NAHANT — St. John’s Prep junior goalie Kaden Quirk says lacrosse has always been a passion of his. Quirk, who took after his father, Sean, played youth lacrosse in the Swampscott/Nahant organization and spent the first three years of his high school tenure at St. Mary’s.
He’ll continue his career at the Division I level at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. Quirk visited St. John’s campus last month and committed to the Red Storm just two days later.
“I went down with my dad and met with the coaching staff in the morning,” Quirk, a Nahant resident, said. “I could really tell there was a family culture with the lacrosse team but also within the school and the community. I met with a bunch of the players on the team and they were awesome. Those were some of the big reasons why I chose St. John’s.
“It’s definitely a weight off my shoulders, for sure. Just knowing that I have a great school I’ll be attending brings relief.”
Quirk, who intends to study business and finance, also considered Division I High Point and Providence, and Division III Endicott and Middlebury during his recruiting process.
“(St. John’s) Coach (Jason) Miller and the rest of his staff were awesome when I went down there,” Quirk said. “They compete in the Big East, which is a top conference in the country. They’re on the verge of competing for a conference championship. Whether I’m a starter or a backup, I’m hoping to go in there and help the guys compete.”
At St. Mary’s, Quirk played a crucial role in helping mold the Spartans into a state tournament mainstay. He was named the team’s starting goalie as an eighth-grader in 2017. That season, the Spartans qualified for their first of three consecutive bids to the Division 3 North state tournament.
“I wasn’t nervous about it,” Quirk said. “I’ve been playing lacrosse since pre-school. It was kind of a ‘go out there and do what you’ve always done’ type of thing. I got to play with a lot of great seniors that I still talk with today. St. Mary’s gave me a great community-like feeling. The lacrosse team and the school both have a great culture. That’s something I found at St. John’s University. I really think a big factor in my commitment is that the school and their lacrosse program both gave me a family feel.”
Now at the Prep, Quirk’s goal remains the same. He joins an Eagles team that reached the Division 1 North final last year and earned the No. 1 seed in the bracket. Quirk hopes to help the Prep take things one step further this upcoming spring.
“I’m really fired up,” Quirk, who plays club for New England 3d, said. “Once we come back from Christmas break, we’ll start lifting in the mornings and captain’s practices. I’ve been getting to know the guys and so far things have been great. I’m hoping we win a state championship this year.”
Lacrosse runs in Quirk’s family. Sean Quirk is the head coach and director of player personnel for the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse. Sean played collegiately at Springfield, where he won a NCAA Division II Championship in 1994 and was named NCAA Division II Goalie of the Year in 1995.
“My dad’s one of the biggest reasons for where I am now,” Quirk said. “From a lacrosse standpoint he’s always worked with me to help me improve as a player. He’s a great leader and he’s instilled a lot of values in me. He’s been a huge part of my success and well as my mom and my sister.
“I basically grew up with a stick because of my dad. My first steps were with a lacrosse stick. I think that’s pretty cool.”
