CANTON — The Catholic Conference Showcase has turned into one of the region’s premier hockey tournaments.

In the third installment of the event, Joe Von Handorf sniped the game-clinching goal in the waning minutes, while Michael Bulkin racked up 43 saves as Xaverian won the opening matchup Sunday with St. John’s Prep, 2-1.

“I think Michael Bulkin was fabulous,” said Xaverian coach Dave Spinale. “He just settled everything. He would square pucks, he ate everything. I think as a team, we sacrificed. We blocked a lot of shots. We committed to the d-zone, made plays when we had to. I was just super proud of how the guys responded after a tough week, where we were up and down.”

Entering the game, Xaverian was seeded 13th in the MIAA Div. 1 boys hockey power rankings (with a team rating of 2.7976). Meanwhile, St. John’s Prep was listed fourth (4.2683).

In an effort to shake up his team’s scoring, Spinale shuffled his lines. The move paid off early as junior Braden Pinkham slipped home his second goal of the year to provide Xaverian (5-4-1) a 1-0 advantage with 8:30 to play in the first period.

St. John’s Prep (6-4-0) had a quick answer, as Brandon Ward knocked home a rebound 2:59 later to even things at 1-all, a score that would hold into the game’s final stages.

With 6:31 left in regulation, Ben Kramer started a 2-on-1 break for Xaverian. He spotted Von Handorf skating up the left wing, and fed a pass his way. The junior collected, then finished off a shot as the Hawks seized a 2-1 lead.

“I think this win means a whole lot to us,” Von Handorf said. “We’ve faced a lot of adversity so far, and we’re overcoming that now. I think it’s just proving to everyone right now what we can do in the state.”

After pulling the goaltender for an extra skater with 1:23 to play, St. John’s Prep had one final gasp as the Eagles released a barrage of shots. Bulkin corralled a trio of saves in the last seconds, sealing the victory.

Charlie Comerford finished with an assist in the win for the Hawks. Ryan DeLucia and Sam Croke were credited with assists for the Eagles.

For the current Xaverian class, it was the first victory over St. John’s Prep. When he emerged from the locker room, Spinale was drenched, fresh off of a celebratory water bath.

“You know, goaltending is how you win games,” Spinale chuckled. “Michael was fabulous today.”