CHASE CARNEY picked up four assists in a 7-1 Sweet 16 win over Nauset and had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Hopedale in the state quarterfinals. (Dan Tomasello Photo)
Fall to No. 1 Marlborough 3-2
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
STONEHAM — After blowouts in their first two playoff games, the Lynnfield High boys’ hockey team faced their first real test in the Division 3 state quarterfinals last Saturday night as they took on Hopedale-Milford at the Stoneham Arena.
The Blue Raiders gave the Pioneers all they could handle as Lynnfield escaped with a hard-earned, 2-0 win.
With that victory, the 4th-seeded Pioneers improved to 19-3-1 while 5th-seeded Hopedale-Milford ended the year at 19-2.
It was a goaltenders dual between Pioneers net minder, Phineas Mitchener and Blue Raider goalie, John Tomaso.
“(Tomaso) played well but Phinneas was in control and I was very proud of him,” said Lynnfield head coach Jon Gardner, as Mitchener improved to 15-3-1 with 20 saves.
After a scoreless opening period, the Pioneers scored their first goal in the second period. Senior captain, Chase Carney, put home a rebound on a shot from the left side by Aidan Burke with 11:16 remaining. Lucas Cook was also credited with an assist.
In the third period, with the score still at 1-0, the Blue Raiders called timeout with 1:34 remaining. Twenty seconds later, head coach Mike MacQuarrie pulled Tomaso (27 saves) for the extra attacker.
Hopedale was able to put some pressure on but Mitchener came up clutch including a huge save from the slot in the final minute.
Drew Damiani then closed the door with 6.6 seconds left as his shot from just past the red line found the back of the empty net. Burke and Carney both had assists.
“I give them credit,” said Gardner, about the Blue Raiders. “They have a very quick team and we came out sloppy and tired.”
There were only three penalties in the game and they all took place during the second period. The Blue Raiders had a power play and then both schools had calls against then that were just nine seconds apart basically offsetting each other.
Lynnfield outshot the Blue Raiders 29-20.
In the Round of 16 game on March 9, the Pioneers pounded guest Nauset, 7-1, at the McVann-O’Keefe Rink in Peabody.
With that loss, the 13th-seeded Warriors, a Cape Cod school, ended the year at 13-8-1.
“We were able to jump on them,” pointed out Gardner, whose squad led, 4-1, after the first period.
They then were up 5-1 after the second as LHS added on two more goals in the third.
Burke lit the lamp twice in the opening 15 minutes as Joe Raffa and Damiani had the other two first-period goals Damiani scored the lone tally of the second period.
In the third, Damiani recorded the hat trick while Tyler Scoppettuolo also scored.
Carney led the team in assists with four while Burke also had two assists to finish with four points. Damiani was the third Pioneer with four points on the evening as he had one assist to go with his three goals.
Pat Barrett and Will Steadman also chipped in one assist each.
Pete Murphy had the lone Warrior tally on the power play.
Mitchener got the win in net.
With a victory in a round that would be the equivalent to the sectional finals in previous years, Lynnfield punched their ticked to the D3 state semifinals where they met top-seeded Marlborough at the Tsongas Arena. The Pioneers fell 3-2, ending an incredible run and one of the best seasons in program history. A full recap of that game will appear next week.