Tag: Andre Menard

2018 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars

Below are the official 2018 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Hockomock League MVP

Walisson de Oliveira, Milford

Hockomock League All Stars

Will Halben, Attleboro
Andre Menard, Attleboro
Griffin Roach, Canton
Paul Corcoran, Canton
Paolo Ruggeri, Canton
Nic Beigel, Foxboro
Dylan Barreira, Foxboro
Joe Cusack, Foxboro
Nitin Chaudhury, Franklin
Tim Duval, Franklin
Zac White, King Philip
Tony Bozza, King Philip
Luke Savoie, Mansfield
Ethan Brill-Cass, Mansfield
Sam Nugent, Mansfield
Walisson de Olivera, Milford
Joey Madden, Milford
Joao Boaventura, Milford
Joe Hilf, North Attleboro
Kyle Briere, North Attleboro
Colin Milliken, Oliver Ames
Haendel Louhis, Oliver Ames
Matthew Wang, Sharon
Ethan Kantor, Sharon
Carter Gerome, Stoughton
Brett Beaulieu, Taunton

Honorable Mentions:
Colin Levis, Attleboro
Simon Cruz, Canton
Shane VandenBoom, Foxboro
Sam Stowell, Franklin
Andrew Thompson, King Philip
Derek Meuth, Mansfield
James Sales, North Attleboro
Niko Byron, Oliver Ames
Michael Baur, Sharon
Fabio Ponce De Leon, Stoughton
Alec Nunes, Taunton

Rocketeers Counter Late To Claim Leach & Garner Cup

North Attleboro boys soccer
Attleboro’s Nathan LaPlume and North Attleboro’s Joe Hilf battle for possession in the 34th annual Leach and Garner Cup. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – For nearly 80 minutes, Attleboro continue to knock on the door, but couldn’t break through.

And in a flash, just when it looked like the Bombardiers had a chance to find a way in, North Attleboro delivered a knockout punch on the counter attack, scoring the lone goal of the game in the 79th minute to secure its fourth straight Leach and Garner Cup.

In the 34th addition of the rivalry game between Big Blue and Big Red, it was the hosts that had a lion’s share of possession, though not a tremendous amount of scoring chances.

It looked like they might have something going with an attacking free kick late in the game. The service came in from the right flank but North Attleboro junior goalie Kyle Briere came flying out to punch the ball free.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Rocketeers quickly cleared the ball up field, where senior Joe Hilf did his job by holding the ball up right at midfield. That allowed North sophomore Matt Conley to come flying down the wing. Hilf played a ball in behind and Conley tracked it down. The sophomore delivered a hard cross to the far post where junior Alex Pfeffer connected on a one-timer. The shot bounced right off the ground and bounced over the outreach of Attleboro keeper Andre Mendard for the game-winning strike.

“When we started thinking about that situation was against Mansfield,” said North Attleboro head coach Geoff Burgess of the quick counter against opponents’ set pieces. “We knew when they go forward for set pieces, they push everyone but one defender up. And I think our chances with a 1-v-1 and if we get Matt Conley or one of the other guys on the outside running hard, not many teams are going to get enough numbers back in time. We hit Mansfield a couple of times with that exact situation so we started talking about using it more. Kyle knows when he comes out and catches a ball, find Joe and then everyone runs and we hit the counter.

“The first 10-15 minutes we played really well and moved the ball well but the first time we played them, we dropped hard and sat deep, and they ran out of ideas. They kept bombing it forward, we’d win the second ball and counter. And that’s how that game continued to go. It worked really well in the first game. This is what we’ve decided to play like because we’re pretty fast up front, Matt Conley on the outside is lightning, Joe Hilf is lightning. [Goalie] Kyle Briere is a stud back there, we trust him and we play out of his hands a lot. So we’ve bought into a defense first mentality so it’s just kind of what we expect now.”

While playing the counter is a dangerous weapon for the Rocketeers, it allows their opponents to mostly control the game. And that’s exactly what the Bombardiers did.

The challenge was the Attleboro couldn’t solve the Rocketeer back line of Remy Folan, Gavin O’Malley, Evan Rosenberg, and James Bush.

In the 18th minute, junior defender Josh Smith ventured into the offensive third and latched onto a cross from Colin Levis, but the difficult shot was wide. Six minutes later, the Bombardiers had their first bid on goal when Brady Holander placed a free kick from 30 yards out on frame but it was right at Briere.

While Attleboro controlled the play, North Attleboro nearly stole the lead right before half. On a corner from Joey Coscarella, a low service was dummied before Hilf ran onto it and delivered a hard shot on frame. Menard, who was going the other way, made a diving save back to his left and made a one-handed save to keep it out.

