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LOWELL | They came here for one reason: to win their final game.

Naturally, the St. John's Prep hockey team went into the Super 8 tournament intent on winning the whole thing. Never did they imagine they'd be playing a virtually meaningless contest on the final day of the first round.

LOWELL | There was still a period left to play, but one look at the St. John's Prep bench at the end of the second period and you know this one was, for all intents and purposes, over.

Because both teams exited the ice at The Tsongas Arena at the far end of the rink, the Eagles | on the bench furthest away | had to wait for their opponents, the Xaverian Hawks, to clear the ice first.

Things could not have gone much worse.

You name it and it happened to the St. John's Prep hockey team Saturday afternoon, a gloomy day that resulted in a gloomy 4-2 loss to Malden Catholic in the first round of the Super 8 hockey tournament.

St. John's Prep doesn't just deserve to be in the upcoming Super 8 state hockey tournament.

They should be one of the top seeds in it, too.

By finishing the regular season with a flourish | wins in seven of their last eight contests, including the last six in a row | after a grueling Catholic Conference schedule, the Eagles find themselves with a 12-5-3 mark as they await their postseason fate.

Six straight wins to end the regular season couldn't have worked out any better for the St. John's Prep hockey team. Colin Prior had a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 1:46 remaining, as the Eagles finished the regular season on a roll after beating visiting Notre Dame of Connecticut yesterday, 4-2, at the Ristuccia Arena.

The Eagles' top line of Christian Cowles (goal, 3 assists), Colin Prior (goal, 2 assists) and Danny Haugh (goal, 2 assists) had a combined 10 points, leading the Eagles to a 4-2 home win over Springfield Cathedral.

Thanks to two goals from captain Christian Cowles, the Eagles (10-5-3) scored four times in the opening period, then buried three more in the final frame to win going away. Senior wing Steve DiCarlo of Danvers also scored twice for St. John's (both times on the power play), with Dan Haugh contributing a goal and two assists. Dan Lawton and defenseman Nick Riccio also tallied for the winners.

WILMINGTON | Following a scoreless first period Saturday afternoon against Arlington Catholic, St. John's Prep head coach Kristian Hanson decided to move Colin Prior back up to his old spot at right wing on the team's first line.

The memories stuck with St. John's Prep goalie Kyle Pettoruto for the entire offseason.

It was the third round of the Super 8 tournament last season and Pettoruto had held superpower Boston College High to one goal for the better part of two periods.

The memories stuck with St. John's Prep goalie Kyle Pettoruto for the entire offseason.

It was the third round of the Super 8 tournament last season and Pettoruto had held superpower Boston College High to one goal for the better part of two periods. But then disaster struck.