Postgame Blog: Shrewsbury Gets Defensive Against St. John's

Shrewsbury pole Tim Hally and St. John's attack Jared Ward had quite a battle Saturday.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

It looked like another nail-biter between cross-town rivals Shrewsbury and St. John's (Shrewsbury) for most of the first half, but a four-goal run and some dominant defense allowed the visiting Colonials to run away with an 8-3 win over the Pioneers.

It was the second victory in a row for Shrewsbury against St. John's, following up a win in the Division 2 Central/West semifinals last year, and a win that let the rest of Central Mass know: The Colonials are no one-year wonders.

Here is a reminder that this blog is just my rambling thoughts on the game. My full story will be up on BostonLaxNet later, and you can check out my highlights, complete with interviews with Shrewsbury seniors Tim Hally and Joe Buduo, along with coach Nate Skermont, here.

Now, let's get right to it.

Shrewsbury's Skermont Named MIAA Lax Coach of the Year

Shrewsbury coach Nate Skermont (far left) celebrates the 2014 Division 2 Central/West championship with his team.     Photo credit: Shrewsbury Lacrosse.

 By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Following a season in which his team captured the first district title in school history, Shrewsbury lacrosse coach Nate Skermont was named the 2014-2015 Lacrosse Coach of the Year by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).

Last year was a dream season for Shrewsbury in many ways. The Colonials avenged a 9-0 defeat at the hands of rival St. John's, knocking the Pioneers out of the playoffs in the Division 2 Central/West semifinals, then captured their first ever district title days later in a double-overtime thriller against Westfield.

The Colonials had many heroes last season, as goalie Chris Gorman earned All-American honors, attackmen Joe Buduo and Derek Tinsley wrote themselves into the program's history books with playoff game-winners, pole Griffin Couture established himself as one of the state's best players, and the squad rallied around then-junior Tim Hally's mother, who had suffered a brain stem stroke the year prior.

Skermont remembers last year's team as the best in program history, and a special group with character in spades.