Masco wears out Jets, 6-1

HAVERHILL – Every athlete knows that vigilant preparation is crucial since you never know when you will be called upon. Lynn Jets’ sophomore goalie Mike Gately found himself in precisely that position Tuesday night and responded with a splendid 36-save performance in the Jets 6-1 loss to Masconomet in the Guptill Division semifinal of the Haverhill Holiday Tournament at Veterans Memorial Rink.Gately was thrust into service 29 seconds into the game when senior captain Nick Comeau suffered a right leg injury scrambling to make a save during the Chieftains’ opening flurry. He was transported to nearby Merrimack Valley Hospital for an MRI and while Coach Joe Conlon didn’t know the extent of the injury at game’s end, he did say “we’re pretty sure it’s a knee. It’s a shame because he’s been playing so well.”Conlon praised the play of Gately, who held Lynn (2-2-0) in it until his mates simply hit the wall and the Chieftains pumped in three third-period goals in a span 2:17 to blow it open.”I want to make this clear – Mike Gately is not the reason we lost tonight. He came in and played his best. Masco is a big, physical and good skating team and we were a bit overmatched at times tonight. We always want to give 100 percent and, for the most part, I think we did. But, we have to be more consistent in the things we do,” Conlon said.Early on, Lynn was unable to relieve Masco’s constant pressure or sustain its own offense and the Chieftains grabbed a 1-0 lead at 5:33 of the opening period. Anchored in the low slot, Phil Russo snapped a hard shot into the lower left side, one-timing Corey Tudor’s pass from the rear wall.Gately kept it a one-goal game late in the period, gloving Dylan Tinkham’s turnaround bid from the low right circle. However, Gately had no chance on David Eidle’s close-range rebound deposit as Masco doubled the lead on its second power play with 1:14 left in the period.A series of penalties left the Jets with a brief 4-on-3 power play early in the second period and produced their best chance to that point, junior John Finnigan’s testing backhander from the low right slot that Masco keeper Casey Tudor (19 saves) swatted aside with his glove.Meanwhile, Gately made eight saves in the first 5:30 of the period, none better than a right pad kickout of Crosby’s attempted backhand finish on a 2-on-1. Gately also denied Nick Emma’s 10-footer with 2:30 left in the period but the Chieftains expanded their lead to 3-0 at the 14:02 mark when Mitchell Maffeo’s bad angle shot off Trevor Surrette’s cross-crease dish broke through.The Jets mounted their most sustained offensive pressure early in the third period, but the wheels came off midway through when Masco’s Tyler Duval (4-on-4 at 7:24), Crosby (at 8:55) and Russo (at 9:41) all scored for a 6-0 lead.The Jets spoiled Tudor’s shutout bid at 11:26 when Sean Gately shoveled a rebound into the open left side, set up by Tony Uva and Finnigan. Lynn faces Haverhill, a 9-5 semifinal loser to Shawsheen, today in the consolation round at 1 p.m.”This was a tough loss but we have to pick up the pieces and get ready for another Division Two team. We want to play up a division when we get the chance in order to test ourselves and this tournament is an opportunity to do that,” said Conlon, who praised the solid play of freshman forward Ryan McDonald.