With 20 returning varsity players, a talented group of newcomers and a team-first mentality, the sky may be the limit for the Pioneers boys hockey team this season.
“We only lost two seniors from last year and everyone is back, so we have a lot of experience and depth at all positions,” head coach Jon Gardner (LHS ’95) said. “They’re every bit of a team. We don’t have egos or divas or drama which is nice. We’re just going to stick to our system. This first two weeks is such a sprint into the first game. It would be nice to come up for air. They are just the true sense of a team so far.”
The Pioneers opened the season Saturday with a 4-2 loss to Scituate at McVann-O’Keefe Arena.
Trailing 3-2 with about 1:40 to play, the Pioneers pulled their goalie and inserted senior assistant captain Michael Marenghi in hopes of netting the equalizer, pressuring the Sailors deep in the zone. Scituate sealed the win when Griffin Lochiatto collected a loose puck in the neutral zone and scored an empty-net goal.
Despite the loss, Gardner, now in this 14th year at the helm, had several positives to take away.
“We were physical, and that’s something we’re reinforcing from last year,” Gardner said. “That’s our strength. Two of their goals were goal-mouth scrums where we just have to be better. There was a lot of encouraging stuff. Obviously, our guys are disappointed, but Scituate is always a solid team.
“Even though we didn’t have many Grade A chances, most of ours came on the power play, which is encouraging because last year our power play was inefficient and ineffective.”
The Pioneers took an early 1-0 on a power play goal by senior captain Anthony Calla at the 6:48 mark of the first period. Sophomore CJ Anderson picked up an assist.
Scituate answered right back, tying the game on a goal by Atticus Ames at the 7:54 mark, then taking the lead at the 10:34 mark of the second period on a goal by Shane Ryan. It took Lynnfield just three minutes to erase the deficit with a goal by Anderson, assisted by senior captain Brendan Driscoll and freshman Jackson McShane.
“That was the first time we have trailed this year,” Gardner said. “Sometimes your emotions get the best of you, but this group did a pretty good job today playing from behind. We preach to be calm, but it’s a hard balancing act.”
As they had in the first period, the Sailors wasted no time in responding. With 18 seconds left in the period, Lucas Henderson scored a man-up goal to put the Sailors on top for good, 3-2.
“That was a tough one,” Gardner said. “That really changed the game to give them that goal so late when we were hoping to get out of that period.”
Gardner said senior assistant captain Sam Curley, senior captain Brendan Driscoll, senior captain Nick Kelter, Marenghi and Anderson played well.
“Sammy is great on the draws. Brendan, the D on the back end played well and Michael had to fight through a lot of traffic. No goals were really on him. Nick is always causing problems out there and wreaking havoc and getting that goal from CJ was big. He used the space they gave him and put one on a line.”
Gardner is looking to several players to be key this season.
“Obviously, it all starts with the captains,” Gardner said. “They will all log a lot of minutes.
Other returning players include senior CJ Palermo; juniors John Powers, Cole McKinnon, Anthony George, Brayden Anderson, Shane MacEachern, Lucas Deraps, Jack Burns, Cameron Dembro, Liam Gardner and goalie Angelo Covino; and sophomores Luke Mancinelli and Connor Driscoll.
Other newcomers include sophomores Max Gromko and Parker Burek and freshmen Kellan Smith, Thomas Pasquerella, Chase McEwen and Mike Mattia.
Gardner said the freshman group is “one of the deepest he’s ever had.
“We’re encouraged with this group,” Gardner said. “They give us a good mix of vets and rookies.”
Last year the Pioneers finished the regular season with a 9-10 record to secure the No. 15 seed in the Division 3 tournament, only to be eliminated in the Round of 16 by No. 2 Medfield, 4-1.
Gardner said, this season Lynnfield will be tested right out of the gate.
“We start the season shot out of a cannon,” he said. “Our schedule is murderers’ row, especially the first five games.
