ST. FRANCIS PREP BOYS HOCKEY

St. Francis Prep’s renaissance continues,
BY ZACHARY BRAZILLER
After a thrilling 1-0 shutout of Christ the King in Yonkers Thursday evening, St. Francis Prep (7-2-2) sits all alone in first place of the CHSHL ‘B’ division.
When it comes to the Terriers, who haven’t reached the post-season since 2001-02, storylines abound.
In goalie Justin Perkins, they’re led by a sophomore who didn’t even try out for the team as a freshman, preferring to concentrate on his grades. In his first scrimmage, he allowed five out of seven shots to get past him. “I said, ‘Justin, you’re just playing hockey,’ ” St. Francis Prep Coach William Turner recalled. “He said, ‘okay.’ ”
Perkins registered his third shutout of the year in the win over Christ the King (6-4-2), with a 30-save performance. “I knew I could play better,” he said of his shaky start, “and I came back and proved it.”
Then there is the senior captain John McGee, who after fracturing a kneecap his freshman year failed to make the team the last two seasons because of academics. “I want a championship bad,” he said.
McGee and Perkins were essential in the Terriers’ latest triumph. McGee scored the game’s lone goal just eight minutes in when he beat the Royals senior goalie Kevin Kaufman to the lower right corner from the blue line.
Perkins was brilliant in the second period, stumping the Royals’ Matt Mendolia’s slap shot from the point at the seven minute mark, before later knocking away Cory McGrath’s uncontested bullet from the left circle.
With just two minutes left, he stopped two shots in succession on a 2-on-1 Royals breakaway. He kicked away Joe Finocchiaro’s wrist shot from the right circle but the rebound bounced directly to Joey Kosek on the left side. As Kosek flicked the puck towards the empty net, Perkins, with cat-like reflexes, knocked the shot away with his right leg.
“When he’s on,” McGee said, “he can basically stop anything.”
The third period, the Terriers tightened up. Nonetheless, with 16 seconds left, Mendolia got off a shot from the point that was deflected, and misjudged by Perkins as it knuckled towards him. Fortunately for St. Francis, the puck clanked off the left post, and not into the net.
“That goes top corner most years,” McGee said. “We usually don’t get that luck.”