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Clippers to Lynnfield in rematch

Monday, January, 28 By Jim Sullivan
Correspondent

After being bested by Newburyport in a 1-0 nail-biter earlier this season, Lynnfield co-captain Ryan Smith returned the favor Saturday, scoring twice to send Clippers fans home with a loss, 2-1.

"Ryan's one kid you don't want to see with a stick in the slot, uncovered." Clippers coach Paul Yameen said of Smith after watching him slip the game-winner past Anthony Federico's left skate with 1:59 left on the clock. "Both teams played well enough to win today. We came out on the short end."

Call it a split.

With Federico facing off against Craig Cataldo, the first period remained scoreless with both freshmen goalies standing tall against all comers and Federico swatting away three slap shots in the first seven minutes. Kevin Holmes managed two particularly testing shots at Cataldo along the way, but was denied. Lynnfield's Evan Hammersley ended the period drawing a penalty for roughing after introducing Clippers captain Derek McCoy's face to his knee.

McCoy took his revenge in the second, tipping one in to draw first blood at 6:25 assisted by Derek Freeman and Corey Ruane.

Port's breathing room was smothered less than a minute later as Smith scored his first goal on a slap shot assisted by the Connollys, Michael and John. Ruane and Kyle McElroy tried to get their squad back on top at the end of the period, with Ruane watching one of his shots go wide and Cataldo deflecting a slap shot to his left from McElroy.

The beginning of the third period saw Federico stopping a blistering shot from Alex Young and Cataldo stopping a David Freeman shot from center ice as the up-and-down action continued.

The minutes began slipping away with most of those in attendance expecting to have to settle for a tie. But the tie was not meant to be.

Smith hit the back of the net again assisted by John Connolly and Robert Pedicini. With less than a minute to go, Yameen pulled Federico for the six on five. The Clippers poured it on with five desperate shots, but Cataldo shut the door and locked it behind him.

"I think anytime you can get two points on Newburyport is a good thing," Pioneers coach Vin Mirasolo said, tipping his hat to Yameen. "They're a quality team | well coached, well disciplined. They're at the top of the league. They're gonna turn some heads come the tournament."

"We had two refs who understand high school hockey and let us play today." said Yameen, feeling confident about his team's future. "We've been in every game we've played (this season). We took five losses | four by one goal. We played well enough today and against Masco last week to win. Hopefully in the back end we'll reverse things. We've just got to get better for Wilmington."

And that's where the Clippers (6-5-1) head Wednesday (7:20 p.m.).