Baseball
North Attleboro, 9 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – A seven-run second inning plus a masterful performance on the mound from senior David Floyd led the Rocketeers to a rivalry win over Attleboro. Floyd tossed a complete game one-hitter, striking out seven for the win. He had a no-hitter through 5.2 innings. Offensively, Christian Bates (three RBI) had a two-run double and Danny Curran (two hits) added a two-run single in North’s big second inning. Tyler Bannon also had two hits for North, including a double.
Canton, 3 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Sophomore Sean McGee had a pair of hits while junior Evan Cornelius and sophomore Anthony LaPierre got it done on the mound as Milford upended Canton. McGee had an RBI and scored a run to pace the Hawks’ offense. Cornelius scattered five hits and three walks in five innings of work, striking out six with two earned runs allowed. LaPierre allowed just one run over the final two innings, striking out three.
Foxboro @ Mansfield – Postponed to TBD.
Oliver Ames, 4 @ Franklin, 10 – Final – Franklin set the tone early with three runs in the bottom of the first and then tacked on four more in the second to secure a win over visiting Oliver Ames. Franklin took advantage of an error and a walk to get RBI singles from Chris Goode (3-for-3, three RBI), Jace Lyons (3-for-3, two RBI), and Ben Jarosz to seize a 3-0 lead. Jack Muir had a hit and a run scored to help OA (seven errors) cut the deficit to one run but Franklin came right back with four runs, all with two outs, to break it open. Goode knocked in Luke Sidwell and Ryan Gerety (two hits, two runs), and a drop third strike allowed Goode and Evan Raider to score to make it 7-2. Sophomore Austin Campbell earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in three innings of work. Ethan Voellmicke tossed two scoreless innings in relief, striking out three with one hit allowed.
Sharon, 0 @ Taunton, 13 – Final (5 inn.)
Softball
North Attleboro, 0 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Lily Routhier threw a four-hit shutout, struck out six, and scored both runs to lead Attleboro to a win over rival North Attleboro. Kelly Colleran struck out 13 batters in the loss, including striking out the side in three separate innings. She also had one of North’s three hits, an infield single in the first inning. Attleboro broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth. Routhier led off the inning by beating out a single on a slow roller to short and then took second when a pitch got to the backstop. Lauren Eby then ripped a single to center, bringing in Routhier with what turned out to be the game-winning run. With two outs in the fifth, Julia Forman lined a single to right and stole second but Routhier got a strikeout to end the inning. Lindsey Perry got to third in the bottom half of the fifth, but Colleran got a groundout to Shaelyn Burns at third to end the threat. North had the heart of the order due up in the sixth. Ally Levine drew a lead-off walk, but Colleran hit a deep fly to center for the first out. Levine tried to steal second, but Attleboro catcher Destani Miranda threw a strike to get her for the second out. Zoe McDonough followed with a ground-rule double to left but a groundout ended the rally. Routhier started the bottom of the sixth with a line drive single to right and Eby followed with one of her own. After Routhier moved to third, Sarah Maher placed a perfect bunt between Colleran and Burns for an infield single and a crucial insurance run. Perry came up with a big diving grab on a liner to start the seventh and prevent a North rally.
Milford, 7 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Highlighted by a pair of home runs, Milford exploded for six runs in the fourth inning to get a win on the road at Canton. Freshman Cae Pellegrini (two hits) smacked her first career home run and freshman Jianna Fernandes (two hits, two runs) launched a two-run home run, the first of her career. Sophomore Camille Bonina (two hits) cleared the bases with a single to right in the same inning to push the lead to 6-0. Senior Gianna Cacciola added two hits for the Scarlet Hawks. Sophomore Maeve Driscoll went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a stolen base and also pitched four innings, striking out five with four hits allowed. Senior Olivia Morelli didn’t allow an earned run in three innings of work, striking out two.
Mansfield @ Foxboro – Postponed to TBD.
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead but Franklin scored once in each the second and fourth to tie it, and then scored five runs over the fifth and six innings to get the win. Lexi Galsband brought in OA’s first run with a squeeze bunt and Katie Melendy and Katherine Farley followed with an RBI each to make it 3-1. Dana Stott had an RBI single to cut the deficit in half and and Aislinn Lavery brought in the tying run to make it 3-3. In the top of the fifth, Reece Allen smacked an RBI double and Kiera Kotwicki drove in a second run to put the Panthers ahead 5-3. In the top of the sixth, the Panthers pushed across three runs to extend the lead to 8-3. Kotwicki got the win in the circle, scattering four hits in four innings of work while Lavery tossed three scoreless innings in relief, striking out two without allowing a hit. Freshman Emily Martin had two hits and a run scored for the Tigers.
