Not one. Not two. Three.
It was quite the female sports season at Lynnfield High. The girls soccer, volleyball, and field hockey varsity teams captured Cape Ann League championships during the fall. The last and only time LHS girls teams pulled off a three-peat was 2014.
The squads were coached by Mark Vermont (girls soccer), Brent Ashley (volleyball), and Kerri Doherty (field hockey).
The girls soccer team shared the Kinney Division title with Newburyport and clinched with a 5-0 win against Pentucket. It was the Pioneers’ second CAL title in three years and 17th since 1993.
“The girls were very excited to win it,” Vermont said. “We had to win out in the league because North Reading had tied Hamilton-Wenham. They were a point behind us, so we had to win out and we did — so, that was great for the girls who really wanted to win it.”
Look no further than the dynamic trio of Giada Antidormi, Kaylee Barrett, and Ava Damiani. From multi-point games to hat-trick celebrations, it was a rarity when the trio didn’t take over a game.
“It’s been a really long time since we’ve had a balanced attack like this,” Vermont said. “I keep telling them it’s really hard to defend.”
The Pioneers finished the regular season 13-2-3, ranked No. 6 in the MIAA’s Division 3 power rankings, and went on a seven-game winning streak with six coming on the road.
“It’s a testament to the youth programs,” Vermont said. “We have a lot of athletes, so we have depth not just in any one sport, but across the board, which is what you can see this fall.”
On the hardwood, it was the volleyball team’s first league title since 2020 and 16th since 1998.
One word to describe Lynnfield’s regular season: dominant.
The Pioneers finished 18-2 (13 sweeps; 9-0 at home) and won their last 10 matches. Their only defeats came on the road against Reading Memorial and North Reading.
Across all of Massachusetts, Alexia Vaquerano (256 kills) and Audrey Manning (268) finished top 15 in hitting percentage and top 20 in kills. Elliana Moretti led the Pioneers in digs (341), Milana Labkovich in blocks (76), Manning in serving aces (57), and Carina DeLeo in assists (317).
Ashley believes the girls’ success boils down to “a newfound confidence within female sports in the building this year,” as well as a commitment to time in the weightroom.
“They’re becoming two- and three-sport athletes, and they’re choosing to take part in sports-leadership events to grow their athletic mental health and resiliency,” Ashley said, “and what I don’t think gets talked about enough: We’re lucky to have incredibly-strong women role models in the building for our student-athletes.”
As for field hockey — undefeated against CAL opponents — it was the program’s first league title since 2014 and sixth since 1989.
Bridget McGee (9 shutouts) was a brick wall between the pipes, while the majority of the offense came from Izzy Fiorentino (13 goals), Lauren Mattia (7 goals, 15 assists), Sophie Morgese (8 goals, 12 assists), Nola Maney (3 goals, 5 assists), Cameron Munion (8 goals), Mia Capodilupo (8 goals, 3 assists), and Grace Allen (5 goals, 2 assists).
The well-rounded, consistent Pioneers (14-1-3) started 5-0, lost just one game in regulation (Monomoy), won 13 games via shutout, and scored six or more goals four times.
“There’s something special about this group I just can’t explain. These kids care and aren’t done yet,” Doherty said. “It’s been a great fall for women’s athletics at Lynnfield High. Three CAL titles – love that for this school.”
