Published in the September 19, 2018 edition

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

LYNNFIELD — Last season, the Lynnfield High boys soccer team lost in the opening round of the Division 3 North state tournament, 4-1, to Melrose. With that disappointing defeat, the Pioneers ended the year at 8-8-3.

Four seniors from that squad graduated, but 18th-year head coach Brent Munroe returned 17 veterans back when camp opened in late August.

Five of the veterans back are this year’s captains and they are all seniors. Those five players are Jack Campbell (goalie), Nathan Bass (midfielder), John Luders (striker) and the Gentile twins, Mike and Dave (defensive backs).

Luders and Mike Gentile were Cape Ann League All-Stars last fall.

JONATHAN LUDERS returns as one of five senior captains for the LHS boys’ soccer team this year. (Dan Pawlowski File Photo)

“The preseason went well,” recalled Munroe, as his team is one of the most experienced in the CAL.

The Pioneers faced Marblehead and Wilmington in the preseason. Then they hosted a jamboree and took on Marblehead again, along with Reading and St. John’s Prep.

So far in the regular season things have been going great as, on Monday afternoon, the Pioneers improved to 4-0 overall and in the CAL with a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 win at Hamilton-Wenham.

“We got behind but fought back against a very good team,” pointed out Munroe.” It was our best win of the season so far.”

Bass scored the first goal of the afternoon but the Generals scored the next two to lead by one at the half.

Luders, who led the team in scoring last fall, then netted both second half goals with the game winner coming with a little over 12 minutes left in the game.

Campbell improved to 4-0 in net with five saves.

At home last Thursday, the Pioneers blanked Rockport, 5-0. Luders led the offense again with two goals while Tom Hauser, Max Sieger and Jack Cleary had the three other goals.

Campbell made two stops in net.

On Sept. 7, the Pioneers shut out guest Triton, 5-0. Tom Buston led the way in that game with a pair of goals while Hauser, Sieger and Luders all found the back of the Viking net once.

In the Sept. 5 season opener, the team won at North Reading, 6-1.

On Sept. 20, it hosts Newburyport and then the Pioneers then visit Pentucket on Sept. 25.

Both of those games will start at 3:45 p.m.