St. John's (Shrewsbury) Rolls Past Westboro

By Joe Fantozzi (@joe_fantozzi35)

Shrewsbury, Mass. - The Saint John’s Pioneers defeated the Westboro Rangers by a final score 13-5 at Pioneer Field Thursday, led by senior captain Jack Donahue's eight points (5G, 3A).

The game was going great for Westboro early, however, as the Rangers scored the first goal of the contest.  Senior Aidan Burke was able to find the back of the net twice in this one for the Rangers.  Saint John’s answered the opening goal fast, as Donahue scored his first goal of the afternoon to tie the game at one. Sophomore Owen Boss seized his opportunity as he scored and gave the Pioneers the lead. 

The second quarter began with rapid scoring from the attack of the Pioneers. Westboro was helpless on defense as the Pioneers attack scored five unanswered goals. Donahue scored for the third time just twenty seconds into the quarter.

"Our fast and quick pace helped us play aggressive early in this one," Donahue said. "It let my teammates and I exploit Westboro on defense, and really let us play our game.”

Westboro  had an answer on offense shortly thereafter, when senior Brendan Gately netted his first shot on goal. As time was running down on the quarter, the Pioneers mustered together a fantastic offensive possession which allowed Donahue to score his fifth goal of the game on a fancy finish.

The Pioneers lead 9-2 heading into the second half.

The Third Quarter is where Owen Boss shined. He had a hat trick alone in the third by bulldozering his way through the Westboro defensemen. His teammates shout, “he’s a man amongst boys” every time he would score.

Boss came out early in the quarter and scored directly in front of the goalie. Then responded by scoring twice more in two minutes of play.  His presence was a problem for Westboro which made the possibility of winning a challenge.

For the final quarter, the Pioneers played sharp defensively only allowing two goals.  The quarter went by quickly which allowed Westboro to put different players at new positions.  Sporting a overall record of 3-8, the Rangers have had a tough season so plugging different players at new spots makes sense.  Things did work out as they scored three times in the quarter. The future could be bright for Westboro.

There is no doubt he Pioneers are playing very well lately. They’ve gotten their job done against their Central Mass opponents, and are looking forward to their game against Xavierian next Wednesday at home.

“We’re all looking forward to playing Xavierian at home," Donahue said. "We know we’re a team that can beat them, and it’s a game we will pull all the stops to win.”

This confident St. John's crew could be dangerous in the playoffs, as they’re looking to really make a statement.