Field Hockey Continues Turnaround Season

The Lynnfield High School field hockey team suffered through a tough season in 2010.

One of the reasons could have been the absence of Devon McEachern. The senior forward missed all but four games as a junior when she was diagnosed with mono.

Now she is back and is one of the focal points of the offense. That showed in the Pioneers latest victory, 7-0 over visiting Triton at Lynnfield Middle School on Friday.

She scored twice and added four assists.

Not that she was the only force on the field. Fellow frontliner Becky Ladd potted four goals, a varsity career high for the junior.

“We knew (Triton) wasn’t that good this year but we still practiced hard,” said Ladd, who said she “was not expecting to score four goals.”

Lynnfield (7-2) controlled the first five minutes of the game, not allowing the Vikings to cross midfield. The Pioneers finally broke through a little after eight minutes had elapsed when Ladd took a pass from McEachern and scored through a scramble in front. The same two connected 90 seconds later for a 2-0 advantage.

“Devon is such a force (on the field) and a great leader,” said coach Mamie Reardon. “She’s one of the fastest players I have ever coached. She never gives up and always makes the smart play.

“And Becky on the wing is always right where she needs to be. She has her stick on the ground, where it should be. That’s why she scored four goals today.”

McEachern scored her first goal with 12 minutes left in the half when she fired a hard shot from 15 yards out. Junior Madyson Milordi got the assist, the first of her two on the day.

Ladd capped the first-half scoring with her third tally when she battled the Triton goalie for a rebound of McEachern’s shot. She gathered the ball to the right of the netminder and found the back of the net.

“(Madyson) is the backbone of the team,” Reardon said of her starting midfielder. “She is tremendous at getting the ball up the field. She never gives up on a ball. I don’t think she’s had a bad game this year.”

By holding Triton to no goals it obviously wasn’t all offense.

Starting defensemen Rebecca Atkinson, Victoria Hurley and Olivia Nasson played strong in front of goalie Katie Rowe. Sarah Colbert saw a lot of time in the second half with her team leading by six goals.

Sophomore Amanda Shapleigh capped the scoring with three minutes left in the contest. Nasson recorded the helper.

Ladd attributed the team’s turnaround of four wins last year to hard work.

“We’ve put a lot of effort to make it to the tournament,” she said.

Lynnfield, which needs four more points (2 points for a win, 1 for a tie) to qualify for the tournament, next faces North Andover on Monday.