LYNNFIELD — There will be a new face of Lynnfield field hockey come 2021.
After 37 years behind the bench for the Pioneers program, head coach Mamie Reardon is calling it a career. In leaving, Reardon leaves behind a legacy of success that extended all the way up until this past season.
“I know that I’ve truly been blessed in my time at Lynnfield,” said Reardon, who taught in Melrose up until her retirement in 2014. “Having Lynnfield to come to every fall and come together with the team was a joy. It’s a great school, a great administration and a great group of girls that I’ve been able to deal with over the years.
“But this was the right time, and it feels good to retire,” Reardon said. “There always comes a time when a program needs new blood and a new face, and that time is now for Lynnfield.”
Reardon capped off her career on the highest of notes last season, as the Pioneers took home the Division 2 North championship. Not only that, but Lynnfield knocked off one of the true superpowers of field hockey — Watertown — in the sectional semifinal. At the time, Watertown had only lost three games over the previous 10 years — including a national record 184-game undefeated streak from 2008-2017.
“Every year, you expected to see Watertown in the finals,” Reardon said. “Last year we ended up getting them in the semifinals, and it was a game that is burned into my memory. I’ll never forget that game.”
That game saw the Pioneers come together defensively to shut out Watertown, and all Lynnfield needed was one goal to knock off the No. 1 team and move on to the sectional final.
“It was just an incredible game,” Reardon said. “The girls just showed a ton of heart out there, and that’s really what won the game for us. They refused to give up and they just kept pushing, and eventually that’s what put us over the top.”
Following the win over Watertown, Lynnfield moved on to the Division 2 North final against Gloucester — a game that the Pioneers won 3-2 to capture the title.
“It was a great way to go out, that’s for sure,” Reardon said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
But now that her coaching career at Lynnfield has come to an end, Reardon is excited to just kick back and enjoy things from afar. She plans on attending Lynnfield games this fall — provided there’s a season to play — and she also is looking forward to working on her golf game.
“(The Cape Ann League) is a great league and there are a lot of great players and great coaches to watch, so I’m excited to be able to do that going forward,” Reardon said. “Besides that, I plan to get out on the golf course and just take it easy.”