Taunton, 29 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Taunton hit four home runs as a team to bounce back from its first loss in three years. Brooke Aldrich led the way for the Tigers with five hits, a homer, four runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Hayley Krockta had four hits, four runs scored, and three RBI. Ava Venturelli was 2-for-2 with a triple, a homer, three RBI, and three runs scored, while Kaysie Demoura had three hits, a homer, five RBI, and four runs. Lead-off hitter Angie Lynch got on base three times, had three RBI, and three runs. Kylie Thorpe had three hits, Katelyn Bizarro had two hits, including a homer, and Kyleah Plumb had a pair of hits.
Girls Lacrosse
Sharon, 7 vs. Norwood, 17 – Final – Anna Hertzel had a hat trick and an assist to lead the Eagles attack. Keira Ledyard had two goals, while Athena Merck and Bailey Garte each scored once. Tess Letendre played well in goal, making 12 saves.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro swept all three singles matches and tacked on another win from doubles action to take down rival Attleboro. Senior Will Folan earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at first singles, junior Brody Carter grabbed a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and freshman Darren Liang emerged with a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. North Attleboro added its fourth point via the team of sophomore Caleb Cheney and senior Aashman Gupta, who battled to a 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) win at second doubles. Attleboro’s first doubles team of Tyler Rocchio and Kyle Neuendorf grabbed another win, this time 7-5, 6-1.
Milford, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Freshman Justin Ngan earned the first victory of his career, highlighting Canton’s 5-0 sweep over visiting Milford. Ngan picked up the win at third singles in a well-played match against Milford freshman Cory Rattray. Canton’s Austin Lee and Jad Antoun also grabbed their first win, taking the victory at second doubles.
Mansfield, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Mansfield’s strong singles play continued on Friday, this time getting a sweep of Foxboro plus another victory from doubles action to get the 4-1 win. Freshman Neema Khosravani won a hard-fought match at first singles (6-3, 6-4), junior Benson Delany moved into singles play and secured a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles, and Nikhil Nain grabbed a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. Mansfield also got a win from the doubles team of Lura Meyer and Nathan Cote (6-1, 6-2). Foxboro’s Josh Weiner and Jacob Weiner grabbed a 6-3, 6-4 win at first doubles.
Franklin, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Franklin won a pair of singles matches and a pair of doubles matches, all in straight sets, to get a win on the road in Easton. Senior Vayshnav Malhotra didn’t drop a set in a 6-0, 6-0 first singles victory while senior Thomas Broyles was victorious 6-3, 6-2 at second singles for the Panthers. Sameen Shaik and Tyler Fitzpatrick earned a clean 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles, and the Panthers got a 6-2, 6-1 win from the second doubles tandem of senior Tim O’Keefe and sophomore Jay Gorgas. Oliver Ames senior Raphael Vache prevailed in a marathon third singles match, 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (1).
Taunton @ Sharon, 3:45
Girls Tennis
North Attleboro, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – A singles sweep proved to be enough for North Attleboro in a close battle with rival Attleboro. Sophomore Lauren Hunt grabbed a 6-3, 6-1 win at first singles, junior Grace Noreck secured a 6-4, 6-1 win at second singles, and senior Krithika Mood completed the singles sweep with a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Attleboro’s first doubles team of seniors Tina Lam and Saharla Yusuf won 6-2, 6-2, and the tandem of sophomores Kyra Johnson and Presley Biller emerged with a 6-3, 6-4 decision.
Canton, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Canton’s Laura Correal won a third set tiebreaker at third singles to help the Bulldogs complete a 5-0 sweep on the road at Milford. Correal took a 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 win, Camila Cutter secured a 6-3, 6-0 win at first singles, and Kelli Woodworth was victorious, 6-3, 6-0, at third singles. The team of Olivia Durham and Grace Powers earned a 6-3, 6-2 win at first doubles, while the Canton second doubles tandem of Olivia Maloney and Allie Wong grabbed a 6-2, 6-1 win.
Foxboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Foxboro won all three singles matches in straight sets, and took another point with a third set tiebreaker in doubles play to take down Mansfield. Athena Li continued to roll with a 6-0, 6-0 win, Hailey Kornbluth secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and Makayla Peck completed the singles sweep with a 6-0, 7-5 third singles victory. Abby Costa and Juliana Preston added a 6-3, 6-0 victory at first doubles for the Warriors. The team of Jillian Hanley and Savannah Carey rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 10-7 win at second doubles for the Hornets.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Anchored by a sweep of singles action, Franklin defended home court to knock off the visiting Tigers of Oliver Ames. Vedika Vinayak prevailed with a 6-4, 6-2 win at first singles, Izzy Trull added a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Sarah Schiavo won 6-2, 6-2 at third singles for the Panthers. The team of Chloe Essam and Sydney Tolonen added another win for Franklin, taking the second doubles match by a score of 6-1, 6-2. Oliver Ames’ first doubles tandem of Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper notched a 6-1, 6-1 win.
Sharon, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Sharon went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to bounce back from a close loss on Thursday. Navya Shukla secured a 6-3, 6-1 win at first singles, Judy Song earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory at second singles, and Abby Vilk grabbed a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. Sharon swept both doubles matches with Olivia Landstein and Alice Zaniewski taking first doubles, 6-3, 6-2.
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Brockton, 0 – Final
Baseball
Stoughton, 5 @ King Philip, 12 – Final – King Philip scored three runs in the first inning and five runs in the third to pick up its second win of the season with a 12-5 decision over Stoughton. The Warriors had 17 hits on the day, led by Rudy Gately’s three hits, and two apiece from Travis Crawford, Matt Kelley (three RBI), Brendan Sencaj (four RBI), and Eli Reed (two RBI). Sencaj had a two-run double in the first and another RBI single in the fifth while Kelley had an RBI in each the second, third and fourth innings. Tommy Martorano didn’t let up an earned run in five innings of work, striking out seven.
Sharon, 2 @ North Attleboro, 11 – Final – North Attleboro pushed across four runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back in a win over visiting Sharon. Tyler DeMattio smacked a two-run home run, David Floyd (walk) scored on a double steal, and Christian Bates drove in a run with a double. Sharon put up two runs in the fourth inning by Dillon Harding had an RBI single in the fifth and highlighted a four-run sixth inning with a two-run base hit. Tyler Bannon earned the win on the mound, allowing three hits with three strikeouts in four innings. Harding pitched three scoreless innings in relief with one hit allowed.
Softball
King Philip, 19 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip scored at least three runs in each of the five innings, including nine between the first two to grab a win on the road over Stoughton. Sophomore Taylor Regan went 4-for-4 on the day with thee runs scored and two RBI to lead the offensive charge for KP, who had 20 hits as a team. Freshman Liv Petrillo added two hits, four RBI, and two runs, Charlotte Raymond drove in three runs and scored three runs, and Meg Sherwood, Ava Kelley, and Mia Bennett each had two RBI. Stoughton’s Camryn Whitman drive in three runs with a double in the second.
Boys Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 8 @ Attleboro, 16 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Attleboro trailed 3-0 in the first quarter and 5-3 early in the second, but found another gear and pulled away in the second half to pick up a second win in as many days. Carter Shelton scored six goals and Keigan Conley had three goals and three assists for the Bombardiers. Ben Reardon scored four times and had two assists for the Tigers. Reardon got OA off to a great start with two goals in the opening four minutes and Wyatt Fritchman had one to make it 3-0. Conley set up Shelton to get Attleboro on the board and then Freddy Wheaton teed up Conley to bring the hosts within one. Reardon assisted on a Joey Carney goal but Shelton set up Patrick McAvoy to make it 4-3 after one. Fritchman added his second to push the lead back to two, but Attleboro scored the next three to go into halftime leading 6-5. Shelton and Conley had the first two and Chad Beaupin assisted a Cole McKenna goal with 20 seconds left to put Attleboro ahead for the first time. Reardon tied it early in the third, but Attleboro responded with the next four goals (Spencer Sherk, Beaupin, and two from Shelton) to take control. After Reardon got one back, Seth LaPlaca and Shelton answered but Ryan Jaco tallied his first with five seconds left in the third to keep OA within four (12-8). Attleboro sealed the win by scoring the only four goals of the fourth. Conley, Wheaton, Shelton, and Sherk all finding the back of the net. Goalies Noah Isleib (OA) and Harry Wheaton (Attleboro) both played well throughout.
