DANVERS — After his first three years with the St. John’s Prep lacrosse team, midfielder Brian Souza believes that being an Eagle under coach John Pynchon has put him on the right path to improving his game. Souza’s confident that his experiences with the Eagles have helped prepare him for the next level.
“Coach Pynchon came in my freshman year so I’ve been with him my whole high school career,” Souza said. “The way he holds the whole team to a high standard is something that’s really helped me. We watch film then we’ll practice and then we’ll do some more ‘chalk talk’ afterward. It’s very college-like. It’s gotten me to take lacrosse more seriously and almost think of it as a second job after school.”
Souza solidified his plans to play for a college program last week, committing to join the lacrosse team at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. After meeting the Saints coaching staff, Souza felt as though St. Lawrence was another place that could help him find success on the field.
“Right away I knew that the coaches really cared about their players,” Souza said. “That was a big deal to me. I had talked to assistant coach Tom Ryan a lot and met head coach Mike Mahoney at my prospect day visit.
“That prospect day was obviously a lot about skills and talent but also about the development of the players,” Souza said. “They know that we still have a year of high school and they want us to get better so I love to see that.”
Souza, a Wakefield native, has Eagles teammate Trip Clark to thank for helping him find the right fit during his college search.
“I had heard my teammate Trip committed there first,” Souza said. “And he kind of gave me the inside scoop about the school. I finally got around to a visit on prospect day. We went on a campus tour around lunch time that day and I just fell in love. There’s also a lot of good spots for skiing in the area too, which is something I enjoy so I loved that.
“As far as the lacrosse program goes they’ve been nationally ranked many times,” Souza said. “They take in a lot of two way players like myself so that also makes it a good fit.”
Having a familiar face around on and off the field is another factor Souza looks forward to while playing for the Saints.
“Trip and I are both going to be seniors,” Souza said. “I’ve played club lacrosse with him since we were eight. We’ve grown together as players so much and I’m looking forward to keep developing with him.”
At St. John’s, Souza has been a key two-way player. He scored 16 goals and dished six assists during his junior season last spring for an Eagles team that reached the Division 1 North sectional final before falling to Lincoln-Sudbury.
“Brian is a team first guy who played midfield for us this year to help the team,” Pynchon said. “He has great skill and vision so we anticipate him transitioning to attack and having a dominant senior season. He will compete right away at St. Lawrence and bring a winning work ethic on day one.”
For now, Souza sets his focus on his senior season and he’s not planning on settling for anything less than the success the Eagles saw last season.
“Honestly my number one goal is to probably help take my team to the same level as last year,” Souza said. “I just want to lead by example and keep going. It’s my senior year I want to focus on lacing up the cleats everyday and putting in the work.”
