ERIKA PASQUALE, a returning All-Star for Lynnfield, will help lead the team in 2023-24. (File Photo)
After press time:
Lynnfield falls to Manchester-Essex 50-44 (Dec. 13)
Lynnfield falls to Pentucket 56-19 (Dec. 15)
Published December 13, 2023
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
LYNNFIELD — Last season, the Lynnfield High girls’ basketball team beat Southeastern Regional Tech, 41-27, in the preliminary round of the MIAA Division 3 tournament before falling to Dover-Sherborn, 57-24, in the Round of 32 game.
With that defeat, the Pioneers ended up at 10-12 overall. In the Cape Ann League they were in fourth place in the Kinney division going 4-9.
They lost three seniors and one exchange student from that team. One of them was CAL First-Team All-Star Bella George who made that team two years in a row. George was the team’s top scorer last year, averaging 13 points per game.
When winter practice started on Nov. 27, third-year head coach Sue Breen welcomed back four veterans. Two of them are this year’s captains.
Ava Gamache is a senior guard while Taylor Valiton is a junior forward.
The two other Pioneers back are junior guards Erika Pasquale and Emma Rose. Last year, Pasquale made the CAL Second Team All-Stars.
Lynnfield is one of the younger teams in the league as they have six freshmen on the roster.
Those 9th-graders are Hayden Valiton (guard), Maeve Wertz (guard), Faith Angelo (forward), Chloe McEwen (forward), Jordan Calishman (guard), and Hannah Doherty (guard).
Hayden Valiton is Taylor’s sister.
The other newcomer is senior Abbie Connolly, who is a forward. She last played organized basketball in middle school.
“I am excited about this season,” said Breen. “They have been working hard this pre-season. We are working on how the seven new kids will fit in.”
The Pioneers have scrimmaged Burlington and Haverhill and they will play a 19-game regular season schedule.
Lynnfield will play the CAL Kinney teams twice and the Baker Division schools once. Essex Tech is the new addition in the league this year so the Pioneers will play only four non-league games this season.
They will play Shawsheen Tech twice and Waltham and Manchester-Essex once (Lynnfield will also play a league game against Manchester-Essex as well).
Breen feels that Newburyport, who won the CAL Kinney title last year, are still the favorites this year. On Dec. 13, the Pioneers will open the 2023-2024 campaign at home against Manchester-Essex for the non-league match-up.
Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m.
Pentucket, who came in second place in the CAL Kinney last winter, then comes to town on Dec. 15 with that game also starting at 5:30 p.m.