Hockey Roundup: Lynnfield wins Fairleigh Dickinson Tournament

The Lynnfield boys hockey team played out the final weekend of its season knowing it would come up, at the very least, one win shy of a spot in the postseason. As it turns out, not even that kind of harsh reality could tear the Pioneers? focus away from their last attainable goal.
Sunday afternoon, Lynnfield (7-9-5) capped what coach Jon Gardner called “one of the most improbable outcomes to end a season,” with a 2-1 victory over Westwood, in the championship game of the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Junior tournament on Martha?s Vineyard.
Trailing 1-0 after the opening 15 minutes, the Pioneers drew even in the second period on a goal from Johnny Percoskie before captain, Dan Sullivan, netted the game-winner, on the power play, in the final frame.
?I can?t even tell you how proud I am of this team for the way they stuck together. To do what these kids did over the weekend was unbelievable. It?s great knowing that our five seniors are going out on a championship victory.”
While the win over the Wolverines, who enter the Division 3 South tournament as the top-seed, was impressive, it was Lynnfield?s semifinal triumph over Martha?s Vineyard that defined the weekend.
A 2-2 tie at the end of regulation preceded a trio of overtime periods; the first a 5-on-5, the second a 4-on-4 and the third a 3-on-3. When a winner failed to emerge, it was determined that a shootout would settle the matter.
The Vineyarders would score first, leading to a dramatic tally from Sullivan which set up fellow senior and assistant captain, Mike Look, for the winning goal in round four.
?Those two defined what it means to have ice water in your veins,” said Gardner. “They, along with Cam Rondeau, Nick Davis and Brent Donovan will be sorely missed.”
Junior Rob LoConte scored late in the first period to offset a goal from Emerson Mahoney before the hosts took a 2-1 lead in the middle frame, on a tally from Jonas Lukowitz.
True to Gardner?s description, Sullivan wasted little time with burying the equalizer, just 12 seconds into the third period, assisted by Dan O?Leary.
Beverly 4, Peabody 2
The Tanners (9-8-4) had a 2-0 second period lead slip away as the defending Division 2 champions closed out a disappointing regular season with a win in the Carlin Cup.
Neither team scored in the first before Nick Merryman and Bobby Caproni scored 17 seconds apart for Peabody early in the second. But the Panthers got goals from Ross Wahl and Teddy Leathersich 19 seconds apart later in the period before Brendan Boyle gave Beverly the lead at 11:38 of the second.Jesse McLaughlin closed out the scoring with 3:27 left, assisted by Clinton Cabral.