Hockey Team Archives 2007-09

Swampscott's boys hockey team knew that it had repeated as the Northeastern Conference South champion before it even took the ice against the Lynn Jets last night, thanks to a 2-1 Salem win over Marblehead.
"We had two goals for the regular season," Big Blue coach Gino Faia said. "The first was to make the tournament and the second was to repeat as champions. I'm very proud."
However, it did not deter Swampscott from handing Lynn a defeat of the same score, 2-1.
"It was a great effort," said Faia. "We really controlled the pace of the game."
Justin Massey had a part in both of the Big Blue (12-3-3) goals, with a goal and an assist (good for 27 points on the season). Gino Cresta netted the other goal.

Jeff Porter scored for the Jets (7-9-2). Nick Comeau turned away 32 shots in the loss. Lynn needs to win its final two games against Fenwick and Danvers to earn a trip to the tournament.

Lynn Jets 5, Latin Academy 0

At Mathews Arena, Dan Casale scored twice for the Jets (6-8-2) and goalie Nick Comeau (21 saves) picked up his second shutout in as many days. The Jets need six points out of their remaining four games to qualify for the state tournament.

"We've just got to take it one game at a time, and one shift at a time," Jets head coach Joe Conlon said. "If we put our energy into that, it'll sort itself out."

Eric Bransfield and Jeff Porter each recorded a goal and two assists for Lynn, with Bransfield's tally coming on the power play. John Finnigan scored the fifth goal.

Marblehead's Ryan Dempsey chases after the Lynn Jets' Dave Stevens during their game last night at Salem State. The Jets and Headers played to a scoreless tie. (ITEM PHOTO / JONATHON M. WHITMORE)

The Marblehead High hockey team needed one point to qualify for the state tournament. The Lynn Jets need every point they can get if they hope to join the Headers in the postseason. Both teams came away from Wednesday's 0-0 tie at Salem State's Rockett Arena with something to show for their efforts.

Anyone who saw the teams square off earlier in the season -- when Marblehead pulled out a 1-0 win -- knew this one had the potential to be a defensive standoff, and it was. The Headers turned up the heat on Lynn goalie Nick Comeau early and kept it up, but Comeau was up to the task, making 30 saves, including a few during the frantic final minutes. Marblehead goalie Aaron Reny had a much quieter night in net, with nine saves.

"I was expecting a real tough, tight game," Lynn coach Joe Conlon said. "Nick made some key saves ... It was a good point for us."
Marblehead (9-5-2) coach Bob Jackson said his team has now qualified for the states the last four years in a row and five of the last six years.
"Lynn played a good game defensively. They did a nice job clogging up the lane. We missed the net with a lot of our shots," Jackson said.
Conlon was happy with the play of his defensemen -- captains Dave Stevens and Sean Crowley, Mike Duggan and Jack Erekson. The Jets are 5-8-2 and need eight points out of their final five games to reach the tournament.

The Winthrop High hockey team came into Wednesday night's game against the Lynn Jets undefeated, and that's how the Vikings left.

Winthrop scored two goals in an 11-second span in the second period to break a scoreless tie. The Vikings (9-0-1) added another goal early in the third period for a 3-0 win.

"Everyone's effort was there. We just couldn't seem to get anything going," Jets coach Joe Conlon said. "Winthrop is undefeated for a reason. They're well-coached and they worked hard."

Winthrop's Chris Lepore scored 6:33 into the second period, with the assist going to Alex Hamilton. Eleven seconds later, Joe Casey found the net (Rick Boudrow and Mike Paulson assists) to put the Vikings up 2-0.

"They got one from the slot," Conlon said. "And before we knew it, they hit us with another. Overall, the effort was there."

Casey put the game out of reach with a goal 3:27 into the final frame. Boudrow and Ken Hodgkins had the assists.

Junior Craig MacDaniel made his first start in net this year and came up with some big stops, particularly early in the game. He had 31 saves. The Jets only tested Winthrop goalie Pat Feeley 13 times.

The Jets (5-8-1) can still qualify for the tournament, but they'll need nine points out of their final six games. They play Marblehead next Wednesday.

