St. John’s Lacrosse Rolls into 2nd Round of CMass Playoffs
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The St. John's defense has been stingy all year, led by senior Brendan Melanson.
The fourth-seeded Pioneers (15-4) scored eight straight goals in the first half to take control of the game, and stormed into halftime with an 11-1 lead. Jack Calderini was terrific for St. John's, notching 2 goals and an assist, and scooping up nine ground balls.
Jeff Lukasevich ran down eight ground balls and added a goal and an assist.
Hunter Burdick scored 3 goals and added 2 assists for St. John's, while Andrew Smiley scored twice and added 3 helpers.
Senior Jeff Desko, who is headed to Division 1 lacrosse powerhouse Syracuse in the fall, scored a goal and added 3 assists for the Pioneers.
"I'm really happy with the fact that our guys came out with playoff intensity right from the start," said St. John's head coach Terrence Leary. "We were able to carry it throughout the game."
"We knew that we had to play faster and smarter both offensively and defensively, and that's what we did. I think dominating the face-offs was key. We knew that if we made them play six-on-six, we'd be in good shape, and we really executed our gameplan, " he said.
Sean Fleming led Shepherd Hill (12-6) with 3 goals. Matt Rayla and David Biancielli each added a goal for the Rams.
"This is a step in the right direction," said head coach Mark Kelley. "It just didn't go our way today. We played very well this year, but St. John's is a great team."
Zack Goddard, Corbin Conley, and Matt Wilson each recorded assists for Shepherd Hill.
Goaltender Andrew Arnold stopped 7 shots for St. John's.
The Pioneers take the field again tomorrow at 4 pm for quarterfinal action of the Central Mass district tournament. They will host the winner of today’s game between Oakmont and Nashoba.
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