Barton’s overtime goal powers St. John’s Prep win

HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE

Eagles edge BC High in battle of elite programs

BC High’s Jackson Kitchen, right, battles Duxbury’s Evert Pang during boys lacrosse action Tuesday. St. John’s Prep won 7-6 in overtime. STAFF PHOTO BY STUART CAHILL — BOSTON HERALD

St. John’s Prep’s Beckett Lee, Josh Barton and Madden McGowan, left to right, celebrate Barton’s winning goal in overtime of a boys lacrosse game against BC High. MARK STOCKWELL — BOSTON HERALD

BC High’s Joe Leach (8) carries the ball as St. John’s Prep’s Nicholas Schibli pursues during the first half of a boys lacrosse game in Danvers on Tuesday. MARK STOCKWELL — BOSTON HERALD

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By Erik Anderson

Correspondent

DANVERS >> In a tremendous boys lacrosse matchup between two of the state’s best teams, it was the St. John’s Prep Eagles (10-1) topping the Boston College High Eagles (8-1) 7-6 in an overtime masterpiece.

It was junior midfielder Josh Barton who scored the game winner 52 seconds into the extra period. He dodged from the top of the zone and buried a short range shot, his second goal of the game.

“It was originally going to be a give and go, I dodged and tried to get through, and just shot it. I tried to throw it at the ground or his feet and see what happens” said Barton.

The game lived up to the hype of the fourth ranked team in Massachusetts hosting the second. Neither team was able to get any extended lead due to both team’s elite goaltending and defense, specifically the D-Middies. St. John’s Prep goalie Mattheus Du Plessis made 14 saves and BC High’s TJ Emsing produced 16 stops.

The scoring got started early with SJP’s junior midfielder Kevin Correa on a bounce shot just 31 seconds into the game. After this the scoring slowed down dramatically with the end of the first being 1-1. The BC High goal came from senior attackman Nick Emsing. BC High took the lead three and a half minutes into the second with a goal from fellow junior attackman Murphy Belvin on a beautiful cut to the net. The Prep tied it up six minutes later from the shot of sophomore attackman Beckett Lee off of a long effort of working the defender down low. The Prep scored one second before the half to make it 3-2 with a Barton snipe.

The second half saw BC High take a 5-3 lead, the first goal came from a beautiful clear that saw senior attackman Luke Allen catch the goalie out of the net with a shot from 20 yards out. Allen then scored the next goal for the Eagles.

St. John’s cut the lead in half 88 seconds into the fourth with an and one goal from senior attackman Jack Quickley to give his team the ball after the goal. They capitalized on this man up when senior middy Madden McGowan had a picture-perfect diving goal just above the crease. BC High quickly took the lead back when Emsing grabbed his second goal of the game. St. John’s tied it right back up with a behind the back shot from Becket Lee. This set the stage for the OT winner.

“We bounced back well after our first loss last game. We have been battling these guys for the five years I have been here, always a tough conference matchup. Defense did a great job, we had some rushed shots offensively so we have some stuff to work on, but I am very proud of the boys today,” said SJP coach John Pynchon.