Jets run into a delay, still need to qualify for hockey tourney

LYNN – The Lynn Jets boys hockey team needed two points going into Saturday’s game with Swampscott to give the squad its first tourney spot since the three public schools in the city merged to form the team.The Jets (5-4-1, 10-5-1) only got one, however, and that was thanks to a goal with 1:28 remaining to earn a 2-2 tie with the Big Blue.The Jets will be looking for that other point this Wednesday when they host Marblehead.Trailing 2-1 with 1:32 left, Jets coach Joe Conlon called a timeout to set up the team attacking the Swampscott zone. Goalie Craig MacDaniel was pulled for an extra skater, and the play worked out almost immediately. Winger Terry Finnegan, positioned to the left of Swampscott netminder Tyler Gallagher, tipped in teammate Demetrius Polk’s blast from the point for the game-tying score.”We pulled Craig, and put two of our better shooters out there,” Conlon said. “We told everyone else to rush to the net and crash for any rebounds. It definitely worked out well.”The teams entered the final period deadlocked at 1, but a quick power play for Swampscott gave the Big Blue (3-7-1, 6-8-1) the lead shortly into the stanza.The Jets were whistled for a penalty 28 seconds into the period, and forward Justin Massey’s blast from the point with one second remaining with the man advantage beat MacDaniel for a 2-1 edge.Lynn had several attempts to tie the score within the following minutes, but Gallagher robbed winger Chris Surette midway through. The forward stole a puck near midice, skated in, and flicked a wrist shot that was turned aside by the goalie.Just moments before Lynn tied up matters, forward John Finnigan was stonewalled by Gallagher on his slap shot. The rebound was deflected to the goalie’s right, and Finnigan fired once more, with Gallagher again holding his ground.”This was our most complete game of the year,” said Swampscott coach Gino Faia, whose team fell to Lynn, 3-0, in the season’s opener. “It was tough to give up that late (game-tying) goal, and we have been kind of struggling.”The Jets carried the early play after the opening faceoff, as they attacked the Swampscott end with solid chances. Gallagher, however, thwarted them, stopping forwards Kyle Devin and Kyle Martin midway through the period.Swampscott’s Chris Carmody had a good opportunity moments later to put the Big Blue into the lead, when he fired a 12-foot slap at the Lynn net. Yet MacDaniel made the pad save to keep the game scoreless.That changed midway through the period, however, when forward Anthony DiPietro scored the game’s first goal, knocking in a rebound past MacDaniel for a 1-0 Big Blue lead.Lynn evened up matters late in the stanza. Surette skated down the right side of the ice into the Swampscott zone and along the far boards. As he approached the net, he found Finnigan standing in front, and slid he puck over. Finnigan’s wrist shot went past Gallagher to tie the game at 1.Both teams battled through a scoreless middle period, with both goalies coming up big to keep the game tied.”We got outplayed tonight, and were lucky to get a point,” Conlon said. “A lot of it had to do with Swampscott, but some of it were problems that we need to fix.”