2020 Hockomock League Boys Hockey All Stars

Below are the official 2020 Hockomock League Boys Hockey All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Hockomock League MVP

Johnny Hagan, Canton

Hockomock League All Stars

Nick Piazza, Attleboro
Johnny Hagan, Canton
Chris Lavoie, Canton
Jack Connolly, Canton
Owen Lehane, Canton
Espen Reager, Foxboro
Kirk Leach, Foxboro
Ronnie MacLellan, Foxboro
Tom Tasker, Franklin
Kyle Hedvig, Franklin
Dylan Marchand, Franklin
Joseph Boselli, King Phillip
Chris Daniels, King Phillip
Kyle Gray, King Phillip
Rocco Bianculli, King Phillip
Sean McCafferty, Mansfield
Kevin Belanger, Mansfield
Dennis Morehouse, North Attleboro
Jake McNeany, North Attleboro
Ryan Gottwald, Oliver Ames
Michael Albert, Taunton
Brady Nichols, Taunton

Honorable Mentions:
Ryan Morry, Attleboro
Ronan O’Mahony, Canton
Jack Watts, Foxboro
Colin Hedvig, Franklin
Jack Coulter, King Philip
Chris Jenkins, Mansfield
William Yeomans, North Attleboro
Owen Connor, Oliver Ames
Jack DeMoura, Taunton

Franklin Blanked By Bishops In South Semifinals

Franklin boys hockey Ray Ivers
Franklin senior goalie Ray Ivers makes a save on a shot from Archbishop Williams’ Alex Umbro in the second period. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
BOURNE, Mass. – The Franklin boys hockey team had a sizable advantage in shots on goal, chances in the offensive end, and time in the attacking zone, but the Panthers walked away from Gallo Ice Arena with nothing to show for it.

Despite outplaying the 14th-seeded Bishops of Archbishop Williams for most of the game, the Panthers came up empty-handed. Archies scored a pair of power play goals and added a shorthanded one to skate to a 3-0 decision over the 10th-seeded Panthers.

“The seedings, you can throw them away,” said Franklin head coach Anthony Sarno. The D1 South Semifinals featured 9, 10, 12, and 14 seeds. “It’s about who comes to play, who wants it more. You’ve got to be on the right side of the puck and tonight, we had our chances we just couldn’t put it away. I thought we carried a lot of the play in the first and second periods, we just couldn’t put on behind the goalie.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“You can’t put your finger on one single thing, but it just wasn’t our night. I told the seniors, don’t hang your heads. We tried to do the best we could tonight, we just didn’t have it tonight. But it’s a great group of boys and they worked hard from start to finish.”

Franklin peppered the Bishops’ net with 30 shots, plus a handful of good bids that went just wide or high, and at least a dozen chances blocked down by the Archies defense, but couldn’t solve sophomore goalie Nick Buccella.

What looked like a good opportunity to start the game ended up being a big boost for the Bishops. Franklin went on the power play just 1:09 into the game on a cross-checking call. The Panthers kept the puck in the offensive zone for the first 30 seconds before a shot from the blue line was blocked.

Archies junior John Riley quickly pounced on the puck that he just blocked and raced into the attacking zone with Franklin’s Declan Lovett going stride for stride with him. Riley unleashed a shot that was turned aside by Ray Ivers but Riley batted in the rebound to give the Bishops a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.

“In all honesty, I felt like we were on our heels the whole first period,” said Archbishop Williams head coach Derackk Curtis. “We got that lucky bounce and John Riley worked his ass off on that first goal, we’ve been working on that banging in the rebounds. Franklin had the momentum, they were on us a lot and we weathered the storm. I thought it kind of evened out after that. [Franklin] is a good team, they are a hard-working group but my team worked hard too.”

“We knew they were aggressive on their penalty kill,” Sarno said. “From that point on, we were chasing them. You have to tip your hat to Archies, they played hard. They kept picking up our sticks, they were playing through our sticks, they were pesky. And we didn’t make the most of our power plays either. We weren’t moving it quick enough knowing they’d be aggressive. “

The Panthers still had time left with the man advantage and nearly tied the game when Kyle Hedvig redirected a shot from Will Sheehan but Buccella squeezed the pads to prevent the puck from going five-hole.

Franklin spent the majority of the period in the offensive zone but didn’t have a ton of quality chances to show for it. Archies nearly doubled its advantage late in the period in a similar fashion to its first goal as Christian Koylion blocked a shot at the blue line and raced into the offensive zone but Franklin defenseman Paddy Dolan recovered well and swept the puck clear.

Dylan Marchand’s battle in front helped draw a penalty on Archies with 10:39 left in the second period, giving Franklin its second man-advantage chance of the game. But Franklin had just one quality bid when Colin Hedvig blasted a shot that was saved and Kyle Hedvig’s rebound chance was stuffed.

The chances continued throughout the second, as Kevin O’Rielly settled a puck for a shot from Justin Abely that was saved. Minutes later, Domenic Lampasona connected with CJ Jette, but his shot from close was misfired. And the best opportunity came with just under five minutes to go as Colin Hedvig intercepted a clearance and rifled a shot that was off the iron and stayed out.

“We were just snakebitten, it seemed like everything we threw at the net he was there,” Sarno said. “We had plenty of chances, it just wasn’t our night. You can have 30 or 40 shots on net and sometimes it’s just not your net.”

Archies went on the power play with 2:08 in the period on a trip call, and a second tripping penalty 1:15 later gave the Bishops a 5-on-3 chance for 45 seconds. The Bishops made the most of the chance as Ivers denied a pair of shots in close but Archies sophomore Jackson Sylvester lifted the third chance over the sprawled out goalie to make it 2-0 with 28.2 seconds left in the middle period.

Starting the third period with the power play, Archies needed just eight seconds to tack on an important insurance goal. Thomas Page rifled a shot after striding over the blue line that went under the bar for a 3-0 lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin pushed to get on the board but was unable to find the back of the net. Marchand and Colin Hedvig linked up but the latter couldn’t lift his backhand past Buccella. With nine minutes to go, Conor O’Neil blasted a high shot that Buccella had to fight off, and seconds later, Sean Connelly blasted a shot with O’Neil screening in front but it was saved.

Even with just under two minutes to go, the Panthers had a perfect play with Connelly finding Lovett in front for a one-timer but Buccella was in the perfect position and made the pad stop to preserve the shutout.

