26-02-2025
Brody Kabilian's inspirational hat trick propels Archbishop Williams boys' hockey over Needham
'The rehab is tough,' said Kabilian, a junior from Weymouth. 'It's really brutal. It just builds your hunger and you want it more. You go out there and show you can do it.'
And did he ever show it.
Kabilian was all over the ice, getting to dangerous scoring areas and capitalizing. After one goal and three points in the regular season, he set the tone for the Bishops (12-10-0).
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'He was our No. 1 fan all year,' said Archies coach Chris Cunningham. 'The guys love him. Just a boost to have him back, and then to have him perform like that … the bench went crazy.'
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Archbishop Williams' Jake Guerriero (right) bodies off Needham's Justin Maira as he looks for the puck during Tuesday's Division 1 first-round showdown.
Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe
After scoring his third goal on a breakaway, beating the goaltender high glove side, the entire bench stood and tapped their heads, alluding to the hat trick.
'To see all of your guys get fired up, your parents in the crowd, it's the best feeling,' said Kabilian. 'You can't beat it.'
Originally skating on the third line, an injury to sophomore Jack Healy bumped him up in the lineup. Healy, who potted the opening goal on a two-on-one from senior captain Finn Kelly, took a knee-on-knee hit at the blueline at the end of the first period.
Junior Stephen O'Malley and senior captain Patrick Hampton added insurance tallies and Sean Velozo made 24 saves as the Bishops advanced, helping erase the memory of getting upset as a No. 5 seed in the first round last season.
'It's really a weight off our shoulders,' said Cunningham. 'Last year, we lost in the first round, got upset, so it's been on all of our minds. We knew, pedal to the ground right away. We didn't take anything for granted tonight.'
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