DANVERS — Many of the St. John’s Prep players decided to get temporary — yet meaningful — tattoos for this year’s playoff run.
These aren’t barbed wire tats around a bicep, nor a lion, wolf, cross, rose or even a pair of crossed lacrosse sticks. They are massive screaming eagles taking up a player’s forearm, his chest or, in some instances, both.
The menacing bird pictured is nearing full flight, with claws outstretched to grab what it wants.
Through two games this postseason, the St. John’s Prep Eagles have certainly done the same thing. Tuesday’s 16-1 tattooing of visiting Wellesley in the second round of the Division 1 state playoffs was another case in point as the four-time defending state champions captured their 21st consecutive playoff win.
“We decided to get them as a show of team brotherhood and unity,” said Kevin Correa, a junior short stick defensive middie who excelled in the victory.
Head coach John Pynchon, whose team had a dozen different goal scorers led by sophomore Ryan McCarthy’s three tallies, said he liked the idea so much that he ordered himself one. He plans on having the temporary ink on his forearm by this weekend.
“I saw them (Monday) and was like, ‘This is amazing. I’m definitely doing this’,” said Pynchon. “It’s super impromptu; I didn’t know anything about it, but they did it and I thought it was really cool. And it’s only on for a few weeks.”
St. John’s Prep (now 19-1) will play its final home game of the season, likely on Saturday, at Glatz Field against No. 7 seed Westford Academy (16-3) in the Division 1 quarterfinals. The Grey Ghosts took down Winchester in a second round bout Tuesday night, xx-x.
Defense was the story of this one as the Eagles gave up a goal 40 seconds in, then proceeded to score the last 16. It was 4-1 after one quarter and 10-1 at halftime as substitutes played the majority of the second half.
Senior Owen Williamson, a standout on defense alongside Sam Wilmot, Jack Weissenburger, Danny Magoon, Ryan Doherty, LSM Sebastian Froeb and others, noted the Eagles ran their game plan to near-perfection.
“Our job was to speed up the ball and play our game instead of letting them settle the ball,” said Williamson. “As our low defensemen and LSM’s got on them, they started to throw the ball away and we were able to push it up to the other end and capitalize.”
“Their early goal definitely caught us off guard,” added Correa, “but we had faith. Not for one moment did I doubt we’d turn it around.”
Goalie Austin Kitces, a senior, played the first three quarters for St. John’s Prep and made three saves before junior Sam Pruell (1 save) finished up.
Aside from Ryan McCarthy’s three goals, captain Luke Kelly added a pair with one assist and junior attack Mathias Tolo scored twice. Cam McCarthy, another captain, produced one goal and two assists, with Jack Quigley and freshman middie Paul Kosinski adding his first varsity goal and assist.
“Paul’s a very good player, but it’s been an adjustment for him (at the varsity level),” said Pynchon. “So for him to come back and stick that shot, and have an assist earlier, that’s the stuff you want to see.”
Owen White, Will Crawford (9-for-10 on faceoffs), Josh Barton, Madden McGowan, Josh Haarmann and Dan Cahill each had one goal for St. John’s Prep, with other assists going to Beckett Lee (2), Mac Crawford and Weissenburger.
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