Franklin boys hockey finishes the season at 11-8-4.

Late Goals Lift Franklin To Upset Win Over Natick

Franklin boys hockey
Franklin’s Colin Hedvig (left) celebrates with Conor O’Neil after the latter scored a late insurance goal against Natick. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – The Franklin boys hockey team might have had a little luck on its first goal, but the second two tallies were certainly earned.

After #2 Natick tied the game early in the third period and stole momentum, the 10th-seeded Panthers battled back to strike twice in the last five minutes to earn a 3-1 upset over the Redhawks.

With a little help from a deflection, Franklin picked up a 1-0 lead in the first period and it lasted until the third. Natick lit the lamp just over a minute into the final period to take control of the game but the Panthers weathered the wave on momentum.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Instead of the Redhawks capitalizing, the Panthers went back ahead with just under five minutes to play and added an insurance goal with just over a minute to go to secure the win.

“They kept their composure, we knew [Natick] was going to come out with everything they have,” said first-year Franklin head coach Anthony Sarno. “They are a physical team, a strong team, and they weren’t going to give up…they weren’t seeded No. 2 for nothing. We fought through the adversity, we kept our composure, and we believed in each other and we played for each other. I couldn’t be more proud of them, I couldn’t be more happy for them…this group has earned it from day one.”

A clearance attempt took a deflection and ended up bouncing in the left circle. Natick’s Matthew Haskell was the first to it and timed his shot perfectly on the bouncing puck, smashing a shot into the back of the net, leaving Franklin goalie Ray Ivers (19 saves) little chance.

Natick didn’t have any chances right after the goal, instead having to race back to break up a potential breakaway bid from Dylan Marchand, and a minute later, Franklin’s Kevin O’Rielly had a hard wrist shot knocked away with a blocker save.

The Redhawks did test Ivers just before the midway point of the period when a shot from Nick Haswell tossed a shot from the blue line that hit Ivers’ mask, but the Franklin goalie was quick to cover up the loose puck in front.

As the clock ticked under five minutes, Franklin junior defenseman Will Sheehan pinched up to deny a clearance attempt, keeping the puck in the Panthers’ offensive zone. Sheehan eventually got the puck back and fired a shot that was knocked down.

With both Shea Hurley and Shane McCaffrey digging at the puck down low, Natick goalie Luc Gagnon was forced to go low. The puck popped back into the slot and Colin Hedvig blasted into the back of the net to make it 2-1 with 4:53 to go.

“Will was out for a while with an injury but his confidence, his patience, his poise, and most important his instincts, his instincts are spot on,” Sarno said of Sheehan making the right read to pinch. “For a kid that age to be that composed and that poised to step up and make that play at the right time…that’s how this team is playing right now.

“Right now everyone is pulling in the right direction right now. I have a great coaching staff too that helps so much. This is what we hoped for, this is why our schedule is as tough as it was. Hopefully we can continue it.”










Franklin kept the pressure up, denying Natick a chance at the tying goal. Instead, the Panthers added an insurance tally. Junior Sean Connelly used a slick move to split a pair of defensemen in the attacking zone, feeding the puck back in front and classmate Conor O’Neil buried it for a 3-1 lead with 1:25 to go.

Chances were hard to come by through the first two periods of play. The Redhawks went on the power play with 8:44 to go in the first but a pair of clearances from Sheehan, plus a strong forecheck from Hedvig helped the Panthers limit Natick to just one shot on goal during the man advantage.

After killing the penalty, the Panthers found the back of the net. Junior Joe LeBlanc went to blast a shot from the blue line but a Natick player was able to get his stick on it right away. The puck popped high into the air and eluded Gagnon, dropping into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead with 5:34 left in the first.

“We got a little puck luck but to make those plays to make your own breaks,” Sarno said. “You have to create those opportunities, you have to get into the position. We’ll take it, you need the bounces too. The difference between a good team and a great team is good teams do just enough to get by, great teams do all the little things to make a difference at the end and that’s what we’ve got right now.”

Ivers came up with a nice glove save on a wrist shot from the circle from Natick’s Andrew Christileb. The Redhawks finished the period with 1:20 of a power play but a clearance from junior Paddy Dolan helped kill most of the man advantage.

Natick did have a shot off of Ivers back that caused a scrum in front but the Panther collapsed as a defense to prevent anything.

Franklin killed the remaining 39 seconds of the power play to start the second and then had to kill another just past the midway point. This time, O’Neil hustled to block a shot, Tom Tasker intercepted a pass and took the puck into the attacking zone and both JT Dwyer and Hedvig came up with clearances.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We tried to forecheck them and cut off the middle of the ice. We knew they loved to clog the middle of the ice so we figured if we could step up at the blue line and force the dump in, our speed would prevail. They are working for it, and they got what they deserved, they earned this win.

The Panthers had their lone power play in the second with 3:28 to play but couldn’t muster up many chances. Hedvig had the best bid, skating past a defenseman but his backhand bid from in tight was denied.

Franklin boys hockey (11-7-4) will take on #14 Archbishop Williams in the D1 South Semifinals on Wednesday at Gallo at 5:30 Archies knocked off #3 Bridgewater-Raynham (2-1) and #11 Wellesley (2-1) to reach the semis.

Fast Start Fuels Franklin Playoff Win Against KP

Franklin boys hockey
Franklin celebrates one its two second period goals in a dominating 7-1 win against King Philip in the playoff opener. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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CANTON, Mass. – One team looked like it was hitting its stride at the right time of the year and looked like it was as comfortable playing on the playoff stage as it was at any point during the regular season. The other team looked like it was making its first playoff appearance in five seasons.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin scored twice in the opening four minutes of Thursday night’s Div. 1 South first round contest at the Canton Ice House, including one just 36 seconds in, and never looked back, rolling to a 7-1 victory over King Philip in a battle of the top two finishers in the Kelley-Rex division.

“I thought we would’ve had more,” said KP coach Paul Carlow, admitting that Franklin played like a playoff-tested team on Thursday. “We were on our heels from the get-go and we never got out of the starting blocks really. I was worried all week about the game being too big for them and it was.”

The Panthers wasted no time grabbing the lead. Tom Tasker fired a wrist shot from the point and through a screen in front that slipped past KP goalie Jesper Makudera, after just 46 seconds.

