CANTON­ – In a boys hockey matchup between two of the top teams in the Catholic Conference, No. 1 St. John’s Prep secured a 5-2 road victory over No. 3 Xaverian.

It was the first matchup of the 2023-24 season for the rivals and each team entered with just a single loss. The victor would likely grab the throne as the top-ranked team in Division 1 and St. John’s Prep coach Kristian Hanson said his team wanted to defend that honor.

“We wanted to go out there and test ourselves against Xaverian who, for most of the year, has been considered the No. 1 team,” Hanson said. “I thought we fought through a lot of adversity tonight, got some very good goaltending and put a lot of pressure on them offensively.”

The opening period was filled with plenty of physicality from both sides. The Eagles got on the board first after Christian Rosa hustled for a Jack Doherty rebound and buried it past Hawks goaltender Cole Pouliot-Porter.

The Eagles would continue to pepper Pouliot-Porter in the first period, outshooting Xaverian 20-8. However, the senior netminder made several sprawling saves and kept his Hawks in it. This paid off in the final minute of the period after Jack O’Neill sprang Jackson Morse loose and the junior sniped it into the top corner to even the score.

St. John’s Prep opened the second period on a power play and took advantage of it after Doherty sent Mason Luciano on a breakaway and he scored off his own rebound. A few minutes later, Rosa notched his second of the game after a nifty passing play with Johnny Tighe.

“We’ve been working in practice on moving the puck earlier,” Rosa said. “I honestly thought he was going to shoot it, but he put it right on my stick and it popped in. It was great.”

That would round out the scoring in the second period, but Xaverian would quickly draw back within one in the third period after Colvin Callahan scored a back-door goal to make it 3-2. That would not stand for long as Luciano would score his second of the game after dragging the puck around Pouliot-Porter and burying it.

“I was just driving to the net, luckily getting the puck on my stick and scoring,” Luciano said. “I just tried to drive close to the net and get myself visible.”

That would be the extent of most of the scoring, but Xaverian had three third-period power play opportunities. Fortunately for the Eagles, goaltender A.J. Farese shut the door and a Cooper Hosmer empty-net goal solidified the huge league victory.

“I think if we just play like that all year we will come out on top,” Luciano said. “We’re the best team here, I think we showed it tonight.”

Xaverian’s Jack O’Neil takes down Jake Vana of St. John’s Prep behind the Xaverian goal in Canton. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)