04/04/2017

2017 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

2016 Record: 4-13
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kevin Koppy

Now in its fourth year at the varsity level, Attleboro boys lacrosse is looking to take the next step in the 2017 season. First year head coach Kevin Koppy made it clear what the goal is for Big Blue: the postseason.

Koppy has plenty of experience at the youth level so he’s very familiar with a lot of the players on the team.

“With the experience and leadership of this team, I fully expect us to make the playoffs this year which would be a first for this relatively young program,” Koppy said. “If the kids work hard and play as a team we have enough talent to make this happen.”

Offensively, seniors Seth Lombardy and Zach Viau, along with junior Alex Banner, will see a lot of time. They’ll be bolstered by the midfield help of seniors Andrew Milliken, Sam Carrado and Jay Mota and sophomore Zach Thomas in the midfield. Juniors Kyle Henry and Aidan McKenna will man the face off X while Jim Nordberg and Chris Reynolds will be long stick midfielders.

Defensively, four year starter and captain Tyler Koppy will anchor the backline alongside juniors Dan Perry and Matt Potter. Sophomore Trevor Koppy returns as the starting goalie again this season.

Canton

2016 Record: 11-8
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Bill Bendell

The Bulldogs will rely on its athleticism, and be bolstered by depth this season, having more players in the program this season than in the last couple of years.

Canton looks to have one of its most athletic squads from top-to-bottom in recent years and will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title after winning it twice in the past four seasons.

Offensively, the Bulldogs lost one of the top scorers in the league and in program history in Ben O’Neill, but the good news is that four of the team’s six top point producers from a year ago are back: Ryan Lodge, Joe Mulkay, Dan Dillon and Mike Shaw, all of which reached double figures in points.

Michael Pigeon has been one of the top LSMs in the league the last two years and will be a key piece for Canton defensively this season. Canton will rely on experience to fill the positions around him. The starting goalie spot is up for grabs between Dylan Cunningham, CJ Martin and Jack Connolly.

“The Davenport division is wide open again this year so we know every game is going to matter…we can’t wait to get going,” said head coach Bill Bendell.

Foxboro

2016 Record: 11-7
2016 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East Quarterfinals
Coach: Matt Noone

The Davenport division looks like it will be wide open this year, but Foxboro could have a slight advantage because of the experience they return this season.

On offense, junior Andrew Whalen is a three year starter and junior Louis Piccolo led the team in scoring a team ago. Junior Mike Moses and sophomore Pete Conley will also factor into the attack or could see time in the midfield. Seniors Trey Guerini and Colin Spinney not only bring a wealth of experience to the midfield, but they have a lot of talent. Sophomore Brendan Tully will relocate to the midfield this season while junior Sam Blake, Lou Blake and Mike Collins will all factor in the midfield as well.

Defensively, it all starts with goalie Jake Addeche, one of the top netminders in the league and the area. Pat Kaveny is a two year starter, as is senior Padraig Farmer and will provide plenty of experience to the back line. Sophomore Pat Stapleton and freshman Ronnie MacLellan will also factor in defensively for the Warriors.

Franklin

2016 Record: 14-6
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Lou Verrochi

The Panthers are going to be young compared to past years, and compared to other teams in the league, but what they lack in age, they more than make up in skill.

There aren’t much better in the offensive end than junior Eric Civetti, and he’s only been in the league for two years. Already committed to Rutgers, Civetti will be one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. Senior captain Sam Arsenault will also be a top option in the offensive end while midfielders Packie Watson, a senior and Nitin Chaudhury, a sophomore, will also be viable options.

Defensively, the Panthers have a second Rutgers commit in sophomore Patrick Morrison. Senior Wyatt Arsenault will give the backline some experience while senior Jack Platner will be the team’s LSM. Junior Connor O’Rourke is back in the cage after a breakout sophomore year.

“We are young as compared to past years, but I feel we’ll be very competitive,” said head coach Lou Verrochi. “We’re very fortunate to have a strong youth program and many boys playing club lacrosse which provides us with talented players every year.”

King Philip

2016 Record: 11-9
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Jamie Stefanini

The Warriors had another strong season in 2016 and will be looking to do the same in 2017.

King Philip was strong in league play, posting a 7-3 record and will try to carry that success over to its non league schedule, which include games against Bishop Feehan, Newton North, Hopkinton, Westwood and more.

Paul Macrina has been one of the top goalies in the league over the past couple of seasons and is now ready for his senior year.

Replacing leading scorer Sam Agricola will certainly be a tough test, as well as replacing the production of Harry Fallon. But Tim Watson (27 goals, 21 assists) brings a lot of experience back to the offensive end for the Warriors.

