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HINGHAM HS is only the second public school champion in the 20-year history of the Mass. Division 1A tournament. The Harbormen nipped Catholic Memorial, 1-0, in the title game at TD Bank Garden.

ARLINGTON CATHOLIC won the 2010 MIAA Division I title after a 5-0 win over Archbishop Williams in the final at TD Bank Garden.

It's hard to imagine that entering the Div. 1A Tournament the goaltending situation for Hingham High School remained, shall we say, unsettled. It's hard to imagine because of the five-game post-season stretch turned in by junior Derek McInnis.
   McInnis capped a two-week run during which he yielded just 10 goals with a 19-save 1-0 shutout against defending 1A champion Catholic Memorial at The TD Garden. The Harbormen became the second public school in the history of the 20-year tournament to claim the title, joining 2008 champion Reading, while denying CM its 13th crown in the event it had owned until recent years.
   The thing is, McInnis - who returned home from CM for his junior year after seeing little time on the Knights' JV squad as a sophomore - shared time with three others in the Hingham goal right through the Cape Cod Classic that ends the regular season. McInnis, though, had shown flashes at various points during the regular season, prompting coach Tony Messina to make the decision to ride with the junior throughout the tournament.
   The combination of personal motivation, prior knowledge of CM's lineup and a stifling performance by the defensive crew in front of him elevated McInnis to his best when it mattered most, especially down the stretch. Though the Knights were unable to unleash their usual avalanche of shots, there were no weak dribblers or harmless 50-foot flips among the 19 that came McInnis's way. He gave an indication of what was in store in the game's early minutes, robbing a doorstep bid by CM's David Lazaro, then added a cross-crease lunging denial of Derek Colucci's shot late in the period.
   "I am really proud of this team, and the seniors in particular, for getting it done in the most important game of the year. I am not surprised at our achievement though as this team has worked hard, day in and day out, to put themselves in this position," Messina said.
   "To win the Super 8 as a public school is a great accomplishment for our program, especially against CM, as we know very well what their track record has been over the years. We have tremendous respect for coach (Bill) Hanson and the CM hockey program," he added.
   The teams had met in early January with CM squeezing out a 4-3 victory. Hanson had no qualms about the Knights' effort in the title game, focusing instead on the performance of McInnis and the Harbormen.
   "They're good. They have great athletes. They stepped up and played hard. People questioned their goaltender and they did what they had to do in front of him. He came up big those last four or five minutes during scrambles. They were tenacious. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We played hard and what I feel was exceptionally well against a really hard team to play against," Hanson said.
    Remarkably, the game's lone goal came midway through the first period with the Harbormen on the powerplay following a hooking call against CM's Matt Dalton at the 5:44 mark. It didn't take long for the Harbormen to score as team scoring leader Tim Driscoll (54 points) directed Connor Coveney's hard shot from the point past CM goalie Tommy Knox (18 saves).
    There was no reason to believe that the game would turn into a grinding defensive struggle but that is precisely what happened for the better part of the final 35 minutes. Hingham's defense excelled beneath the dots in its own end, limiting CM's opportunities to free-wheel and cycle. The Knights matched that effort, limiting Hingham's looks at Knox.
    Everyone knew the Knights would not go quietly and they controlled play for significant chunks of the third period. McInnis made several early saves, then denied glittering opportunities by Troy Starrett, TJ O'Brien and Vinny Reppucci in the final minutes. Hingham, though, remained calm down the stretch, clearing the puck as needed, taking faceoffs when necessary and keeping the shooting lanes clear for McInnis.
    This was Hingham's ninth 1A appearance since exiting Division 2 with a State Championship in 1997. It was only natural that thoughts at some point would turn to the Harbormen's long-time coach and program architect Garrett Reagan, who passed away unexpectedly two years ago and after whom an annual pre-season jamboree at the New England Sports Center involving schools from across the state is now named.
    "My only regret is that Garrett Reagan was not here to experience and enjoy this win with us. He would have been extremely proud of our success," Messina concluded.

