CANTON — The Catholic Conference Hockey Challenge has consistently provided a showcase for the premier talent in the state.

On Sunday, its six participating schools arrived at the illustrious Canton Ice House, each hoping to leave a lasting impression.

Mason Luciano and Christian Rosa each potted a goal during the game’s opening 4:35 as St. John’s Prep (8-1) overcame an early one-goal deficit for a convincing 4-1 win over Catholic Memorial.

“It’s kind of funny,” said St. John’s Prep coach Kristian Hanson. “You win a huge game like this. Then you’re in the locker room afterward, and you’re kind of picking apart the things you didn’t do well. I think that’s the point we’re at right now. We need to be better. The points are a huge two points, we all know that. We all accept that. But we have a job to do, and it’s kind of getting ready for the next one. But I’m certainly not going to walk away without understanding the importance of the two points we won.”

In total, St. John’s Prep went on to score four total goals in a 14-minute stretch during the opening stanza, the latter two of which came off the sticks of Johnny Tighe and Caleb White, respectively.

The event’s nightcap featured no shortage of fireworks, and Xaverian (7-2) was able to survive at the end of the day. Junior right winger Jackson Morse finished with two points, including the clinching goal with 2:54 left in regulation, as the Hawks staved off a furious rally by St. John’s (Shrewsbury) for a wild 7-4 victory.

“(This is) a wonderful event,” said Xaverian coach David Spinale. “We love hosting it. All the teams come in, and there’s great energy here. It’s a great day of hockey. Hopefully everybody enjoyed themselves..but I think the exposure we get, and the games (are incredible).”

The first minute of the game was a foreshadowing of what was to come, with Xaverian and St. John’s trading goals between Ryan Bello and Brady Chenevert. However, the Hawks quickly found a second gear, as Colvin Callahan, Joe Von Handorf and Devin Gosciak combined to score three straight. By the end of the first period, Xaverian was cruising with a 4-1 lead.

Yet, St. John’s never relented as the game wore on. Led by Luke Gerardi (two goals, assist), the Pioneers closed to within 5-4 with 3:56 remaining in regulation.

With the game and the lead hanging in the balance, Morse sniped his tally to effectively ice the win. Jack O’Neil added a last-second goal for the Hawks.

Meanwhile in the opening game of the afternoon, BC High used a complete team effort to pick up a crucial 4-2 win over Malden Catholic. The Eagles (4-5) received goals from Max Ryan, Tommy Halloran and David Williams in the early stages to seize a 3-1 lead, only to watch the Lancers trim the deficit to a goal late in the third off a snipe by Brody MacMaster.

With 59.9 seconds remaining, it appeared Malden Catholic had found an equalizer off an initial shot by MacMaster, which was later tapped into the net among a scrum. The referees waved it off however, and BC High senior captain Owen Welch collected an open-net goal in the waning seconds to seal things in a thriller.

BC High coach John Flaherty firmly believes continuing the Catholic Conference’s showcase itself has opened doors for its athletes to gain recognition, especially with the MIAA’s Super Eight suspension.

“I think we have to take things into our own hands,” said Flaherty. “If we’re not going to get the support that we should be getting to showcase our guys, then we’ll start taking things into our own hands, and we’ll start running these showcases to help our guys. … It’s the same as what other (schools) are doing. It’s sad that we have to do that because the MIAA made the decision in a vacuum to get rid of the Super Eight. We’ll just keep doing what’s best for our players until we can’t anymore, and then maybe we circle back together and see what’s best for our programs.”