READING – The last time the Reading and Arlington boys hockey teams matched up, the Spy Ponders’ heroics in overtime stole the Middlesex League Liberty crown from under the Rockets’ noses near the end of last season.

Wednesday night, the two Div. 1 juggernauts showed neither has the edge yet this year.

No. 4 Arlington (6-3-1) and No. 5 Reading (6-1-1) skated to a 2-2 tie at Burbank Ice Arena, as defenses held off any of those heroics through overtime after the two teams traded lead changes in the opening two periods.

The Rockets had gained a lead in the last minute of the second, only for Spy Ponders defenseman Evan Sparks to tally the equalizer in the third period’s first two minutes. John Snider’s four saves in overtime helped him finish with 25 saves for Arlington, while Owen Holland had 19 saves for Reading.

With how crowded the Liberty is across all five teams, neither head coach was surprised – or disappointed – with the finish. Arlington, Reading and Belmont each only have one league loss, while Woburn has two.

“(Reading) might be the hardest-working team in the state,” said Arlington’s John Messuri. “They play the right way, we’ve got a ton of respect for them. … Not only in our league, but I think right around the state, everybody’s pretty much the same. Every day you’ve got to put the chin strap on and make sure it’s buttoned, and work hard.”

“I’d be lying if I said I was really disappointed, I mean, this is going to happen,” said Reading’s Mark Doherty. “We think we’re pretty good, and they’re good. It was a good game. Both teams were probably a little cautious I thought, but you want to make sure your defensive coverages are good and all that. … Two evenly matched teams.”

Playing without star forward Nolan Russell, Arlington wasted no time getting out to an early lead. The first line of Drew Beck, Armen Vartanian and Quinlan McNulty-Lu quickly gained the offensive zone, and a feed from below the goal line to McNulty-Lu in front led to a goal from the senior just 21 seconds in.

The line dominated on their first two shifts by anchoring a 10-shot first period and challenged Reading well throughout.

“I thought Beck, Vartanian and (McNulty-Lu) might have played their best high school game,” Messuri said. “Those three were really good. That line was excellent tonight.”

Reading’s early lapse didn’t set it back much, gradually gaining momentum until Arlington’s tripping penalty gave the Rockets a power play with 6:02 left in the first. Only 17 seconds later, Nate Mulvey grabbed a rebound at the right post and jolted around the back of the net to wrap it in on the other side to tie things up. Nate Vitarisi and Aidan Shaughnessy had the assists by forcing Snider to move laterally out of position.

Physicality and defensive coverages sharpened for the Rockets in the second period and Arlington put an emphasis on better puck management, slowing offensive chances way down despite an aggressive Rockets forecheck. Reading didn’t need much, though, to take its first lead on a highlight-reel goal in the final minute of the second.

Liam Hansen forced a turnover and sent it to the high slot, and Jack Melly sniped a goal bar-down despite stumbling and falling during the shot.

“Give (Arlington) credit, they caught our middle wide open (early) and they made a real nice play in our end,” Doherty said. “But we’ve got a bunch of kids at every game, they just keep working. They’re not going to quit, and I didn’t expect them to. I thought, pretty much after the first five minutes of the first period, I liked how we played the rest of that.”

In classic Liberty barn-burner fashion, the Spy Ponders only needed 1:32 into the third period to tie the score back up at 2-2, when Sparks’ shot from the point deflected off a Reading player’s shoulder into the net.

“You know what, that’s how a lot of the goals are being scored in this league right now,” Messuri said. “Pucks to the net, bang away. Pucks to the net, bang away. That’s what it’s kind of like right now.”

After teams combined for 22 shots in the first period, the second and third periods had a grand total of 21, which both coaches remained unsurprised by.

Doherty said his team doesn’t carry a chip against Arlington for losing the league to it at the end of the year, but did acknowledge an onus put on preparing for overtime – which is how the Rockets lost the league crown.

“I think our 4-on-4 situation was much better than it was that night a year ago, I don’t forget it,” Doherty said. “We’ve been working a lot more on 4-on-4 the last two weeks. Not necessarily for this game, just for any game. It’s a good way to practice.”

Reading and Arlington close out league play against each other on February 12 at Ed Burns Arena.