Item Player of the Week – Ioannis Andrikopoulos

You know what I’ve been thinking? I just saw a brick wall on a soccer field last week, or should I say, Ioannis Andrikopoulos. The St. John’s Prep boys soccer team won the Division 1 state championship on Saturday – largely thanks to goalkeeper Andrikopoulos. He’s athletic, he’s energetic, and now, he’s a champion. Wednesday evening against Saint John’s to advance to the finals, Andrikopoulos anchored the Prep to its 15th shutout of the season. After the game, Head Coach David Crowell said there’s a reason he’s an All-New England player, and everyone in Woburn saw what Crowell meant that night. Fast forward a few days later. Andrikopoulos records another shutout – this time in the championship against Needham. Are you kidding me? In the final two games of the Division 1 state tournament, nothing gets past him and the story ends with a gold medal around his neck. And, believe me, I was there at Manning Field on Saturday. When a ball was in the air off a corner kick or cross, it was a guarantee that he would fly through the air to intercept. He was there when it mattered on every opposing shot, earning him this week’s Item Player of the Week. Good week, champ.