LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield boys soccer team (7-1) just couldn’t catch a break against Masconomet (8-2) Monday afternoon Pioneer Stadium. Both teams came into the game tied at the top of the Cape Ann League Kinney Division standings with identical 7-0 division records.
But in the end, it was the Chieftains who walked away with a 5-1 victory.
The game was up for grabs with 25 minutes to go with Masco holding a slim 1-0 margin on Aeden Salvadore’s goal in the ninth minute. It was still a one-goal game with 19 minutes to play after Jack Cleary scored on a header to cut the deficit to 2-1, but the Chieftains exploded for three goals over the next nine minutes, pouncing on a couple costly Pioneer mistakes, to put the game away.
“We have not played a team like this that is so good up front and their transition game really hurt us,” said Lynnfield coach Brent Munroe. “They got us twice in transition after we made mistakes, but the way they pushed the speed of the game was something we had not seen before. But I bet we probably had more shots on them in this one game that all of the other Cape Ann League teams combined, so we had our chances, we just kind of let them take control of the game in the second half.”
While Masco’s Josh Rubin carried the offense, scoring the middle-three goals that put the game out of reach, it was an unlikely contribution from a bench player that made the difference.
“When our starting keeper Michael Duest got hurt in the first half, we had to go to our backup, Zach Rock, and he played just an incredible game for us, making all those great saves for us,” said Masconomet coach Jared Scarpaci. “He was the guy who kept them off the board today. The final score was not at all indicative of how close this game was. Lynnfield pressured us and forced Zach to make some saves to keep us in the game.”
Lynnfield got off to a strong start and had the ball in the offensive zone for a good part of the first seven minutes, but the Chieftains struck first, scoring on a counterattack with 31:25 to go in the first half. Salvadore made a slick move to evade a Pioneer defender, then drilled a low shot from the top of the box into the corner past Pioneer goalkeeper Jack Campbell.
Masco carried the 1-0 lead into halftime, then doubled the lead to 2-0 in the 54th minute when Rubin capitalized on a Pioneer defensive turnover. A minute before, Jonathan Luders had put a through ball on the foot of Nathan Bass just outside the box, but the Chieftains broke up the play and turned on the jets in transition, then beat a Pioneer defender at midfield. Campbell came off his line to dive for the ball, but the ball squirted loose right to Rubin, who drilled it low into the open net.
Lynnfield fought back and drew a free kick at the 25 after Tommy Buston was decked. Luders’ kick was played into the box to Cleary, who had just entered the game. Cleary drilled a shot on goal, but Rock picked the ball out of the air, bicycle-kick style to make a miraculous save. A couple of minutes later, Luders got flattened and was awarded a free kick at the 45-yard line. Luders hooked the shot to the 10, where Cleary headed the ball into the back of the net to slice Masco’s lead to 2-1 with 18 minutes left.
That was as good as it got for the Pioneers, however, as Masco scored three unanswered goals to seal the victory.
Munroe could only wonder what might have been had a couple of things gone their way.
“I thought we were right in it,” Munroe said. “Our best chance was on that free kick at the 6-yard line that got blocked, then we were a little unlucky that they came back and beat us in transition and scored their second goal. We had a couple of chances to break up that play at midfield, but couldn’t and that really cost us.”
The Pioneers host Amesbury Wednesday (3:45).