Mansfield

2016 Record: 15-4
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Tim Frias

Coming off one of the program’s best seasons in recent history, the Hornets will be looking to replicate that success in 2017.

The challenge will be replacing some of the top talent that graduated, including midfielders Billy Grant and Connor Finerty, and defenseman Josh Schafer.

The good news is that the Hornets return two of the top talents in the league with Sean Powers back in goal and Hunter Ferreira back patrolling the midfield. Joe Cox and Danny DeGirolamo will flank Ferreira in the midfield with Aidan Sacco, Brett Kessler and Brad Grant factoring in as well.

Offensively, seniors Cullen Murphy, Sam O’Connell and Jon Reed will be one of the most experienced units in the league. On defense, Grant Milas, Mike Zampine, Josh London and Tommy Donnelly will hold court in front of Powers.

“We are going to go out there this season and try to improve on the aspects we were weak on last season and just try to compete in every contest,” said head coach Tim Frias.

Milford

2016 Record: 0-18
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Doug Gallant

The Hawks are hoping for a turnaround season after going without a win a season ago. First year head coach Doug Gallant has taken over at the helm and is looking to make Milford a participant in the Davenport race.

The heart of the lineup could be in the midfield, with junior Andrew Gallagher bringing experience to the table and sophomores Ryan Hazard and Josh Ligor, as well as freshman Dan Farrell, providing the Hawks with skill and speed.

In the attacking end, Gallant will look to senior Alex Wood and sophomore Ryan Pearl, both with varsity experience, to pace the offense. LSM Nick Lurie and defenseman Harrison Bliss will be key pieces on defense in front of goalie Drew Mirisola.

“We have a great group of kids who are very eager to be successful,” said Gallant. “The reception from the players has been outstanding and they have bought in to my system.”

North Attleboro

2016 Record: 8-10
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kevin Young

After just missing out on the postseason a year ago, North Attleboro returns a lot of key pieces and will not only make a push for the playoffs, but should be in the mix for the Davenport crown.

The entire attacking corps is back this season Zach McGowan, Owen Costello and Colin Young all back again this season. Tim Lindstrom, who missed last season with an injury, will also be a key piece offensively for the Rocketeers.

Jack Dakin, the team’s leading scorer a season ago, will be a team leader from his midfield position while Nick Ward, Hunter Sarro, Nick Moore and Jason McNeany will all get minutes in the midfield as well. Poles David James, Zach Doucette and Tom Lockovitch, along with LSM Max Fontes, bring a combination of speed and size for the Rocketeers.

Dan McDonald is back for another year in goal and will be like a coach on the field for North Attleboro.

“He’s very solid in net and a great team leader,” head coach Kevin Young said of MacDonald. “Dan is that rare player that is like having a coach on the field. I think Dan is as good a goalie as you’ll see playing anywhere in Massachusetts this year.”

Oliver Ames

2016 Record: 10-10
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Chris Digiacomo

The Tigers not only made the playoffs a season ago, but won their first ever postseason game as a program. Oliver Ames will face new challenges this season with the switch to the Kelley-Rex division.

While the Tigers face the task of going head to head with some of the top teams in the league, Oliver Ames will rely on team chemistry to try and get back to the postseason.

Offensively, juniors Owen Gallagher and Eric LeBlanc are back as two of the team’s top point producers. They’ll be helped by midfielders Liam Brown, a senior captain, and Jack Lang, a junior. Defensively, senior captain Phil Saba and senior Max Howe are two experienced players that will man the space in front of senior goalie Sean Cosgrove.

“The boys have worked very hard, and bought into our program,” said head coach Chris Digiacomo. “We play in an extremely tough league, but the boys are excited to get started.”

Sharon

2016 Record: 9-10
2016 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East First Round
Coach: Peter DeSisto

Sharon just made it into the postseason a year ago, punching its ticket on the last game of the season with a win over North Attleboro.

This season, the Eagles are expecting to qualify for the state tournament again because of the experience they have returning for the 2017 season.

Josh Rotman, who registered 35 goals a season ago, is one of the top midfielders in the league and will be relied upon to lead the Eagles this season. Spencer Hall and Chase Waxman are also back and should make an impact on both ends of the field. Jack Lesser has the ability to get forward and play as an attack or can drop into a midfield role.

“We have a lot of guys with experience at this level returning, so we have set our expectations high,” said head coach Pete DeSisto.

Stoughton

2016 Record: N/A
2016 Finish: N/A
Coach: Pat Healey

The Black Knights are the new kids on the block, entering their first year at the varsity level after playing at the JV level the last couple of seasons.

Combining the JV experience and a budding youth program, Stoughton won’t be starting from scratch. However, the Black Knights are ready for what could be a roller coaster ride of a season.

