SLIDESHOW: Eagles Soar Past Flyers 4-1

FRAMINGHAM, MA - The Framingham Flyers boys hockey team played a strong hockey game but fell 4-1 to St. John’s Prep-Danvers Saturday afternoon at Loring Arena in Framingham.

Two scoring bursts by the Prep were the difference in a hard fought game.

The Flyers are now 14-3-4 under head coach Paul Spear.

St. John’s Prep, the defending Super 8 Champions, outshot Framingham 31-27.

The Flyers came out flying on all cylinders with several strong shifts to start the game. An apparent early Flyer goal on a Scott Swennes was called back by the referees. The first period ended 0-0 with the Flyers outshooting St. John’s Prep 10-8.

The second period featured more up and down hockey. With 6:54 left in the second period the Prep struck first, scoring a short-handed goal off an individual rush up the left wing. Just a minute later St. John’s expanded their lead to 2-0 scoring off a loose puck in front of Flyer goalie Owen Parker. The middle period ended 2-0 St. John’s.

As the third period started the Flyers kept working hard, pressuring the Prep in the offensive zone. But the potent St. John’s offense struck with 10:46 left on a second short-handed goal on a 2-on-1 rush to make it 3-0. Less than a minute later the Prep extended their lead as the St. John’s defenseman rushed the puck into the Flyers zone down the right wing and fed the slot for a one-timer shot and a 4-0 lead.

The Flyers still had no quit in them, cutting the Prep lead to 4-1 with 8 minutes left in the game.

Forward Ben Stefanini took an Austan Bellefeuille pass, chipped it past the St. John’s defenseman and fed linemate Joey Macinnis in the slot for quick wrist shot goal. The Flyers continued to generate opportunities but fell 4-1.

The Framingham boys ice hockey team will play Xaverian Tuesday night in Foxboro, in its last game of the regular season.

The Flyers have already qualified for post-season play.

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Photos by Tiago Anes.