JACK CARPENTER (7), Lynnfield’s leading goal scorer last year, is back to lead the Pioneers into the 2023-24 season. (File Photo)
After press time: Lynnfield defeats Malden Catholic 5-1 (Dec. 13)
Published December 13, 2023
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
LYNNFIELD — Last season’s Lynnfield High boys’ hockey team broke a school record as they won 20 games. Overall, they finished at 20-2-1 as they lost to Triton, 5-2, in the MIAA Division 3 Round of 8 playoff game.
In the Cape Ann League, the Pioneers won the league title for the second-consecutive year as they went a perfect 10-0.
Head coach Jon Gardner, who is entering his 12th season, lost six seniors from that roster including forward Drew Damiani who was named the Cape Ann League’s Kinney MVP as he scored 12 goals to go with 24 assists for 36 points.
The good news for Garnder is that 17 veterans returned when practice opened back on Nov. 27. The two senior captains are center Joe Raffa and left winger Jack Carpenter. Both players were CAL All-Leaguers last year as Raffa had 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points while Carpenter had a team-high 22 goals to go with 14 assists for 36 points.
The assistant captains are senior winger Dylan Damiani and senior center Jack Neenan. Damiani was part of the Pioneers state champion soccer team this fall.
Jarret Scoppettuolo (right wing), Ryan MacEachern (left wing), Jack Marenghi (center), Jake Connell (defenseman), Deven Henehan (defenseman), Zac Benedetto (defenseman), and Evan Rocha (left wing) are the seven other 12th-graders back.
The four juniors back are the Norton twins, Aidan (defenseman) and Will (left wing) along with Owen Considine (center) and Tim Sullivan (right wing).
Nick Kelter (defenseman) and Mike Marenghi (goalie) are the two sophomores back. Marenghi, who saw limited action last winter behind CAL All-Leaguer Dan McSweeney, will see a bulk of the action this year.
Last Saturday afternoon, the Pioneers had a rematch against host Triton at the Graf Rink up in Newburyport as LHS was looking to get a piece of revenge against the Vikings. However, Triton ended up winning this one in overtime 4-3, as they scored the game-winning goal with 16 seconds left with Jack Lindholm lighting the lamp to become the hero.
“It was an exciting game,” said Gardner, as Lynnfield led 1-0 after the first period and the game was knotted at two after the second stanza.
Carpenter scored the first-period goal with 3:46 remaining assisted by Raffa and Connell while Rocha scored in the second assisted by Kelter with 6:48 left.
Aidan Norton had the third-period goal that game the Pioneers a 3-2 advantage with 8:06 remaining before Colin Fidler tied it up again a few minutes later.
Lynnfield out shot Triton 28-25 as Marenghi made 21 stops. The second Viking goal came on a five-on-three power play.
On Dec. 13, the home opener takes place at the McVann-O’Keefe Rink in Peabody as the Pioneers welcome Malden Catholic at 8:15 p.m. for a non-league game.
Lynnfield then hosts CAL newcomer, Essex Tech on Dec. 16 with that game starting at noon.
“Our goal is to get better each month and get ready for the tournament in March,” said Gardner. “We have a much tougher non-league schedule than last year so I don’t expect us to have the record we had last year.”