Hockey: Jets shutout Swampscott

Facing Northeastern Conference/South rival Swampscott in the opening round of its Christmas Tournament on Monday at Connery Rink, the Lynn Jets were looking for some things to finally go their way. And thanks to 45 solid minutes, that?s just what coach Joe Conlon?s team got.
The Jets scored twice in the second and added another goal in the third period while goaltender Jack Stafford stopped all 23 shots he faced as Lynn took a 3-0 win over the Big Blue and will face Northeast Regional tonight at 8 in the finals.
?I thought that we did a good job of getting the puck in and playing down low,” Conlon said. “We haven?t seen the puck go in much so it was nice to find the back of the net a little bit.”
Neither team scored in the opening period before the Jets (1-2-1, 1-1-1 NEC/South) got the scoring started early in the second. Brett Molea did the honors, assisted by Kyle Morrill and Ryan Clark, at the 2:00 mark for what turned out to be the game winner.
The Jets doubled the lead in the final moments of the middle period as Mike Clougherty finished in front of the net, assisted by Owen Sedille, at 12:33.
Swampscott (1-4-0, 0-3-0) tried to rally but Stafford came up with some key stops to keep the goose egg on the board. The Jets put the game out of reach with 4:11 left when Morrill was set up by Molea and Jon Kosmas.
?We hope that we can build off a game like this,” Conlon said. “We have to come back and play a similar game (tonight) against Northeast.”In the opening game, Northeast won a 9-6 shootout over Everett.Swampscott will face Everett in the consolation game Tuesday at 6 p.m.St. Mary?s 4, St. Peter Marian 0
The Spartans (1-4-2) finally got into the win column as they scored all of their goals in the second period. Shawn MacBurnie, Mike Desmond, Mike Zampanti and Dante Maribito took care of the goals. Zampanti and Maribito also had assists.
Connor Jennings stopped all 14 shots he faced for St. Mary?s.Kasabuski Christmas Classic
Entering the Kasabuski Christmas Classic on Monday without a win, the Saugus hockey team was in desperate need of something positive to come out of its opening game against Lynnfield.
What the Sachems nearly got, though, was another dose of heartbreak as the Pioneers rallied from two goals down in the third to tie the game. That?s where senior captain Nik Straticos stepped up and gave Saugus the lift it needed as he completed a four-point night by scoring his third goal of the game with 1:38 left to give the Sachems a 6-5 victory.
The win gives Saugus (1-3) a meeting with Danvers this afternoon (4) in the National Division final.
?(Straticos) is a captain and a team leader and we look to him for these kind of contributions,” Saugus coach Jeff Natalucci said.
Straticos got the scoring started midway through the first period when he finished off a Christian Patterson pass for a 1-0 lead. The Pioneers (1-2) answered late in the first as Dan Sullivan tied the game at 11:17 before Dan O?Leary was set up by Brett Donovan with 24 seconds left to give Lynnfield a 2-1 lead after one.
The Sachems responded quickly in the second, needing only 89 seconds to tie the game on Mike Sarniachiarro?s goal, assisted by Straticos. The seesaw battle continued as O?Leary?s second of the night at 3:38 gave the Pioneers back the lead.
But the rest of the period belonged to the Sachems. Straticos tied the game at 5:25 before Chris Sanderson was set up by Pat Cross and Brendan Ronan for a 3-2 lead at 9:04.
Sanderson struck again in the final minute of the second when his power play blast sent the Sachems to intermission leading, 5-3.
Lynnfield responded quickly this time as Johnny Percoskie was set up by Mike Look just 67 seconds into the third to make it a one-goal game. It stayed that way until just over five minutes remained in regulation when O?Leary completed his hat trick and tied the game.
?We talked after the second period about putting the game away but when that went by the wayside, we needed someone