THE PIONEERS have defended their home turf with two shutouts in the first two rounds of the Div. 4 State Tournament. Pictured here before their 2-0 win over Gardner on Saturday, No. 2 Lynnfield will host at quarterfinal game against No. 7 Hampshire on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s Final Four matchup that Lynnfield won 2-1. (Courtesy Photo)

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

LYNNFIELD — Last Saturday afternoon, the Lynnfield High boys’ soccer team blanked guest Gardner, 2-0, in an MIAA Round of 16 tournament game on a sunny, cool day.

With that win, the 2nd-seeded Pioneers improved to 14-3-3 while the 15th-seeded Wildcats suffered its first loss of the season and ended the year at 14-1-3.

Senior captain Dillon Riley scored the game’s first goal in the 25th minute with a rocket shot getting by goalie Tom Wyatt. That was assisted by senior Matt Reinold, who is the team leader in assists this season.

“That was a great play,” said Lynnfield head coach Brent Munroe. “It was a nice pass by Matt and a good finish by Dillon.”

The score stayed that way until there was just over a minute left in the game as Junior Rocco Scenna got the insurance tally assisted by senior Joel Anthony.

Scenna was the team’s top scorer this year.

DILLON REILLY has made an impressive return to the pitch for the Pioneers, racking up 3 goals in Lynnfield’s first two games of the 2024 Div. 4 state tournament. (Courtesy Photo)

Pioneer goalkeeper, senior captain Kelan Cardinal, made four stops to record his 10th shutout of the fall.

Munroe was really pleased with the play of his defense praising junior Nate Zalvan, senior captain Charlie Morgan, senior captain Chris Calnan and sophomore Ben Clancy.

“Those guys were the difference,” stated Munroe. “Gardner was undefeated coming into this game and they play a tough, physical style but our defense stood out and made things easier for Kelan.”

In the first round on Nov. 6, the Pioneers shut out Uxbridge, 4-0, at home on a unseasonably warm evening.

Just two minutes in, Anthony scored assisted by Scenna.

“That goal set the tone,” pointed out Munroe.

Reilly, who was making his season debut after being out all season due to surgery on a stress fracture this summer, made it 2-0 in the 13th minute with Reinold assisting.

Reilly then made it 3-0 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half with Reinold assisting again.

With a little over 10 minutes remaining in the contest, Calnan scored the game’s final tally and that was unassisted.

Cardinal made two saves in net.

“Dillon was not moving well but he is so good that having him back is a big boost for us,” said Munroe, as Reilly was the Cape Ann League Kinney Division MVP last fall.

With that defeat, the 31st-seeded Spartans ended the year at 11-6-3.

On Nov. 14, the defending Division 4 state champion Pioneers will host Hampshire Regional at 3:30 p.m. The 7th-seeded Red Raiders enter the game at 10-3-7.

“Last year, we beat them, 2-1, in the state semifinals,” recalled Munroe. “They have a great team and it will be a real challenge for us.”

If the Pioneers can win that game, they will face either Frontier Regional or Tyngsboro in the state semifinals. That game will take place sometime early next week at a neutral site.