SALEM — The representatives from the Lynn Jets lit it up on the ice at Salem State University Saturday afternoon, paving the way for an 8-5 win for Team White in the annual Northeastern Conference All-Star hockey game.
The four Jets combined for five goals and three assists, including a hat trick by Sean Devin.
With Team White trailing Team Dark 2-1 late in the first period, Devin scored his second of the game to knot it at two apiece, and Team White was on their way. Winthrop’s Sam Yarrow scored the go-ahead goal; assisted by Marblehead’s Jacob Garfield and Revere’s Mike Goroshko three minutes after Devin had tied it, putting Team White ahead to stay.
Devin said it was great to play in the game and awesome that he and his fellow Jets players were able to lead the way to a win.
“It was great to play with my teammates in this game and with some of the best talent in the NEC,” Devin said. “It really was a lot of fun this afternoon playing with some great hockey players.”
Senior Mike Clougherty punched home a pass from his younger brother Brian, a junior, four minutes after Yarrow’s goal that bumped the score up to 4-2 for White. Mike Clougherty had a goal and an assist in the game, and said it was a really good experience to be part of the all-star game.
“I thought we came out a little slow, because we had a few days off, but we picked it up and started playing better as the game went on,” Mike Clougherty said. “It was a little weird at first playing with all those different guys from other teams, but we adjusted pretty quick, it was a great time.”
Gloucester coach Derek Geary, who was on the bench for the Dark squad, was very impressed by the Jets contingent.
“Those four guys really showed some offensive skill out there, they played well together, and that (John DiFilippo) can really fly,” Geary said.
DiFilippo, a junior forward, had an assist on Brian Clougherty’s goal, and he made it to the final four in the speed skating contest before the game. DiFilippo was nipped in the race by the eventual winner, Danvers junior forward Jared Mscisz. DiFilippo said the whole afternoon was “pretty cool.”
“It was my first time playing in an all-star game with these guys, and it was really a great time,” DiFilippo said. “After playing against these guys in so many games, it was really great to play with them on the same team in this game.”
Brian Clougherty, who had a goal and an assist, scored to put White ahead 7-5, just 90 seconds before Devin buried his third goal of the game. The junior forward said it took a couple of shifts, but then everything fell into place for the White team.
“These are all great guys, good players, excellent competitors, and it took a few minutes to get comfortable with each other, and when we did I thought everybody did a great job, hopefully this can carry over into our next game in the playoffs.”
Swampscott’s Steve Santanello and Brett Benoit, Medford’s Gino DeSimone, Beverly’s Connor Hanlon and Gloucester’s E. J. Field had the goals for Team Dark. In addition to the five goals from the Jets players, Danver’s Tom Mento scored twice and Winthrop’s Sam Yarrow also lit the lamp for the winners.
Before the game, in the skills competition, Danver’s Jared Mscisz skated past Beverly junior Ryan Munzing to claim the speed skating title. Gloucester senior forward Jared Morris won the stickhandling event and it was a Swampscott sweep in the shootout competition. Steve Santanello came in first along with his Big Blue teammate, goalie Dan Johnson.