Leading the way for the Black Knights are captains Dave Cellucci, Ryan Pierri, Harry Leal and Matt St. Clair. Leal will anchor the team from the cage, Pierre is the leader of the team’s poles and Cellucci and St. Clair are standout members of the Black Knights’ midfield.

“The team knows we’re going to be getting our share of bumps and bruises,” said head coach Pat Healey. “And winning here in the Hock is no easy chore. But it wouldn’t be much of a challenge if it was easy.

Taunton

2016 Record: 1-19
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Brendan Chambers

After getting its feet wet last season, Taunton is looking to improve now in its second year at the varsity level.

Sophomore goalie Ryan Williams was a bright spot for the Tigers a season ago and now, with a year under his belt, will an important part of the Tigers’ defense this season. Senior captain Mason Baacke and sophomore LSM Dylan Nichols will be key pieces in front of Williams.

Offensively, Shawn Campbell will try to ignite Taunton from the face off X while senior captain Andrew Wellington, who had a solid season a year ago, will be a vital piece in the midfield for first year head coach Brendan Chambers.

04/03/2017

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/03/17

Today’s games are listed below. We will update this post with any changes we receive.

Baseball
Attleboro, 9 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Attleboro senior Tyler McGovern tossed four-plus innings with just one hit allowed, striking out six to earn the win. Sophomore Troy Van Vliet paced the offense, connecting for a pair of doubles, knocking in three runs and scoring two runs of his own.

Franklin, 5 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Five different Panthers recorded a hit and junior Jake Noviello shined in his season debut on the mound to lead Franklin past North Attleboro. Noviello tosses six inning, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven. Bryan Woelfel struck out two in a shutout inning in relief. Noviello also recorded a hit and scored a run on offense. Sophomore Alex Haba went 1/3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored, senior Cam Lupien added a hit, a run and an RBI, senior Josh Macchi had a double and a run scored and senior Jake Lyons had an RBI and a hit for the Panthers.

Milford, 2 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – King Philip senior Chris Wing tosses six innings, allowing just a pair of hits while retiring the side in order in each the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Sophomore Jack Webster recorded the save. Offensively, the Warriors notched eight hits as a team with Collin Cooke (RBI) and Ryan Coulter each recording two. Ben Furfari knocked in a pair of runs and Webster also had an RBI.

Stoughton, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames scored a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings while tacking on single runs in the first and sixth innings to open the season with a win. Junior Matt Muir went 2-for-4 with a pair of triples and a pair of runs scored while senior Kyle Gagliardi was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Sam Burr earned the win on the mound, scattering six hits over 6.1 innings with two runs allowed.

Sharon @ Taunton – Postponed to Friday, April 21 at 11:00AM.

Softball
Attleboro, 7 @ Canton, 5 – Final

Franklin, 1 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – North rallied from a run down in the bottom of the seventh inning to open the season with a win. Sam Courtemanche led-off the inning with a double. Ashley Cangiano came in to run and scored on an Abbie Gallagher grounder. With the bases loaded, Meg Barlow (2-for-3) provided the walk-off hit with a double. Bella Erti threw a complete game for North with four strikeouts and five hits allowed.

King Philip @ Milford – Postponed to Friday, May 5 at 3:30.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – Gina Carafa threw a five-hit shutout for the Black Knights, striking out eight and only walking one. Alessandra Loffredo provided Stoughton with offense from the nine-hole, hitting a two-run homer in the sixth. Victoria Ziner went 2-for-2 and reached base three times for OA.

Sharon, 0 @ Taunton, 19 – Final (5 inn.) – The Tigers got off to a dominant start behind three, one-hit innings and six strikeouts from Courtney Fisher, who also went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Jamie Brown went 3-for-5 with a double, triple, and an RBI and Kya Enos, Jaylin Couto, Hannah Aldrich, and Rebekah Lajoie each had two hits apiece for Taunton. Lajoie drove in four runs.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final (2OT) – Zach Thomas scored his second of the game with less than a minute to play to tie the game and junior Alex Banner netted the game-winner in double overtime to lift the Bombardiers past OA. Cam Littig added a pair of goals for Attleboro while senior Andrew Milliken scored once. Banner, Seth Lombardy and Zach Viau each notched an assist as well. Sophomore Trevor Koppy made 14 saves in net for the Bombardiers, who battled back from a 3-1 deficit at halftime. Head coach Kevin Koppy credited the play of defensemen Jim Nordberg, Matt Potter, Chris Reynolds and Tyler Koppy for holding the Tigers to just two goals in the second half. For Oliver Ames, Eric LeBlanc scored a pair of goals while Owen Gallagher, Jack Lang and Colin Bourne each scored once.

