Lynnfield 1-18-18

JANUARY 18, 2018 WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 11
A rewarding weekend split for Tanner girls
By Anne Marie Tobin
A new day, and a new organization, for youth football
By Anne Marie Tobin
LYNNFIELD — A new chapter in the Lynnfield youth
football saga has begun.
Last Thursday night at St. Maria Goretti church, the new
Lynnfield Pioneer Youth Football and Cheer club (LPYFC)
held an informational meeting to present its plans for the new
program. More than 30 people, including several coaches
along with selectmen Dick Dalton and Phil Crawford, attended
the meeting.
LPYSC president Steve Connolly opened the meeting by
saying that he has received calls from many coaches, indicating
their support and desire to be involved He also injected a little
humor, noting that, unlike the Aug. 30 meeting of Lynnfield
Youth Football and Cheering (LYFC), no police detail was
needed at the LPYFC meeting.
“It has been a very difficult time this summer trying unsuccessfully
to work with LYFC,” Connolly said. “After years of
trying to get involved and after the way the Aug. 7 elections
were voided and the way parents were not allowed to attend
the Aug. 30 meeting and many other issues, it was apparent
that LYFC had no intentio n of allowing parents to work with
LYFC.
“We realized then that parents would never have a voice in
youth football in this town, so we went out on our own, quietly
so as not to be a distraction to the existing program. We
are committed to the notion that parents should be involved
beyond just by watching their kids play, and the only way to
make that happen was to form a new club.”
The organization incorporated as a non-profit Oct. 19, 2017.
The Articles of Organization list five directors: Connolly;
Lauren George, treasurer; David Capachietti, vice-president;
Kimberly Brown, clerk; and Rebecca Drzewiczewski, director.
The organization intends to increase the number of directors
by adding several new positions including director of cheer,
director of football, director of player safety, director of equipment,
director of communications, director of fundraising and
PHOTO | ANNE MARIE TOBIN
Carolyn Garofoli (15) protects goalie Abby Buckley during Friday’s
game with the Raiders.
PEABODY — All in all, it was a
pretty good week for the Peabody/
Lynnfield girls hockey team.
Saturday, it cruised to a 5-0 win
over Medford at McVann-O’Keefe
Rink to get back to two games
above .500 at 5-3-1.
The night before, also at home,
the Tanners took on one of the strongest
teams in the state in Wellesley,
ranked eighth in the state. The
Raiders dominated the faceoff circle
and cashed in with two power play
goals to secure a 3-0 win.
“After the Wellesley game, we
really needed those two points
against Medford,” said Peabody
coach Michelle Roach. “Wellesley
is a very good, talented team and aggressive
team that runs three strong
lines and they came to compete.”
Peabody 5, Medford 0
The game was tight through
the first period with the Tanners
clinging to a 1-0 lead on a goal
by junior Kathryn DiGiulio, from
freshman Dana Kampersal, at 5:19.
Peabody began to pull away in
the second period with two goals
to make it 3-0 going into the final
15 minutes. Senior captain Cassie
Mirasolo (from freshman Jenn
Flynn of Lynnfield) scored about
four minutes in, then younger sister
and linemate Sammie Mirasolo, a
sophomore, scored an unassisted
goal with 3:39 left in the period.
DiGiulio notched her second
goal of the game at the 8:06 mark to
stretch the Tanners’ lead to 4-0.
Sammie Mirasolo capped the
scoring in a most unusual way with
her second unassisted goal of the
night, this one while the Tanners
were playing short handed down
two men, 3-on-5 with only 4.8 seconds
left in regulation.
Sophomore Jeny Collins earned
the shutout in goal, her first of the
season and the Tanners’ second in
the last three games.
“Jeny, Reilly Ganter, Kat
DiGiulio, Paige Thibedeau and Jess
Robert all played very well,” said
Roach. “We knew Medford was
going to be a good challenge.”
Wellesley 3, Peabody 0
There were many positives they
took away from the game.
“Even though we were outplayed
at times, I did see some positives,”
said Roach. “We were slow to start
and we hesitated a little bit too much
in the first period but picked it up in
the second and third periods. The
biggest positive for us is we went
3-0 against a very high level team.
“So we have seen a lot of progress,”
she said. “The Peabody of
three or four years ago wouldn’t be
skating with a team like Wellesley.”
Wellesley came out fast and
tested Buckley right out of the gate
when sophomore Emily Rourke
fired a rocket, but Buckley was up
to the task. Two minutes in, the
Tanners’ penalty kill unit held the
Raiders to a single shot to keep the
game scoreless.
Buckley came up with another
big save with about five minutes to
go in the period, going to her knees
to deny senior forward Phoebe
Lawrence.
director of fields and facilities.
The first annual meeting of the organization is scheduled for
Thursday, Jan. 25 at St. Maria Goretti Church at 7 p.m..
Lynnfield Pioneer YFC has pledged total transparency.
Corporate bylaws, policies and procedures, conflict of interest
policy, budget and frequently asked questions are all posted on
its website, Lynnfieldpioneersyfc.com.
One of the FAQs states that the reason a new organization
was founded was that “the previous organization historically
failed to hold annual meetings for its members and then
last August had two failed attempts at conducting an annual
meeting to elect a board of directors.” It further states that “it
became apparent that LYFC would not allow new membership
within its board. Lynnfield Pioneer YFC was formed so that
a clearly defined membership pool, including parents of participants,
could have an opportunity to vote for its leadership,
who could then work together to offer a youth sports program
founded on the principles of fairness, communication, and
teamwork.”