Three minutes later, Franklin doubled its advantage on the power play. Kyle Hedvig sent a pass across the zone to Tasker at the point and the big defenseman blasted a shot that Makudera did well to get a pad to, but the rebound fell right to Colin Hedvig and he lifted a backhand past the sprawling goalie.

“He could stop a freight train with that shot,” Franklin coach Anthony Sarno said. “We showed up to play. The forecheck 5-on-5, we just took it to them. We started to create some space for ourselves cycling it down low.”

He added, “That team is a good team and the hardest thing to do is beat the same team twice. Paul is a great coach and they’ve got some really great players and we didn’t take them for granted. We knew they would come in with all the fight they had. We had to do all the little things, the intangibles you need to win.”

It took a while for the Warriors to get their legs under them. Nolan Feyler set up Rocco Bianculli for a shot from the left circle that Ray Ivers saved and Conor Cooke had a tip from in front knocked aside by the goalie as well. Ivers was forced to made a smart pad save on Chris Daniels from close range.

Despite those chances, KP was struggling to get anything consistent in the offensive zone. Franklin held a 13-9 edge in shots after one.

The Warriors did have a golden opportunity to try and get back into the game in the second period when they started with 1:28 of two-man advantage. KP didn’t manage a shot on goal during the power play.

“We came out in the second with the 5-on-3 and we still didn’t settle down,” said Carlow. “Our power play has been really good all year and it just looked like we were nervous. We had trouble controlling the puck and getting set up in the zone and as soon as they killed that off I felt like momentum swung back.”

Franklin continued to have good luck getting offense from its blue line corps. Tasker blocked a clearance against the far boards and then skated towards goal only for Makudera to stay square and make the stop. Justin Abely caused havoc with a shot from the point that was saved but that produced a rebound that sat untouched on the post with the goal gaping.

A third goal came with 5:20 left in the second. JT Dwyer sent a puck out in front that deflected off a KP skate and right to the stick of Sean Connelly in the slot. He took a touch to control and then ripped a shot over the goalie’s shoulder.

Declan Lovett came close to making it four with a steal in the offensive zone, but it was Colin Hedvig that would extend the lead. He was set up by Kevin O’Rielly and Kyle Hedvig, knocking in a pass through the crease at the back post.

The four-goal lead only lasted 30 seconds. Aidan Boulger finally was able to get behind the Franklin defense and he managed to squeeze his breakaway underneath Ivers to make it 4-1.

Joe LeBlanc nearly restored the lead near the end of the second but his shot from the point struck the post and stayed out. Dylan Marchand nearly got it back just 13 seconds into the third when Kyle Hedvig hit him with a perfect pass from the left to right circle but Makudera made the glove save.

“We told them to keep forcing the forecheck down their throat and keep playing the right way, sticks in the passing lane, bodies in the shooting lane, and make sure it stops,” Sarno said of the message before the third period.

Three minutes into the third, Franklin got the crucial fifth goal and in back-breaking fashion. Tasker hit Dwyer with a perfect tape-to-tape diagonal outlet pass from his own zone. Dwyer teed up a slap shot that went off the goalie’s blocker, straight up into the air, and then landed behind the goalie in the net.

Carlow said, “I thought the next goal was big. I thought if we could cut it to 4-2 then we could make a run at them there but that goal was obviously a big goal at that point.”

Marchand added a sixth a little more than a minute later. Going from left to right across the zone, Marchand roofed it over backup goalie Nate Ihley. Andrew Demerchant added a seventh in the final three minutes.

Sarno said, “It’s one win, four more to go, but we’ve just got to keep out composure and keep bringing it every night. We can’t take shifts off.”

Franklin (10-7-4) will travel to Loring Arena on Saturday night to take on No. 2 seed Natick. King Philip finishes the season at 10-6-5.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/19/20

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 50 @ Attleboro, 62 – FinalClick here for a Photo Gallery from this game. The game remained tight until the closing minutes, as North stayed within three at the half and trailed by only six heading into the fourth quarter, but the Bombardiers scored 22 points in the final eight minutes to earn their 16th win of the season. Bryant Ciccio scored 11 of his game-high 21 in the fourth, including three shots from beyond the arc, to lift Attleboro to the win. Qualeem Charles added 14 points and 12 rebounds and Tim Callahan had 11 points in the win. George Ladd matched Ciccio with 21 points, 15 of them in the first half, to lead North. Edan Kelley added 12 on four three-pointers and Ethan Friberg had nine on a trio of shots from deep.

King Philip, 59 vs. Hanover, 51 – FinalKing Philip outscored Hanover in three of the four quarters, and were even in the other, building an early lead and riding that to a win in the Blue Raider Classic final at Somerset Berkley. KP took a 12-9 lead at the end of the first and kept a three-point lead (28-25) going into halftime. The Warriors extended the lead by two (40-35) going into the fourth and finished strong to get the win. Senior Alex Fritz scored nine of his team-high 17 points in the second half, classmate Tommy Donahue added 15 points, and Andrew McKinney chipped in with 12 points in the win. Held to just one three-pointer through three quarters, both Fritz and Chris Roy connected from deep in the fourth to help ice the win.

Oliver Ames, 81 vs. Southeastern, 27 – FinalClick here for a photo gallery from this game – Oliver Ames’ offense poured in 23 points in the first quarter and 25 more points in the second, seizing a 48-14 lead at halftime and never looked back, rolling to a win that qualified the Tigers for the state tournament. Senior Jay Spillane connected on eight three-pointers and went for a career-high 32 points along with five assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Adam Cann hit four three-pointers and finished with a career-high 16 points and senior Amari Brown had 13 points and four assists in the win.

Mansfield, 59 vs. Whitman-Hanson, 72 – FinalAfter falling behind by 20 points through three quarters of play, the Hornets rallied to get within eight points late but ran out of time in a loss to Whitman-Hanson in the Roundball Classic finals. Mansfield had a 10-9 lead but the Panthers had a strong second and took a 27-23 lead into the halftime break. That momentum carried into the second as Whitman-Hanson used a 13-4 surge to start to pull away. Senior Sam Stevens scored a team-high 24 points while TJ Guy added nine points for Mansfield.

Milford, 49 vs. Wellesley, 45 – FinalWith the game tied 45-45, Milford senior Colby Pires connected on a turn around jumper with 3.5 seconds left to give the Scarlet Hawks the lead for good. The Raiders missed on the front end of a one-and-one on the other end and Tyler Wetherbee sank two free throws to ice the win, denying Wellesley a spot in the state tournament. Pires scored six of his 11 points in the final quarter for the Hawks while junior Jordan Darling had a team-high 15 points.