"It's going to take a very, very strong month of February for us to get in (to the tournament)," Conlon said.

The Jets' remaining games are against Marblehead, Latin Academy, Salem, Swampscott, Saugus and Bishop Fenwick.

Revere 2, Lynn 0 Item Roundup

At Revere, Jay Sasso scored a goal and an assist to lead the Patriots' attack. Chris Mastropietro scored the other goal, while Anthony Noel and Matt Vasquez each picked up an assist.

The Jets fall to 5-7 on the season.

LYNN -- Sitting at 4-6 to begin the second half of the season, the Lynn Jets came to Connery Rink on Thursday knowing that a win against Bishop Fenwick was something that was desperately needed.

Facing a Bishop Fenwick team that had just one loss coming in, the Jets got goals from six different players and a 23-save shutout from Nick Comeau in a 6-0 win over the Crusaders.

"We needed a win in any way possible," Jets coach Joe Conlon said. "Fenwick has one of the best goaltenders around (Craig Forrest) and we knew that going in. But our goaltender was up to the task (Thursday)."

Comeau certainly was up to snuff in the first period as the Crusaders came out of the box with enormous pressure.

Just 72 seconds into the game, Lynn's Bucky Surette was called for tripping but Fenwick couldn't convert. But that was just the opening part of a nearly eight-minute stretch that saw Fenwick with constant pressure in the Jets' zone.

"We got plenty of chances in those first minutes and didn't score," Fenwick coach Bo Tierney said.

Comeau's strong play in net gave the Jets a chance to get settled, and with just under five minutes left in the first, Lynn broke the ice.

Following a blocked shot at the Lynn line, John Finnigan went in on a breakaway and beat Forrest to the blocker side at 10:22. An even more damaging goal came with 1:39 left on the clock when Surette took a pass from Dave Stevens, cut around a Fenwick defender and beat Forrest with a shot from the right circle to make it 2-0.

It would have been 3-0, Jets, if not for a Forrest stop on Finnigan's breakaway attempt with two seconds left in the period.

"We felt like we were fortunate to be up 2-0 after the first," Conlon said. "Give Fenwick credit; they came in and were the aggressors early on."

The second period would be a different story as Lynn outshot the Crusaders 11-6 and totally dominated the play.

Surette had a chance to make it 3-0 early in the second when he had a 2-on-0 with Justin Morelli, but his shot sailed wide right.

Lynn continued to buzz around Forrest's net but couldn't find the mark until third-liner Jack Carter got his first goal of the season, assisted by Terry Finnegan and Mike Duggan, at 9:06 to make it 3-0.

But the Jets weren't finished in the second.

After his team killed off a Fenwick power play, Eric Bransfield gave Lynn a 4-0 lead with 2:21 left when he rifled a Jeff Porter pass over Forrest's shoulder.

And 24 seconds after Bransfield scored, Dylan Bogart took a Surette pass and beat Forrest to give the Jets a commanding 5-0 lead heading to the second intermission.

"The second period really did belong to them," Tierney said. "Every mistake we made, they took advantage of."

Blaine Thibodeau took over for Forrest in the Fenwick net at the start of the third, but didn't fare much better.

Stevens gave Lynn a 6-0 lead early in the third when he intercepted a clearing pass and snapped a quick shot through a screen and past Thibodeau.

The only matter left to settle then was if Comeau could hold on for the shutout. And thanks to a magnificent save on Mark Sparaco and solid play by the Jets defense, Comeau was able to shut the door on Fenwick.

"We knew that Fenwick would keep playing until the end," Conlon said. "And the defense really played well to help Nicky keep the shutout."

Peabody 5, Lynn 2 - Item Roundup

At McVann-O'Keefe Rink in Peabody, Andrew Bucci (goal, two assists) and Matt Rodgers (three assists) each led the way for the Tanners (8-2, 7-2) with three points. Derek Pereira also had a multiple-point game with a goal and an assist.

Rodgers now leads the NEC in scoring with 27 points and Bucci is second with 25.

"That was a good night for them (Bucci, Rodgers and Pereira)," Peabody coach Mark Leonard said.

John Finnigan and Jeff Porter were the Jets' (4-6, 2-6) goal scorers.

