DANVERS — No. 18 Wellesley did all it could to keep the ball away from No. 2 St. John’s Prep on Tuesday.
When the Raiders set up in the Eagles’ defensive end, they took their time, poking and prodding St. John’s Prep’s defense and cutting toward the goal before pulling back, trying to find an open seam.
Sometimes, it went on for multiple minutes, but then an Eagles defender, often Harvard commit Jack Weissenburger, stepped forward and laid a check, knocking the ball loose.
Then, it was off to the races.
Goals off turnovers and fast break opportunities powered St. John’s Prep past Wellesley, 16-1, in the Division I state tournament Round of 16. Ryan McCarthy had a team-high three goals for St. John’s Prep. Twelve different players scored for the Eagles in the win.
St. John’s Prep will play either No. 7 Westford Academy or No. 10 Winchester in the D-I state quarterfinals.
“We just wanted to help our defense out,” said Eagles attackman and Michigan commit Luke Kelly about the team’s fast break offense. “They were getting gassed and running around for a while. We wanted to get some goals to get them to relax a bit. They were grinding, and we had to support them.”
St. John’s Prep has showcased its depth on the attack during the first two rounds of the postseason. During its first-round game against Medford, 17 different players scored before 12 other players got on the board for the team on Tuesday.
Having the ability to work with younger players during postseason games has played a crucial role in providing underclassmen with valuable experience before they are expected to contribute at a higher, more consistent level as they mature.
“A bunch of guys who are playing now have been in that position in the past,” Kelly said. “It’s a staple of our program to get experience when you’re young. Then, when it’s your time, you can step up, and you know what to do.”
Paul Kosinski stood out as a freshman contributor during the game, getting his first varsity goal after assisting on another goal in the first half.
“(Kosinski) came in as a good athlete and a good player,” St. John’s Prep coach John Pynchon said. “It’s been a big adjustment with pace and size. He’s going against grown men. For him to come out and stick that shot and have an assist, you want to see that.”
With senior captain and defenseman Ryan DeLucia out with an illness, the Eagles needed someone to step up in his place, and sophomore Ryan Doherty did, putting in a good performance for all four quarters.
“Those young guys are getting opportunities to perform,” Pynchon said. “That’s beautiful.”
Wellesley got the first, and its only, goal of the game when Tyler Desmond rolled and dodged off a defender on the left wing, shot, and scored with a bounce shot early in the first quarter.
But then the upperclassmen on the Eagles’ attack pulled away the momentum and never gave it back.
Kelly scored with a shot from distance a minute later to tie the game. Two minutes later, Owen White picked up a ground ball in St. John’s Prep’s defensive end and bolted, flipping the field and scoring on the break to give the Eagles the lead.
McCarthy scored with a left-handed, side-arm shot from the right wing shortly after to build the lead before, with 45 seconds to go in the first quarter, Kelly weaved through Wellesley’s defense and scored with a shot from the point to make it 4-1, Eagles.
Every time St. John’s Prep scores a goal at home this season, Free Bird by Lynard Skynyrd plays over the public address system at the field. The goal celebration song is new this year and was inspired by the United States men’s hockey team playing it after goals at games.
Free Bird was played six times in the second quarter in rapid succession. Then twice in the third quarter and four times in the fourth.
“It’s ingrained,” said Kelly about the song. “Other teams probably hate it.”
The Eagles came into the postseason as the four-time reigning champs. The seniors on this year’s team don’t know what it’s like to not end the spring as champions of D-I.
The group has learned over time that, once June arrives, their mindset must remain the same. But their performances need to elevate to the next level.
And through two tournament games, those performance levels have been high.
“We grind early in the regular season to get ready for these moments,” Kelly said. “Stay calm and play like it’s just another game.”
