LYNN — It’s not how the Spartans wanted to kick off 2024 as the St. Mary’s boys hockey team (6-2) lost 2-0 to one of the best teams in the state, Xaverian Brothers. 

The first seven minutes of the game saw both teams have shots on the net testing the goaltenders. 

With 4:49 left in the period, Aidan Fitzpatrick thought he was clear on goal and he got a shot away. However, the refs blew for icing unbeknownst to Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick was then sent to the penalty box. 

“Fitzpatrick never heard the whistle and thought he had a breakaway. There’s no need for that call at that point of the game,” St. Mary’s coach Matthew Smith said. “Then they get the call and moments later a kid smacks Smitty’s (Matthew Smith Jr.) stick out of his hands.”

47 seconds after the penalty, Xaverian executed its power play although without some controversy. 

“It’s really disappointing that one call led to a goal. I’m really not a fan of that call,” Smith said. “I don’t want to talk about the refs because we didn’t even score, but it’s really disappointing that the call happens and then our goalie gets his stick knocked out of his hands and that’s how the puck ends up in the net.” 

With just under a minute left, Spartans goalie Smith Jr. made an incredible double save to keep the game at 1-0. 

“He’s just solid in the net. He plays the puck really well. Even their coach said it to me. He’s a big kid at six feet as a sophomore,” Smith said. “We’re blessed to have great goalies here. Smitty’s our guy right now and he’s been playing well.”

Xaverian held a 1-0 lead heading into the third period. In the third, as St. Mary’s were pressuring for an equalizer, Xaverian hit St. Mary’s on the counter to ice the game 2-0. 

After the game, Smith was proud of his teams effort. 

“Unreal effort against the number one team in the state. Even their coach said we had them on their heels for a lot of the game,” Smith said.

“They worked super hard. They didn’t stop working for the entire game,” Smith said. “I would like to see our guys get to the net a bit more. More traffic around their net would be nice. You can’t complain after the effort they put in against a team like that.” 

St. Mary’s normally doesn’t play Xaverian, but Smith believes there are positives in playing them and is looking forward to facing them again in the future. 

“Hats off to Xaverian. We’re just happy to play a team like that. We never had them on our schedule in the past, their coach is a really great guy,” Smith said. “It’s fun being able to play them every other year now. That’s what we want at St. Mary’s to play those types of teams.”

St. Mary’s will look to get back to winning ways when it hosts Arlington Catholic on Wednesday with puck drop scheduled for 6 p.m.