After press time:
Lynnfield defeats Pentucket 3-2 (Jan. 25)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
PEABODY — On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Lynnfield High boys’ hockey team was shut out by visiting Westwood, 3-0, at the McVann-O’Keefe Rink in Peabody.
With the non-league defeat, the Pioneers’ record fell to 5-6 overall while the Wolverines improved to 7-4. Westwood is one division higher than the Pioneers as the Wolverines are in Division 2 while Lynnfield is in Division 3.
“We got off to a slow start but had a lot of chances in the third period,” said Lynnfield head coach Jon Gardner. “Their goalie made some big saves late.”
Westwood scored its first goal 3:04 into the game.
The score stayed that way until the third as the Wolverines scored a power-play tally 3:36 into the period.
With 3:40 left in the game, Gardner pulled goalie, Mike Marenghi, for the extra attacker. Lynnfield had some great chances to score during that time but the visitors closed the door with an empty-net goal with 24 seconds left.
Both teams had 24 shots on net as Marenghi made 21 saves.
“Mike played a good game,” said Gardner.
Gardner was also pleased with the play of senior co-captain, Jay Carpenter, who blocked several Wolverine shots.
This was the second time the Pioneers have been shut out this winter.
On Jan. 18, the Pioneers lost, 3-2, in overtime to host Triton up at the Graf Rink in Newburyport.
Luke Sullivan was the hero for the Vikings, scoring the game-winning goal with 2:15 left in the overtime session and that goal came on the power play.
“I was happy with the way we played,” said Gardner. “We had to kill a lot of penalty time and we got called for two majors with the last goal coming on that final major.”
Anthony George scored his first-career goal to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead with 7:19 left in the first. C.J. Patermo and Cam Dembro both assisted.
Triton, who swept the season series, tied it with 4:36 left in the second on the power play as Mike Taylor scored assisted by Sullivan.
Owen Considine gave Lynnfield the lead again with an unassisted tally with 3:11 left in the second.
Triton tied it at two with 10:13 remaining in the third as Lucas Tinkham scored to set up Sullivan’s heroics in the overtime session.
The Vikings out-shot the Pioneers 28-20, as Marenghi made 25 saves.
Lynnfield fell to 3-3 in the Cape Ann League with the loss.
On Jan.15, the Pioneers knocked off host Winthrop, 5-2, at Larsen Arena.
Lynnfield trailed this non-league contest, 2-0, after the first period but knotted it at two heading into the third.
Junior Nick Kelter had both 2nd-period goals for the Pioneers as he scored his first one with 11:30 left assisted by Cole MacKinnon. His second one came on the power play with 6:18 left with Considine assisting.
In the third, Anthony Carbone scored the eventual game-winning goal five minutes in assisted by MacKinnon.
With 8:53 remaining, Considine scored a short-handed tally assisted by Brendan Driscoll.
“That was a nice pass by Brendan,” pointed out Gardner.
Carbone then got the final goal on the empty net with 1:12 left.
Lynnfield out-shot the Vikings, 28-25. Angelo Covino was the Pioneer goalie in this one as he made 23 saves to go to 2-2 in between the pipes.
“After that first period, Angelo settled in well,” said Gardner, about the sophomore netminder.
On Saturday, the Pioneers play host Pentucket at Haverhill High School (Veterans Memorial Rink). That game will start at 2 p.m.