FRANKLIN — Sometimes, the scoreboard doesn’t tell the full story.
Such was the case in Saturday’s Division 3 boys hockey Round of 16 showdown between the No. 2 Medfield Warriors (19-1-1) and No. 15 Lynnfield Pioneers (10-12) at Pirelli Veterans Arena.
While Medfield walked away with a 4-1 win, truth be told, the Pioneers gave as good as they got in this one despite being in enemy territory and having to take on a team that had lost only one game all season. That loss was to Nauset, the top seed in the Division 3 tournament in the final game of the regular season.
Head Coach Jon Gardner said the score wasn’t at all indicative of the way the Pioneers played.
“We spotted them a pair of first-period goals and then took over the game,” Gardner said. “We dominated the second and should have gone in the locker room up. Their coach even echoed those sentiments. We had a breakaway, a crossbar and a couple of slot shots in dangerous areas. We just couldn’t finish.”
Gardner’s twin, Coach Jay Gardner, agreed with his brother.
“No quit from our guys, no loss of enthusiasm at any point,” Jay Gardner said. “I’m proud of them, which is rare, losing 4-1 to end the season, but they battled wire to wire.”
Medfield jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the first period.
After a scoreless middle period, the Warriors took advantage of a couple of Pioneers’ faux pax and stretched the lead to 4-0 with a couple of quick strikes early in the third.
Lynnfield cut the deficit to 4-1 with under eight minutes to go in the game on a goal from senior captain Owen Considine, but that was as close as the Pioneers came.
Jon Gardner said the team “played a great third period, too.
“Other than a couple of miscues that they made us pay, which one-loss No. 2 seeds do. I’m proud of who they fought till triple zeroes,” he said.
Jon Gardner highlighted the play of senior captains Considine and Jay Carpenter, junior captain Nick Kelter, and sophomores Andrew Carbone and Cole MacKinnon.
“Our captains always bring it, especially in big tilts,” Jon Gardner said. “Nick had his strongest game of the year and Andrew Carbone and Cole McKinnon were solid.”
While Medfield is still in the hunt for a state title and is scheduled to play No. 7 Melrose in the Elite Eight on March 6 at O’Brien Rink in Woburn, Lynnfield can only look to the future.
The good news for the Pioneers is they are graduating only two seniors in Considine and Carpenter. The bad news is the dynamic duo were huge impact players, both of them earning selection to the Cape Ann League All-Star team.
But with a roster that is chock full of experienced returns whose season this year was tantamount to baptism by fire, the Gardners are confident that next year’s team will be ready to go from the first puck drop.
“A lot of guys were forced on the fast track with losing 16 players due to graduation and transfers and a lot of injuries,” Jon Gardner said. “With that, on top of healthy competition and a good freshman class, we should be formidable.”
“I’m very excited about next year,” Jay Gardner said.