Hilf had another chance on the next corner but Menard pushed the header over the bar.
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While Hilf had a pair of chances to find the back of the net, it was ultimately his hold up play late in the game that led to the game-winning, something that the senior has worked on to add to his game this year.

“He’s been working really hard on that,” Burgess said. “He’s a player that prefers the flicks and touches to himself but we’ve been working hard on having him bring it down, let the other guys come forward and playing it. He does a nice job with his flicks to keep the offense honest but having him bring it down and let the offense run up, we can create some chances that way.”

In the 63rd minute, Attleboro’s Aidan Lancaster saw his low shot from atop the area roll wide. North nearly countered an Attleboro corner in the 70th minute when Hilf played Matt Mordini in behind the defense by Menard came charging off his line for the clearance.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Attleboro senior Will Halben had a bid saved by Briere in the 72nd minutes, and two minutes later Levis’ low shot off a corner kick went just wide of the post.

“That’s been our entire season,” said Attleboro coach Peter Pereira. “We’ve outplayed a lot of teams but we don’t have a true finisher. We had some shots but nothing too dangerous. This is like the sixth game where we’ve made one mistake, in this case not coming back to cover, and we lose. It’s tough because the kids were looking forward to this one. Second half I thought we were better, played some good soccer but they have a good defense, a good goalie…they hold on, hold on, and then they get the break at the end but that’s why you play 80 minutes.”

North Attleboro boys soccer (6-3-8 overall, 5-3-7 Hockomock) finishes the regular season at home against Sharon on Tuesday afternoon as it tries to improve its seeding for the D2 South bracket. Attleboro (5-9-3, 5-8-3) closes its season on Monday afternoon against New Bedford.

“We think we’ll be a tough out in the tournament,” Burgess said. “We don’t give up many goes and if we can counter and hit you once, it could be enough. It’s real important to know we can strike late. I was selling this style at the beginning of the year and now they’ve bought into. So now they have the confidence they can sit, play defense and then all they need is one chance and it can be a game-winner.”

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/17/18


Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Both sides had a handful of chances but couldn’t convert as each team took a point from the draw. Oliver Ames goalie Jacob Lerman an Attleboro keeper Andre Menard both had strong outings.

Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Canton scored once and each half, rolling to a win over visiting Stoughton. Griffin Roach put the Dogs up 1-0 midway through the first half, finishing off a throw-in from Paul Corcoran. Early in the second half, Simon Cruz doubled the hosts’ lead, burying a corner kick. Stoughton’s Ryan Reis had a pair of chances late for the visitors, with a header and a volley, but Canton goalie Alejandro Correal made the save both times. Stoughton goalie Carter Gerome finished with 17 saves.

Foxboro, 0 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Walisson de Oliveira scored a hat trick to pace the Hawks to a big win over visiting Foxboro. Sophomore Leo Coelho opened the scoring in the 10th minute for the Hawks, de Oliveira doubled the lead in the 25th minute, and then tallied twice in the second half. Coelho scored on a through ball from Jordan Borges, who also set de Oliveira up to make it 2-0. In the second half, de Oliveira scored directly off a free kick, finding the top corner, and then again off a counter. Josh Orellana made four saves for the shutout in his season debut while Zach Browne and Joao Boaventura played well defensively for the Hawks.

Franklin, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Mansfield senior Luke Savoie continued his hot start to the season, scoring a pair of goals in the Hornets’ win over Franklin. After a throw from Cam Eddy, freshman Dylan Buchanan found Savoie to put the Hornets up 1-0 in the 22nd minute. And just before halftime, Graham Wells played Savoie in behind the defense and the senior finished one-on-one with the keeper. Anthony Salisbury (five saves) and Cam Bovey (five saves) combined for the shutout for Mansfield.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – King Philip carried the play and threatened to scored but settled for a scoreless draw with Taunton. Brian McCarthy, Andrew Thompson, and Wes Orzell had strong games defensively while goalie Nick Beltramini came up big on a handful of occasions for the Warriors.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 0 – Final

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Camryn O’Connor scored the game-winner for OA in the final two minutes of the game. Daniella Ferrini gave the Tigers the lead 1-0 at the break (assisted by Leah Johnson), but the Bombardiers evened the score in the second half. OA coach Britt Sellmayer said Maeve Hogan and Emma Pereira played well.

Canton, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Stoughton coach Tara Daniels credited Gabi Diaz and Corina Kavanagh for holding things together for the Black Knights defense.

Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Kailee McCabe scored a pair of goals and had an assist for the Warriors, while Grace Ferguson, Lizzie Davis, and Jordyn Collins each scored one in the win. Katelyn Mollica, Alyssa Vandenboom and Davis each had an assist. Foxboro coach Katie Stalcup said that the Warriors got off to a slow start but “once we found our game we took control of the game.”

