PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Swampscott’s David Peterson and Lynn’s Travis Ryan battle for the puck.
By GORDON VINCENT
SALEM – Backed by a strong defense, Lynn Jets’ goaltender Jack Stafford is nearly unbeatable right now. Consequently, the Jets, also, remain unbeaten.
Stafford turned aside 19 of the 20 shots he faced, and three different players scored for the Jets (5-0-1), who defeated Swampscott, 3-1, Wednesday night, at Salem State’s Rockett Arena.
“We’re a team that’s playing with a lot of momentum right now,” Jets’ coach Joe Conlon said. “(Swampscott) is a very good team, and it’s always good to get a win against a team that plays as hard as they do.”
Brian Clougherty scored a goal and assisted on another by Brandon Devin in the second period. Brett Molea put the game away when he scored with 2:28 left in the third period.
Mike Johnson got the only goal for the Big Blue (5-3), who suffered their second loss of the season to the Jets, with the first coming in the Lynn Christmas Tournament last week.
“We didn’t play as well tonight as we’ve been playing. They (Jets) might be in our heads a little bit right now,” Swampscott coach Gino Faia said. “I thought we kind of threw away the first period. We came out and played great in the first two minutes, but we really didn’t do much after that.”
Neither team scored in the opening period. The best chance for the Big Blue may have come from Johnson’s pass to Thomas O’Keefe in the slot, but O’Keefe couldn’t settle the puck and get off a good shot.
In the first minute of the second period, Stafford had to rob Swampscott’s Louis Olivieri, whose one-timer from the slot was somehow kicked away by the Jets’ goalie. Just before the 5-minute mark, the Big Blue had a goal disallowed when Johnson batted the puck out of the air with what was ruled a high stick.
Less than two minutes later, Clougherty took a pass from Kevin Morgan and ripped a one-timer from the slot that beat Swampscott goalie Dan Johnson to his glove side. The Jets’ lead lasted 20 seconds, as Johnson answered with a backhander that went over Stafford’s shoulder. An assist went to O’Keefe.
Lynn took the lead back with just under five minutes left in the second period when Devin fired a slapshot from the left point that snuck inside the near post. John DiFilippo and Clougherty were credited with assists.
The Jets had to kill off a pair of minor penalties early in the third period, and then Lynn defenseman Ryan Craig hit a post with a slap shot from the point.
With just under four minutes left, Swampscott had another goal waved off. Olivieri collected a turnover in the slot and fired a wrist shot that was saved by Stafford. The rebound trickled into the net, but the referees ruled Olivieri had made contact with the goaltender. After the ensuing faceoff, Swampscott’s Dom Codispoti rang a post with a slap shot from the point.
Molea ended any late game drama when he scored for the Jets on a wrist shot from between the faceoff circles, about 35 feet out. Jonathan Kosmas and Caleb Reddick picked up assists.
