But as exhibited by standing up for his teammate, Kurker offers much more than a scoring touch around the net for Prep.
“Younger kids look up to Sam,’’ said St. John’s Prep fifth-year coach Kristian Hanson, who takes the “C’’ on the front of Kurker’s jersey seriously.
“He’s so physical that it only encourages the younger guys to be just as physical. He’s one of the most vocal captains we have and he’s not afraid to grab the board in the locker room and draw up plays.“
The Boston University commit was the middle of everything on Saturday night, whether it was rough play along the boards, in front of the net, or offering spirited words to a teammate with a head down.
“We make sure we get together as a team as often as we can, and it’s probably the most chemistry I’ve had on any team here,’’ said Kurker, a Reading resident.
“I make sure everyone stays comfortable and that they can come to me with anything, but we as captains know that there’s a level of respect we have from the underclassmen, so I make sure I lead by example and help this team any way I can on and off the ice.’’
Prep, which lost in last year’s Super 8 final to Malden Catholic, started the season 9-4, but there is more to the Eagles’ surge than statistics, according to fellow captain Nick Pandelena, a senior 6-4 defenseman from Atkinson, N.H.
“We need to play the whole game and our systems better,’’ said Pandelena.
“As captains we make sure everyone is working their hardest, being in sync with everyone and working in our defensive coverage. Too many easy points can be given up because of the mental lapses so Sam’’ - along with other two captains, forward Brian Pinho (North Andover) and goalie Dave Letarte (Salem) - make sure “the guys’ heads are in the right place.’’
Roughly seven minutes down the road, junior captain Joe Strangie is raising the bar at Danvers High. The 5-9 center is racking up the points (13 goals, 14 assists in his first 12 games), but he does not shy away from showing his grit.