Mansfield, 1 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Ashlyn Gaulin had four goals and two assists to lead North Attleboro to a big win. Haley Ferrin scored the opener for North with a header on a corner, Lydia Santos had a brace and Lily Cameron added a goal on a penalty kick. Kayla Pasquel had three assists and Liv Bishop had one. Emma Noreck and Regan Fein split time in net to keep the clean sheet.

King Philip, 8 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Avery Snead and Chloe Layne each scored hat tricks, as KP picked up a big road win to stay atop the Kelley-Rex division. Snead opened the scoring off a Layne assist 20 minutes into the game and then Layne doubled the lead off a Faye Veilleux assist five minutes later. Megan Flanagan scored of an Alex Wapenski assist in the 37th to cut the lead in half (the first goal KP has allowed this season), but the Warriors scored five times after the break. Abby Baker scored off an Ally Stanton assist a minute into the second half, Snead scored from Layne four minutes later, and Layne scored from Snead in the 47th minute. Kiana Fernandes got one back with a goal from Paige Tolan, but then Snead scored unassisted for KP, Layne scored from Makayla Griffin, and Jenny Montville tacked on an unassisted goal in the 76th minute. Grace Pimenta made four saves and Izzy Anslow made nine for the Tigers.

Field Hockey
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames scored two goals in the first half and added an insurance tally in the second in a win over Attleboro. Sophomore Hannah Stryke gave the Tigers the lead with 11:26 left in the first half, finishing off a feed from Cassie Gennis. Gennis’ shot was tipped by Georgia Costello five minutes later to make it 2-0 heading into half. In the second half, Meghan Rockey capitalized on a rebound off the pads on a penalty corner in the second half to secure the win. Kara Ostrander in goal had 5 saves to secure her first shutout of the season. Attleboro’s Shaelyn Harrison had eight saves in net for the Bombardiers.

Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final

Milford, 0 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final

Franklin, 2 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – For Franklin, Regan Patterson and Amanda Lewandowski each had first half goals but the Panthers fell on the road to Mansfield. Cassi Ronan set Paterson up at the 22nd mark of the first half while Maeve Ledwith assisted on Lewandowski’s goal just over four minutes later. Anna Jardine made 11 saves in net for Franklin.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Sharon, 0 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – “It was a great team effort from top to bottom,” said KP co-head coach Erin MacDonald. The Warriors scored twice in each half in the win. Nicole Connor (from Kate Lindmark) and Claire Lawlor (from Alli Meehan) put the hosts ahead 2-0 after 30 minutes of play. Connor made it 3-0 on an assist from Meehan, and Meehan capped the scoring (assisted by Lindmark).


Volleyball
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames went on the road and recorded a 3-0 sweep (25-18, 25-16, 25-13). OA freshman Hailey Bourne stepped up and had a great serving game for the Tigers. Senior Sadie Homer added 16 digs, Allie Kemp finished with 15 assists, and Jordan Bosse chipped in with 12 kills and two aces. For Attleboro, Chelsea Calgagni had nine kills and an ace, Faith Hindy added two aces, and Ana Leonardo (two aces) dished out 13 assists.

Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton defended home court with a sweep over Davenport rival Stoughton (25-20, 25-21, 25-17). Julia Minichiello anchored the defense with an impressive performance for the Bulldogs, finishing with nine digs while adding 22 service points (three aces). Olivia Chinsen added 10 assists, four kills, and four aces while Nicole Brown and Taylor Harris combined for 16 kills. CHS head coach Pat Cawley said Liz Bickett impressed in her first varsity start, playing a strong match at the net.

Milford, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final

Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Franklin senior Lauren McGrath went on a 9-0 service run during the third set to help the Panthers put away a pesky Mansfield side, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-5). McGrath also had 25 assists and two aces while Riley Marino added seven digs and two aces. Maggie Doyle had a team-high eight kills and three blocks, Ellie Wisniewski added seven kills, Peyton Arone chipped in with six kills, and Hailey Sanders finished with five kills for Franklin. For Mansfield, Sam Sternberg had 11 digs, Katie Dardinski had five digs, and Olivia McGrath finished with six kills.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip used strong serving to knock off visiting Taunton, 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-21). Kat Kmetz (two kills) had 11 aces and a total of 17 service points while Grace Ely (11 kills) added five aces with 10 service points. Nicole Coughlan added five kills and two blocks while Caroline Robertson finished with four kills and two blocks for King Philip. For Taunton, McKenzie Lucie (ace) led the back row with 10 digs and Kamila Cuevas had a strong game at the net.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – After splitting the first two sets, North Attleboro edged the Eagles in each of the net two to get the win on the road (25-22, 21-25, 25-23, 25-17). Kylie Melanson went on a terrific service run in the first set to get the Rocketeers back in it and finished with eight kills. Joanna Collins-Bilyeu had 19 assists and Hayley Gaskin added 12 assists for Big Red.

