LYNNFIELD — Chase Carney is a name to keep an eye out for in the future. As a matter of fact, he’s a name to look out for in the present as well.
Carney, a senior at Lynnfield High and captain of the hockey team, has been on an absolute tear this season. He’s put up 31 goals and 23 assists for a total of 54 points — good enough for tops on his team and in the Cape Ann League.
Carney learned to skate when he was 3 years old, and at age 5 he began whacking the puck. From then on, he developed into a fantastic hockey player. Starting out on the junior varsity team as a freshman, Carney knew he wanted to get better. During the summers, he would work relentlessly on drills to improve his game.
“His work ethic in the offseason is remarkable,” said Lynnfield head coach Jon Gardner. “He’s been constantly shooting, constantly skating since he was a freshman.”
One thing that separates Carney from the competition though, is that he holds himself accountable as his own worst critic — especially when he’s not giving 110-percent effort.
“‘You want killers’ is a phrase often used in sports,” said Gardner. “He [Carney] smells blood in the water, and he’s not afraid of the moment.”
That killer instinct helped Carney center one of the highest-scoring lines in the entire CAL. His linemates benefited as well, as right wing Aidan Burke racked up 11 goals and 23 assists and left wing Will Steadman notched 10 goals and 11 assists. And let’s not forget first pairing defenseman Drew Damiani, who finished the regular season as the team’s second-leading scorer with 13 goals and 29 assists — many of those coming on Carney goals.
Something a lot of people tend to forget about when it comes to sports, especially high school sports, is that players are not just defined by their stats. While Carney had some impressive stats on the ice, his leadership off the ice is one unforgettable quality of his. Presenting his leadership in a way that drove his team and held them to a higher standard. Being a leader is something most teams always search for and oftentimes come up short.
As captain of the hockey team, Carney’s work ethic is just as good off the ice as it is on. Carney strives for perfection and always wants to be the best he can possibly be. When it comes to his teammates, he wants to make sure everyone is involved and putting in the effort as well. Carney is the lead-by-example type of guy, and if his teammates aren’t bringing their A-game, he gets on their case.
Carney, however, is only focused on the here and now.
“Right now, I’d say my goal is just living in the moment and having fun while I can,” said Carney. “I want to focus on getting into a good school and getting a good education; then I’ll think about playing hockey.”
But in the more immediate future, Carney and the Pioneers have a state title to chase. Lynnfield — the No. 4 seed — opens up the Division 3 tournament Saturday (noon) with a game against No. 29 Northbridge in the Round of 32 at McVann-O’Keefe Memorial Rink.
