Local hockey teams kick off season

SALEM – Make no mistake about it: The Lynn Jets were playing for a win on Sunday afternoon at the boys? hockey jamboree at Salem State University. But in this instance, the final score, a 2-1 shootout loss to Rockport, was merely subtext to the day?s overlying message.
The game was one of five in the jamboree, each matchup featuring two 25-minute, running-time periods.
?It?s been a long week,” said Lynn coach Joe Conlon whose team opens its season at home on Saturday against Gloucester.
?You can never really make any judgments based off the score in a jamboree, but I definitely thought we had our legs under us. We made a lot of progress today.”
A shootout goal from Jets senior, Corey Wojewodzic, wasn?t enough as the Vikings scored on two of three attempts against sophomore goalie Matt Cole to steal a victory.
The teams exchanged tallies in the second of two 25-minute running periods.
With a power play in progress, Lynn junior Brett Molea settled down a pass from senior Tyler Craig below the right circle before burying his shot, low to the short side.
Rockport found the equalizer with 9:48 remaining in regulation on a seemingly harmless shot from a spinning Jackson Rice at the left point.
Lynn thoroughly dominated the opening period but failed to break the ice despite a 16-1 advantage in shots on net (24-8 overall).
Vikings goaltender Alex Tognazzi kept his team in it with a bevy of big stops, including a pair of doorstep bids at the beginning and end of the period.
?You have to credit the kid for sticking his nose in and holding us off the scoreboard,” said Conlon who expressed his hopes for improvement.
?I actually don?t think we shot enough to be honest. There were times where we passed up potential chances for an extra pass. When we did get shots through, we didn?t have enough traffic in front of the net, so those are things to work on moving forward.”
The day?s opening game, a 3-2 Swampscott victory over Winthrop, also required a shootout after the Big Blue knotted the score on a late tally from senior Ryan Cresta with 35 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Vikings led 3-2 after one period on goals from Joe Korvacev, Henry Brooks and Jonathan Griffiths while Swampscott remained close with tallies from Cresta and sophomore Ryan Donnelly.
Peabody beat Salem, 4-1, with two goals in each period.
Tanner senior Reed Foster opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the action before junior Owen Brewster doubled the lead at 15:22. Second period goals from sophomore Ethan LeBlanc and junior Aaron Dollin offset the Witches lone tally from Cam Vautour.
Beverly, the defending Division 2 state champions, secured one of the two shutouts on the day in its 1-0 victory over Saugus.
A scoreless first period gave way to the game-winner from senior Jesse McLaughlin whose seeing-eye shot from the point found the back of the net on the power play just over a minute into the second session.
For the Sachems, freshman netminder Nick Sanderson stopped all 13 shots he faced just days after a serious car crash left him, his brother Chris Sanderson and fellow teammate Jimmy Alcott without serious injury.
Marblehead capped the event with a 3-0 victory over Revere.
At the Garrett Reagan Sportsmanship Summit in Marlborough, the St. Mary?s boys? hockey team claimed an impressive win over four-time defending Super 8 champion Malden Catholic.Dante Maribito and Mike Zampanti (empty net) scored for the Spartans who got a combined shutout from Ryan Borders and Connor Jennings.