Boys Cross Country
Mansfield, 15 @ Attleboro, 45 – Final – Mansfield senior Paxton Howard crossed the finish line in just under 16 minutes to lead the Hornets to a win. Mansfield had the top six finishers and eight of the top 10. Attleboro sophomore Nate Seybert was the top runner for the Bombardiers, finishing seventh overall.

Top 10: 1. Paxton Howard (Mans, 15:59) 2. Patrick Heavey (Mans, 16:01) 3. Peter Sullivan (Mans, 16:02) 4. Justin Miller (Mansfield, 16:05) 5. Cullen Lancaster (Mans, 16:07) 6. Mike Mullahy (Mans, 16:08) 7. Nate Seybert (Att, 16:30) 8. Ben Thibeault (Mans, 17:24) 10. Sam Donnellan (Mans, 17:28).

Foxboro, 29 @ Canton, 26 – Final – Foxboro’s Ryan Proulx took first in the race but Canton took three of the next four finishes to edge the Warriors in the meet. Kyle Downing was Canton’s top runner, taking second overall with teammate Alex Maddestra coming in right behind for third. Canton’s Jack Hernon’s was fifth overall at 20:07.

Top 10: 1. Ryan Proulx (Fox, 18:41) 2. Kyle Downing (Can, 19:04) 3. Alex Maddestra (Can, 19:09) 4. Trey Lawson (Fox, 19:32) 5. Jack Hernon (Can, 20:07) 6. Patrick Piscitelli (Fox, 20:24) 7. Chris Rota (Can, 20:59) 8. Nate Palter (Fox, 21:22) 9. Ryan Carney (Can, 21:37) 10. Paxton Downs (Fox, 21:43).

King Philip, 36 @ Franklin, 23 – Final – Franklin took four of the top six spots and seven of the top 10 to earn a victory over King Philip. Junior Tyler Brogan took first with 16:22, edging out King Philip’s Mike Griffin. Franklin senior Michael Hagen was third while sophomore Nicholas Calitri and senior Dylan Kehoe were fifth and sixth, respectively.

Top 10: 1. Tyler Brogan (Frank, 16:22) 2. Mike Griffin (KP, 16:28) 3. Michael Hagen (Frank, 16:46) 4. Mike Norberg (KP, 17:25) 5. Nicholas Calitri (Frank, 17:49) 6. Dylan Kehoe (Frank, 17:50) 7. Eric DeLorenzo (KP, 17:54) 8. Ryan Goldman (Frank, 18:05) 9. Camden Harrington (Frank, 18:14) 10. Mitchell Regan (Frank, 18:26).

Sharon, 19 @ Milford, 38 – Final – Sharon grabbed first, second, and third and ran away with a win over Milford. Senior Alex Starovoytov had the top time, clocking in at 16:49 to win the race. Junior Jacob Dubin and sophomore Jordan Saks took second and third, respectively, for the Eagles. Miflord’s Gianni Pumo was the top runner for the Hawks, taking fourth.

Top 10: 1 Alex Starovoytov, (Sha, 16:49) 2. Jacob Dubin (Sha, 17:09) 3. Jordan Saks (Sha, 17:10) 4. Gianni Pumo (Mil, 17:22) 5. Max Manor (Mil, 17:22.3) 6. James Gong (Sha, 17:24), 7. Siddarth Reddy (Sha, 17:38) 8. Chris Berthrong (Mil, 17:48) 9. Brendan O’Shaughnessy (Mil, 17:53) 10. Jared Osofsky (Sha, 17:56).

Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Taunton, 37 @ Oliver Ames, 18 – Final

Girls Cross Country
Mansfield, 23 @ Attleboro, 32 – Final – Mansfield senior Maggie Riley had a 43 second PR from a season ago, taking second overall at 19:05 to help the Hornets beat the Bombardiers. Attleboro’s Shea Jamieson took first but the Hornets had second, third (Tessa Lancaster), fifth (Emma Lamson), sixth (Brinly Meelia) and seventh (Jessica Alestock), the last three spots clinching the win for Mansfield.

Top 10: Shea Jamieson (Att, 18:57) 2. Maggie Riley (Mans, 19:05) 3. Tessa Lancaster (Mans, 19:17) 4. Kelly Neuendorf (Att, 20:11) 5. Emma Lamson (Mans, 20:14) 6. Brinly Meelia (Mans, 20:32) 7. Jessica Alestock (Mans, 20:35) 8. Kimberly Esteban (Att, 21:33) 9. Mackenzie Wildrick (Att, 21:34) 10. Diana Blouin (Att, 21:51).

