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BILLY MACDANIEL, Lynn Jets - Senior forward ... Led Jets in scoring with 17 goals and 26 points ... Has a booming shot ... One of the top scorers in the NEC South.

DAVE STEVENS, Lynn Jets - Junior defenseman ... NEC all-star ... All-league selection, NEC South ... Three-year starter on varsity ... Logged nearly 30 minutes a game.

LYNN -- The Northeastern Conference athletic directors voted 12-0 at their meeting Thursday to allow Lynn Tech hockey players to skate with the Lynn Jets, the combined Classical/English hockey team.

School officials had brought up the possibility of folding the Tech team in with the Jets following the resignation of Tech coach Tim Serino at the end of the season. Any such move required approval from the Northeastern Conference. The proposal must still be approved by District A of the MIAA and then sent to the Lynn school committee and Superintendent of Schools Nicholas Kostan.

Tech athletic director Ed Shadoff thanked Serino for his dedication to the program over the years and stressed that the decision to look into having the Tech players skate with Classical and English only came about after Serino had decided on his own to step down.

"I want to wish Timmy well and thank him for his service," Shadoff said. "In the 16 months I've been here (as athletic director), he's been very low-maintenance. He was a pleasure to deal with and he ran a wonderful program. He'll be sorely missed."

Shadoff said economics were a major factor in the decision. The city has already indicated it's going to be a tough year in terms of the school budget.

For the past couple of years, Tech has served as the host school for a combined team that also included North Shore Tech and Essex Aggie. When the arrangement began, Tech had the highest numbers, but this year, the balance shifted dramatically to the other two schools. Shadoff said there were less than 10 players from Tech on the team, although some say the number is actually closer to five.

Shadoff said once he received word of the vote from Classical athletic director Bill Devin, he called both North Shore Tech and Essex Aggie. Shadoff said he doesn't know what plans the two schools have regarding their players.

Devin said he expects the arrangement to work out well.

"I think it will work out fine. They're all Lynn kids and they've all been involved in Lynn Youth Hockey," he said.

Devin said he didn't know what would happen to Tech's ice time. He said the athletic directors are scheduled to meet with FMC (the company that manages Connery Rink) later this month to discuss ice time and a possible increase in the cost per hour for ice.

Both Shadoff and Devin said part of the arrangement is that Tech will have a representative on the Jets' coaching staff.

The Jets are coached by Al Melanson, who is recovering from a heart attack he suffered back in February. Devin said Melanson, who had been in Maine Medical Center in South Portland since it happened on Feb. 10, is now at a rehabilitation hospital in Cambridge

*The Jets are a combined team of English and Classical players. Active players from Classical include Jack Erekson , Turi Vitale, Liam Bransfield, Cody Potter, Sean Winchell, Matt Lunden, Mike Duggan, Terry Finnigan, Steve Leighton and Paul Antonelli.

Jets Players and Assistant Coaches Alike Honor Melanson with Impressive Effort

First, you feel your season slipping away. You've just been blasted in a weekend game by Marblehead, 7-2, and you've painted yourselves into an inextricable corner. You have three games left ... and you have to win them all to qualify for the state tournament.

Then, you go to school Monday and get called down to the athletic office for some real devastating news: your coach has had a heart attack and he's fighting for his life.

The first thing you think of, perhaps, is that this just isn't possible. It can't be. He was behind the bench Saturday, barking out orders ... probably expressing his extreme displeasure, as only he can, following the loss.

You were approaching Monday's practice with trepidation anyway, because you'd probably get verbally spanked and, perhaps, end up skating up and down the ice until your tongues were hanging out ... just like you had to do on Christmas Eve after that horrendous loss to Saugus.

But you weren't expecting this. How do you respond? What do you do? Where do you go?

You are a member of the Lynn Jets, the combined Classical-English hockey team, and your coach, Al Melanson, lies in a hospital in Portland, Maine, in critical condition four days after his heart attack.

The first thing you can do, thankfully, is listen to the assistant coaches (Mike Deering, Joe Conlon, Ron Gaudet, Jim Bransfield and Joe Gunning). They understand that the first thing they have to do is reach out to you and make sure you're aware of what's going on, but still focused enough to play hockey.

"First," said Deering, who, along with Conlon, is co-coaching the team in Melanson's absence, "we've made sure they know what's going on. We've given them every update, so that they're aware.

"But at the same time," he said, "once you get out on the ice, it's all business."

If you were casting a detective show, Deering would be a shoo-in for the "good cop" in the "good cop, bad cop" game. He said he and Conlon have tried to change a few things around at practices so that the players aren't standing around thinking about their coach while they're on the ice.