"That was our best effort of the year," Lynn coach Joe Conlon said. "The kids played well, we just couldn't get a bounce."

Gloucester 4, Lynn 2

At Connery Rink in Lynn, John Finnigan netted a pair of goals for Lynn's boys hockey team. However, Gloucester took advantage of a two-goal third period to skate past the Jets.

"The effort was definitely there," Lynn coach Joe Conlon said. "We just need to correct some of the mistakes."

Conor Ressel scored a pair of goals and added an assist. Ressel's second goal was the biggest goal of the game. It came with only 40 seconds remaining in the second period, and gave the Fishermen considerable momentum heading into the second intermission.

Josh Salah and Nick DeCoste were the two Gloucester goal-scorers in the third period.

Nick Comeau turned away 35 shots in the loss. Dan Casale picked up an assist for the Jets (4-5).

Jeff Porter scored both Jets goals, with Dave Stevens, Eric Bransfield and Justin Morelli picking up one assist each.

"It was a good, tough road win for us," Lynn coach Joe Conlon said. "It is nice to see some of the hard work pay off."

Nick Comeau turned away 24 shots for the Jets.

Ty Albano scored the lone Panther goal.

SAUGUS -- The Kasabuski Arena has been a house of horrors for opposing hockey teams. The Saugus icemen utilized that advantage with a pair of third-period scores in a 2-1 thriller over the Lynn Jets on Saturday evening.

The victory created a three-way logjam atop the Northeastern Conference South between Saugus, Marblehead, and Swampscott (the Headers blanked the Big Blue on Saturday).

Lynn (3-3) carried a 1-0 edge into the final stanza, but the Sachems quickly attacked the Jets zone from the faceoff, resulting in the tying goal just 1:19 into the period. Sophomore Mike Kotowski netted his first score of the season, when he took a feed from teammate Joe Vecchione, who was standing at the left side of the net. Kotowski, planted at the other side, one-timed the puck in the open right-hand side to deadlock the game at 1.

"The kids knew they weren't playing up to their potential (in the first two periods), as Lynn was really taking it to us," said Saugus coach Chris Connors, whose team is 3-2-1. "That's a credit to (Lynn) coach (Joe) Conlon and his staff. During the (second and third) periods, we told the kids to crash the net, and to keep throwing the puck in."

The Jets soon enjoyed a power-play advantage, which eventually became a 5-on-3 edge for 1:17 soon after the goal. Yet the team was thwarted by freshman goalie Nick Hegarty. He made a solid save on a flickering wrist shot by winger Eric Bransfield midway through the power play to keep the game tied.

Vecchione had a chance moments later to move the Sachems ahead, but goalie Nick Comeau made a pad stop on his slap, with Kurt Rodrigues positioned in front for a possible loose rebound.

However, Rodrigues came back to haunt the Jets midway through the period to give the Sachems the lead for the first time all night. He gathered a loose puck near mid-ice, skating in all alone on the breakaway. He went to fake out Comeau, and it looked as though the goalie made the stop. Yet the puck trickled into the net for a 2-1 Saugus advantage.

"That first goal (by Kotowski) was our biggest breakdown," said Conlon. "We were slow in getting back. That second goal came on a bad bounce for us. He (Rodrigues) got the puck at the blue line, and finished off the breakaway."

The Jets still had numerous chances to tie the game. Center Chris Surrette fired a slap from the right side that beat Hegarty, but rung off the far post. Right wing Jeff Porter, who scored the game's first goal less than a minute after the opening faceoff, was robbed by Hegarty on a point-blank wrist shot with a few minutes remaining. Hegarty also stopped winger Dan Casale's point-blank slap, with teammate John Finnigan in position for a possible rebound.

Comeau was pulled for an extra attacker with just over a minute left, but Hegarty continued to ground the Jets. He stuffed Finnigan with 30 seconds remaining, then stonewalled Bransfield in the final seconds.

"I really liked our resiliency," said Connors. "We had come back (earlier in the season) from two goals down to beat Marblehead, then came back from a goal down earlier in the week to tie Lynnfield. Lynn outplayed us for two periods, so we were fortunate to come out with a win."

