LYNNFIELD — Following a record-setting year is never an easy task, but the Lynnfield girls lacrosse team will be looking to do just that when it opens the 2018 season next Tuesday with a non-league match at Melrose.
It won’t be easy.
“It will be tough as we lost more than I anticipated we would at the end of last season. We’re going to need some new players to step up,” said Pioneers coach Ethan Blanchette. “We lost several important players, but we do have a lot of players returning whom I would consider starters, but we’re going to need some new players to step in and make big contributions, and we’re going to need our returners to lead the way and play very well.”
Last year was a season of “firsts” for the Pioneers, who set numerous program records.
Going into last year’s season, Blanchette said the team had three goals: to qualify for the North Division 2 tournament, to host its first ever tournament game and to win its first ever tournament game.
The Pioneers did that and much more. They earned their best seed in program history (No. 8) and received their first bye in program history. They picked up their first tournament win with a 7-3 victory over visiting St. Mary’s only to be upended by eventual North champion Newburyport in the quarterfinal round.
The Pioneers set a record for most regular season wins (13), fewest regular season losses (5), fewest goals allowed (115) and lowest goals against average per game (6.4).
While the Pioneers graduated just six seniors, including Cape Ann League all-star midfielder Caroline Buckley and midfielder Lilli Patterson, with 17 returning varsity players, the Pioneers have plenty of experience in pretty much every position on the field.
Except one, but it’s a big one – goaltender.
The Pioneers’ starting goalie the last two seasons has been Lauren Vaccaro, but she will not be returning as she transferred to St. Mary’s last fall. Lynnfield’s backfield also took a sizeable hit with the loss of 4-year varsity veterans Lila Alaka and Rachel DiTullio.
This year’s team is one of the youngest in the 8-year history of the varsity program with only three seniors on the squad – middie/defenseman Gracie Sperling, attack Liv Smyrnios and defenseman Hannah Filipe.
The good news, however, is all three, who will serve as team captains, were all-stars last year.
Five juniors are also returning to this year’s team. That group includes Ashley Barrett (attack), Brianna Barrett (defense), Sophia Ellis (attack), Lexine Bucci (attack) and Olivia Sarni (attack).
Sophomores Elizabeth Sykes (attack/middie) and Tori Morelli (defense) are back for a second season.
“I’m very excited about these two sophomores,” said Blanchette.
The Pioneers have non-league home-and-away series with St. Mary’s (home on April 26 and away on May 19), Mystic Valley (away on April 5, home on May 23) and Wakefield (away on April 7 and home on May 21) as well as another non-league game at Lexington on May 3.
Lynnfield’s league schedule begins April 11 at home against Manchester-Essex.
The Pioneers biggest tests of the season, now doubt are scheduled for early May. On Tuesday, May 8 at home, Lynnfield faces off against 2017 CAL Kinney Division champion Newburyport, which was undefeated in league play last year, went to the state semifinals, and finished with a record of 20-1. Two day later, the Pioneers travel to Ipswich for a match against 2017 CAL Baker Division champion Ipswich, which lost to the Clippers in the north final last year.
“It will be tough to top last season as we sit right now, but I’m hoping for a season similar to last year, 11-13 wins and a winnable tournament game is realistic and something I’d be satisfied with,” said Blanchette. “Our schedule is a little tougher than it has been. All the usual suspects will be strong – Newburyport will be excellent, I think Manchester-Essex will be very strong along with Masco and Ipswich, who will likely be down slightly, but still strong. Our season is very manageable and I think something would have to go very wrong for us to miss the tournament. We’ll see though, we have a lot of work to do and our first game at Melrose will give us a good gauge for where we are.”