, Soph., Austin Prep
John Liquori, Jr., Springfield Cathedral
Al Lynch, Jr., Framingham
Evan Morelli, Sr., Reading
James Offner, Soph., Winchester
Nick Russo, Sr., Waltham
Jimmy Tierney, Soph., Oliver Ames

Three Massachusetts natives have confirmed today they've been offered spots on the United States National Team Development Program U-17 roster for 2013-14.

Malden Catholic defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, St. Sebastian's defenseman Noah Hanifin and Noble & Greenough forward Colin White were among those making the cut coming out of the 52 players invited to last week's evaluation camp in Ann Arbor, Mich. All players invited were of the 1997 birth year.

Fitzgerald had 5-17-22 totals while helping the Lancers to their third straight MIAA Super 8 tournament championship.

All three players are committed to Boston College, with Hanifin scheduled to land in Chestnut Hill in 2015, with Fitzgerald and White following in 2016.

For the third straight year, the three-time defending Super 8 champion Malden Catholic Lancers finished No. 1 in our MIAA boys' hockey Top 25 poll.

After hovering around .500 for the first half of the season, the Lancers turned it and rolled through the Super 8 en route to another celebration on the TD Garden ice.

We pulled Catholic Memorial into the No. 2 spot with the belief that whichever team won the Catholic Conference duel in the Super 8 semifinals had an inside track. However, don't be surprised if the 2013-14 rankings kick off with Super 8 runner-up Austin Prep in the pole position.

MIDDLESEX DOMINANCE
Moving past the Super 8 teams populating the Top 10, the Middlesex League provides a strong middle class to the final poll. Beginning with No. 8 Reading (Super 8 team), four straight Middlesex League teams represent, with back-to-back Division 2 state champion Wilmington and two-time defending Division 1 champion Burlington round out the Top 10. Division 1 North runner-up Winchester checks in at No. 11.

The Middlesex League led all conferences with six representing teams in the final poll (including No. 19 Melrose and No. 20 Wakefield).

Wilmington (D2) was ranked ahead of Burlington (D1) on the strength of two regular-season conference wins. The Wildcats will join fellow Div. 2 finalist Franklin (No. 17) in the Div. 1 poll next year.

ESPNBoston.com and its High School section today announced that Ara Nazarian, sophomore center for the Malden Catholic Lancers, is the recipient of its third annual "Mr. Hockey" award, presented to the top male high school hockey player in Massachusetts.

The Mr. Hockey Award winner was chosen by a panel of experts made up of ESPNBoston.com staff, correspondents and high school hockey coaches. Nazarian will be presented with the award at a later date.

“Ara immediately became an impact player last year as a freshman in Malden Catholic’s Super 8 run,” said Scott Barboza, co-editor of ESPN Boston High Schools and coordinator of the site’s hockey coverage. “He reaffirmed his position as one of the state’s top talents, regardless of league, during this year’s tournament, turning in one of the finest postseason performances in recent memory.”

Nazarian helped the Lancers to their third straight Super 8 tournament title last Sunday in a 3-2 win over Austin Prep. He is the first underclassman to be honored with the award.

The Boxford resident tallied 26 goals and 22 assists for 48 points during the regular season. But Nazarian saved his best for the state’s biggest stage, putting up 9-5-14 totals in Super 8 play, including a staggering four short-handed goals for the tournament and a hat trick in MC’s semi-final win over Catholic Memorial.

“I couldn’t be happier for Ara,” said Lancers coach John McLean, who has coached Nazarian since he was at the mites level. “He is a tremendous hockey player with a very bright future and, more importantly, he is a great young man. His on-ice abilities and leadership skills are second to none.”

Nazarian has yet to make a college commitment, but was selected by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the sixth round of last year’s United States Hockey League Futures Draft.

Flanked by a swarm of reporters, Sean Murphy’s eyes darted about as he searched for the words to say. The Burlington senior forward was never the center of attention during his high school career, so he didn’t have much experience in such a setting. He scored two goals at the TD Garden last week as the Red Devils’ repeated as Division 1 state champions. It was his first time playing at the Garden, having watched last year’s final unfold from the perspective of a fan. This was the first year Murphy made Burlington’s varsity hockey squad.

As Murphy responded to questions, teammates and members of the Red Devils’ coaching staff ribbed him. Their good-natured jabs caused Murphy periodically to break down and smile while he tried to maintain focus on the interview. They all knew the circumstances surrounding Murphy’s accomplishment. He’d done from off the team outright to hero.

During freshman year, Burlington didn’t host a freshman team. Murphy failed to make the junior varsity squad, so he went a year without playing for his high school. In sophomore year, Murphy earned a spot on the J.V. team, but it was the Red Devils’ lower team (the J.V. had been split into two teams). The next year, he moved up to the higher J.V. team, as many of his classmates won their first state crown. Finally, as a senior, Murphy made the varsity team.

