Scholar-athlete Petruccelli seizes opportunity and earns All-Star honors
By Cary Shuman
Anthony Petruccelli worked hard to earn his promotion to the Saint John’s Prep (Danvers) varsity hockey team, and when that moment arrived this winter, the scholar-athlete elevated his game and delivered a top-caliber season.
Petruccelli wrapped up an outstanding senior campaign with an appearance in the MSHCA All-Star Game March 22 at the Worcester Ice Center. That high honor followed other esteemed recognition as a Daily Item, Salem News, and Catholic Conference All-Star.
It was a case of Petruccelli’s dedication to the sport and off-season preparation paying off in a big way. He had played his previous three seasons for the freshman and junior varsity before becoming a first line left winger for Saint John’s, a perennial state title contender out of the potent Catholic Conference.
Anthony is also an excellent student, carrying a 4.1 grade point average as a member of the National Honor Society at St. John’s, one of New England’s most prestigious college preparatory schools.
East Boston roots
Anthony is the son of popular, former state senator Anthony Petruccelli and Associate Justice Alessandra Petruccelli.
“I lived in East Boston until we moved halfway through third grade,” recalled Anthony. “I was in the Learn-to-Skate program at the Winthrop rink with Sean Donahue and Rob O’Leary and played three years in Winthrop Youth Hockey, with some of our games taking place at Porrazzo Rink in East Boston.”
He continued his youth hockey career at Boston Advantage, an elite program based in Hingham. He took his rising skills to the Vipers program in Saugus and then to the Warriors out of Haverhill. He competed for the North Shore Wings the past two years.
Entering the powerful
Prep program
A resident of Lynnfield, he entered Saint John’s Prep as a freshman and played very well as a left winger on the second line for coach John Zimini.
“He was the best coach I ever had,” said Anthony. “He retired from coaching after my sophomore year, but he’s now the director of hockey operations.”
Petruccelli moved up to the junior varsity as a sophomore and returned to the team for his junior season, enjoying a stellar year.
He trained hard in the off-season in a strength and conditioning program at the Prep and attended Holland Hockey Academy in Woburn.
As a 5-foot-11-inch senior, Petruccelli played on the Prep varsity’s first line with Christian Coleman, a senior from Lynnfield, and Timmy McColgan, a junior from Reading.
Crediting his linemates for their exceptional performance and teamwork this season, Petruccelli scored 12 goals and eight assists as the Eagles finished 15-3-2 with an 11-game regular season winning streak (defeating Catholic Memorial, St. John’s of Shrewsbury, and Xaverian in consecutive games) under head coach Kristian Hanson, a Prep alumnus and one of the best players in school history. St. John’s, the No. 3 seed, won its first MIAA tournament game, 7-0, over Franklin before being ousted by a tough, 15-win, conference champion Arlington Catholic team, 2-1, in the second round.
How does Anthony assess his four-year career at the Prep?
“It was a great experience, and the motivation of not fully being on the varsity in my junior is what helped me have such a great senior year. I worked really hard my four years, and I think I’ve set a good example for the underclassmen with my work ethic,” said Petruccelli. “I also made a lot of great friends at the Prep.”
Anthony lauded Hanson for making him a better player and for preparing the team well for the Eagles’ challenging schedule.
“Coach Hanson is a great motivator and really got us ready to play each game,” said Petruccelli. “He put us in a position to win every time we stepped on the ice. I do know he [Hanson] was a fantastic hockey player himself.”
Praise from the head coach
Hanson, an All-Scholastic who played college hockey at UNH and is a Salem Police lieutenant, lauded Petruccelli for his improvement each season, culminating with his success story as a senior.
“Anthony continued to get better every year,” said Hanson. “He was on the [varsity] bubble as a junior and he had a great year on the JV team. We knew coming into his senior year, he would be more than just a guy that’s going to fill out the roster. He was going to come in and contribute, and that’s exactly what he did.”
Hanson also commended Petruccelli’s work ethic and positive attitude.
“He has such a great attitude and work ethic. I really, really like Anthony,” added Hanson. “He played on the first line and earned every minute of ice time. He had some key goals and was a big part of our penalty-killing unit. He was such a workhorse for us the entire year, one of those guys you put out late in the game to preserve a victory, or if you need a goal, he’ll go into the corners and give 100 percent on every play to dig out a puck. I can’t say enough good things about his contributions to the team and the program. He’s a very good student, and just works hard in every aspect of his life.”
Petruccelli thanked his parents for their support from Day 1.
“They were at every game, and I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done for me,” said Petruccelli.
College intentions
Petruccelli will attend Clemson University in South Carolina where he will play hockey, joining some of his current and former Prep teammates in the powerful club program.
“I visited Clemson in the fall and I loved the campus,” said Petruccelli.