Foxboro, 17 @ Canton, 43 – Final – Foxboro had the top three runners in the meet and eight of the top 10 in a big win at Canton. Abby Hassman and Lexi Quinn each crossed at 22:24 to pace the Warriors while Lindsey Nelson was third for Foxboro. Canton’s Chloe Pennacchio took fourth overall as the top runner for the Bulldogs.

Top 10: T1. Abby Hassman (Fox, 22:24) T1. Lexi Quinn (Fox, 22:24) 3. Lindsey Nelson (Fox, 22:28) 4. Chloe Pennacchio (Can, 23:52) 5. Jill Finn (Fox, 24:43) 6. Jenn Yeomans (Fox, 24:48) 7. Kayla Wong (Can, 26:08) 8. Amy Conley (Fox, 26:15) 9. Emily Steele (Fox, 26:22) 10. Isabel Hallal (Fox, 27:16).

King Philip, 30 @ Franklin, 27 – Final – King Philip had the top two finishers but Franklin’s depth paid off, taking the next three spots and five of the top eight spots. KP’s Maya Evans was first followed by teammate Ryenn Hart. Franklin’s Julia Fenerty, Sidney Hawks, and Kat Walbert were third, fourth, and fifth overall, respectively.

Top 10: 1. Maya Evans (KP, 20:49) 2. Ryenn Hart (KP, 21:01) 3. Julia Fenerty (Frank, 22:01), 4. Sidney Hawkins (Frank, 22:53) 5. Kat Walbert (Frank, 23:03) 6. Abi Simmons (KP, 23:07) 7. Brandi Osborne (Frank, 23:13) 8. Sara Giuiano (Frank, 23:17) 9. Ava Pisani (KP, 23:32) 10. Erin Barry (Frank, 23:38).

Sharon, 21 @ Milford, 38 – Final

Top 10: 4. Lexi Marcolini (Mil, 21:51) 5. Sara Comisky (Mil, 22:10) 6. Lilian Thibeault (Mil, 22:35).

Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Taunton, 23 @ Oliver Ames, 35 – Final

Golf
Franklin, 165 @ Attleboro, 178 – Final – Franklin’s Matt D’Errico earned match medalist honors, carding a round of 39 to pace the Panthers to a win at Stone-E-Lea over Attleboro. Jack Paterson added a 40 and Quinten Faro carded a 40 for Franklin. For Attleboro, Jake Moulton had a team-low round of 42.

Oliver Ames, 160 @ King Philip, 176 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Liam Barry shot a medalist round of 37 at Wentworth Hills to help the Tigers beat King Philip. Nolan Donze shot a 38 for OA while Jared Spillane added a 42 and Thomas Walsh carded a round of 43.

Sharon, 153 @ North Attleboro, 168 – Final – Sharon had three golfers shoot under 40 on the North course at Heather Hill to beat North Attleboro. Ethan Skelly shot a 1-under par round of 35 to earn medalist honors, Sam Fergenbaum shot an even par 36, and Corey Carter was 1-over at 37. North Attleboro’s Matt Wanless had a team-low round of 41 while Marcus Costa and Aidan Weir each shot 42 on the day.

Stoughton, 189 @ Milford, 168 – Final – Milford’s Riley Lynch earned medalist honors, carding a match-low round of 40. Justin Applebee chipped in with a 41 and Alex Klosen shot a 42 for the Scarlet Hawks.

Attleboro Cashes In Late To Take Down Canton

Attleboro boys soccer
Canton’s Paul Corcoran (left) challenges Attleboro’s Aidan Lancaster in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Attleboro head coach Peter Pereira knew he needed junior outside back Josh Smith to have a strong game defensively.

Not only did Smith deliver, he gave a little extra.

Smith scored his first career goal in the 71st minute to break open a scoreless game to help the Bombardiers take a 2-0 decision over Canton in their season opener.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“More importantly than the goal, he defended their best player,” Pereira said. “We were trying to find someone to finish, we tried subbing too. It was good for Josh to get it. He’s a solid player, he’s not a flashy player but he’s very smart.”

For the majority of the game, Smith was tasked with dealing with a Bulldogs’ offense that scored four goals in their season opener just days earlier against Marshfield. But he was able to give Attleboro the lead just inside the final 10 minutes.

After a free kick was partially cleared by the Bulldogs’ defense, junior Michael Russo delivers a service back into the area. Sophomore Joey Soucy ran onto it and fired a one-time shot from in close. Canton keeper Alejandro Correal made a terrific first save but the rebound popped loose and Smith was there to tap it in for a 1-0 lead.

“It was a good win, the kids are excited,” Pereira said. Attleboro was the last of the 12 Hockomock teams to kickoff its 2018 campaign. “They’ve been ready to go, everyone else has been playing. They were nervous in the first half but then we settled down and it was a totally different team out there for us in the second half.”