He only scored one goal during the regular season, but Murphy broke out in the tournament, scoring five goals in the postseason, including two in the championship game.

When Murphy attracted the attention in the postgame following the Red Devils’ 4-2 victory over Marshfield on Sunday, Burlington head coach Bob Conceison watched a few paces away. He beamed and was eager to tell of Murphy’s story of stick-to-itiveness.

“That’s the kind of story that makes high school hockey great,” Conceison said.

A SORT OF CHANGING OF THE GUARD
As Malden Catholic won its third straight Super 8 championship, it would seem as though the Lancers simply picked up where they left off. But anybody who watched the defending champions’ season unfold would tell you this most recent run was anything but a sure thing.

In many years, this year’s MC model was uncharacteristic from the previous. Yes, the Lancers still had more top-end talent than anyone, with three Division 1 college recruits (and counting). But this was in broad strokes a young team and, more so, one that lacked experience in a Super 8 environment. Building on the contributions of talented senior leaders (Mike Vecchione in 2011 and Brendan Collier in ’12) in the last two years, the Lancers had to learn to do it on their own this year.

Helping to bridge the gap was senior captain Mike Iovanna, one of a handful of seniors on MC’s roster this year. Iovanna is self-described as someone who leads by example. The soft-spoken UMass commit has been a key cog in the Lancers’ run all along, but took on a greater role this year, inheriting the “C” on his sweater.

“You know what the expectations are,” Iovanna said of taking on the role of captain. “Knowing what Mike [Vecchione] and Brendan [Collier] meant in the room, I was able to learn from them.

“But I also know that I’m a different person from them. I’m a pretty quiet guy, but I knew I could set an example for the younger players as they had done for me.”

Iovanna combined with junior left wing Tyler Sifferlen and sophomore center Ara Nazarian to tally nearly half (113) of MC’s points on the season (245) on its top line. Aside from creating the Lancers’ scoring punch, Iovanna also contributed intangibles on MC’s top penalty killing forward unit beside Nazarian — who changed the face of the tournament with his four short-handed goals.

But aside from the first line, the Lancers relied on a new wave for contributions.

“They have their own identity, but it’s a new core,” Lancers head coach John McLean said. “It’s young, very talented players, with [Austin] Goldstein, [Matt] Filipe, [Jake] Witkowski and [Will] Lawrence on D, I thought John [McLean III] played well.”

Nothing was handed to this MC group; it was earned. Sitting a 5-6-3 as the calendar was about to flip to February, the Lancers had to learn on the fly.

“Right around Central Catholic, that was a big win for us and the kid’s became a team,” McLean said. “We went out to Springfield and, for whatever reason, Springfield always worked for us. We went on a roll.

Of course, none of that reflects the emotional component that followed MC hockey this year. Former head coach and athletic director Chris Serino succumbed after a long fight with cancer shortly before the season began.

His imprint remained in MC’s three-peat.

“It’s still Chris’s team a little bit,” McLean said.

COMINGS AND GOINGS
Here’s a look at some recent updates in where some of the state’s top players are headed next year:

• One of our favorite players to watch during the last couple of years was Burlington forward C.J. Grinnell. Grinnell led the Red Devils again in scoring (13-19-32) and is considering prep and junior options for next year, with Connecticut’s Canterbury School as a leading candidate. Just a thought that some college coach out there is going to get one heck of a player in a couple years.
• Springfield Cathedral wasn’t able to get over the MC hump in the Super 8, but will more than likely have several of its graduating players skating on past this year. First-line winger Dominic Blad is heading to South Kent while defenseman Matt Foley is weighing options between Phillips Exeter, Choate Rosemary Hall and Berkshire School, along with college choices for the following year. All-State-caliber defenseman Jack Williams and center Artie Potter are also exploring options for next year.
• The Woburn girls’ hockey program had perhaps the greatest collection of talent in the state this year. Case and point were made last week as two of the Tanners’ top skaters announced their college plans. Forward Kayla Smith gave her commitment to Salve Regina while defenseman Cassandra Connolly will be headed to the University of New England.