"I thought it was important to keep them moving, keep things lively, make sure they don't have time to let it get to them," he said.

Everybody understands what's at stake. Everybody understands that while hockey is hockey, the perspective changes when a man's life is hanging in the balance. But at the same time, the best tribute to that man is to go out and play the game of your lives the first opportunity you get.

And that's exactly what the Jets did last night. They played their hearts out. Or, as Deering put it, "they played with the same heart that Al Melanson displayed."

Alas, they did not win. They tied Saugus, 3-3, which eliminated them from the tournament. But that hardly mattered to Deering and Conlon.

"This was our best game of the year," Deering said. "I can't think of a player on this team who didn't go out there and give everything he had. I couldn't be prouder of them.

"In high school hockey, all anybody asks is for you to go out and give everything you have," he said. "And if you don't win, well, that happens a lot in life. The toughest part of this job, now, is going to be to make sure these kids don't dwell on this. They're devastated."

Melanson has deep ties to just about all his assistants. They all know him, and understand that while he's definitely old-school in his ways ("ya THINK?" Deering replied when presented with the question), they also know quite well the other side of him.

"He may seem tough," said Gaudet, "but he also has your back. He'll get after you, but he's also the type of guy who'll go up to you five minutes later and give you a pat on the back."

Said Conlon, "He's been awfully good to me. He brought me into the program as an assistant, and even though I didn't play for him, it almost feels like I did, because I played for Matt Poska, who played for Al. So it's like a chain of succession."

When the Jets skated onto the ice for the third period, with the score tied 2-2, more than a few of them vowed to "win this for Coach."

They came out and scored a quick goal, and for a few minutes, it almost seemed as if they would. But then Saugus scored the equalizer. And that's how it ended.

The scoreboard may have said "tie," but in a very real sense, all those kids won last night. They played a truly inspired game. There are times in sports when the scoreboard lies.

And despite all that was lost by the tie, this was one of those times.

Al Melanson, who took on the task of coaching a combined high school hockey team consisting of players from both Lynn Classical and Lynn English, suffered a heart attack this past weekend in Maine.

Melanson was listed in critical, but stable, condition, according to English High principal Andy Fila, who had hired Melanson two years ago to coach the English team.

Melanson was also a part-owner of the North Shore Spirit, who played at Fraser Field for five years, leaving at the conclusion of the 2007 season.

"As far as I know, he's still hospitalized up in Maine, intensive care," said English athletic director Gary Molea. "We're all hoping for the best, obviously."

Melanson is a veteran of the Lynn sports scene, having coached varsity hockey for both Lynn Tech and English in the 1970s and '80s. He also was a manager in the Wyoma Little League system.

After Melanson retired as a state police officer, he got a position as a high-level security administrator at a building in Boston that included State Street Global Advisers -- the company headed up by Nick Lopardo, who was the owner of the Spirit.

Melanson and Lopardo became friends, based partly on their mutual interest in hockey. When Lopardo purchased the Waterbury Spirit and moved the team to Lynn, in 2002, Melanson joined him as a part-owner.

He stayed with the Spirit for all five seasons. In the meantime, Fila asked him to return to English in 2005 to coach the Bulldogs.

Melanson coached English for two seasons, but resigned following the 2006-07 season, citing work commitments. However, by the time the two schools merged, Melanson had already made inquiries into lessening his workload, and was able to take the job to coach the combined team -- the Lynn Jets -- when it was offered to him.

Former Beverly coach Mike Deering, and Joe Conlon -- both of whom are assistants on the Lynn Jets -- will act as co-coaches for the remainder of the season. The Jets have three games left, including one Wednesday against Saugus. They must win all three to be eligible to play in the postseason tournament.

"Maybe it'll make him feel better if we get a little streak going," Molea said. "But we're going to worry about him first, and hockey second."

Danvers 7, Lynn 1

At Salem, the Falcons scored twice in the first and three times in the second against the 6-8-2 Jets. Troy Thibodeau had a hat trick and an assist to pace Danvers. Jake Korthas had a goal and two assists; Steve Kontos recorded four assists. Bucky Surrette had the Lynn goal, assisted by Mike Duggan, in the third period.

At Connery Rink in Lynn, the Jets' (6-5-2) offense was on display in this one as Lynn used four third-period goals to pull away from the visitors.

Billy MacDaniel recorded a hat trick and Alex Bannikov had a pair of goals to lead the Jets. Sean Crowley, Jack Erekson and Bucky Surrette had a goal and an assist each with Steve Leighton and Eric Bransfield having two assists apiece.

The game was tied, 3-3, after one period, and Lynn led 4-3 entering the third before Latin tied it. MacDaniel, Bannikov and Surrette then combined to score four goals in 7:56 to put the Jets up for good.

