LYNN — Coming into Tuesday evening’s matchup, the Lynn Jets co-op lacrosse team was on a five-game winning streak and sat just three wins from a postseason spot. But after four hard-fought quarters at Manning Field, that streak came to an end in a 17-4 loss to Medford.
Medford started strong, scoring a goal in the opening two minutes before adding a second five minutes in. The next thing you knew, it was 2-0 in favor of the visitors.
But Lynn responded. On a breakaway, Jacoby Comeau received a pass while turning as Medford’s goalie came out of his crease to deliver a hit. Comeau was knocked to the ground, but got a shot off and saw the ball trickle into the net.
Comeau left the game briefly after being shaken up on the play — a moment that highlighted the “desire” Jets’ Coach Peter Pappagianopoulos wants to see from his team.
“He knew he was going to get crushed. He finished the play, came off the field, and was ready to go back a couple of minutes later,” Pappagianopoulos said. “He’s a freshman, he’s young, but to take a hit like that and want to come back in, you’ve got to love that desire.”
The Jets, trailing by a goal, had chances early in the second quarter to tie or take the lead, but Medford found its rhythm and made Lynn pay.
The Mustangs led, 3-2, before scoring six goals in five minutes to take a commanding 9-2 lead. They extended their lead to nine goals (11-2) by halftime.
“It was just the second quarter; we fell apart in that quarter. A couple things didn’t go our way, and then it went downhill from there,” Pappagianopoulos said. “We made a couple of mistakes here and there, and then it snowballed. We composed ourselves in the second half, but in that second quarter, it was like a five-minute stretch where we fell apart.”
Pappagianopoulos praised Medford and its program, noting it’s been one of the best in the conference (Greater Boston League) for years.
“Beating Medford is a tall task,” he said. “Medford doesn’t lose games in the conference. I don’t think they’ve lost a conference game in four or five years.”
In the second half, Ian Brown added a highlight-reel goal. He caught the ball behind the net, beat his defender, and fired a shot from a tight angle (14-4).
Pappagianopoulos also praised Jordan Em, the team’s face-off specialist.
“He’s great. He’s got a motor that doesn’t stop and he’s just a great kid. He’s a senior, good student, and he’s been one of the biggest changes in our team from the first couple of weeks,” Pappagianopoulos said. “At first, he was more so distributing, not looking to be a big part of the offense. He’s really stepped up offensively since the Malden game. Our five-game win streak started in Malden with him scoring, I think, five goals. Since then, he’s been a bigger part of the offense and made it flow by trusting his shot.”
With five games remaining in the regular season, Lynn needs to win three to qualify for the state tournament. When asked what he wants to see in the stretch run, Pappagianopoulos kept it simple.
“Effort and communication,” he said. “I want them to play their hardest. If we work our hardest, we can win all five of these games. If we play like we did in the second quarter, we can lose all five. It comes down to effort and dedication.”
Lynn begins its playoff push Thursday when it hosts Somerville at 7 p.m.