Taunton, 66 vs. New Bedford, 44 – FinalTaunton finished the regular season on a high-note, running away with a big win over New Bedford. The Tigers built a 33-19 lead at halftime before pushing the advantage to 60-32 at the end of the third quarter. Sophomore Trent Santos scored 19 of his team-high 21 points after the break to help the Tigers pull away with the win. Junior Tyler Stewart added 15 points, junior Josh Lopes added 11 points, and sophomore Tristan Herry sank a pair of threes, finishing with eight points.










Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 55 @ North Attleboro, 42 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Mansfield, 37 vs. Natick, 68 – FinalNatick won the Roundball Classic title with a strong defensive performance. Ashley Santos scored seven points and Becca Hottleman scored six points, dished out five assists, and had three steals for Mansfield. Santos and Hottleman were both named to the all-tournament team.

Oliver Ames, 51 @ Norwell, 63 – FinalOliver Ames took a 44-42 lead into the final quarter but the Clippers clamped down defensively, holding the Tigers to just seven fourth quarter points, pulling away to get the win. The teams were tied 15-15 after one, and Norwell had a 28-23 lead at halftime before the Tigers surged ahead with a 21-point third quarter. Caroline Peper led OA with 16 points, Caroline Flynn added 10 points, and Tori Harney chipped in with nine points.

Taunton, 61 vs. New Bedford, 67 – Final

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 2 @ Seekonk, 3 – Final

Foxboro, 4 vs. Abington, 1 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Franklin, 4 vs. Weymouth, 0 – FinalFranklin scored twice in the first period and then once in each of the next two to skate to a 4-0 win over Weymouth in the first round of the Coach Melchiono Showdown. Tom Tasker got the Panthers on the board with a power play goal (assisted by Kyle Hedvig and Declan Lovett), while Kyle Hedvig (from Colin Hedvig and Joe LeBlanc) doubled the lead in the first. LeBlanc picked up his second assist, setting up Justin Abely in the second to make it 3-0. Ben Jarosz scored his first career goal, unassisted, in the third period to cap the scoring. “[Ben] made the most of [his opportunity],” said Franklin coach Anthony Sarno, noting Jarosz’s hard work to earn a varsity spot after starting the year on JV. “Perfect example of a JV player never giving up and working hard no matter what.” Franklin will take on Marshfield in the tournament final on Thursday at 5:00.

Mansfield, 6 vs. Barrington (R.I.), 2 – Final

Oliver Ames, 5 vs. Stoughton, 2 – FinalSenior Cam Perron scored twice and classmate Brad Powers registered three assisted to help Oliver Ames skate to a win over Stoughton/Brockton in a battle of teams that call Asiaf Arena home. Senior Matt Nosalek scored his first career goal in the win while classmates Jake Gottwald and Hunter Costello each scored once. Sophomore Wes Towers recorded his first varsity assist in the win for OA. Senior Owen Connor posted a first period shutout while freshman Brandon Burke took over for the second and third to earn his first career win. Joe McNulty and Colin Alessi each lit the lamp once for Stoughton/Brockton.

Taunton, 3 @ Somerset-Berkley, 1 – FinalTaunton picked up a win in the final game of the regular season to earn a trip to the state tournament, marking their fourth postseason appearance in the past five years. Nathan Fernandes scored a pair of goals while Michael Albert scored once to lead the offensive charge for the Tigers. Jack DeMoura and Brady Nichols each had two helpers while Cam Faria, Loran Corcoran, and Ethan Ross each finished with one assist. Sean Bunker made 19 saves in net to get the win.

Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 @ Walpole, 0 – FinalOlivia Maffeo scored a hat trick and Meg Aldrich added one, as the Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season. Carolyn Durand made 23 saves to earn her 13th shutout of the season. Canton heads into the playoffs with just one loss.

Franklin, 7 vs. Leominster, 2 – Final

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 @ LaSalle Academy, 4 – FinalA day after taking down one of the top teams in Massachusetts in Westwood, the MOA Warriors came up just short against LaSalle Academy, the top team in Rhode Island. MOA got within one goal, down 3-2, in the third period but the Rams scored less than a minute later to regain a two-goal lead, one it held until the final buzzer. Lily O’Brien (from Emma Pereira and Reese Pereira) put the Warriors up 1-0 in the first period but LaSalle Academy tied the game before the end of the period, and scored twice in the second to seize a 3-1 lead. Melissa Shanteler (from Kylie O’Keefe and Emma Pereira) fired a wrist shot in to make it 3-2. MOA needs one point from its final game against Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake on Thursday.

King Philip, 3 vs. Ursuline Academy, 3 – Final

Franklin Rallies In The Third To Knock Off King Philip

Franklin boys hockey Kevin O'Rielly
Franklin senior Kevin O’Rielly fires a shot against King Philip in the second period on Wednesday night. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
FRANKLIN, Mass. – Coming off a tie to Mansfield and a loss to Canton, and now trailing by a goal to King Philip with just a period left, the Franklin boys hockey was on the verge of letting its grasp of the Kelley-Rex division slip away.

But first-year Panther coach Anthony Sarno challenged his squad to rise to the occasion over the final 15 minutes, and the team delivered.

Franklin scored three goals in the third period, erasing a one-goal deficit and landing a 4-2 win over King Philip. With the win, the Panthers move into sole possession of first place in the division with 10 points with one game to go. The win also secures a playoff spot because Franklin can’t finish worse than second place in the Kelley-Rex.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“‘How bad do you want it?’” Sarno asked his players between the second and third periods. “It’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s the will to win, how bad do you want to push back? We’re tired of being slapped in mouth late in the games with all these ties. And against Canton last game, they the best team in the league no doubt, but we didn’t really challenge them the way we should have or could have.

“We have to take care of the puck and do all the little things, we have to do what we did in the third period tonight and we came out with the will to win.”

Franklin took the first lead of the game midway through the opening period but King Philip answered inside the final minute and took the lead with the only goal of the second period.

Despite not converting on a very early power play chance in the third period, the Panthers pounced on a chance just over four minutes in to level the scoring. Senior forward Kyle Hedvig fired a tough angle shot on goal that was knocked down by KP senior goalie Jesper Makudera (40 saves) but senior defenseman Colin Hedvig had pinched down in and lifted the rebound into the back of the net to make it 2-2.