The Swampscott boys hockey team used three power play goals and Tyler Gallagher's first career shutout to beat the Lynn Jets, 4-0, at Connery Rink on Wednesday.
"We've been playing good hockey lately," Swampscott coach Gino Faia said. "We seem to be getting stronger as the games progress."
Jake Donahue scored the lone goal of the first period before Danny Rakoc picked up two power play goals and Alex DiDonato added the third to polish off the scoring.
"Their goalie made the saves when he needed to," Lynn coach Al Melanson said. "They were willing to pay the price and wanted it more."

The Lynn Jets are quickly becoming the Cardiac Kids of the Northeastern Conference.

For the third time this season, the Jets found a way to pull out a game in the final seconds of regulation. On Saturday at Rockett Arena, it was Liam Bransfield playing the role of hero as his goal with 11 seconds remaining gave the Jets a 3-2 win over Marblehead in a Northeastern Conference South battle.

"You've got to give Marblehead a lot of credit," Lynn coach Al Melanson said. "They won the 1-on-1 battles and skated real hard ... But when you cannot play your best and still win in this league, that says something about your team."

The Jets (4-3-2) held a 2-0 lead late in the second period, thanks to goals from Dan Casale and Alex Bannikov 32 seconds apart early in the middle frame, before Marblehead started to make a comeback.

Chris Donahue batted a rebound out of midair to cut the lead in half on the power play with 3:40 left in the second. It stayed 2-1 until 11:20 of the third when Anders Gundersen scored unassisted on the power play to tie the game.

And it looked like 2-2 was going to be the outcome until the Jets made one last push with 20 seconds left. Dave Stevens' pass from the high slot just missed connections with Eric Bransfield. But Bransfield stayed with the play and made a pass in front to Liam Bransfield for a backhander that barely crept past goaltender Aaron Reny's skate to win the game.

When you first set foot in the locker room located at the back of Connery Rink, you are greeted by a color scheme that befits Team USA, not one that calls the City of Lynn home.

With the Lynn English and Lynn Classical hockey programs in serious jeopardy in terms of skaters, the two programs were merged over the summer to form the Lynn Jets, who will compete in the Northeastern Conference's South division with Saugus, Swampscott, Salem and Marblehead.

For the players in the program, it is a flashback to their days in Lynn Youth Hockey, when many of them played together on the same team before going their separate ways. But for Jets coach Al Melanson, the toughest part of the merger has been a small thing.

"The hardest part was learning all the names and the positions the kids play," Melanson said. "And for them, it's been getting accustomed to us and understanding that we are constantly going to coach them and help them ... The players have adjusted real well and are coming together as a team. They all know each other and have played with each other before."

While the jersey might not say Classical or English on the front of it and won't carry green and gold or maroon and gray, the motivation, according to Melanson, is still the same as any team.

"As long as they believe in the system, we'll be competitive. And so far, they've been excellent. There is a lot of character in that locker room and we have a lot of hard workers and kids that care."

For people who are old enough to remember, this isn't the first time that English and Classical have combined forces on the athletic fields. Back in 1962, the Lynn Lions were formed in football but only lasted one season. This conglomeration, however, will last this season and next before being reevaluated.

But for Melanson, who played for the Lions, he sees this as a chance for the Jets to be a successful endeavor.

"This is a building process and if in fact we succeed this year and next year, for the young kids the opportunity is there to play good hockey and get a good education," Melanson said. "This has a chance to be like a Reading, Hingham or Duxbury who are public schools with excellent hockey programs ... It's a matter of convincing the student-athletes that they can get a quality education and play an exciting brand of hockey in the city."

The Jets coaching staff will have plenty of experience to help guide the team through the growing pains of a first season together.

Along with Melanson will be assistant coaches Joe Conlon, Ron Gaudet, Mike Deering (a former head coach at Beverly) and John Clark, among others. That experience is something that Melanson hopes the team will take advantage of.

"We had some good quality coaches here and we've been able to add some quality coaches that have the ability to teach the game and make it fun for the kids to learn," Melanson said.

The Jets will have plenty of experienced players to use when the season begins on Dec. 12 at Connery against Beverly.

Billy MacDaniel and Liam Bransfield will serve as captains while seniors Alex Bannikov and newcomer Turi Vitali will also be counted on in a leadership role.

"We expect leadership from all of them and we have a good group of juniors that need to lead," Melanson said.

One place that the Jets have plenty of experience is on defense, where seven players who saw varsity action at one time or another last season reside.

Comprising that defensive core are Dave Stevens; Jack Erekson; Steve Leighton; Sean Crowley; Tim Shirley; Mike Duggan and Angelo Codispoti.

