11/26/201811/26/2018

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

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

09/26/201809/26/2018

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/26/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 2 @ Foxboro, 8 – Final – Foxboro junior Dylan Barreira stayed red hot, scoring six goals for the second straight game to lead the Warriors to a big win at home. Barreira scored three goals in each half, giving the hosts a 3-1 edge at the break. Nic Beigel (assist) and Chris Amiable each scored once while Matt Garcia had two assists and Will Morrison had one helper.

Mansfield, 0 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Both Canton and Mansfield had a handful of corners and long throw in chances but neither side could break the stalemate. Mansfield goalie Anthony Salisbury made a terrific one-handed diving save in the 54th minute to rob Griffin Roach of a goal from just outside the area. On the ensuing corner, Simon Cruz had a big on goal denied by defender Matt O’Donnell, who was positioned at the near post. Alejandro Correal had a strong game in net for the Bulldogs.

Franklin, 0 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final

King Philip, 7 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – King Philip raced out to a 3-1 lead at halftime and added four more goals in the second half to pick up two points on the road. KP scored three goals inside the first 11 minutes with sophomore Evan McEvoy (from Zac White) scoring the opening strike and assisting on Ian Zimmerman’s goal two minutes later. Tony Bozza mad 3-0 before Stoughton freshman Mateo Eschleman converted a long throw-in from Ikenna Dike to get on the board. In the second half, McEvoy (from John Cullen) and Cam Lawrence (from Bozza) scored in the first four minutes to make it 6-1. Senior Justin Willson added two more goals on assists from Gavon Fox and Andrew Thompson.

Taunton, 0 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Milford exploded for three goals in the second half to earn a convincing win over visiting Taunton. Omar Lema scored his second goal in as many games just two minutes in to give the Hawks an early lead. But Milford didn’t add onto it until the second half. Jordan Borges made it 2-0 just minutes into the second half on an assist from Walisson de Oliveira. Borges then returned the favor, setting de Oliveira up to a pair of goals to give the Hawks a 4-0 win.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Sharon took a very early lead but had to come up with a late equalizer in the first half to earn a point against visiting Oliver Ames. Isaiah Stessman put the Eagles up less than two minutes in, converting a cross from Brian Higgins to make it 1-0. OA capitalized on an Eagle miscue as Jimmy Keane pounced on a loose ball and tied it for OA. The Tigers then took a lead as sophomore Colin Milliken blasted a shot from atop the 18 to give the visitors a 2-1 advantage. With five seconds left in the first half, Higgins used a nice individual effort to get by the defense and scored to make it 2-2.

Girls Soccer
Foxboro, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Attleboro took an early led but Foxboro battled back to get the advantage and earn two points. After Attleboro took a 1-0 lead, Jordyn Collins equalized for Foxboro, converting an assist from Kenzi Fraser. Freshman Kailee McCabe scored on a penalty kick midway through the first half, and then scored again in the second half on a pass from Lizzy Davis.

Canton, 0 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Maria Sevastos scored twice and assisted on another as Mansfield stayed unbeaten with a four-goal flurry in the first half against Canton. Steph Kemp and Cassidy McMahon each scored goals for the Hornets and McMahon added an assist as well. Emily Vigeant assisted on a pair of goals in the win.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Stella Regan had a pair of goals in the first half, assisted by Calen Frongillo and Hailey Toolin, to lead the Panthers to a big cross-over win. Breanna Atwood made eight saves to preserve the clean sheet for Franklin. Emma Noreck made six saves for the Rocketeers.

Sharon, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Senior Samantha Gilgan, junior Lauren Picanzi, and senior Daniella Ferrini each scored as Oliver Ames notched a win at home over Sharon.

Stoughton, 1 @ King Philip, 8 – Final – Cara Perry scored for the Black Knights, finding the back of the net off a cross by Mackenzie Manning.

Milford, 2 @ Taunton, 0 – Final

Field Hockey
Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 2 @ Brockton, 0 – Final – Haley Nelson and Allie Howe each cored once as Stoughton went on the road and beat the Boxers of Brockton High. Kayla Laboy recorded the shutout in goal for the Black Knights.

Golf
Stoughton, 184 @ Canton, 147 – Final – Canton’s Tommy Dimock shot a match-low round of 35, earning medalist honors while helping the Bulldogs net their lowest score of the season. Mike Gobbi and Mike Leonetti each shot 37 while Thomas Singleton carded a 38. Josh Hough led Stoughton with a 42 and Luke Bainton shot 44.

Mansfield, 174 @ Franklin, 166 – Final – Franklin notched its second straight win over a division foe, this time knocking off Mansfield at Franklin Country Club. Quinten Faro was the match medalist after carding a low round of 38. Jack Paterson added a 40 for the Panthers while Ryan Dow led Mansfield with a round of 40.

Taunton @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to time/date TBD.

Milford, 181 @ Sharon, 161 – Final – Ethan Skelly earned medalist honors after shooting a 37 at the Cape Club of Sharon, leading the Eagles to a win over Milford. Andrew Glaser and Nathan Daley each shot 41 for Sharon while Corey Carter carded a round of 42. Riley Lynch led Milford with a 39.

09/16/201809/18/2018

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.

09/05/2018

Boys Soccer: 2018 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

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.

Tag: Andrew Thompson