King Philip nearly regained the lead past the midway point of the period but the play ended giving the Panthers the go-ahead strike. KP senior Joe Boselli intercepted a clearance attempt and skated into the slot before unleashing a hard wrist shot. Franklin senior goalie Ray Ivers (26 saves) got just enough of it with his shoulder to keep it out, the puck deflecting over the net and up the sideboards.

From there, Franklin raced into a 2-on-1 situation as Kyle Hedvig snuck a pass under the KP defenseman to an open Declan Lovett in front, and he buried his chance from in close to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead with 4:11 to play.

The momentum stayed with the Panthers for the remainder of the game, and Kyle Hedvig and Declan Lovett combined to set up the insurance goal for the hosts, finding Colin Hedvig wide open in the slot in front of goal and his one-timer made it 4-2 with 1:49 to play.

“It was nice to see the kids make the push to come back,” Sarno said. “I give them a lot of credit. Like I said from the beginning of the year I love these kids, they’ve been resilient and really fought through a lot of adversity, even if we created some of it on our own. But it takes a hell of a team to come back from that, now we just have to stop putting ourselves in those positions and start using our assets like our speed, moving the puck quickly, stick to stick, and I think if we do that, we’ll be a much more deadly team in these last seven games.”

King Philip had one other good chance in the third period, coming on the penalty kill. Boselli jumped onto a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated it towards goal before firing a shot that was denied by Ivers. The Warriors had 10 total shots in the third but didn’t threaten with a serious chance after falling behind.

The Warriors were also without their top defenseman in Kyle Gray (sick), who is also third on the team in points, but head coach Paul Carlow said that wasn’t an excuse.

”Kyle’s our anchor back there so we had a built-in excuse with him out but the boys didn’t take it, they rallied around each other,” Carlow said. “I felt like we gave everything we had, just ran out of gas. I felt like we needed some momentum so that first goal in the third was going to be huge. They got it and I think that kind of turned the tide. We played mostly two lines, four or five defensemen, I just think we ran out of legs.

“We had some breakdowns at the end and I think it was fatigue more than anything else. I don’t think it was their will, we just ran out of gas and [Franklin] is a good team.”

Both teams scored in a first period that was fast-paced and full of hard hits as both teams came out flying. The Panthers jumped ahead just moments after Makudera robbed them of the opening tally. Shane McCaffrey intercepted a clearance pass and made a nice move to find space to unleash a shot that Makudera saved, the rebound falling to Shea Hurley but a diving stop from the goalie kept it scoreless.










But on the ensuing faceoff from the right circle, the puck squirmed towards the slot with multiple sticks batting at it. The puck eventually found the stick of junior JT Dwyer and he turned and whipped a shot on target that found the back fo the net for a 1-0 lead with 6:11 to go in the first.

King Philip responded in the final minute. Senior defenseman Ethan McGuire ripped a low shot through traffic that hit the back of the net and came out, quick enough that the ref signaled for no goal. But the second official called the play dead, got together with the other ref, and ruled it had gone in making it 1-1 with 37 seconds left in the first.

The Warriors’ lone power play chance came early in the second period but Ivers denied chances from junior Conor Cooke and sophomore Nolan Feyler to keep the game tied.

Just over the midway point, the Warriors broke through to take their first lead of the game. A quick break from Chris Daniels led to a two-on-one opportunity and Daniels made the right decision, sliding a pass over to Aidan Bougler and the junior smashed his one-timer into the back of the net to make I 2-1 with 5:22 left in the third.

Franklin came close on a handful of chances in the final couple of minutes but Makudera made some terrific stops to keep the Warriors ahead. Senior Tom Tasker had a blast denied, Will Sheehan linked up with Kyle Hedvig right in front but Makudera made the point-blank stop, and then denied Lovett on the rebound.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

KP nearly added to its lead on a break as Rocco Bianculli sent a chipped pass into the zone for Jack Coulter, but Ivers was up to the task.

On the other end, Sheehan tossed a shot on goal that was redirected by Sean Dunbar just over the net, and in the final seconds Colin Hedvig sent a cross-ice pass to McCaffrey who quickly delivered a pass in front to Dylan Marchand but his one-timer was blocked by Makudera and Hurley had his rebound bid stopped.

Franklin boys hockey (4-1-2 Hockomock, 6-4-3 overall). can clinch the Kelley-Rex division outright with a win over North Attleboro when they meet on Saturday at 7:30. A point can also clinch depending on the outcome of the Mansfield and Foxboro game. King Philip (3-2-2, 8-4-2) falls into third in the division but is still in contention for a division title, but would need help from Foxboro and North Attleboro, and would have to take care of Oliver Ames on Saturday at 6:10.

Franklin, Mansfield Share Point After 10-Goal Thriller

Franklin boys hockey
Mansfield twice led by two goals but both times Franklin battled back and the teams finished in a 5-5 tie and each took home a point. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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FRANKLIN, Mass. – Last season, the Kelley-Rex division title wasn’t decided until the final game of the league campaign and this season is shaping up to be just as close. Coming into Thursday night’s showdown with Mansfield, Franklin was in a first place tie with King Philip, both sitting on seven points in the league, with the Hornets just two points back.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After a thrilling 5-5 shootout at Pirelli Veterans Arena, in which it twice battled back from two goals down, Franklin moved back into first place by itself, but by only the slimmest of margins. The tie sets up another exciting finish to decide the league champ, as all three teams have three games remaining.

“I’m proud of the fact that they came back and battled through adversity,” said Franklin coach Anthony Sarno. “They didn’t quit. To lead up to that point, we didn’t really help ourselves, but it takes a hell of a team to fight through adversity two or three times in a game and pull even.”

Mansfield missed an opportunity on Thursday to create a three-way tie atop the division, after twice leading by two goals, including a 5-3 lead with 8:02 remaining in the game.

The Panthers celebrated senior night before the game and came out flying once the puck dropped. Franklin held a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal at the end of the first and had a series of scoring opportunities denied by Mansfield goalie Sean McCafferty (33 saves).

Liam Anastasia had the game’s first good chance when he intercepted a pass in the Franklin zone, but the defense recovered on the back-check and Ray Ivers (17 saves) was able to make the pad stop. Just seconds later, Dylan Marchand forced a glove save out of McCafferty on the other end.