“We met with CAYFL on Dec. 7 and attended a meeting
last night as well,” said Connolly said the group has total support
of the Cape Ann Youth Football League and has met with
CAYFL twice
“Nothing will change going forward and the league totally
supports us,” Connolly said.
Drzewiczewski added that she has received similar assurances
from the CAYFL cheer board of directors.
The participation fees for 2018 will remain the same as they
were in 2017 under LYFC, $300 per player for football and
$200 per cheerleader. Connolly said that Lynnfield has the
second highest registration fees in the CAYFL, but the new
board hopes the fees for 2019 can be reduced once the program
is underway and known costs are determined.
Unlike LYFC, parents are included as members under the
bylaws as are volunteers over the age of 18 and other interested
persons if approved by two-thirds of the board.
All members have voting privileges.
With 1:22 left, Wellesley had its
second power play opportunity and
cashed in with 8.6 seconds left in the
period when O’Neil beat Buckley
with a hard wrist shot.
“I don’t think we challenged them
enough in that first period and we let
them establish the pace of the game
and we pretty much just sat back
and let them dictate the tone,” said
Roach.
Wellesley scored another po w erplay
goal at 8:52 of the second period
to take a 2--0 lead. Sophomore
Erin Fleming blasted a shot from
just inside the blue line. Buckley
made the initial stop, but the puck
came loose and trickled over the
goal line. Harrison picked up an assist
on the play.
“Our penalty kill and our 4-on-4
has been good for us as we work
really hard at it and were ready for
them tonight, but we just had a few
breakdowns in coverage and that’s
when they capitalized, that’s all.”
The game got a little chippy late
in the period. With 2:09 left to play,
both teams went down a man after
matching minors. Peabody’s Jess
Robert had a great chance with
about 90 seconds left, but was denied
by Wellesley goalie Liddy
Schulz. Robert won the ensuing faceoff
and got the puck to sophomore
Sammi Mirasolo alone in front, but
her shot was wide.
The last minute, however, belonged
to Wellesley. In traffic,
Buckley snuffed out two scoring
chances, covering up two loose
pucks in the crease, the second with
26 seconds left. The Raiders kept up
the pressure and finally found pay
dirt with just 17 seconds to go when,
after winning another faceoff senior
Olivia Vernon blasted a rising shot
from the left point that beat Buckley,
screened on the play, to make it a
3-0 game.
“We did challenge them in the
second and third periods and we
started getting opportunities and
shots on net,” said Roach. “But we
have to finish out periods and not
give up goals right near the end of
the period and we have to stay out
of the penalty box.”
Peabody had a great chance
to narrow the deficit early in the
third period when Wellesley took
a hooking penalty, but the Raiders
killed off the penalty.
With 4:05 to play, Peabody went
down a man with another penalty,
but eight seconds later Wellesley
got one too, so the teams played
a man short for 1:53. Senior captain
Mae Norton of Lynnfield was
robbed on a slapper from the right
point. O’Neil countered, beating
a defender to break in alone on
Buckley, but the goalie turned away
the shot. Peabody had another good
chance to get on the board about a
minute later when freshman Reilly
Ganter, also of Lynnfield, got off a
shot from the right point into traffic,
but the shot was deflected in front.
Peabody spent the last 1:59 of
the game on a power play and had
chances by freshman Jenn Flynn
and sophomore Carolyn Garofoli
both of Lynnfield, Ganter, and
Kathryn DiGuilio
“The game was never out of reach
but we did pick it up after that first
period,” Roach said. “We could
have played harder, but we did a lot
of reacting, instead of challenging.
When we did challenge, we were
fine. We got solid play from Abby
in goal with a couple of big saves.
She plays a very level-headed game
and made a couple of big plays on
back door plays and breakaways.”
Connolly outlined the nomination process; members interested
in running for a seat on the board must inform LPYFC
(preferably by email) by Jan. 20 of the desired position prior
to the meeting. Nominations from the floor will be allowed.
Connolly said once a new director of fundraising is in place,
the new board will focus on fundraising, which should open
up once the organization’s application for tax-exempt status is
approved.
“We have obtained a state solicitation certificate, so we
are free to raise money today, the only thing is we cannot tell
people that donations are tax deductible until we are tax-exempt,”
said George. “I expect to have our determination ruling
from the IRS within 90 days.”
The largest start-up cost is expected to be uniforms and
equipment as it is not clear whether or not LPYFC will have
access to the same currently in the possession of LYFC.
The organization has budgeted $35,500 for uniforms and
$39,500 for equipment.
“It would be great to have the uniforms and equipment that
our registration fees over the years have paid for and we will
engage in discussions with LYFC about that, but we don’t
know what they (LYFC) plans to do,” said Connolly.
Connolly said LPYFC has already had discussions about
field use with FIelds Director Joe Maney and Richard Sjoberg,
chairman of Lynnfield Recreation.
George encouraged the attendees to make early registration
a priority and that online registration should be available sometime
in mid-February.
Connolly concluded the meeting by assuring attendees that
LPYFC is not interested in changing the program, but only the
way the youth football program is governed.
“Every other youth sports program in this town has regular
and annual meetings and parents are allowed to be a part of
the process,” he said. “It’s one thing to not get involved, but it
is quite another to actively prevent people from participating.
We are looking for parents to get involved and make this program
successful.”