Updates post publication:
Lynnfield defeats Triton 8-0 (Sept. 5)
Lynnfield defeats Newburyport 2-0 (Sept. 7)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
LYNNFIELD — It was another successful season for the Lynnfield High boys’ soccer team last fall as the Pioneers reached the MIAA Division 3 Round of 8 game before losing, 4-3, in overtime at Stoneham.
With that loss, Lynnfield finished the 2022 campaign at 14-4-3.
In the Cape Ann League, they went 10-2-2 as they finished in second place behind undefeated Newburyport in the CAL Kinney Division. Newburyport ended up winning the Division 3 state title.
Seven seniors from that squad graduated including CAL First-Team All-Star, Alex Gentile and Drew Damiani, who was a CAL-Second-Team All-Star. They also lost another Second-Team All-Star in Henry Caulfield.
Gentile, a forward, had 21 goals and nine assists while Damiani was a defenseman. Caulfield, a midfielder, led the team in assists with 13.
When training camp opened on Aug. 21, 23rd-year head coach Brent Munroe welcomed back 12 veterans.
The four captains will be Dillon Reilly, Dhimitri Dono, Brendan Sokop and Charlie Morgan. Reilly is a junior forward. Dono is a senior center-midfielder, Sokop is a defensive-midfielder while Morgan is a junior defenseman.
Reilly had a team-high 22 goals last fall and he was a CAL First-Team All-Star.
The two other 12th-graders back are Nate Clancy (defenseman) and Dylan Damiani (defenseman).
Kelan Cardinal (goalkeeper), Chris Calnan (center- defenseman), Tyler Maddocks (center-midfielder), Matt Reinold (outside-midfielder), and Joel Anthony (center-midfielder) are the five juniors back.
The lone tenth-grader returning is center- midfielder, Rocco Schena.
It was a busy pre-season for the team as they had four scrimmages against St. John’s Prep, Marblehead, Swampscott and Wilmington.
“We played pretty well but had a couple of little injuries,” said Munroe.
With Essex Tech joining the CAL this year, the Pioneers will play 16 league games and only two non-league contests against Masconomet and St. Mary’s of Lynn.
Lynnfield opened the season on Sept. 5 against Triton at home (results not available at press time).
Their next game will be Sept. 7, as they visit Newburyport at 4 p.m.
“Newburyport lost some seniors from last year but they are still the team to beat in the league,” said Munroe.
On Sept. 12, Lynnfield visits Essex Tech up in Danvers with that game starting at 6 p.m.