As happy as Connors was, Conlon was just the opposite.

"It's always tough to beat Saugus here," Conlon said. "They always give a great effort. We had our chances (late) to tie, but we didn't get the bounces."

The Jets attacked the Sachems zone right from the opening faceoff, and didn't waste any time in opening up the scoring. Porter took a feed from Surrette, beating Hegarty 55 seconds into the contest for the game's first score.

Saugus had numerous opportunities to tie the game, due to several Lynn penalties, which created power plays for the Sachems. Yet Comeau was good to the test, halting every shot that came his way. Perhaps the best Saugus chance in the first period came when Rodrigues received a lead pass as he made his way over center ice and into the breakaway. Comeau held the fort, though.

Both teams continued to have their chances in the middle period, but couldn't get anything past either goalie. Comeau made two solid stops within five seconds midway through on forward Ralph Paglucca and defenseman Derek Stretton, while Hegarty foiled Finnigan's point-blank slap late in the stanza.

The reigning Northeastern Conference South champions were supposed to be going through somewhat of a rebuilding year. But someone forgot to tell that to Swampscott.

Fresh off winning the East Boston Deep Freeze Tournament on Tuesday, the Big Blue came to Connery Rink looking to stay perfect in league play. And thanks to two goals from freshman Gino Cresta and another superb effort in net from Tyler Gallagher, Swampscott moved to 6-0-0 with a 3-1 win over the Lynn Jets.

"It's a real good win for us," Swampscott coach Gino Faia said. "It's a division opponent and they responded well after winning the East Boston tournament. We were worried that they'd have a little bit of a letdown."

The Big Blue (3-0-0 NEC South) broke a scoreless tie late in the first period when Cresta scored, assisted by Justin Massey and A.J. Zarinsky.

That lead lasted all of 70 seconds as the Jets (3-2-0, 1-2-0 NEC South) came back to tie on Bucky Surette's goal, assisted by Jack Erekson.

Swampscott went back in front for good early in the second when Cresta picked up a pass behind the net and swooped around to stuff a wraparound chance past Lynn goalie Nick Comeau.

"Gino really has a nose for the net," Faia said. "He made a great play there behind the net."

It stayed a 2-1 game into the third when the Big Blue's third line helped put the game away.

Sean Lannon and Matt Videtta picked up the assists as Erik Mihovan, who played many games at Connery for the former Lynn Tech hockey team, scored at the 5:15 mark to make it 3-1.

"We got beat to every loose puck," Jets coach Joe Conlon said.

"If the other team is more aggressive, than 99% of the time, they are going to win the game."

Swampscott gets right back into the thick of the NEC South on Saturday (3) when it hosts archrival Marblehead at Salem State's Rockett Arena.

The last time the two teams skated was in the first round of the Division 3 North tournament last year with the Headers winning in overtime.

"It's always a battle with them," Faia said.

The Jets also will have a conference game on Saturday, traveling to 2-2-1 Saugus.

After struggling for two periods on Monday at Rockett Arena in Salem, the Lynn Jets finally took advantage of their chances to grab a 3-0 win over Salem in Northeastern Conference/South play.

After striking just 2:41 in on Bucky Surette's tally, assisted by Eric Bransfield and Dave Stevens, the Jets struggled for the next 27 minutes of play but still had the lead heading to the third period.

In that third period, Dan Casale lit the lamp at 5:50, assisted by Jeff Porter and Stevens, to give Lynn some breathing room. Just under three minutes later, Surette got his second goal of the game, assisted again by Stevens, to account for the 3-0 final.

LYNN -- Winning 1-0 games is nothing new for the Marblehead hockey team as the Headers did it twice en route to claiming the Division 3 North title last season.

On Wednesday at Connery Rink, Marblehead once again lived on the edge, hanging on for dear life as Lynn buzzed around the net in the third period. But the Jets failed to score as Aaron Reny stopped all 16 shots he saw in a 1-0 Marblehead win.

"We'd like to have a few more goals to make life a little easier on ourselves," Marblehead coach Bob Jackson joked after the game. "It wasn't easy, but we hung in, and getting this division win is huge."