MR. AND MISS HOCKEY AWARD FINALISTS
We’ll be handing out our awards Monday when we name our Mr. and Miss Hockey Award winners, as the best players in MIAA hockey this year. Here’s a look at our four finalists for the honors, in alphabetical order:

Mr. Hockey:

• Liam Coughlin, Sr. C, Catholic Memorial: The rangy pivot helped lift the Knights to the Super 8 semifinals, leading the team with 28 goals and 20 assists for 48 points.
• Peter Cronin, Sr., G BC High: Undoubtedly, the state’s best goaltender for two years running. The three-year starter posted a 94.6 save percentage along with seven shutouts this year.
• Ara Nazarian, Soph. C, Malden Catholic: Led the Lancers in scoring (26-20-46) during the regular season in addition to leading all players in Super 8 scoring, while tallying an unheard of four short-handed goals for the three-time defending champions.
• Brian Pinho, Sr. C, St. John’s Prep: A natural playmaker with vision, the Providence College commit led the Catholic Conference champions with 12-24-36 totals.

Miss Hockey:

• Alison Butler, Sr. F, St. Mary’s (Lynn): Among the leading scorers in the state (37-25-62), Butler saved her best for last, netting the game-winning goal in the state championship game.
• Hannah Murphy, Sr. F, Duxbury: The Dragons captain capped her prolific career with the program’s third straight state championship win, scoring 29 goals and adding 24 assists.
• Shannon O’Neil, Sr. G, Austin Prep: Led all Division 1 starting goaltenders with a 1.08 GAA and eye-popping 96.8 save percentage to go along with 10 shutouts.
• Kayla Smith, Sr. F, Woburn: Perhaps the most feared scorer in the state, Smith finished with 34-29-64 totals for the Tanners.

Scott Barboza and Bruce Lerch tie a bow on the 2012-13 MIAA hockey season in this piece produced by James Walsh and Greg Story.

We break down the six state championship games played at TD Garden, while taking a look ahead to next year and some potential break-out players:

Correspondent James Walsh produces these highlights from Malden Catholic's 3-2 win over Austin Prep in the Division 1A, Super 8 final Sunday at TD Garden.

It was the Lancers' third straight Super 8 crown.

BOSTON – The 2013 Super 8 tournament ended the same way it did in 2011 and 2012 – with Malden Catholic celebrating on the TD Garden Ice.

The Lancers stretched their winning streak to 11 games Sunday by beating Austin Prep 3-2 in the Super 8 championship game.

Junior left wing Tyler Sifferlen, sophomore right wing Austin Goldstein and sophomore center Ara Nazarian scored for Malden Catholic, which became the first team to win the Super 8 in three consecutive years since Catholic Memorial prevailed from 2003 to 2005. The Lancers, who were under .500 after 14 games, completed their season with a 16-6-3 record.

“We knew we had the talent, we just had to get the kids on the right page and to believe in themselves,” Malden Catholic coach John McLean said. “I thought we were going to lose four games, When we got to six I was concerned.”

Austin Prep's Nolan Vesey scored on the game's first shot on goal and the game's last shot on goal, but the Cougars didn't beat Malden Catholic goaltender Connor Maloney in between. The Lancers led 2-1 after one period and carried that lead into the third.

Maloney made 12 saves.

“End of the season we went on a little run,” Maloney said. “Nothing was definite, but we felt if we played our best hockey we'd be here.”

Nazarian gave Malden Catholic a 3-1 lead on a shot from the left faceoff circle that found its way between Austin Prep goaltender Elijah Harris' pads and trickled across the goal line 2:24 into the third. Vesey kept things interesting by scoring with 26.5 seconds left, but the Cougars failed to put another shot on goal. Vesey's second goal came after Austin Prep had pulled Harris (33 saves).

Austin Prep, which entered the contest unbeaten in its last 13 games (10-0-3), finished its season with a 16-2-6 record. It was the first time Austin Prep reached the Super 8 final.

“They're a good hockey team,” Austin Prep coach Louis Finocchiaro said. “They came on strong at the end of the season.

“We're not happy with losing. We came here intending to win a hockey game and believed we could. Our kids ... I can't be more proud of them. What I'm most proud of is we continued to compete until the final buzzer – like it's been all year. “

It was the second time the teams met this season. Malden Catholic won a shootout on Dec. 28 after the game was 4-4 at the end of overtime.

The Lancers led 2-1 after the opening period. Austin Prep grabbed the lead when Vesey scored from low in the left faceoff circle 14 seconds into the contest. It was the game's first shot on goal.

Malden Catholic got on the scoreboard when Sifferlen beat Harris with a wrist shot from the right dot at 5:25. The goal came during a delayed penalty.

The Lancers took their first lead when Goldstein scored on a soft shot from above the right circle with two minutes left in the first. The two goals Harris allowed in the opening 15 minutes matched the number of goals he surrendered in Austin Prep's three previous tournament games.

Malden Catholic lost five players from its 2012 championship team. The Lancers became the first team to win a play-in game, and then capture the Super 8 title.

“Really proud of the kids because there were a lot of doubters,” McLean said. “If everybody comes back, hopefully you'll see us here again next year.”