PEABODY — The No. 4 Lynnfield hockey team had another huge game offensively Wednesday evening, as the Pioneers triumphed over the No. 13 Nauset Warriors with a 7-1 victory in a Division 3 tournament Round of 16 game at McVann-O’Keefe Memorial Rink.
The Pioneers offense was kickstarted by Drew Damiani, who scored the game’s first and final goals. Damiani led the offensive charge for the Pioneers with three goals and one assist, while Aidan Burke had two goals and two assists. Senior captain Chase Carney had four assists, three of which came on the first three goals of the game.
From the start of the game to the final minutes, the Pioneers were able to control the pace of play with their impressive speed and even more impressive puck awareness. Whether the puck took an awkward bounce or a botched pass, the Pioneers were able to capitalize on it.
“We need to focus on us a lot, like little wrinkles we weren’t happy about today even though we controlled the game,” said Pioneers coach Jon Gardner. “Some things we need to do better — I think we got a little sloppy in the second.”
There is no doubt that this Pioneers team has a lot of faith in one another. From the beginning, it’s easy to tell just how close this team is with the chemistry they display on the ice.
“It feels good every time I’m out there with the boys,” said Carney. “Everyone is really close-knit and we just have fun. And I think that’s what gives us success on the ice. It’s just fun coming to the rink every day.”
Lynnfield (18-3-1) will now move on to the Division 3 quarterfinal round, where the Pioneers will take on either No. 5 Hopedale or No. 12 West Springfield at a date and time to be determined.
