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Last Updated, May 16, 2026, 1:08 AM
Offense rules as Lynnfield tops Swampscott


LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield Pioneers (9-7) and Swampscott Big Blue (11-3) put on an offensive show Friday afternoon in a non-league contest at Pioneer Stadium.

With the score tied 15-15 with about seven minutes to go, Lynnfield’s Ava Damiani scored a pretty wrap-around goal to put the Pioneers on top 16-15. Then, she was in the right place at the right time, pouncing on an Alex Schmidt caused turnover deep in the Big Blue’s zone and walking in untouched to give the Pioneers a two-goal cushion with 1:58 remaining in regulation.

The Big Blue had no answers for Damiani, who had a monster game with seven goals and five assists, while Hayden Valiton finished with six goals and two assists. Jordan Calichman had a big day in the circle with 13 draw controls.

Quinn Kelleher led the Big Blue with four goals and three assists, while Bridget Urbano scored two goals and had two assists. Bridget Maloney had a team-high five draw controls.

“That was great. That’s another team we lost to last year, but beat this year, so I am really proud of the girls,” said Lynnfield coach Christina Serra. “That was a good team and coming out with a win today was just another sign of what these girls are capable of doing. I think we are peaking at the right time.”

Despite the loss, Swampscott coach All Eaton had several positive takeaways.

“It was challenging against them, but our defense really stood up,” he said. “With the exception of some clears, I thought we did really well. We did a nice job riding a very organized system and our defense held up against a very powerful offense. Our offense played the way they are supposed to play. It was unselfish with a lot of assisted goals, which is the sign of an organized offense.”

Damiani and Valiton got to work right away. They scored all of the Pioneers’ first-quarter goals to stake Lynnfield to a 7-6 lead after one.

Trailing 12-9 at the half, Swampscott’s Victoria Pierro (3 goals) cut the deficit to 12-10 at the 10:14 mark of the third. After Valiton and Calichman bumped the Pioneers’ lead to 14-10 with seven minutes left in the quarter, the momentum seemed to have shifted to Lynnfield.

But the Big blue had other ideas, finishing the quarter with four unanswered goals — two from Pierro sandwiched around solo shots from Kelleher and Fiona Keaney (3 assists) — to head into the final quarter tied 14-14.

The fourth quarter was all about defense. With 8:16 to play, Reagan Pelletier made it five straight for the Big Blue to put them on top 15-14, but Valiton and Damiani combined to shut the door on any comeback hopes the Big Blue had.

“We dug a very deep hole for ourselves,” Eaton said. “We did a nice job of digging back out of it and hanging with them, but in the end, we stalled. I was really proud of how they put it all out on the field.”

Serra highlighted the play of Damiani, goalie Olivia Sylvester (9 saves), and Schmidt.

“Ava’s been pretty consistent all season. She’s a force and we are lucky to have her,” Serra said. “Olivia, toward the end, had some great body saves. Alex had some big caused turnovers at the end, which was big.”

Eaton had high praise for several players.

“Our goalie, Lilah Caplan, did an amazing job. She made some extremely critical saves. We had some troubles clearing the ball out after those saves, so that was a big deal,” Eaton said. “The two Bridgets played well. Reagan and Bridget Maloney did really well on the draw. We had a bunch of players have the game of the week. Jenny Sanchez played really good defense and Emily Hart knocked down some passes.”

The No. 5 Pioneers’ next game is Monday at Manchester-Essex (4 p.m.).

“This is the first year I really think we have a chance to beat them,” Serra said. “We didn’t play the way I hoped the first time when we lost by one, so I am hoping we get a win.”

No. 17 Swampscott’s next game is Sunday against Bishop Fenwick (7 p.m.) when the Big Blue hope to avenge a 7-6 early-season loss to the Crusaders.

  • Anne Marie Tobin

    Anne Marie Tobin is a sports reporter for the Item and sports editor of the Lynnfield and weeklies. She also serves as the associate editor of North Shore Golf magazine. Anne Marie joined the Weekly News staff in 2014 and Essex Media Group in 2016. A seven-time Massachusetts state amateur women’s golf champion and member of the Massachusetts Golf Association Hall of Fame, Tobin is graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Suffolk University Law School. She practiced law for 30 years before becoming a sports reporter. Follow her on Twitter at: @WeeklyNewsNow.



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