Foxboro, 17 @ Norwood, 2 – Final

North Attleboro, 7 @ Bishop Feehan, 6 – Final (OT) – North Attleboro senior Colin Young scored his lone goal of the game in the overtime period to lift the Rocketeers. Tommy Lindstrom netted a hat trick while Zach McGowan added a pair of goals and one assist and Jack Dakin notched three assists. Nick Moore scored once and set up Young for the game-winner. Dan McDonald had 13 saves in the cage for Big Red.

Sharon, 6 @ Westwood, 10 – Final

Taunton, 3 vs. Norton, 12 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 16 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Eight different players found the back of the net as Oliver Ames cruised to a non-league win on the road. Kendall Clifford accounted for five goals while Sofia Masciarelli scored our and Liv Piazza had three goals. Ariana Waldorf recorded 13 saves in goal for the Tigers.

Canton, 6 @ Mansfield, 19 – Final

Foxboro, 16 vs. Norwood, 4 – Final

Franklin, 13 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 7 – Final – Franklin built a 6-3 lead by halftime and then continued its strong offensive showing in the second half. Sophomore Annie Walsh and freshman Erin Walsh each scored goal goals apiece and Caroline Lounsbury added a pair for the Panthers. Dana Lewandowski played well on defense with three ground ball and freshman Gianna Cameron made nine saves in net.

Sharon, 19 @ Milford, 6 – Final

Taunton, 16 vs. Norton, 8 – Final – Delaney Powell scored six goals and Alana Tavares added five for the Tigers, who opened the season with a non-league win. Annie Tate and Abbey Kingman both had hat tricks for Taunton and Lorna Li had 12 saves.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final

Mansfield, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final

Franklin, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Senior Rahul Herur and freshman Rohan Herur each won in singles while while the Panthers swept doubles in a victory over North. Rahul Herur won 6-3, 6-1 at first singles while Rohan Herur took third singles, 6-1, 6-1. The team of James Johnstone and Derek Wu won 6-3, 6-1 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Saketh Saripalli won 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 at second doubles. North Attleboro’s Barsomo Nuay won 6-4, 6-1 at second singles.

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – An experienced King Philip team opened the season with a sweep on the road at Milford. Cole Ginter won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Martin Martous won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles and Blake Ginter took third singles 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Ryan Gemelli and Sam Colella teamed up for a 7-5, 6-4 win at first doubles and Jake Webster and Marco DiStefano took a 6-4, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Stoughton got wins at first and third singles as well as first doubles to earn the program’s first win in two seasons. Senior Stevens Bontemps won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles and sophomore Alex Bernstein picked up a 6-3, 6-4 win at third singles. The team of senior Jon Podesta sophomore Erik Anderson clinched the win with a 6-2, 7-5 win at first doubles. Oliver Ames junior Joseph Lorizio won 7-5, 6-1 at second singles and Greg Mueller and Michael Souza won 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 at second doubles for the Tigers.

Taunton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
Canton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro picked up wins at first and second singles and another at first doubles to edge Canton. Torey Lussier won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 at first singles while Brianna Aronne won 6-1, 6-2 at second singles. The team of Taylor Palermo and Merri Piazza came back to claim a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win at first doubles. Canton’s Jamie Cree won 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 at third singles and the team of Stelina Michaelidis and Kiki Karavas won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final

North Attleboro, 4 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – North Attleboro didn’t drop a game at either second singles or first doubles while also getting victories at third singles and second doubles. Jordan Willis won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles and the team of Gabby Duva and Azka Siddiq won with the same score at first doubles. Shurobhi Nandi won 6-1, 6-2 at third singles and the team of Katie Demontigny and Hana Hershey won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles. Franklin’s Hannah Sweeney won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles.

Milford @ King Philip, 3:45

Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames swept singles play and also got a win at second doubles to earn the win over Stoughton. Sarah Leger won 6-0, 6-3 at first singles, Claudia Ferrara won 6-2, 6-1 at second singles and Mandi Miller swept third singles 6-0, 6-0. The team of Kristin Bloumbas and Olivia Groebe won 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles. Stoughton’s Alex Soto and Amanda Gallant won 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 at first doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Sharon didn’t drop a single game in singles play and also won both doubles matches to get the sweep. Sophomore Nupur Shukla, freshman Emily Zhang and junior Lulu Yuan all won 6-0, 6-0 at first, second and third singles, respectively. The team of juniors Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-4, 7-5 at first doubles while junior Rithic Neti and sophomore Sophia Fein won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. St John’s Shrewsbury, 1 – Final

Taunton, 3 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton notched its second won of the season with a 26-24, 25-18, 25-17 win on the road over the Whalers. Lance Law led the way with 10 kills, four aces, six digs and one block while Lens Esquil had nine kills and two blocks and Nate Grant had 30 assists, three kills and a block.