By HockomockSports.com Staff
Player are listed alphabetically
Zofia Bangs, Senior – Stoughton
Stoughton was just a win shy of .500 last season, but the Black Knights graduated 20 seniors, so this could be a year of transition. Bangs is one of the players that is back and she is coming off a prolific junior season. She was among the league’s top scorers with 10 goals and four assists and she gives Stoughton a consistent threat at the top that will keep the opposition busy this fall. Her quickness, accurate shot, and willingness to get into the dangerous spot in front of goal make her a constant thorn in the side of opposing defenses, and her combination play with classmate Mia Allie is going to be critical to the Black Knights staying in the running for a playoff spot. There is a lack of varsity experience in the Stoughton roster, but if Bangs can continue firing in the goals then there is potential for a successful season.
Ellie Bohane, Junior – Canton
The Bulldogs will certainly miss the creativity of last year’s co-leading scorer Maria Femia, but there is a lot of attacking talent returning that looks poised to step up and fill that void. Bohane is a three-year varsity player and has shown flashes of her finishing ability and playmaking over the past two years. This fall, she looks ready for a breakout year as one of the team’s primary weapons. A speedy winger with the ability to carry the ball into the dangerous areas, Bohane can put herself into positions to score or create spaces for her teammates to get free in the circle. She also has the vision to find the killer pass and the athleticism to get away from her marker and get into spots for teammates to find her. The Bulldogs were two points away from back-to-back league titles. Canton will be looking to get back on top in the Davenport and Bohane could be the forward to fire the Bulldogs to a league title challenge.
Kaitlyn Carney, Junior – Franklin
Carney has been a dominant force in the Franklin midfield for each of the past two seasons. Last year, Carney took advantage of the extra space on the field and scored a league-high 15 goals (tied with teammate Amanda Lewandowski) and seven assists. Carney dominates with her aggressive play on both ends of the field, willing to throw her body into the way to prevent attacks and then to do what it takes to get into the dangerous places in front of goal. She plays with an attitude that gives her an edge and her energy is hard for opponents to match, but Carney also has great stick skills and the vision to turn a few feet of space into a great scoring chance for herself or a teammate. With Carney growing into her role in the center this fall, Franklin will be looking to make it three straight league titles.
Kate Collins, Senior – Foxboro
For a young team that is missing last season’s leading scorer, the Warriors are going to rely on the experience and playmaking ability that Collins will bring to the center forward position. Collins led the team with eight assists last fall (and added four goals) and she brings a dose of dynamism and creativity near the circle that should create openings for her teammates. A strong, aggressive player who can carry the ball through traffic, Collins also has the speed to pull out to the wings and give defenses a different look in transition. Foxboro likes to defend as a team and the forward line is included. Collins doesn’t just lead the line on the attack but will also be the first line of defense, making it difficult for the opposition to get out on the break. Foxboro has been among the league’s most consistent programs and while there are a lot of players who will be learning on the job this year, the Warriors will look to Collins and the other seniors to keep them in the title mix throughout the season.
Georgia Costello, Senior – Oliver Ames
It was a title-winning return to the Davenport for Oliver Ames last season. The Tigers won the league by two points. It was the third straight season that OA won the division, separated by four years in the Kelley-Rex. If OA is going to repeat as champion, then Costello is going to be a key player. The team’s leading scorer from a year ago, Costello scored 10 times and had four assists. She was a strong finisher in the circle, with a hard, accurate shot, but also a strong passer capable of picking out teammates in dangerous areas. Costello’s quickness and quick thinking make her hard to mark. She finds small spaces in the defense and her stick skills allow her to get by the initial line of defense. Costello also drops deep to get possession from the midfield and can carry the ball forward. OA has title expectations again this year and Costello will be one of several attacking threats that have the Tigers thinking about going back-to-back at the top of the Davenport.
Madison Ellis, Senior – Attleboro
Attleboro’s program has come a long way over the past few years and the Bombardiers have a large, talented senior class that could take the next step and challenge for the division title this season. Ellis, a three-year varsity player, has been one of the team’s top attacking threats for the past two years (third on the team as a sophomore and tops with five goals and four assists as a junior). With her skill in possession, strong physical running, and her ability to find the open spots in an opposing defense, Ellis is hard to mark. The attention she generates then opens lanes for her teammates to run into and open spaces in the circle. Ellis is also a strong runner, who leads the Attleboro press, starting the team’s defensive effort up top and providing a lift in the midfield. The Bombardiers are a darkhorse to win the Kelley-Rex this season and Ellis’ goals and leadership could be the reason that Attleboro makes its best title challenge since entering the Hock.
Emily Gannon, Senior – Taunton
Gannon has proven to be one of the top shot stoppers in the league over the past few seasons. Even with an abbreviated 2020, she was able to showcase that ability to make the difficult save in a pair of ties against Mansfield and holding free-scoring Franklin to just three goals. Gannon uses her agility and quickness to cover a lot of ground and make saves even when it looks like she may have been beaten. She is a solid one-on-one goalie, and her aggressiveness allows her to cut out dangerous situations before it results in a shot on goal. Gannon is also a vocal leader at the back, which will be important for a Tigers team that is relatively inexperienced in the defensive corps. Although Taunton was forced to shorten its season considerably last fall, the Tigers will come into the new season with hopes of putting together a run to the postseason and challenging the Kelley-Rex’s perennial powers.
Molly Piller, Senior – King Philip
King Philip has a lot of experience coming back this fall to make a run at the Kelley-Rex title and the defensive corps should be particularly seasoned this year. Piller will be the last line of defense, working as the sweeper for the Warriors and cleaning up any of the chances that make it through the pressure. She is a strong, physical presence in the heart of the KP defense, but also has a strong reading of the game to see the danger and find the right spots to prevent scoring chances. An accurate passer out of defense, Piller can turn situations around quickly and get the Warriors into the attack. She is also quick and willing to get into the mix in front of goal, doing what it takes to prevent a chance. All of the Warriors’ losses last year were to league champ Franklin, so this year KP will be determined to turn that around and Piller’s leadership in defense will be a key to slowing down the Panthers and regaining the league crown.
Julia Puccio, Junior – North Attleboro
The Davenport division title race was a three-horse race last season, but right behind those top three was North Attleboro, thanks in large part to Puccio’s emergence as a top scorer. As a sophomore, Puccio led the Rocketeers with 12 goals and four assists, accounting for more than half of the team’s 26 goals. Another player that took full advantage of the extra space on the field last year, Puccio used her speed to get into the transition game and she proved to be a strong finisher around the cage, finding ways to score from different angles. She also showed strong stick skills and an extra burst of energy that allowed her to keep going when the field opened up and the game started going back-and-forth. North will be looking to move into that crowded title race and also to make a playoff push this fall and Puccio will be one of the players that the Rocketeers will hope can continue developing into consistent performers against the league’s best.
Lola Varricchione, Sophomore – Mansfield
Mansfield won back-to-back titles in 2014-15 but for the past five seasons the Hornets have watched rivals King Philip and Franklin split the titles. There are seven seniors on this year’s roster that will provide leadership, but it may be Varricchione, a sophomore coming off an impressive rookie campaign, who may provide the attacking spark that puts the Hornets back in the title mix. Last year, Varricchione showed a nose for the ball, finding good spaces to run into or tracking back and pressuring on defense. She has good stick skills and a willingness to crash the circle, while also providing a willing outlet in the midfield. Varricchione’s versatility will be an important part of the team effort that Mansfield is looking to put together this fall to not only return to the tournament but also to the top of the division.