PEABODY — If there was a chance for the Lynnfield boys hockey team to score Saturday afternoon the Pioneers were there to bury it.
Lynnfield’s power play exploded for five goals, leading the way to a 11-4 win over Westwood at McVann O’Keefe Rink.
“We went down South to play Medfield two weeks ago,” said Pioneer coach Jon Gardner. “It’s tough to get off a bus and play.”
However, Gardner said, “you wouldn’t have thought that (Westwood) was the road team in the first couple minutes.
“Our power play has been clicking in a sense that it passed the eyeball test and has been moving the puck well. They haven’t cashed in. We’ve been talking about the Hoover dam and it breaking. I did (Saturday). We’re not used to that.”
Sam Pifko had another big day for the Pioneers, scoring four goals. Brendan Henehan scored two goals while John Simonetti, Tyler Scoppetuolo, Nate Alves, Phil Berquist, and Colin Dennison each scored once.
“(Sam) likes to score in bunches,” Gardner said. “He had a three-goal third period against Danvers in the Christmas tournament. I think he’s at 10 goals now at the halfway point. He takes a beating out front on the power play and it’s nice to see him get rewarded.”
Westwood actually got off to a fast start in this one, peppering Jake Debenedictus with a pair of shots that he turned away in the opening minutes.
Then goals started pouring in for the Pioneers. Jack Hammersley (two assists) had a shot initially saved but Henehan buried the rebound to get Lynnfield started.
Next, Lynnfield scored three goals in just over a minute. Ronnie Fuccillo (two assists) assisted a goal from Simonetti. Pifko grabbed a loose puck out front and scored just 56 seconds later. And less than 20 seconds after that, on the same shift, Pifko buried another shot to give Lynnfield a 4-0 lead.
Things started getting chippy in the second period with both teams totaling nine penalties but Lynnfield took full advantage.
Pifko finished a rebound and scored a power play goal early on. Westwood responded with a pair of goals from Brendan Fay and Nick Horsfall but couldn’t stay out of the penalty box.
On a day filled with great plays, Drew Damiani made the best for the Pioneers. On a power play, Damiani made it look easy, slipping past a defender and sliding a cross ice pass to Henehan who scored an easy goal.
“I was just in the process of yelling because (Drew) had a shot blocked,” Gardner said. “Then he does that, which is just a great handle. Then a great vision and dish backdoor. A nice tap-in goal, we’re not used to that offensive production.”
Lynnfield added another power play goal from Scoppetuolo and went into the third up 7-2.
The power plays kept coming in the third. Pifko and Alves cashed in with a pair of goals on the man advantage to put the Pioneers ahead 9-2.
Westwood scored on a power play of their own in the third and Berquist and Dennison added their tallies within two minutes of each other.
Westwood capped off the day with a late goal to cut the Pioneers lead to 11-4.
“A lot of teams and coaches talk about getting to the net,” Gardner said. “Kids just don’t go to the net and don’t know how to screen properly. They stand next to the goalie like they’re taking a photo op. Our guys out front screening did great (Saturday).”
Lynnfield (6-3-1) hosts Newburyport Wednesday (8:15).