The game was loaded was chances for both sides but it wasn’t until Smith’s goal in the final 10 minutes either side broke through.

With Canton down a goal and pushing for an equalizer, Attleboro senior Will Halben gained possession just over half after a turnover. He went at the defense with pace, getting by his mark and rifling a shot into the far corner to make it 2-0 in the 77th minute.

“Towards the end of the game, when you’re up by a goal, he can be deadly,” Pereira said of Halben, who has been the Bombardiers’ leading scorer for the past two years. “He had a couple of chances earlier too and he’ll get a couple of those each game, but it was nice to have him finish.”

The Bulldogs had the better of play for the first 40 minutes but couldn’t find the back of the net. Griffin Roach had a header off Paul Corcoran’s throw-in saved by Attleboro keeper Andre Menard in the opening 15 minutes.

The best chance came off the foot of TJ McCabe. After winning possession near midfield, the sophomore beat off two defenders to gain some space before ripping a hard shot from 25 yards out that just sailed over the crossbar.

“You can’t play 40 minutes of the first half where you’re really on your front foot dominating and not score a goal and think you’re going to win a game, you can’t do that in the Hockomock League,” said Canton head coach Danny Erickson, now in his 26th season at the helm of the Bulldogs.

“Attleboro is too good a team for that. I thought we played great soccer today, pretty much start to finish. I thought the second half was even, we both had some chances. I thought we dominated the first half but Attleboro was clean with a couple finishes in the end and that was the difference. But that was a great Hockomock League game. We could have come out on top but Attleboro deserved it today.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The first half hour of the second half was full of goal scoring chances, including two from Canton inside the first 15 minutes. Corcoran linked up with McCabe, who found Cruz but his chance was turned aside. Two minutes later, Roach once again got his head on a throw by Corcoran but it went just over the bar.

Attleboro countered two minutes later when Brady Holander’s service connected to Justin Lurssen but Correal made a nice diving save to keep the game level.

The Bombardiers next best chance came 10 minutes later when Eli Araujo played Halben into space behind the defense and the senior got past Correal but was forced wide enough by the keeper where his tough angle shot went high.

“The first half, they had the play and then in the second half I thought we outplayed them a little bit,” Pereira said. “They are a good team, they play physical, they play quick, they have size. That was a good game. You knew whoever got the first goal was going to get the win. We ended up with two nice ones.”

Attleboro boys soccer (1-0 Hockomock, 1-0 overall) faces another stiff challenge on Wednesday when it welcomes Mansfield (2-0) to Tozier-Cassidy Field. Canton (0-1, 1-1) will try to bounce back when it hits the road to take on Foxboro on the same day.

Boys Soccer: 2018 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

2018 Kelley-Rex Boys Soccer Preview
Taunton’s Colby Fernandes and Franklin’ Nitin Chaudhury battle for possession last season. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Kelley-Rex Boys Soccer Preview

Attleboro

2017 Record: 4-9-5
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Peter Pereira

Attleboro is aiming to use a strong nucleus of returning players to get back into the state tournament after a couple of years of being on the outside looking in.

“We are excited about the team and looking forward to doing well in the Hockomock, which is not an easy task since there is a lot of talent and good teams in the league,” said Attleboro head coach Peter Pereira.

The Bombardiers bring back a seasoned group of defenders that will hopefully give them stability in the back. Colin Levis brings the most varsity experience to the group and will be joined by Connor Dunn, Josh Smith, and Nathan LaPlume. Senior transfer Aaron Flynn and classmates Jared Cooper and Alex Naughton give the Bombardiers a solid group of veterans in the back. Seniors Andre Menard and Tyler Biller are candidates for the starting goalie position.

Pereira has a lot of options to work with in the midfield, including senior Aidan Lancaster. Lancaster has experience playing defense as well so can provide an extra layer of defense when needed. Another familiar face back in midfield will be Michael Russo, who showed flashes of great skill during his sophomore season. Russo and Lancaster will be joined by Brady Holander, Hugo Henriquez, Kevin Raczkowski and Patrick Raczkowski.

There will be another familiar face up front as Will Halben returns as the feature striker. Halben has been Attleboro’s leading scorer the past two seasons and will be a major factor up front again this year. Eli Araujo, Joey Soucy, Justin Lurssen, and Guilherme Machado are expected to provide help up top as well.

Franklin

2017 Record: 5-9-4
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Fran Bositis

After going through some growing pains throughout the 2017 season, the Panthers are looking to make it back to the state tournament.

It all starts with the Panthers’ three senior captains, who will be relied upon to help Franklin compete in a very talented Kelley-Rex division.

Nitin Chaudhury, Nick Barry, and Sam Stowell are all veteran players and will be joined by 10 other returners from last year’s team that got better as the season went on. The Panthers must replace talented goalie Freddie Beckmann but head coach Fran Bositis is expecting good things from junior Jack Rudolph because of his excellent athletic ability.

