Boyertown prevails, tops Pope John Paul II, 13-11

BOYERTOWN >> “Keep your head on a swivel!”

That instruction shouted from the Boyertown team sideline Friday could have applied to the onlookers in the grandstand and lawn chairs as well. Back and forth this entertaining, highly competitive game went. It was literally turn-your-head action.

Boyertown blew out to a 3-0 lead in the game’s first 2:29, but after that it was pretty much anybody’s game. Pope John Paul II made it a contest quickly, and both squads fought back from second-half deficits before Boyertown prevailed, 13-11, in an action-packed PAC-10 match.

Jason Clinton and Remi Brajkovich each scored four goals for Boyertown (3-1 PAC-10, 3-1 overall). Kyle Donovan put in four for PJP (1-3, 1-4).

Tanner Lee, who scored three goals for Boyertown, made the go-ahead score (12-11) on an assist from Chris Moccia with 3:44 left in the fourth quarter. Boyertown did a good job of controlling possession from there, and iced it with a Brajkovich goal in the final seconds.

A young team with only one returning starter, senior captain John McKendry, PJP grew up some after spotting the home club that 3-zip cushion. The Golden Panthers uncorked four unanswered goals to take the lead early in the second period.

Taking control of the pace, PJP got a goal from Donovan with 7:25 left in the first quarter, one from McKendry at 5:12 and a run-up from behind the net by Ryan Kormas to tie it with 4:11 to go in first period. Then, with two ticks left in the quarter, PJP won a scramble in front of the net and Luke Roth scored for a 4-3 PJP lead.

The lead would change hands three more times with five more ties.

“We have a lot of talent on the team, and once we get focused we play well,” PJP coach Sean Henry said.

The second quarter really got the swivels going. Tanner Lee tied it for Boyertown 29 seconds into the quarter, then Ryan Kormas got the lead back. Clinton, a powerful attacker who’s hard to check, made it 6-5 Boyertown midway through the period, and sandwiched between a couple nice saves by Bears goalie Gavin Yingling came a PJP goal by Matt Cressman to knot it again. At the half it was 7-7.   

“At the half we said we need to get it together and play as a team,” Clinton said.

But it was PJP’s team defense that carried most of the third quarter. Also, Golden Panthers goalie Noah Ball made numerous terrific saves.

“We worked real hard; the defense came out ready to go,” McKendry said.

Leading by two, 9-7, it appeared PJP would shut out the Bears in the quarter. But after Boyertown took a timeout with 11 seconds left, Clinton got loose one-on-one up top and hammered in a 15-yarder to make it 9-8.

The momentum shifted quickly. The Bears scored three more times over the first 2:02 of the fourth quarter without a PJP response. Brajkovich, Nick Moccia and Lee sniped the Bears to a 11-9 lead.

“Offense is our strength, and we’ve got a lot of guys who can make things happen,” Brajkovich said.

“That first goal (making it 9-8) really electrified us and gave us the final push,” Lee said.

PJP did push back, though.

Fifty-nine seconds after Lee gave the Bears a two-goal lead, the Panthers’  Kormas made some nifty moves after coming out from behind the net and knocked the ball in from close in front.

Then the Panthers tied it. Kormas stole a Boyertown ball near midfield, fed ahead to Eric D’Agostino, and D’Agostino smartly found a breaking Cressman, who made it 11-all with 6:02 to play in regulation.

“We’ve got a nice rivalry with them,” Henry said. “Last year we went into overtime.”

Almost did this time, too.

“We know this rivalry,” McKendry said. “Not all of our shots would fall, that’s on us, but we’re going to get ‘em next time.”