WOBURN ? The clock read just about 9:30, but midnight had struck on Cinderella Sunday night at Woburn High School.St. John’s Prep fell to Framingham, 2-0, in the Division I North final on a night where the biting cold was as much a factor as the players on either side.The Eagles finish the season with a record of 11-6-6, while Framingham stayed unbeaten at 16-0-6. The Flyers have lost only one game in the previous two seasons.Eagles coach Dave Crowell said missed opportunities throughout the game hurt his team’s chances to emerge victorious.”We weren’t finishing our chances,” Crowell said. “We played well in the midfield, which is where Framingham is most effective. We played well and moved the ball well, but they’re a skillful team.”For Framingham, it offers the Flyers a chance to avenge last year’s loss in the state title game to St. John’s-Shrewsbury, 1-0, on penalty kicks.However, Framingham coach Dan Avery disagreed with the notion that the Eagles were a Cinderella story.”The Prep is no Cinderella,” Avery said. “They’re as far from Cinderella as can be.”The victory was also the first by Framingham over St. John’s after a number of losses and ties in recent seasons, Avery said.At the outset, the Eagles seemed to have control of the contest. St. John’s attacked early and often, keeping the ball on the Framingham side of the field for much of the first 15 minutes.With about 25 minutes left in the first half, though, Framingham shifted control of momentum to its side and never gave it back. With 21 minutes left in the opening period, Gustavo Santos beat the Eagle defense down the field and ripped a shot by St. John’s keeper Steve Pasinski from just outside the box, giving Framingham a 1-0 lead.Framingham had a few tricks up its sleeve, too. On throw-ins near the Eagle goal, the Flyers’ Tim McDonough would get a running start before doing a forward flip, which he used to gather strength on his throw.While the first of the tricky throw-ins caught the Eagles a bit off guard in a wild scramble in front of the net, Framingham did not score off any of its throw-in attempts.For the Eagles, missed opportunities were the theme of the night. Each St. John’s corner kick was squandered, with a few being sent into the side of the net instead of into the attacking area.In the second half, it was more of the same for St. John’s. Framingham added another goal five minutes in, this one from Erick Nader.”That second goal killed us,” Crowell said. “We were right there with them up to that point.”With about 10 minutes remaining, Crowell shifted his lineup to include three forwards, but that allowed better scoring chances for Framingham, he said.Adding to the Eagles’ woes was the strong play of goalie Luca Pignatiello, who executed effectively in the rare times he was challenged throughout the evening.Despite the defeat, St. John’s finished its season strongly. After starting 2-4-2, the Prep ended on a 9-2-4 run before falling to the Flyers.Crowell said his players were proud of their showing in the state tournament.”Guys are disappointed, but they’re not crushed,” Crowell said. “We had a great tournament. With only six or seven seniors, we’re looking forward to next year.”
