Priory restores defensive identity in playoff victory against Howell United

CREVE COEUR – The Priory lacrosse team prides itself on defense.

Throughout the month of April, the Ravens allowed just one team to reach a double-digit goal total and lost only one game.

But when the calendar turned to May, both the outside temperature and the opposing goal totals significantly increased.

Priory goalie Colin Pim sought to change that trend.

Pim made 18 saves, and seniors Cole Joyce and Riley Carlin combined to score seven goals as Priory defeated Howell United 11-3 Monday in the first round of the Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association boys State Cup tournament at Priory High School.

Priory (11-6), the No. 7 seed, will travel to No. 2 seed MICDS to face the eight-time defending state champion Rams at 5:45 p.m. Friday at Ron Holtman Stadium.

After surrendering just 7.1 goals per contest in April, the Ravens yielded 24 goals to the combination of De Smet and Lafayette to open May.

But thanks to a stellar defensive effort led by senior Myles Garcia and a brick wall performance by Pim, Priory allowed its fewest goals of the season on Monday.

“I credit a lot of the success to the rest of the defense. I thought we communicated well, we allowed the shots we were willing to allow, and we were really aggressive inside and around the crease,” Pim said.

In addition to shoring up the defense, Priory looked to improve the way it starts games after falling behind 4-0 to Summit in the regular season finale.

On the opening possession, Joyce attacked from the side of the net, somehow avoided a crease violation and scored while falling to the turf just 35 seconds into the contest.

“I saw a lane and I just went,” Joyce said. “In our recent games we’ve been the first to get scored on and we haven’t set the tone. That was something we were really adamant about doing today, and as a senior, I was thankful to be able to set the tone and get the other guys going.”

One of them was Carlin, who won the faceoff and scored 49 seconds later as Priory deposited its first two shot attempts to open an early 2-0 lead.

The physical pressure applied on the perimeter by the Priory defenders forced Howell United into errant passes and turnovers. Only senior Tristan Kaup found success in finding offensive chances in the first quarter, unleashing four of the first five shot attempts by the Warriors.

To begin the second quarter, Howell United coach Alfonzo Brown placed Kaup at the top of the offensive formation and allowed him to dodge downhill. Kaup restored the flow to the Warriors’ offense and goals by Columbia College signee Drake Morrissey and senior Logan Poettker knotted the game at 2 midway through the second quarter.

“When the game got physical, we needed guys to attack and that was Tristan tonight,” Brown said.

A physical play in the midfield during a man-advantage situation helped Priory change momentum.

Consecutive saves by Howell United goalie Jacob St. John appeared to be enough to expire the penalty time, but the dislodging of the ball at midfield and a tough collection of a ground ball set up Carlin to score the go-ahead goal.

“We played a lot harder between the lines, and that man-up goal was due to riding hard and getting the ball back,” Carlin said. “In any broken play, there’s an opportunity to score and I just got the ball and let it fly.”

Carlin scored again with 1:20 remaining, and after a timeout, Mick Murphy scored on a set play in the waning seconds off a feed from Ian Ahlering to give Priory a 5-2 lead at halftime.

“We were getting looks, but we just weren’t hitting the goal. At some point, you start to finish and those shots start to go,” Priory coach Tyler Orf said.

And Pim ensured that no shots would go for Howell. He made a save in his netting on Morrissey from in close during a man-advantage, then dropped to his knees to block a bouncing blast from Nick Crussel, part of a brilliant 11-save second half in which the Ravens’ goalie yielded only one goal despite Howell United consistently knock, knock, knocking on the chamber door.

“As soon as you start making three (saves) in a row, you know you’re on,” Pim said. “You’re seeing the ball well, reacting well and you’re in your head in a good way.”

Over 22 minutes of game time expired between the second and third Howell goals. In the meantime, Murphy, Joyce and junior Grant McGowan scored in the second half to give Priory a commanding 8-2 lead early in the fourth quarter.

“Hats off to (Pim). We knew going in we would have to hit our spots, and we hit our spots and he still covered them. He had himself a day,” Brown said.  

It was the first appearance in the State Cup tournament for Howell United (12-4) since the inception of the program in 2016. It is a destination that Brown believes can be the norm rather than the exception.

“These (seniors) might not realize it, but they’ve set the way for us to stay a Division 1 team,” Brown said. “We’re going to be a team that is always pressing for the top half of the rankings.”

The victory by Priory sets up a rematch with MICDS, the team that dealt the Ravens their only loss in the month of April.

In that 9-8 overtime setback, Priory had two excellent chances to win the game in the extra session before MICDS shoveled in the game-winner in a scrum near the goal.

“It stinks to lose in overtime and we’re kind of hungry for revenge,” Pim said. “We’re ready to show what we can do and hopefully pull out a win this time.”