Chaudhury will once again be the engine of the team from the midfield position while Stowell is back for his third year in the heart of the Panthers’ defense. Jacob Cummings will be another weapon for Franklin in the midfield while senior Tim Duval and junior Donny Tappin return up top.

“As always we are looking forward to competing in the very competitive Hockomock League,” Bositis said.

King Philip

2017 Record: 11-8-2
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Nick Gale

The Warriors have had back-to-back successful seasons and are looking to make it three straight, despite losing six experienced starters to graduation.

While King Philip certainly has some shoes to fill, head coach Nick Gale has a lot of options to work with and is aiming to make another appearance in the state tournament.

Senior captains Zac White, Tony Bozza, and John Cullen have all seen plenty of varsity minutes over the past couple of seasons and are ready to lead the 2018 Warriors. White and Cullen will be major factors in the midfield while Bozza gives the Warriors some pace up top. White and Cullen will be joined in the midfield by a trio of sophomores – Evan McEvoy, Camron Lawrence, and Ajae Olsen – all of whom saw some minutes as freshmen a year ago.

KP’s defense has been among the best in the league over the past two seasons but will need some new faces to step up to continue that trend this year. The Warriors do have some experience with senior Andrew Thompson and juniors Brian McCarthy and Wesley Orzell all expected to step up in the back for KP.

“We’re a much smaller team this year, but we haven’t lost our willingness to fight while defending,” Gale said. “Our focus will be on improving team defending and our ability to press intelligently. We have defenders returning with varsity experience and they’re committed to working together to ensure we’re organized and defending as a team.”

Mansfield

2017 Record: 10-3-6
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Steve Sheridan

Although Mansfield graduated over a dozen seniors, and the majority of its starting lineup, the Hornets have a strong presence in the middle of the pitch and are looking to build off that to compete for the Kelley-Rex title.

The Hornets bring back EMass All Star Sam Nugent at center back and he’ll be joined by Ethan Brill-Cass, who had a bright sophomore season but missed all of last year due to injury. Mansfield’s defense will feature all seniors as Derek Meuth and Matt O’Donnell fill out the back four for the Hornets. Tony Salisbury and Cam Bovey are competing for the starting spot in goal.

Mansfield also has seniors Luke Savoie and Luke Devine back in the center of the pitch to patrol the midfield. Both Savoie and Devine were key pieces for last year’s Hornets team, which came within one point from earning a share of the league title with OA. One spot that Mansfield is looking for new faces is up top, but options include Colin Caridi, Owen Mullahy, and Raffi Marzella.

“Having to fill the loss of 14 seniors from last season is going to be challenging,” said MHS head coach Steve Sheridan. “We have a variety of guys on offense that I’ll be expecting big things from, time will tell who will step up.”

Oliver Ames

2017 Record: 15-3-4 (Kelley-Rex Champions)
2017 Finish: Reached D2 State Final
Coach: John Barata

It’s not often a team graduates its entire starting lineup and then some, but that’s the situation defending Kelley-Rex champions Oliver Ames finds itself in.

The Tigers lost a whopping 20 seniors to graduation and return just four players from last year’s roster so it there will be a completely new look for OA in 2018. But that doesn’t mean the standards will be any lower for the Tigers, who have made three state final appearances in the last four years.

“We have a completely new team and we are looking forward to working hard,” said OA head coach John Barata. “Our primary objective is to get better every day and try to compete in a very difficult and talented Hockomock League.”

OA’s defense was among the best in the entire state last season, allowing just 15 goals in 22 games played. Barata will be looking for Aaron MacDonald, Andrew Leite, Harry Ahearn, Matthew Nosalek, and Jon Freeman to step up and fill in the spots along the back line. Senior Jacob Lerman and sophomore Drew Nickla are battling for the starting spot in goal.

On the offensive side of the ball, Barata is looking for contributions from Colin Milliken, Anthony DaCosta, Matt Nikiciuk, Sean Flaherty, Niko Byron, Kevin Louhis and Haendal Louhis to carry to load.

Taunton

2017 Record: 3-14-2
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Taylor Whitters

A solid nucleus returning from last season and more cohesiveness are two of the top reasons for optimism for the Taunton High boys soccer team.

The Tigers have players back all over the field and are hoping that the combination of experience and some fresh faces leads to a competitive season in a very competitive division. Junior Nolan Melo made a splash last season when he took over as starting keeper and looks to be one of the top players at that position in the league.

Senior Evan Melo will be tasked with anchoring the defense from his center back position while Taunton will look for some new faces to step alongside him. Colby Fernandes returns to his defensive midfield spot and Liam Crowley is back as the attacking midfielder in the middle to give the Tigers a nice steady presence up the center of the pitch.

