LYNN — When you’re locked in a defensive struggle, it doesn’t hurt if you have the best striker in the state on your side,
That’s what St. John’s Prep coach Dave Crowell thinks anyway,
Senior Steven Yakita got the only goal of the day Saturday as St. John’s Prep defeated Brookline 1-0, at Manning Field to win its second MIAA Division1 North title in four years.
“I think Steven is the best striker in the state,” Crowell said afterwards. He has, what, 28-29 goals this season.”
The winning goal came off a set play resulting from a corner kick with 13:03 to go in the second half. The Eagles, the top seed, got a bending corner kick from Mitch Collins that found the head of Erik Gustafson. Deftly, Gufsafson steered the ball over to Yakita, who was able to get a good kick off the side of his foot into an open net.
The goal seemed to spur The Prep, who had seemed kind of sluggish in the first half, to clamp down on the Warriors the rest of the way.
The Eagles, 19-0-1, will travel to Marciano Stadium in Brockton Tuesday (7:15) to face the South champion Boxers in the Division 1 state semifinal.
Brookline, the 14th seed coming into the tournament, seemed to be a step faster for the first 40 minutes, putting pressure on Eagles keeper Cam Buckley several times. Late in the half, Buckley got tangled up with a Brookline player and gave way to his brother, junior Christian Buckley, in the second half.
“We have faith in both,” said Crowell. “They’ve both been awesome.”
As for the sluggish first half, “when you are undefeated and you are the No. 1 seed, there is that added pressure on the kids,” Crowell said “I think they were maybe feelinn that today — especially in the first half.
“We didn’t play anywhere near what we’re capable of in the first half,” Crowell said.
However, toward the end of the half, St. John’s began to get untracked, and put several good chances on Brookline keeper Zach Macdonald, who was equal to the task.
After Christian Buckley made two good saves in the beginning of the second half, St. John’s began to hit stride.
“They stepped it up,” said Crowell, “and proved that showed why they were undefeated and the No. 1 seed. We made some adjustments, and that made a big difference.”
The Eagles are looking to win their first state championship since 2006.