The Jets (1-1) netted six goals in an opening-night win against Latin Academy but struggled to get a consistent offensive attack going until the third period, where they outshot the Headers, 9-6.

"We played well in the third period," Lynn coach Joe Conlon said. "But there's two sides to that. We stepped up when we had to, but it's disappointing to not have played our best for the first two periods."

The Headers (1-1) came out and took control of the game in the first period, holding Lynn to a single shot on goal. But Marblehead wasn't finding much success either as Nick Comeau stopped all six shots that came his way in the first 15 minutes, sending the teams to the locker room in a scoreless tie.

The second period began with Marblehead picking up where it left off in the opening frame, pelting Comeau with plenty of rubber. The Headers wound up with a 13-6 shots on goal advantage in the middle period and took a 1-0 lead at the 3:33 mark.

Ellery Smith fired a shot that was turned aside by Comeau. But the rebound remained loose and Colby Bates was able to swoop in and shovel home the puck.

Marblehead then got a power-play chance midway through the period when Eric Bransfield was called for tripping. And the Headers nearly made it 2-0 when Ryan Dempsey had a yawning net in front of him off a scramble, but his shot sailed well over the net, keeping it 1-0 heading into the second intermission.

"We have to do a better job on the power play," Jackson said.

The Headers nearly got their insurance goal in the opening moments of the third when Austin Coen got a breakaway, but Comeau kicked the shot aside, giving the Jets a big boost of adrenaline.

Following Comeau's save, the Jets took control of the game. But every chance Lynn got found its way safely into Reny's grasp.

No chance was more golden that the one Matt Lunden had with 9:20 left following a Marblehead turnover in the Header zone. But the shot glanced off the shaft of Reny's stick and went harmlessly into the corner.

"When you wait until the end to get going, sometimes you get burned," Conlon said.

The Jets had another chance in the final minute with Comeau off for an extra attacker. Dave Stevens fed Bucky Surrette at center ice for a rush around the Marblehead defense. But Surrette's backhand chance was gloved and held onto by Reny with 27 seconds remaining.

"Aaron made some great saves," Jackson said. "Lynn is a good team and Joe has done a great job with them. They are very disciplined and played real hard."

LYNN -- The Lynn Jets began their second season on Saturday evening by taking flight over Latin Academy, 6-1, at Connery Rink. It was the season opener for both squads.

"We did a good job controlling the game when we played five-on-five," said Lynn coach Joe Conlon, who began his first full season as pilot of the Jets and got his first 'W' as their coach. "Our penalty killers did an outstanding job as well."

Right from the opening faceoff, Lynn attacked the Dragons net constantly, peppering goalie Edward Meagher with plenty of rubber. Winger Jack Casale was robbed early on by Meagher at point-blank range. Moments later, teammate Tim Shirley's slap from the point was gloved by the goalie.

Soon after, the Dragons (0-1) were assessed the game's first penalty, and the Jets quickly took advantage. Freshman John Finnegan picked up a loose puck to the left of the Dragons net, swooped in from behind the goal, and stuffed it past the left side of Meagher for the first score of the season.

Lynn soon enjoyed a two-man power-play advantage just over a minute after the goal, but Meagher continued to stymie the Jets. Dan Casale attempted a play similar to Finnigan's, but the goalie held the fort. The Dragons would soon begin the first of several power plays within the first two periods, but sophomore goalie Nick Comeau thwarted forward Marcus Egan to protect the lead.

Lynn improved the score to 2-0 midway through the stanza. Winger Chris Surrette skated in on Meagher on a breakaway, but the goalie made the initial stop. However, teammate Eric Bransfield, following the play, knocked in the loose puck, which was lying to the left of Meagher, for the goal.

Lynn was assessed a penalty shortly after the score, which soon grew to a two-man advantage for the Dragons. Yet the Dragons were continually held at bay by the Jets defense, as they couldn't get off too many shots upon the net.

The key goal of the contest came with just five seconds left in the stanza. With 15 seconds remaining, forward Dylan Bogart's wrist shot was stopped by Meagher. Yet Bogart picked up a loose puck in front of the goal, and flung it past the goalie right before the buzzer sounded for a 3-0 edge.