Leading scorer Brett Beaulieu (nine goals, four assists) is back as the featured striker while Alec Nunes can either pair with Beaulieu up top or drop into the midfield when needed. Kyle Aubin is another returning midfield option for the Tigers.

“We have seven returning starters this season and a team with solid technical ability as well as great team chemistry and athleticism,” said Taunton head coach Taylor Whitters.

Lanzillo Nets Two in Mansfield Shutout of Attleboro

Mansfield boys soccer
Mansfield senior Sean Lanzillo (17) scored a pair of first half goals to help the Hornets beat Attleboro and stay within three points of first place OA. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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MANSFIELD, Mass. – For the opening 15 minutes, the visiting Bombardiers controlled the play, dominating the midfield and pushing Mansfield back on its heels. In the 10th minute, Will Halben cut inside on his right foot and found space on the edge of the box. His shot beat Mansfield goalie Nick Ferraz, but not the post.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Five minutes later, Hornets senior midfielder Sam Hyland had the ball bounce to his foot inside the 18-yard-box and also saw his shot carom off the post, but the rebound went straight to classmate Sean Lanzillo and he buried his shot into the open net.

The opening goal changed the entire outlook of the game and propelled the Hornets to a 3-0 victory over Attleboro that moves Mansfield within three points of division-leading Oliver Ames with three games remaining in the regular season.

“Our first 15 minutes, I don’t think we played well at all,” admitted Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan. “We were lucky on that goal and that’s why I called a timeout after it to settle everybody down. After that first 15 minutes, I thought we played great. They were attacking us and we played good defense, it was a great game.”

Attleboro coach Peter Pereira said, “Us hitting the bar right away was tough. If he had gotten that then it would’ve been a totally different game. The first 20 minutes we ran and we denied them from playing so they couldn’t get going.”

Following Sheridan’s timeout, the Hornets settled into the game, started to possess the ball better, and played through the midfield. In the 28th minute, the hosts almost doubled the lead when Cullin Anastasia started a break with an outlet pass to Lanzillo, who then fed Hyland but the shot was saved by Nick Hasenfus. Seconds later Anastasia beat the offside trap but again Hasenfus made the stop.

“You can’t sustain it that long, it’s just too much running,” said Pereira about his team’s drop off after the midway point of the half. “You go a goal down and your energy level disappears.”

In the 29th minute, Mansfield got another break on a deflection. Luke Devine’s run was cut off by Attleboro center backs Aidan Lancaster and Colin Levis, but the ball bounced out to Lanzillo who hit a perfect, first time shot from 19 yards that curled over Hasenfus for a 2-0 lead.

“He curled it in,” said Sheridan with a laugh. “That was nice, I can’t wait to watch it.”

In the second half, Mansfield pressed its advantage and created a series of chances. Lanzillo’s cross from the right wing was headed on target by Anastasia but saved by Attleboro back-up keeper Andre Menard and two minutes later another low cross into the middle to Hyland was cut out by a sliding Levis.

In the 55th minute, central defender Sam Nugent slid a pass to spring Lanzillo down the touchline, but his cross was just behind Hyland in the middle. That turned out to be a warning for the Attleboro defense, as just a minute later Lanzillo played in Anastasia on the right and he picked out Hyland with a low cross that was side-footed in.

Pereira said, “We work hard and even after that we continued to work hard. We can play touch, but it gets into your head. Losing breeds losing and winning breads winning, we’re not confident.”

It could have been more for the Hornets. Jared Gabrilowitz cut in from the left side and had his right-footed shot saved by Menard at full stretch. From the ensuing corner, Michael Russo was forced to clear a shot off the line.

“We should’ve had more goals but…we can’t finish,” said Sheridan. ”To have that many opportunities, especially in that second half, and we’ve got to finish them.”

Attleboro struggled to sustain a consistent attack. Russo had a shot saved early in the second half and David Medeiros had an 18-yard shot comfortably saved by Ferraz (four saves).

The best chance for the Bombardiers came in the 70th minute, as Russo got forward down the left wing and sent an inch-perfect cross to Halben at the back post only to see the shot come back off the crossbar.

“The good news is this is a two-year project,” said Pereira about his young roster. “The starting lineup is back. Now we’re going to have some fun, work hard, get better as individuals and if they do that then we’ll be a better team.”

For Sheridan, it was a positive to see his team get on the score sheet multiple times, especially with the playoffs right around the corner. He joked, “Oh yeah, it was nice. I liked it. I would like to score more than three goals a game but we’re stubborn and we like to make it hard on ourselves.”

Mansfield (8-2-5, 8-1-4) will host Franklin on Thursday, while Attleboro (1-8-4, 1-8-4) will try to play spoiler when it hosts league-leading Oliver Ames.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.