The Jets begin the season with Beverly and then have another tough game against Peabody the following Saturday.

"When that buzzer sounds for the first game, it's another step in the process. We'll find out where we are when we play Beverly and it's up to us coaches to make sure that we're prepared," Melanson said.

Congratulations to RYAN DUGGAN on becoming a League All-Star Statistics: Senior captain and forward ... three-time NEC all-star ... capped one of the best careers ever in a Rams uniform with 29 goals and 39 points ... went over the 100-goal mark for his career in a win over Latin Academy ... will play fo the Salem Ice Dogs and attend either Salem State or Bridgeton Academy.

Breen to Coach Classical Hockey
By Richard Tenorio, The Daily Item of Lynn, Friday, April 28, 2006

E.J. Breen will take over as the Classical High hockey coach, replacing Jim Dakin, who has stepped down.
"I'm a teacher. That's my profession," Breen said. "I teach the game of hockey. I coached three years at Swampscott High a short time back, and I've been the assistant coach at Classical for four years. I know the kids well, and I know the school well."
Breen, a Melrose native, is a St. John's Prep graduate (1961) who lives in Nahant. He played college hockey at BC, traveling to two Final Fours (1963, 1965) and graduating in 1965. He saw two and a half tours of duty in Vietnam as part of six years of active duty as a Navy pilot. He has been a math teacher at Classical for five years, and has also worked at Breed Middle School and Lynn Tech.
"We're very happy to have him," Classical athletic director Dick Ruth said. "He'll bring a certain amount of continuity to the program. Having a teacher in the building is always a big asset. I think he'll do a nice job with the kids he has to work with."
Of his coaching promotion, Breen said, "I look at it as significantly larger responsibilities with the situation within the school system and Classical in particular."
The new coach will have some challenges, namely those pertaining to Classical's plans to repair its building.
"I look forward to this transition as an opportunity to see smaller classes for a short time; as far as I'm concerned, it translates into higher quality," Breen said.
However, he also called the potential impact on his roster "an obvious concern."
"I don't fear it when the analysis is done by parents," Breen said. "When they take a look at the quality of education that's transpired over at Classical and look at the situation pretty closely, they'll realize that people who stay at Classical are pretty fortunate. They'll more than likely have smaller classes when they do split the school up."
Breen added, "As a teacher, I look at it and say this is a terrific opportunity for kids who choose Classical. They'll have smaller, more compact teaching units, and they'll split freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors ... As a coach, I'm always concerned with education ... Once the final nail is driven in and Classical's back, with the situation it's going to be in, I think the people that left Classical will look back and say, 'What a mistake. I should have stayed.'"
Breen sounds confident when talking about his team.
"I see them every day, I talk to them every day," he said. "These are kids I worked with hand in hand from the time I walked in the front door. I've worked with a lot of them at Breed. We have a lot of history. I think the team will stay largely intact."
The new coach, who was a pilot at Eastern Airlines for 20 years, had high praise for his predecessor.
"Jim Dakin's been a very close friend of mine for years," Breen said. "I coached under him and learned quite a bit. We played hockey in the over-30 league once we were settled in as teachers."
Referring to his career in the Navy, from which he retired as a full commander in the reserves, Breen said, "This is the background I bring to these kids and show them and try and translate how they approach the game of hockey into how they approach the game of life. Hockey certainly opens some doors. The bottom line is, they have to get the book."

	Lynn Classical Ice Hockey Roster 2006-2007

# 1	ANTONELLI, PAUL (SO)	G
# 3	MEANEY, TOM (FR)	F
# 4	BRANSFIELD, LIAM (JR)	F
# 5	MOLEA, FRANK (SO)	F
# 6	FINNEGAN, TERRY (FR)	F
# 7	SMALLEY, STEVEN (SR)	F
# 8	COPPENGER, RYAN (FR)	F
# 9	DUGGAN, RYAN (SR)	F
# 10	LUNDON, MATT (SO)	F
# 11	PUSTORINO, MARK (SO)	F
# 12	DUGGAN, MICHAEL (FR)	F
# 14	LEIGHTON, JON (SR)	D
# 15	MEANEY, BOBBY (SR)	D/F
# 16	SIMMONS, PATRICK (SR)	D
# 17	LEIGHTON, STEVEN (SO)	D
# 19	ERIKSON, JON (D)	D
#20	SCALI, PAUL (SR)	F
# 21	SLEPOY, BRENDON (S)	F
# 22	GAUDET, JEFF (SO)	F
# 23	WINCHELL, SEAN (SO)	F
# 24	POWERS, RYAN (FR)	D
# 33	SLEPOY, TYLOR (FR)	G