"That was the most important one for us," Conlon said. "Coming right when it did, it gave us momentum heading into the locker room, and it was a big difference."

That momentum showed in the early minutes of the second period, when the Jets increased their lead. Defenseman Sean Crowley rang a blast off the far post from the left point less than two minutes into the stanza to give the team a 4-0 edge. Less than three minutes passed before Lynn struck again. Jeff Porter fired a slap from the right point, with his shot being tipped in by Casale for the team's fifth score.

Egan snapped the shutout midway through the period, as he worked his way around the Lynn net, and stuffed the puck past the right side of Comeau. Yet the Jets got that one back in the first minute of the final period. Latin Academy was attacking the Lynn end, and Bransfield was able to knock the puck away from a Dragon forward. Teammate Chris Surrette gathered the loose puck, skated in on Meagher all alone, and slid the puck past the goalie for the game's last score.

"The boys were waiting for this (the opener), and they showed up very focused," Conlon said. "That's the way I want them to be every game."

The 2008-09 version of the Lynn Jets will have plenty of returnees from a team that barely missed getting a playoff berth in its first year of existence.

One element that will be new for the Jets, however, is the man who will be behind the bench, as Joe Conlon assumes the head coaching duties on an interim basis for this season while Al Melanson continues to recover from a heart attack suffered late last season.

But Melanson's presence is still being felt around the Jets' locker room.

"His message is still here," Conlon said. "He is a very, very big part of what we're doing here. He's still going to be involved."

Conlon will, however, have plenty of experience to draw from, as former Beverly head coach Mike Deering, Ron Gaudet and Joe Gunning will join the English grad on the bench.

"This staff really works well together and has a lot of confidence in each other," Conlon said. "It's still good to know that I have Mike and Al to lean on. And I will lean on Mike quite a bit."

The Jets return 18 skaters from last year's team, but will have to replace the scoring punch of NEC all-star Billy MacDaniel and senior defenseman Steve Leighton, who transferred to St. Mary's.

But the Jets still have a core of four senior defensemen -- Dave Stevens, Sean Crowley, Jack Erekson and Tim Shirley -- who saw plenty of ice time last season. It's that department where Conlon knows he is solid.

"Those four seniors really help us on D," Conlon said. "You can score all you want, but if you don't lock down in the defensive zone, you can't be successful."

Another spot where the Jets have experience is in net, where four goaltenders who saw varsity time last season are fighting for the starting spot.

Nick Comeau, Tyler Slepoy and Craig MacDaniel split the starts for the Jets, while James Wall joins the mix after starting at Lynn Tech last season.

The Tech team was added as a part of the Jets this season, with Jim Hannaford, Devyn Collins and Dana Kinney joining Wall on the team.

"We have solid goaltending, and I expect a good year from them between the pipes," Conlon said.

The front line, though hurt by the graduation of MacDaniel, returns the bulk of its four lines from a season ago.

"Our forwards are young, but I think they're ready. If we work hard, we'll be OK," Conlon said.

So far, according to Deering, practice has gone well for the Jets.

"They are a very hard-working crew, and, I think, a better team than we were last year," Deering said. "We have more depth, but the concern is our mental toughness. Winning is hard work, and we have to find the difference between false work and hustle."

Last season, the Jets played well against the big boys in the NEC, but struggled down the stretch with their NEC South competition. And with the league being just as good, Conlon knows that his team needs to be ready from the get-go.

"We have to be ready to go in every game. There are three state tournament teams in the NEC South, and it's going to be as tough as it was last year," Conlon said.

The Jets open the season on Saturday (8:30) at Connery Rink against Latin Academy, another tournament team from last season, which Lynn bested twice. Lynn also has non-conference dates with Division 3 South power Bourne and Methuen, along with two games with Bishop Fenwick.

Last season, a pair of one-goal losses to the Crusaders proved to be damaging to Lynn's tournament aspirations.

"Latin Academy, Bourne and Methuen are all good, and every time we lace it up with Fenwick, it's a battle," Conlon said. "Our ultimate goal is to qualify for the tournament."

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