Bassi, Pioneers keep it on the QT (quality tie)

SAUGUS – With a tough opening schedule and 16 players debuting at the varsity level, first-year Lynnfield head coach Jon Gardner put the early emphasis on defense. The youngsters are getting the message as shown by yesterday’s scoreless tie against Danvers to open Kasabuski Tourney play.Click here for a photo gallery.The Pioneers (now 0-3-1) dropped a 4-0 decision to the unbeaten Falcons (4-0-1) to open the season, but rode a stellar 42-save effort from junior Joe Bassi and hard work from the backliners to the deadlock.”(From that first game) I knew I was going to see a lot of shots (yesterday), so I knew I had to be on my A game,” said the 6-foot-6 Bassi. “My teammates let me see the puck a lot so my defense was good at clearing out bodies in front. I could see the puck the whole game.”The hard work of Dan Sullivan, Jonny Aloise, Mack Post and Michael Look was especially important considering Lynnfield was whistled for the last six penalties of the contest. The Pioneers were shorthanded for 61/2 minutes of the second period, including a one-minute stint of 5-on-3 play, surviving it all.”I think Mack and Michael played more shorthanded shifts than 5 on 5,” said Gardner. “Danvers tried to put two guys in front of the net on their power-play to anchor our defense but we didn’t let it happen. We preach play from the goalie out – blocking shots and keeping them from banging in their rebounds.”Whether it was prolific wingers A.J. Couto (six goals so far) or Adam Merry buzzing around the net, or Joe Strangie (five goals this year) and Trevor Daly parked out front, Bassi denied them all.”We’ve got to straighten out a few things on our power play,” said Danvers head coach Kevin Brown. “Credit (Bassi) and the style that they played. They played hard and (Bassi) played well.”The puck was predominantly in the Pioneer end of the rink – Danvers sophomore Jay Joyce faced just 10 shots in his first career start – but Gardner isn’t too concerned about that yet.”(Playing Danvers, Triton, Newburyport and Danvers to start), that’s what we told our guys they’d be looking at in December,” Gardner said. “It’s a tough draw, so we’ve been focusing on taking care of our own end, and unfortunately it does kind of stifle the offense a little bit. But it’s getting us battle-tested so that (when the schedule levels out), we’ll be able to get our offense going.”Melrose 7, Fenwick 2In the tourney opener, the Crusaders (now 1-5) were whistled for four first-period penalties that tipped the balance of play quickly. Led by Mike DiRaffaele (hat trick), Melrose (2-3) jumped out to a 4-1 lead after one and wouldn’t let Fenwick back into the battle.”We, or any team, can’t play 5-on-4 and expect to win,” said head coach Dan Lynch. “We’ve slid backward a little bit and we have to work on the little things – staying out of the penalty box, being stronger on the puck, being more disciplined.”Wakefield 3, Saugus 2After Steve Kay’s score 30 seconds into action, Wakefield (2-2-1) surged behind two goals from Ed Mathews, one on a power play, to a 3-1 first-period advantage. Saugus (0-3) sliced the lead in half 1:20 into the third period on Christian Patterson’s goal and appeared to tie the game with 4 1/2 minutes left but the tally was waved off due to a penalty.Goalie Anthony Allen drew kudos from head coach Jeff Natalucci for shutting down Wakefield and giving the Sachems a chance to get back into the contest.”The third period was our best this year,” said Natalucci. “If we can repeat that kind of play, we’ll be fine.”