HINGHAM – Xaverian was faced with a two-goal deficit as it entered the third period of the Arrow Sports Holiday Classic championship game against Hingham. Two goals in the final period forced overtime, and that’s when Daniel Gentile stepped up.

The senior captain sniped the game-winning goal late in the extra frame to give the Hawks a 6-5 boys hockey victory in the annual holiday tournament featuring some of the best programs on the South Shore.

“I just came down the ice, took a shot, and it went in,” Gentile said. “There really wasn’t much else to it.”

It was the finale of one of the newer holiday tournaments, as the 2025 edition was just the third playing of the tournament. It features Hingham and Braintree, two perennial strong public programs, as well as Xaverian and Archbishop Williams, two highly competitive Catholic schools.

Xaverian head coach Dave Spinale said the tournament has been an excellent addition to his team’s schedule as it gives his teams some high-intensity matchups very early into the season.

“That was kind of the idea when we got together,” Spinale said of matching strong public and Catholic programs. “There are so many good public teams and a handful of Catholics that are very strong as well. It speaks to the depth of the state, every game is going to be a dog fight. This was a great tournament.”

The Harbormen got on the board first when senior Brian Murray spun around in the slot and beat Hawks goaltender Connor Kotwicki short side. A few minutes later, Charlie Comerford tied the game after rifling a shot past Harbormen goalie James Whitmore.

Later in the period, an odd bounce placed the puck in front of Max Larosa, who buried it to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead, but Colin Garrity evened the score moments later for Hingham.

Ryan Laronde re-established a Hingham lead early in the third period but Comerford netted his second a few minutes later to tie it at 3. Hingham would add two more goals in the period, from Murray and Walter Dzavik, to enter the final frame with a multi-goal lead but Hawks captain Joe Von Handorf said his team didn’t lose faith.

Hingham’s Colin Garrity shoves down Xaverian’s Max LaRosa during a boys hockey battle. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

“We had to believe, and we had to keep fighting,” Von Handorf said. “We wear a target on our back and we have to go out there and compete and give it our all because everybody is going to give us our best.”

The Hawks dominated the third period, controlling possession and peppering Whitmore with high-quality chances. Von Handorf said this showed the group’s willingness to dig deep.

“We’re full of relentlessness and are a bunch of kids with a blue-collar attitude,” Von Handorf said. “We do the gritty work, and ultimately you are going to get rewarded for doing the crappy, gritty work that nobody else wants to do.”

Lochlan Horsman put the Hawks within one of an odd-angle shot with 11:15 remaining in the third period and Liam Doherty tied it up late in the period after a feed from Gentile to force the extra time.

Hingham’s Cam McKenna shoves down Xaverian’s Liam Doherty during Xaverian’s 6-5 boys hockey win. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

The Hawks felt prepared for the extra frame after rolling four lines throughout the game.

“When we have four lines, it helps us regenerate our energy,” Gentile said. “Our fourth line locked up their first line in the third period. That kind of got us going, and we got it done.”

This came to fruition in the final minute of overtime when Gentile got his opportunity and did not miss. The Hawks remain undefeated with the victory and head into the future schedule with a marquee victory.

“Going into the third, down 5-3 to an offensive juggernaut like them, to be able to come back, tie it and then win in overtime, I think speaks volumes to the character in the room,” Spinale said. “It’s good for our confidence. It was a good tournament, the games were competitive and it was a lot of fun.”