DANVERS — The early rounds of the Division 1 boys lacrosse state tournament have, in recent years, given St. John’s Prep a change to get some of their younger players more playing time than they normally get on the varsity.
Sunday’s playoff opener was no different. The Eagles started using their second and third teamers to begin the second quarter and saw 13 different players score goals in a 15-3 triumph over Chelmsford at Glatz Field.
The top seeded and three-time defending state champion Eagles (now 17-2) took a 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the game and held a comfortable 9-1 advantage after 12 minutes. From that point, many of the sophomores and juniors who practice with the varsity all season got a chance to show off their wares and what they could do on the big stage.
Freshman Ryan McCarthy and sophomore Reid Formicola (wearing all-time Prep superstar Jimmy Ayers’ old No. 12), both attackmen, scored their first varsity goals for St. John’s Prep. Fellow ninth grade attack Beckett Lee and junior midfielder Nolan Convey both added their second career tallies, and another middie, sophomore Bo Minogue, ripped home his third.
All four goalies played one complete quarter, including sophomores Max Putney (1 save), Mattheus DuPlessis (5 saves) and Sam Pruell (3 saves), with junior Austin Kitces (4 saves) taking the third quarter.
Will Crawford and Sam Kenyon took almost all the faceoffs after senior Jack Doherty won two and exited the game; Kenyon in particular was strong on the draw.
“Kenyon went and took all the faceoffs in our JV games as a junior, and I told him those are opportunities to get reps,” said head coach John Pynchon, whose squad extended its North Shore record for consecutive playoff wins in boys lacrosse to 16 games dating back to 2021. “He went there and did it and got a lot better, and that showed today.”
Two long poles added their third career goals in the victory: starting LSM Nick Schibli made a strong upfield rush to power his shot home, and his junior classmate, Charlie Angell, also knocked a goal home late in the third quarter.
Seniors Brendan Powers and captain Jake Vana each had two goals for the Eagles, with Drew Bossi and Jimmy Nardone each finishing with a goal and an assist. Madden McGowan and Luke Kelly also scored, with other assists credited to Jack Quigley, Brady Scudder and Minogue.
St. John’s Prep will host the winner of Natick and Bishop Feehan in the second round back at Glatz Field this week.