By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
MARTHA’S VINEYARD — The Lynnfield High boys’ hockey team spent this past weekend down in Martha’s Vineyard to compete in the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Tournament.
In the second game of the tournament, they played the host team and beat Martha’s Vineyard by a final of 4-2 on Sunday afternoon to win the tournament title.
With that victory, the Pioneers improved to 16-2-1 as they are undefeated in their last 11 games.
Things did not start off well for the locals as the Vinyarders scored the game’s first two goals. They scored on a power play 4:44 in and made it 2-0 with 2:26 left in the first period.
Lynnfield woke up in the second period scoring three times to take the lead going into the third.
Drew Damiani lit the lamp on the power play 4:26 in assisted by Jarred Scoppetuolo. With 5:14 left, LHS tied it on a goal by Will Steadmen. Chase Carney assisted.
Janssen Sperling netted, the eventual, game-winning goal as he scored shorthanded with 3:26 remaining. Pat Barrett assisted.
With 2:44 left in the game, Aiden Burke scored the insurance goal assisted by Carney and Steadmen.
Lynnfield outshot the Vinyarders on goal, 32-22, as Pioneers goalie, Phinneas Mitchener, made 20 saves. He improved to 12-2-1 in net.
“We stuck with it after that first tough period,” said Lynnfield head coach Jon Gardner.
In the first game on Saturday night, they took on Plymouth North and they won that game, also, by the count of 4-2.
The Eagles score on the power play just 1:40 in and they made it, 2-0 , 8:29 into the second period.
But, just like the Martha’s Vineyard game, the Pioneers stormed back.
It only took them 10 seconds after the second Eagle goal to cut the lead to one as Carney scored assisted by Burke and Owen Kennedy.
With 5:43 remaining in the second, Carney tied it assisted by Burke and Jake Connell.
Damiani then scored with 4:14 left for the team’s first lead.
Steadmen put home the final tally at the 1:07 mark of the third assisted by Burke and Carney.
“We had a long day leaving at 8 in the morning and I didn’t know how they would respond,” admitted Gardner. “After that slow start, we were able to take over.”
Mitchener had 23 stops as the Pioneers outshot the Eagles on net 28-25.
On Feb. 16, the Pioneers hosted Wakefield at the McVann-O’Keefe Rink in Peabody. They ended up winning, in overtime, 4-3.
Damiani was the hero scoring 19 second into the overtime session assisted by Burke and Carney. That goal also gave him his first hat trick of the year.
“We knew that Wakefield is a good team and they are better than their record shows,” said Gardner. “I was very happy.”
The Warriors scored first 2:20 into the first but Carney scored on the power play, assisted by Damiani, a few minutes later to tie it.
Damiani then made it 2-1, 4:48 into the second assisted by Burke and Carney but Wakefield tied it up a few minutes later. Damiani then made it 3-2 late in the second with Burke and Carney both assisting again.
In the third, the Warriors tied the game with 2:58 left to force overtime.
Both teams had 27 shots on net as Mitchener made 24 saves.
Lynnfield will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday night (Feb. 23) as they will go to Gloucester at the Talbot Rink. Face-off is slated for 6 p.m.
The Pioneers are looking for a season split against the Fishermen as Gloucester beat them, 8-5, on New Year’s Day at the McVann-O’Keefe Rink.
The Cape Ann League champions will then find out who they will host in the first round of the Division 3 state tournament which starts next week.