Defenseman Joe LeBlanc put another shot on target, sneaking his effort through a crowd and forcing a pad stop. On the power play, Declan Lovett had two great chances to put the hosts in front. He cut across the crease and had a chance at the post, but McCafferty went post-to-post to make the kick save and then scrambled to get big and stop Lovett’s rebound effort.

The game remained scoreless until the final three minutes of the period. Tom Tasker showed patience on the puck at the blue line, hesitating to find a shooting lane and firing a wrister inside the post.

Franklin went into the locker room with confidence, but it was the Hornets that were buzzing when they came back onto the ice. In just 1:24, Mansfield turned a one-goal deficit into a 3-1 lead.

“Starting is something we continue to battle, but we kept our composure in between periods,” said Mansfield coach Mike Balzarini. “We knew they were a quick team and we knew that we had to jump on them early. We knew that we had to get pucks to the net and just crash the net and that’s what we did.”

Chris Jenkins set up the first goal when he forced a pad save from the right circle. Jake Lund crashed the far post and smashed the rebound in to tie it after 28 seconds. Just 22 seconds later and the Hornets grabbed the lead when Jenkins had a shot from the near boards go off Ivers’ stick and glove and into the back of the net.

The momentum was with the visitors and they took advantage on the power play to extend the lead to two. A mishit shot from the right face-off dot slid wide of the net and Cam Page was in the right place to knock it home.

“We didn’t help ourselves at all,” Sarno admitted. “We didn’t take care of the puck, especially in our own zone, and we turned it over in our zone at crucial times and it cost us goals. We were fighting it and instead of playing disciplined we were chasing it.”

It only took two minutes and a power play opportunity to get Franklin back into the game. Seniors Colin and Kyle Hedvig nearly combined on a great passing play only to have McCafferty make the stop. The duo stuck with the play and Kyle Hedvig got free in the left circle, going top shelf to make it 3-2.

Franklin nearly tied it right after the goal when a shot rang off the bar and Marchand and Kevin O’Rielly both had good looks that were saved. Mansfield went close after a great passing move from Jenkins to Page to Kevin Belanger, but Ivers was in the way. Kyle Hedvig had a shorthanded effort go over the bar and then Lovett got behind the defense only for Ryan Doherty’s back-check and McCafferty’s save to keep the Hornets in front heading into the second intermission.

As wild, fast-paced, and end-to-end the first two periods were, things went to another level in the third.

The Panthers wasted no time getting level, as Shea Hurley got on the end of Marchand’s pass at the back post just 18 seconds into the period. Twenty-two seconds later, the Hornets regained the lead. Lund was left alone in the slot and fired in a one-timer.

“My guys knew it,” said Balzarini about Franklin coming out hard to start the third. “A two-goal lead is probably the hardest thing to keep in hockey and we knew that they might try to stretch us early and we had to be prepared for it.”

Franklin kept pushing and had several good looks. JT Dwyer had an effort from the high slot snagged by McCafferty, LeBlanc smacked the post with a shot from the point, and then LeBlanc forced a pad stop that was followed up by Hedvig only for the rebound to slide wide of the post.

As the hosts pushed forward, Mansfield hit them on the break. Jenkins snuck behind the defense and made no mistake on the breakaway, rifling a shot in off the post and seemingly sealing a victory for the Hornets.

It only seemed like the game was over. Franklin came storming right back with O’Rielly knocking in a rebound from the edge of the crease to give the Panthers a lifeline with 6:33 to play. Less than two minutes later, it was 5-5. Pat Dolan’s pass out of defense found Shane McCaffrey streaking down the middle and he lifted his backhand to beat the goalie.

“I think we were a little more complacent when we had a 5-3 lead,” said Balzarini. “It was late and I think we did take a couple of shifts off. We didn’t win a couple of puck battles, but I thought we continued to play well in the neutral zone and in the offensive zone.”

There was even time for one more chance for the Panthers, as Sean Connelly teed up Conor O’Neil, but McCafferty made the stop to preserve a point apiece.

“We need them,” Sarno said about getting a point. “We need them all. We’ve got a tough stretch. There are no easy nights. Everyone is going to bring their best game against us, so we need to have our best game and even if we do we have to limit our mistakes.”

Franklin (5-3-3, 3-0-2) leads the Kelley-Rex by a point heading into a difficult closing stretch of games that begins with a trip to Canton on Saturday. Mansfield (4-4-3, 2-2-1) will travel to second place King Philip on Saturday for another critical divisional game.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/08/20

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Oliver Ames, 52 @ Foxboro, 66 – FinalTied after a quarter and separated by just a point at halftime, Foxboro created a little separation in the third and used a 22-point fourth quarter to completely pull away from visiting Oliver Ames. Senior Donald Rogers scored 16 of his career-high 24 points after the break, including nine points in the third quarter that helped the Warriors turn a 26-25 halftime lead into a 44-39 advantage. Both Rogers and Brandon Borde (18 points) connected on three-pointers in the fourth quarter while senior Ryan Hughes scored six of his eight points in the final frame. Junior Kevin Gallagher added 15 points for the Warriors. Junior Amari Brown had a team-high 18 points for the Tigers while Jay Spillane added 12 points.

Mansfield, 72 @ Milford, 41 – FinalMansfield closed the third quarter on a 10-2 run and never looked back, securing a win on the road over Milford. The Hawks cut the deficit down to two (21-19) midway through the second quarter before Mansfield pushed the lead to double digits, up 35-25 at the halftime break. The advantage remained the same until the Hornets went on their run in the final four minutes of the third to take a 51-33 lead into the fourth quarter. Senior Sam Stevens led the charge with 26 points and five rebounds while junior TJ Guy had a strong all-around showing with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.




Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final

Canton, 2 @ Mansfield, 0 – FinalClick here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – FinalClick here for a photo gallery of this game.Foxboro and Oliver Ames traded goals between the first two periods before the Warriors scored three straight in the final period to get the win. Kirk Leach put the hosts up in the first before Hunter Costello answered midway through the second for OA to make it 1-1 heading into the third. Foxboro sophomore Jack Watts scored less than a minute into the third period to give the Warriors the lead. Espen Reager made a handful of saves late to protect the lead while both Watts and Leach tacked on empty net goals in the final minute.

Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 6 – FinalFor nearly two periods, Taunton goalie Sean Bunker thwarted every shot that Franklin put his way. But the Panthers finally broke through with just over two minutes to go in the second and went on to score five more in the third to grab a win over the Tigers. Conor O’Neil put the hosts ahead with Sean Connelly and JT Dwyer recording assists as Franklin led 1-0 through 30 minutes. Kyle Hedvig tacked on a pair of third period goals while Declan Lovett (unassisted), Shea Hurley, and Andrew Demerchant also scored for the Panthers. Colin Hedvig added two assists while Lovett and Dylan Marchand also had helpers. Bunker finished with over 40 saves for Taunton.

King Philip, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – FinalJoe Boselli scored twice and Jesper Makudera made 24 saves as KP earned a tough non-league road shutout. Boselli opened the scoring in the second period off of an assist from Nolan Feyler. In the third, Conor Cooke (assisted by Aidan Boulger) doubled the lead and then Boselli sealed with the win with an unassisted goal.

Girls Hockey
Franklin, 2 @ Canton, 2 – FinalFranklin opened the scoring in the second period and took a 1-0 lead into the third period but had to score with less than four minutes to go to salvage a tie. Franklin’s Amanda Lewandowski scored with just under two minutes left in the second period on an assist from Lyndsey Atkinson. But Canton’s Tess Khoury (from Maria Femia and Lizzie Tassinari) scored 14 seconds into the third period to tie the game. The Bulldogs took their first lead with 6:40 to go when Ellie Roberts finished off a pass from Caroline Tourgee but Atkinson scored the tying goal with 3:12 to go with Jordan Dwyer getting the assist.

King Philip, 10 vs. Shawsheen Tech, 0 – FinalKing Philip’s Jen Daniels and Makenzie Shandley each scored a pair of goals as the Warriors skated to a big win over Shawsheen. Sydney O’Shea (three assists), Nicole Brady, Averi Maxwell, Olivia Donovan, Ally Donovan, and Sammy Robison each scored once while Cristina Coleman and Mallory Johnston combined for the shutout.




Wrestling
Canton, 30 @ Sharon, 49 – FinalClick here for a Photo Gallery from this meet. The Eagles recorded seven pins as a team, continuing their impressive dual meet record this season and opening league play with a win. Adam Landstein (106), David Gilman (120), Ammit Levin (126), and Vennai Chinnen (132) each recorded pins as Sharon jumped out to a 24-6 lead. Zach Peters the lone Canton points with a pin at 113 pounds. Aaron Cashton added a 10-0 win at 138, Max Pozner recorded a pin right as the first period buzzer sounded, and Kirit Gossetty added three more with a 6-1 win to push the lead to 37-6. Eddie Marinilli had a first period pin at 160 but Sharon answered with a first period pin by Tyler Freedman. Cillian Collins got six points for the Bulldogs, but again the Eagles responded with a pin, this time by Rhamsez Thevenin at 195. Derrell Brown earned a shock pin at 220. Trailing 5-2, Brown suddenly caught his opponent and managed to get a pin with just four seconds remaining. Ryan Richards closed the match with another pin for Canton.

Franklin, 53 @ Oliver Ames, 19 – FinalClick here for a Photo Gallery from this meet. Franklin took control of the dual meet in the middleweight matches and then closed it out with strong matches in the heavyweights, opening league play with a convincing win. OA was fired up in the first match when Nathan Lipski won by fall at 106, but the Panthers got those six points right back with a pin for Dillon Cashin at 113. Drew Difilipio was able to hold on for a 5-2 win at 120, but Remi Creighton tied the meet for OA with an 8-2 win at 126. Jake Carlucci (132) and Nelson Malone traded pins to keep the score tied, 15-15, but then the Panthers took over. Alex Fracassa had a second period tech fall to earn five points followed by back-to-back pins from Ken Sauer and Dominic Sackley. Liam Cogavin battled to win 9-4 at 170, although Onye Nwadiugwu dominated the third period of the match, and Dylan Nawn got a pin at 182. Max Anderson grabbed four points for the Tigers at 195, but Matt Walker (220) and Matt Leofanti (285) closed out the meet with pins for the Panthers.

King Philip, 41 @ Taunton, 33 – FinalFour Warriors earned wins by pinfall and another by tech fall to help King Philip earn a win on the road at Taunton. Sam DeBaggis (120), Jackson Kelley (138), Cole Ricci (160), and Hunter Hastings (220) each won by fall for KP while Shawn Conniff (195) won by tech fall up 17-2. Noah Riedel (145, 6-2) and Lucas Morreale (170, 5-3) won by decision for KP. Taunton’s James Collins (106), Brandon Mendes (113), and Xavier Sandoval (126) win via pinfall while Peter Ye (182) earned a 2-0 decision.

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/04/20

Today’s games are listed below.

Girls Basketball
King Philip, 43 @ Needham, 69 – Final

Boys Hockey
Canton, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final

Foxboro, 0 @ King Philip, 4 – FinalKing Philip’s offense delivered three goals in the middle period, building on its lead from the first period to notch a league win over Foxboro. KP took a 1-0 lead in the first on a goal from Nolan Feyler with Joe Boselli and Rocco Bianculli earning assists. In the second, Boselli scored twice and Jack Coulter added a third to build the big advantage. Chris Daniels and Kyle Gray set Boselli up for his first goal while Bianculli grabbed his second assist on KP’s third goal. Conor Cooke and Aidan Boulger had assists on Coulter’s goal. Jesper Makudera made 18 saves in net to earn the shutout for KP.

Franklin, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – FinalClick here for a photo gallery from this game.Franklin cashed in for a pair of goals in the first period behind a strong start and tacked on two more in the third period to skate past OA in league action. The Panthers peppered the net in the opening minutes with Colin Hedvig scoring unassisted just 59 seconds into the game. Shane McCaffrey added a goal on a wrist shot with 4:05 to go in the opening frame. After a scoreless second, Franklin extended its league with a shorthanded goal as Tom Tasker finished off a pass from Kyle Hedvig on an odd-man rush. OA’s Jake Gottwald redirected a shot from Zach Manganaro to get the Tigers on the board but McCaffrey sealed the game with an empty netter. OA goalie Owen Connor had 36 saves in net.

Mansfield, 1 @ Shrewsbury, 4 – Final

North Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 2 – FinalClick here for a photo gallery from this game.North Attleboro built a four goal lead before holding off a late surge from Taunton to pick up a league win. The Rocketeers struck just over two minutes into the game as sophomore Sam Clarke capitalized in front after some hard work from Brady Sarro. Clarke added his second on a redirect on a shot from Charlie Connolly with under a minute to go in the first period. Dennis Morehouse made it 3-0 with a nice finish in front in the second period and Sarro tipped in a shot early in the third to make it 3-0. Taunton’s Brady Nichols scored with five minutes to go and then help set up a goal from freshman Colton Scheralis.

