SALEM — The Lynn lacrosse team has found its groove, and the Jets are winners of four straight after defeating Salem 10-4 on Tuesday.
Lynn fell behind early in enemy territory, but responded with two goals in the first quarter. The Jets flew ahead 2-1 by the end of the frame, and the engines got a lot hotter from there.
“We battled hard and worked hard,” Lynn coach Peter Pappagianopoulos said. “We came out a little flat, but we picked it up.”
Ryan Dunn finished with four goals, including a ripper from long distance to make it 3-1 in the second quarter.
Ian Brown, who scored a goal from 20 yards out in the first quarter, added to the lead in the second to make things 4-1.
And if you ask Pappagianopoulos, he’ll tell you the truth, that “the kid loves to shoot.”
“He had a solid game today. He really shows as a team player, too,” Pappagianopoulos said. “He got a couple of goals early and kept looking to spread the ball around, getting it to our younger guys. He’s a sophomore, but he looked like a grown up out there today.”
The Jets scored five goals in the second quarter for a well-deserved 7-2 lead at the break.
To sum up, Lynn was in control, largely in part to Nick Costa’s ability to win faceoffs. He even scored a goal off a faceoff after going coast-to-coast.
“Nick Costa, at the faceoff dot, played great,” Pappagianopoulos said.
The Jets’ offense is completely different from earlier this season, as Pappagianopoulos formerly described it as “rushed.”
But Tuesday, the offense was patient and clinical, capitalizing on any opening the Witches gave them.
“We’re finally calming down on offense. The offense was rushed the first couple of games. They finally understand to slow it down, give our defense some rest, and find a good shot,” Pappagianopoulos said. “We used to shoot the first shot we saw, but now we’re waiting for a good shot.”
Not only has the offense improved, but the Jets are standing tall on defense, also. To that point, Pappagianopoulos praised Jayden LeBlanc’s leadership on that end.
“Jayden Leblanc has been an anchor for this team, teaching these guys how to play and where to be,” Pappagianopoulos said.
The Jets held the Witches scoreless in the third quarter and conceded just two in the fourth for the road win.
When asked what Pappagianopoulos thinks of his defense, he singled out its effort.
“They’re battling their butts off this year. They’ve shown it every game,” Pappagianopoulos said. “Coming into the season, I thought our defense was going to be our biggest deficit, and it turned out it’s one of our strengths.”
The Jets look for a five-game winning streak this Thursday when they host Medford at Manning Field. Opening faceoff is set for 5 p.m.
