ITEM PHOTO BY KATIE MORRISON
North Reading’s Jake Bedell, right, keeps pace with Lynnfield’s Peter Razzaboni as he charges up the field.
By KATIE MORRISON
LYNNFIELD — It’s safe to say the Lynnfield boys lacrosse team has some growing pains to get through. After going 12-4 last season and earning the No. 3 seed in Division 3 North, the Pioneers graduated 15 seniors, and bring back just three this season.
Having to replace the majority of the starting lineup is a tall task for any team. But Lynnfield has kept its head above water for the most part in the early part of the season. However, the Pioneers dropped to 3-2 on the year Friday afternoon, falling 13-5 to Cape Ann League foe North Reading at Lynnfield High.
Lynnfield coach Joe Papagni said there’s no substitute for experience, which is something his team sorely lacks.
“They’ve got to play, get varsity experience,” Papagni said. “They don’t have the lacrosse IQ. It just has to develop. They didn’t learn at the youth levels, and this is a different level playing varsity. It’s kids that want to compete and go on to play in college.
“We’re going through growing pains,” Papagni added. “I’m not used to it, but we have to stay patient, we don’t have any choice. It’s going to happen.”
Friday was not the day that it all came together for Lynnfield.
North Reading’s Sean Fagen (seven goals) scored early and often, and got the Hornets on the board 33 seconds into the contest, driving through the Lynnfield defense.
Lynnfield goalie Kingsley Corona, a senior, denied North Reading multiple times on the Hornets’ next few possessions, but Fagen struck again at 8:37 after a couple of Lynnfield turnovers.
Lynnfield finally got a sustained possession on offense after the second goal, but had trouble penetrating the North Reading defense. An over-and-back violation handed the ball back to the Hornets, and Fagen made it 3-0 after a quarter.
Finally, two minutes into the second quarter, Lynnfield broke the ice as Jack Razzaboni whipped a shot past the North Reading keeper. The Pioneers cut the lead to one less than two minutes later, as Razzaboni found Ryan Freitas around the 15-yard-line. Freitas put in it to make it 3-2.
North Reading kicked things into another gear after that, and rallied to take a 5-2 lead behind goals from Mike Sheridan and Kevin Murphy.
With 3:35 left in the half, Corona turned away a point-blank shot from Sheridan, but the rebound skipped away and the Hornets held onto the ball. That came back to bite Lynnfield, as Fagen scored his fourth of the day less than a minute later.
Lynnfield opened the scoring in the third, as Ryan Fraiser took advantage of North Reading playing a man down thanks to a penalty, and made it 6-3. Still down a man, North Reading’s Jack Schille widened the gap again, despite some strong play from Corona.
Gianluca Alfe found Fraiser from behind the net with 5:07 to play, and Fraiser scored his second to make it 7-4.
Things got away from Lynnfield after that, as North Reading reeled off six straight goals.
The Pioneers dealt with a few bad bounces as well, including a late shot from Razzaboni that hit the post, bounced almost to midfield, and was picked up by a Hornet.
“We just made too many mistakes to compete at the level we’re used to competing at,” Papagni said. “I have some guys who work like crazy, but we need to develop quicker, and it’s just not happening, not yet. It’s still early in the season. We’re going to keep working at it.”
The Pioneers haven’t had a bad start to the season. Lynnfield topped Revere, Bedford and Pope John to start the season 3-0. But Cape Ann League play has presented challenges.
“Back to the drawing board. We have three games next week, and I expect to win them all,” Papagni said, referencing the games against Cambridge R&L, St. Mary’s and Danvers next week. “We’re not changing any plans…we’ll be alright.”