Stoughton, 6 vs. Durfee, 1 – FinalJunior Dante Massaro paced the offense with a three goal hat trick performance, helping Stoughton/Brockton earn its second straight win. Colin Alessi added a pair of goals in the win while junior Jack Mahoney scored once.

Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ King Philip, 0 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Franklin, 1 @ Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 0 – FinalClick here for Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 6 vs. Quincy/North Quincy, 6 – FinalStoughton stormed back, scoring five times in the final period to earn a tie with Quincy/North Quincy. Morgan Lessa had a hand in all six of the goals. She recorded a hat trick and assisted on the other three. Zoey Bangs added two goals and Haley Nelson had the sixth. Nelson also had three assists. Sam Sherman had an assist for Stoughton as well.

Wrestling
Northbridge Tri-Meet (Canton), 10:00
Whitman-Hanson Tournament (Foxboro), 10:00
Natick Quad (Franklin), 9:00AM
Minnechaug Tournament (Mansfield), 9:00AM
Nashoba Quad (Milford), 9:00AM
North Attleboro Super-Quad, 10:00AM
Gloucester Super-Quad (Oliver Ames), 9:00AM
Methuen Quad (King Philip), 10:00AM
Hingham Quad (Sharon), 10:00AM
Braintree Quad (Taunton), 10:00AM

Girls Gymnastics
Sharon, 114.40 @ Oliver Ames, 134.60 – Final

Sunday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/29/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 62 @ Mansfield, 71 – FinalClick here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Foxboro, 47 vs. Needham, 44 – FinalFoxboro outscored Needham 16-5 in the second quarter to build a double digit lead, kept that advantage heading into the fourth but had to hold on for the win after being limited to just seven points in the fourth quarter. Six Warriors contributed the the 16-point second quarter with Kevin Gallagher (nine points) hitting a pair of threes and Brandon Borde (12 points), Donald Rogers (13 points), Dylan Barreira (seven points), Ryan Hughes, and Liam Devlin each scoring a bucket. Rogers scored the rest of his points all in the second half, including five of Foxboro’s seven in the fourth. The Warriors will take on host Westwood in the championship game of the Westwood Holiday Tournament on Monday at 7:00.

Franklin, 76 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 51 – Final – A close game through three quarters, Franklin dominated the fourth quarter to earn a convincing win in the Larry Fisher Championship game at Bridgewater-Raynham. Franklin led by two after one quarter, just one point at 29-28 at halftime, and took a 51-47 lead into the final frame but the Panthers’ defense limited the Trojans to just two field goals, four points total in the fourth to pull away for the win. Steven Karayan hit half of his six triples in the final quarter on his way to a career-high 20 points to earn tournament MVP honors while senior Brayden Sullivan added 14 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Jack Rudolph scored seven of his 13 points in the open quarter while Chris Edgehill scored all nine of his points in the second half. Franklin connected on 12 three-pointers in the game.

Oliver Ames, 69 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 77 – FinalOliver Ames took a three-point into the fourth quarter but couldn’t overcome a spectacular performance from Cardinal Spellman senior Craig Faria. Faria scored 16 of his 40 points in the final quarter to carry the Cardinals to a win in the Muscato Holiday Tournament final. OA senior Ryan Burkett scored a career-high 23 points and was named to the all-tournament team while Amari Brown added 18 points and Owen Friel chipped in with 13 points for the Tigers.

Girls Basketball
Milford, 38 @ Dracut, 56 – FinalMilford led 25-23 at halftime of the Edmund Murphy Winter Classic final, but the hosts turned the tables with a strong second half. The Middies outscored Milford 33-13 after the break to win the tourney title. Emma Lawrence had a strong game for the Hawks, scoring 20 points in the loss.

Sharon, 30 vs. Holliston, 31 – FinalThe Eagles came up just short in a non-league game against Holliston. Sharon trailed by five heading into the fourth quarter of a defensive battle. The Eagles scored the first five points of the fourth to tie the game at 28-28 with under three minutes remaining, but the Panthers were able to do enough to grab the win. Nicole Teven and Leah Fandel each scored eight points and Trinity Payne scored seven for the Eagles.

Boys Hockey
Franklin, 6 vs. Fairfield Prep, 4 – FinalAfter falling behind 2-0 in the opening period, Franklin found the net five times in the second period to skate to a win over Fairfield Prep. “Fairfield was very talented team, I’m proud of my boys for working the system and working hard,” said Franklin head coach Anthony Sarno. Conor O’Neil (from Sean Connelly and Tom Tasker) and Kyle Hedvig (from Will Sheehan and Declan Lovett) scored to knot the score at 2-2. CJ Jette (from Colin Hedvig and Joe LeBlanc) put the Panthers ahead and Tasker (from Lovett and Colin Hedvig) and Kyle Hedvig (from Lovett, his third assist) scored back-to-back goals to put the Panthers up 5-2. Dylan Marchand (from LeBlanc) tacked on an important third period goal.

North Attleboro, 2 vs. Burrillville (R.I.), 1 – Final (OT)

Girls Hockey
Canton, 3 vs. Westwood, 2 – FinalClick here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Lizzie Tassinari scored a power play goal with eight minutes left to play, lifting the Bulldogs to a win in a back-and-forth title game of the Pat Walsh Tournament. Olivia Maffeo scored twice for Canton, as the teams twice traded goals only seconds apart in the second period. After Westwood scored first, Maffeo blasted a shot under the bar to tie it and then she gave Canton the lead with a wrister from just inside the blue line only to have the Wolverines answer right back. Tassinari scored the winner with a shot from the right face-off circle that went through a screen and inside the far post.

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Medway/Ashland, 3 – Final (SO)Mansfield/Oliver Ames twice took a one-goal lead but settled for a tie against Medway. For holiday tournament purposes, the game went into a shootout where Medway earned the win but it registers as a tie for MIAA purposes. Alex Ledin (from Reese Pereira and Ella Waryas) put the Warriors up 1-0 in the first while Emma Pereira (from Emma Garland) gave the visitors a 2-1 advantage in the second.

Girls Gymnastics
Franklin, 133.40 @ Medway, 117.60 – Final