PEABODY — The timing couldn’t be any better for the Lynnfield boys hockey team. The team has struggled to generate offense, averaging about 2.5 goals per game and has also been stung by the injury bug.
However, Monday was just what the doctor ordered as the Pioneers scored early and often in a 6-1 win over visiting Rockport at McVann O’Keefe Ice Rink. The game marked the first time this season that the Pioneers (3-3) have won back-to-back games.
First linemates Owen Considine (3 goals, 2 assists), Lucas Deraps (2 goals, 2 assists), and Anthony Carbone (4 assists) had monster games, while Nick Kelter (goal, assist), Luke Mancinelli (assist) and Jay Carpenter (assist) also contributed.
“We’ll take it,” head coach Jon Gardner said. “It was nice to get an early lead. It’s that time of year when injuries and illness are factors and we are missing a lot of guys, so it was nice to get a win today.”
The Vikings (2-5) came into the contest also undermanned and allowing an average of five goals per game. The game was originally scheduled to be played Saturday, but was postponed to Monday to give Rockport some time to regroup.
“We gave up some goals and were missing several defensemen. Kids are sick, kids are hurt, but not that that’s an excuse for the score today,” Rockport coach Garrett Stevens said. “A lot of young guys stepped up today and we’re happy with the guys who did step up. Lynnfield is a good team, too, so credit to them.”
The Pioneers kept the pressure on from start to finish, finishing with a 44-26 shots on goal edge.
“We also had several shots blocked or missing the net. In the first period alone we had six blocked shots and at least six wide and that pretty much was the way the game went,” Gardner said. “I know we got them sick coming off some illness, but we pushed it 48 hours so they could get some guys back. It was the right thing to do to have a more competitive game.”
Considine wasted no time staking Lynnfield to a 2-0 lead just 2:36 into the game, scoring a goal at the 35-second mark (from Deraps and Carbone) and a second two minutes later (from Carbone and Mancinelli).
Considine picked up where he left off in the second period, making it a 3-0 game with a wrist shot from a tough angle on the left side just 18 seconds in on a power play (from Deraps and Kelter).
Rockport cut the deficit to 3-1 when Ben Rainier put back a rebound off the stick of Ben Sperry with a little more than four minutes left in the period.
If Rockport had any thoughts about getting back in the game, Kelter dismissed them about a minute later. He took a pass from Carpenter at the red line and swooped in, firing off a blistering wrist shot inside the low post. A minute later, Deraps made it a 5-1 game, polishing off Carbone’s rebound (Considine assist). Deraps capped the scoring 38 seconds into the third period (from Considine and Carbone).
“That fourth goal in particular was 100% huge,” Gardner said.
Kelter was one of several Lynnfield players who played multiple positions to cover for injured players.
“We’re just playing around with some different combinations, but I’ve never seen more broken bones in a season, not ever,” Gardner said. “At one point we had three defensemen playing forward.
While the Pioneers carried play for most of the game, the Vikings did generate some chances in traffic in front of goalie Angelo Covino.
“Even when they had shots, he made the initial save,” Gardner said. “Those are the tough games when you are not getting a lot of volume and the next thing you know, you’re getting two quick ones, so hats off to him. Obviously, we would have liked the shutout.”
Gardner shouted out to Carpenter and the first line of Considine, Carbone, and Deraps.
“Jay Carpenter always plays solid. We always tell the guys, ‘can you just all conduct ourselves and play like he does’ because he knows how to act,” Gardner said. “Obviously, our top line did a lot of the damage. Odie (Considine) is pretty lethal. Lucas continued his goal-scoring streak and is 100% a disrupter out there and Anthony, too, played well.”
The Pioneers’ next game is Wednesday night at home against CAL rival North Reading (8:15).
“This is going to be a tough one because they are going to be gunning for us,” Gardner said. “We throw all records and history out the window because when you play your rival, you never know what is going to happen, There’s a lot of passion, which makes it great but it stinks that we only get them once because of the crossover divisions, so we hope to win the season series on Wednesday, hopefully.”
