'Selfish Play' Costs Catholic Memorial Knights, Says Coach Hanson

For most of two periods on Saturday evening, the Knights played the BC High Eagles tough, securing leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the annual Edward M Wright M.D. Memorial Hockey Classic at Boston University's Walter Brown Arena.

Things would change, as BC High sophomore goalie Peter Cronin covered the puck stopping play, CM senior Chris Stathopoulos incurred a roughing penalty in the middle of a pile-up in front of the BC High net, setting the Eagles up for a power-play with just more than two minutes remaining in the second period. Less than a minute later, the Eagles converted, with senior forward Sean Talbot collecting the goal assisted by junior Matt Sullivan and senior captain Mike Cashman, tying the score at 2-2.

The Eagles went on to open the third period with a flurry, scoring three times inside the frame's first three minutes to take a commanding 5-2 advantage, essentially securing the important Catholic Conference victory. The Knights scored twice more as the period wound down, but it wasn't enough.

A visibly angry Knights Head Coach Bill Hanson focused on the second period penalty as the catalyst for the loss.

"We had a player make a selfish play that ended up hurting us," he said. "...we became undisciplined, showed a lack of character, a lack of self discipline. In the third period, it was not a hockey issue. It was a character issue."

Eagles freshman forward Tom Besinger scored first in the third period after just 1:19, converting a pass along the left wing from senior Terence Durkin. Four minutes later, the two connected again, with Besinger assisting Durkin in front of the net. Senior forward Jake Tenaglia completed the scoring, after being set up by game MVP Mike Marsters's great individual effort approaching the Catholic Memorial net.

The Knights fired back as the period approached its final third when senior forward Kevin McCarthy scored his second goal of the game, assisted by sophomore Liam Coughlin. A minute later, sophomore Jack O'Hear tallied his own score - but it was too little too late for the Knights, who fell to 7-7-1 and last in the Catholic Conference with the loss.

Senior captain Mark Hetnik scored on a 5-on-3 in the first period to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.  BC High freshman defender Matt Doherty's second period rifle tied things up, but McCarthy's first goal -- a deflection of junior defender Jared Beckwith's low-sailing slapshot on the Power Play -- gave CM the lead again less than two minutes later.

But Talbot's goal with just 1:17 remaining turned the tide in BC High's (8-4-3) favor. And, Hanson said, the Knights had only themselves to blame for that.

"When you make selfish plays, and take selfish penalties after the whistle," he said, "it shows a lack of character."