St. John’s boys soccer eyes berth in state final

Losses haven?t been on the agenda very often for either St. John?s Prep or Needham this season as the Eagles and Rockets enter their date tonight at Manning Field at 7:00 in the Division 1 EMass boys soccer final with a combined record of 35-1-7.
The winner will earn a date to this weekend?s state final at Worcester Polytechnic Institute against either Algonquin (19-1-1) or Amherst (17-0-3) as the final four teams have a combined total of two losses this season.
The Eagles are looking to return to the finals for the first time since winning it all in 2006, while Needham is in a quest for its second championship in three seasons.
?Everyone is really excited but we also know that Needham is really good,” Prep coach Dave Crowell said. “They play a really good schedule and so do we. That has paid off in the tournament.”
Getting to the state semifinals almost didn?t happen for St. John?s (18-1-3).
After breezing through Revere and Westford Academy in the opening rounds, the Eagles had to face No. 1 seed Malden in the sectional semifinals in trying to reach the North final for a third consecutive season.
After running out to a 2-0 lead at halftime, the Prep had to hang on through a Malden onslaught in the second half to escape with a 2-1 win. Saturday?s sectional final against Acton-Boxboro was no walk in the park either for St. John?s.
St. John?s controlled play for most of the first 40 minutes but then had to hang on again as the Colonials dominated the second half. Only the outstanding play of keeper Zach Rowell got the Eagles into overtime and eventually a shootout, which they won 3-2 with senior captain and Catholic Conference Player of the Year Steve Heintz scoring the game winner in the final round.
Heintz and fellow senior captains Peter Kilcommons and Brendan Beuchert have provided the backbone for a defense that has been one of the best in Massachusetts since game one.
?Our defense has been exceptional. All of them started last season and are our captains,” Crowell said. “They all have been through the rigors of the tournament and that experience has been helpful.”
In the two games at Manning, Rowell stepped into the spotlight and took over for the Eagles when they faced their stiffest challenges of the tournament.
?Zach has been outstanding and with him back there we know we can withstand pressure,” Crowell said. “The kids and coaches have complete confidence in him. That helps the kids on the field quite a bit.”
The Eagles will have their hands full tonight as they face a talented Needham (17-0-4) team that hasn?t lost a regular-season game since September 2012 and which is riding a huge wave of emotion into Manning.
After getting past Bay State League rival Wellesley in the quarterfinals, the Rockets breezed past Silver Lake in the semifinals on Nov. 11 but it proved to be an emotional win. Don Brock, Needham’s coach of 48 years who is closing in on 700 career wins, left that game in an ambulance after not feeling well. Brock was not at Needham’s game Saturday against BC High.
With their coach’s initials on their uniform and even shaved into haircuts of some players, Needham scored once in each half as they took a 2-1 win over BC.
Aram Ouiligian, the Bay State Conference’s Carey Division MVP, scored both goals in the finals for Needham. The Colgate-bound striker is one of the state?s elite players.