The regular season is one thing, the State Championship game something else altogether different, as Archbishop Williams learned during its 5-0 loss to Arlington Catholic in the Div. 1 title game at TD Garden.
Williams - which had defeated and tied AC during the Catholic Central Large campaign - had no answers for the Cougars' intensity and determination in the game that mattered most. AC raced out to a 3-0 lead after one period and clamped down on defense the rest of the way, halting Williams one game short of the ultimate prize a mere two seasons after winning just one game.
    The Cougars capped a season that was a study in perseverance. A pre-season choice by nearly everyone to mount a serious 1A challenge, they relied on the experience of their 14 seniors to fight through injuries and the effects of an 0-3 start. They were playing their best hockey by season's end, earning a return trip to the title game and securing the championship that had eluded them a year earlier in a 2-1 loss to Springfield Cathedral.
    Longtime coach Dan Shine was quick to credit his seniors for their contributions throughout the year that produced the program's fourth overall State Championship. A mere game over .500 late in the season, AC won seven of its final eight games to finish 15-7-4 overall.
    "Our seniors united our team during the second half of the season. During the tournament it was so gratifying to look down at our bench knowing we had the experience of 14 seniors to rely on. This team showed great character," he said. "We had our stars like all teams but the surrounding cast was critical throughout the season."
    The first period illustrated that point as senior All-Scholastic and CCL all-star John Needham, emerging sophomore Niko Rufo, and hard-working senior Chris Wright scored to take Williams out of the game in short order. That was more than enough for senior keeper Cam Kelley, who closed his career in style with 15 saves before exiting in the final minutes for John Busa, who completed the shared shutout.
    Shine praised the play of the top line of Needham, senior Mike Settipani and senior Paul Kehoe, four-year players "who answered the bell each night" and may well have been the post-season's top unit regardless of division. They certainly weren't alone.
    "Forwards Chris Wright and Artie Agostino had terrific senior years. Juniors like forwards Dan Grahan and Shaun Teeven and goalie John Busa stepped up their games in the second half. Sophomore standouts that played a key role were the line of Niko Rufo, Jon Byrne and James Murphy," Shine continued.
    The Cougars excelled on defense with a group that included seniors Shawn Power (CCL All-Star), Andrew Crawford, Jonathan Mancini and Brian Foran and junior Brian Ouelette (All-Scholastic, CCL All-Star). And then there was Kelley, an impenetrable last line of defense who yielded just six goals in five tournament games.
    "Goaltending is usually the key to all championships and ours was no different. We all rode on Cam Kelley's back - he had five outstanding tournament performances, including blanking Reading in the shootout," Shine said, referencing the Cougars' early escape in the North Sectional.
    No such heroics were required against Williams. Kehoe scored what proved to be the only goal Kelley needed at 8:46 of the period, converting from a tight angle off assists by linemates Needham and Settipani. Rufo doubled the margin with 2:31 left in the period, converting an errant Archies' clear into a goal that made it 2-0.
    The backbreaker came with 31 seconds left in the period with AC on the powerplay following a cross-checking penalty against Archies' standout Mike Boyle. Wright did the honors as he knocked down Powers' slap pass and lifted a shot over Archies' goalie Nick Commesso. The Cougars skated off after a period knowing if they were on their game - and they were - they simply needed to finish smart and strong to claim the crown.
    "We were very worried about (Bishops sniper Mike Boyle) all night right up until the end. But I thought with our big line (Kehoe, John Needham and Settipani) they didn't have anyone to cover if we were on our game - and we were," said Shine.
    Settipani stretched the lead out to 4-0 midway through the second period and Agostino capped the scoring in the third. Needham picked up a pair of assists while Graham and Teeven added one each. Meanwhile, Williams simply was never able to mount much in the way of offense despite the presence of the brothers Boyle and a surrounding cast that produced 113 regular-season goals.
    "We had a real good season, but we had a tough time (tonight)," said AW's second-year coach Derackk Curtis. "We did everything we had to do to get here, and then came out flat. It is very frustrating, not to have your best game in the championship."