THE PIONEERS improved to 2-0 with a massive 2-0 win over reigning D3 champion Newburyport on the road on Thursday. Lynnfield beat Triton 4-0 to kick off their season on Sept. 5. The Pioneers traveled to Essex Tech on Tuesday after press time and travel to Georgetown on Thursday at 4 p.m. (LHS Boys’ Soccer Photo)

 

 

Updates post publication:
Lynnfield defeats Essex Tech 4-1 (Sept. 12)
Lynnfield defeats Hamilton-Wenham 4-0 (Sept. 19)

 

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

NEWBURYPORT — It was a memorable victory for the Lynnfield High boys’ soccer team on Thursday as they shut out the defending Division 3 state champions, Newburyport, by a final of 2-0 on the road on a hot, humid day.

It was the first Pioneers win over the Clippers since 2020 as they snapped the Clippers’ 25-game winning streak.

“It was a statement game for us,” said Lynnfield head coach Brent Munroe. “This is a huge win. They lost some key players from last year but they are still a very good team.”

Lynnfield scored one goal in each half. The first one came by Dillon Reilly on a pass by fellow co-captain, Dhimitri Dono.

He went down the left side and buried his shot into the left corner on the net in the 18th-minute.

Reilly, who had a team-high 22 goals last fall and was a Cape Ann League First-Team All-Star, then scored the other goal in the 20th-minute of the second half.

That tally was unassisted.

“Those were a couple of great goals,” stated Munroe.

Munroe also praised the play of Dono.

“That was the best game he has played,” said Munroe, about the senior center-midfielder. “He was getting to a lot of the 50-50 balls.”

Junior goal keeper, Kelan Cardinal, improved to 2-0 in net with 12 saves.

Lynnfield improved to 2-0 overall and in the league while the Clippers fall to 1-1 overall and in the CAL.

In the season opener on Sept. 5, the Pioneers blanked guest Triton on another hot, humid day.

Leading 1-0 at the half, LHS erupted for three goals in the first 20-minutes of the second half.

“Triton is a little down this year and we didn’t play that well in the first half,” admitted Munroe. “We were able to pick our game up in the second half.”

In the 10th-minute of the first half, Reilly scored assisted by Joel Anthony.

Early in the second half, junior Tyler Maddocks made it 2-0 assisted by fellow 11th-grader, Matt Reinold. That goal was on a header.

Reinhold had the third tally and that was assisted by Italian exchange student, Allesandro Raimondi.

“Allesandro is the best exchange student I have coached,” said Munroe. “He is a very hard-working player.”

Anthony had the final tally and that goal was unassisted.

Cardinal had an easy day in net having to only make two stops to record the shutout.

On Sept. 14, the Pioneers visit Georgetown. They then host Hamilton-Wenham on Sept. 19.

Both of those games will start at 4 p.m.