No. 4 Lynnfield hosts No. 13 Stoneham in first round Thursday

Published October 31, 2018

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

LYNNFIELD — In their final game of the regular season, the Lynnfield High field hockey team handed guest Gloucester its only loss of the year winning 2-1 on Oct. 25. With that victory, the Pioneers ended up at 14-3-1 overall.

“We beat a really strong team,” said Pioneers head coach Mamie Reardon, as the Fishermen were the Northeastern Conference Champions.

All three goals in this one came in the opening half. With 23:22 remaining in the opening half, Mia Lemieux scored with Jen Flynn assisting.

The Fishermen tied it up with 10:15 left but Ashley Barrett scored the game-winning goal with 4:24 left as Carolyn Garofoli assisted.

Lynnfield was then able to hold onto that lead in the second half.

Pioneer goalie, Emily Dickey, made seven stops to go to 14-3-1 in net.

2018 MIAA DIV. 2 NORTH Field Hockey bracket. (www.miaa.net)

Sink Clippers

In their final Cape Ann League game on Oct. 24, the Pioneers won at Newburyport, 3-1, to get a split of the season series on the Clippers Senior Night.

With that win, Lynnfield finished at 12-3-1 in the league as they came in second place in the CAL Kinney division behind Masconomet.

“We had our fast-break working that game,” recalled Reardon.

Lily Rothwell scored on a give-and-go play with Barrett with 19:32 left in the opening half. The Clippers tied the game with 1:11 remaining in the first half.

Rothwell found the back of the net with 17:02 left in the game assisted by Brianna Barrett. Rothwell then assisted on the final goal that was scored by Ashley Barrett with seven minutes left.

“We have a very fast front line,” said Reardon, who thought that her team’s speed was the difference.

Dickey made three saves in that game.

Newburyport won the first meeting this fall, 3-1, as Lynnfield was able to avenge that loss.

The Pioneers are the number four seed heading into the Division 2 North state tournament. They open up the states on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. as they welcome Stoneham. The Spartans, a team out of the Middlesex League, are the 13th seed and they enter the game at 9-7-2.

If Lynnfield wins, they will either host Weston or Bedford in the quarterfinal round on Saturday (time to be determined).