PEABODY — Falling behind early has haunted Lynnfield’s boys hockey team (6-5-3) all year long.
It was more of the same Saturday afternoon during a non-league contest against visiting Medfield (13-2), the third-ranked team in the Division 3 power rankings. Medfield pounced on the No. 14 Pioneers early and often in a 4-0 victory at McVann-O’Keefe Skating Rink.
The game came with a promising start — or so it seemed — when the Pioneers went on a power play just two minutes into the first period.
But the Warriors turned tables, needing just 30 seconds to capitalize and grab a 1-0 lead. They scored three more goals in the period to put the Pioneers in a 4-0 hole.
The Pioneers gave as good as they got across the next two periods, but struggled to light the lamp. They finally broke the ice with a little more than three minutes remaining in regulation when senior captain Nick Kelter tipped home a pretty cross-ice pass from junior Cole MacKinnon.
“Our starts have been bad for a year-and-a-half and our power play has been abysmal,” said Lynnfield Jon Gardner. “We’ve given up two short-handed goals this year, which is inexcusable. You just don’t draw up a plan by saying, ‘let’s give up a shortie.’ This game was out of reach pretty early for us, but I give them the ultimate credit. Their coach said we took it to them in the second and third, but I keep questioning, why another slow start? It’s self-inflicted. Are they thinking we always have to dig a hole just to get out of it?”
The Pioneers had several quality chances to “get out of it” in the final two periods. Goalies Michael Marenghi and Angelo Covino combined for 26 saves.
With 3:07 to go, Kelter picked up the puck in the neutral zone and fed MacKinnon on the left side. He, in turn, found Kelter, camped outside the right crease, who slammed it home.
“Cole is a left-handed shot and knew enough to buy time and space to let Nick go to the net,” Gardner said. “It was a hard, back-door, inside-the-post, lefty-to-righty, and Nick just banged it home. They were just trying to get us going.”
With only 35 goals in 14 games, the Pioneers have struggled to finish offensive opportunities.
Gardner’s solution?
“Just let it rip,” he said. “Quick release — we tell them all the time — but we won’t do it. We spend way too much extra time like we’re playing at a sundial pace as opposed to a stopwatch. Way too much Johnny Most fiddling. The kids want to use the torque of these $400 sticks to make the shot instead of your forearms and wrists doing the shooting. Just shoot it.
“You’ll never know what will happen if you just get the shot off. There’s a rebound and we score . . . we’re not a bunch of skilled surgeons. We’re more carpenters and demolition workers. Just get the puck 200 feet away and play in their end.”
Despite the shortcomings, Gardner said he was proud of the way the Pioneers responded in the second and third periods.
“I went in and challenged them, so I give them all the credit in the world,” he said. “No coach goes in and says, ‘you’re going to lose this game.’ It’s all about pride and sending a message.”
Gardner highlighted the play of MacKinnon, junior Lucas Deraps, sophomore CJ Anderson, junior Cam Debrow, senior CJ Patermo, and junior Johnny Powers.
“They all play hard all the time and today, they got some stuff going, so they are playing well.”
Lynnfield is back in action against Marlborough Wednesday. Puck-drop is set for 6:30 p.m. at Navin Ice Rink.
“We’re playing a good team Wednesday — a top-10 team. A lot of times, we can play with anyone and beat anyone and we certainly have shown we can beat ourselves,” Gardner said. “After seven games, with the hand-picked non-league games, we played the hardest schedule in Division 3 and 4 combined and we had the seventh hardest schedule in Division 2. It’s leveled out now that we have more league games, but I’m more concerned about being battle-tested.”