Canton @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Foxboro, 9 @ Sharon, 8 – Final – Sharon dominated at the faceoff X to rally in the second half, but Foxboro held on to get the league win. The Warriors built a 5-2 lead at half but the Eagles tripled their first half production with six strikes in the second half. For Foxboro, sophomore Lincoln Moore scored six goals, Tony Sulham added two more, and Jack Avery scored once in the win while sophomore goalie Adam Addeche turned in a 17-save performance to keep Foxboro ahead. Sophomore Ryan Cotter had a standout game defensive for Foxboro with six ground balls. Sharon senior Ben Shocket won 18 of 21 face offs taken.
Franklin, 25 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Franklin poured in 21 goals in the opening half to secure a road win to move to 2-0 on the season. Tyler Sacchetti led the charge with four goals and six ssists, Jayden Consigli had five goals and four assists, and Luke Davis added four goals and three assists.
King Philip, 17 @ Hopkinton, 7 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro @ Oliver Ames, 3:45
North Attleboro, 7 @ Canton, 11 – Final – Knotted at 4-4 at halftime, Canton found the back of the net seven times over the final two quarters to get a win over North Attleboro. Emily McCabe and Devan Spinale both had four goals to pace the Bulldogs’ offense while Ella Yeaton scored twice and Shannon McGrann had one goal. Elyse Broderick made 10 saves in net to get the win.
Sharon, 2 @ Foxboro, 20 – Final – Foxboro completed a perfect opening week with another double-digit win. Ten Warriors found the scoresheet on Thursday, led by Paige Curran with five goals and two assists. Mya Waryas added four goals and three assists, while Kate Collins (one assist), Cate Noone, and Val Beigel each scored twice. Grace Riley and Meghan Burke both had goals and an assist and Kaelin Connors, Jennifer Gallagher, and Hannah Blake found the back of the net once apiece. Anna Hertzel and Kiera Ledyard scored for the Eagles and goalie Tess Letendre made 13 saves in the loss.
Milford, 1 @ Franklin, 21 – Final
Mansfield, 16 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Cali Melo scored both goals for the Tigers.
King Philip, 14 vs. Hopkinton, 5 – Final – King Philip scored six goals in the first half and added eight more after the halftime break in a win over Hopkinton. Julia Marsden paced the offense for the Warriors with seven goals while Makenzie McDevitt had a hat trick plus three helpers. Lily Brown notched six assists along with a goal, Nikki MacDonald scored twice, and Abby MacDonald added one in the win.
Boys Tennis
King Philip, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – A singles sweep and another win in doubles play gave King Philip a win on the road at Stoughton. Brady Jannell rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 win at first singles, Jonathan Cohen didn’t drop a set in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Jackson Hom took a 6-2, 6-1 victory at third singles. KP also added a win from Diego Nieto and Noah Ihley at first doubles (6-0, 6-4). Stoughton’s Jake Berry and Joe Mark claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Milford, 0 @ Medway, 5 – Final
Oliver Ames @ Milton, 3:45
Taunton, 1 vs. Durfee, 4 – Final
Girls Tennis
Sharon 2, vs. Bishop Feehan 3 – Final
Milford vs. Whitinsville Christian, 3:45
Taunton, 3 @ Durfee, 2 – Final – A sweep of doubles action plus one singles win was enough for Taunton to get a win on the road over the Hilltoppers. Senior Kayla Parrett battled to a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win at first singles for the Tigers. The first doubles tandem of sophomores Morgan Smith and Sam Parrett notched a 6-3, 6-3 win and sophomore Janelle Garcia and senior Kelsey Brennan teamed up for a 6-3, 6-3 win at second doubles.
Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 0 @ Bellingham, 3 – Final
Milford, 3 vs. Nipmuc, 0 – Final
Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 1 – Final – Taunton broke into the win column for the first time this season, taking the final two sets after splitting the first two for a 3-1 (25-18, 18-25, 25-17, 25-17) win. Junior Ty Ekstrom set the offense up with 26 assists along with four aces, four digs, and a pair of kills. Antonios Dimakis led the offense with 11 kills, six digs, a pair of aces, and a block, Matt Freitas added nine kills, eight digs, and six aces, while Josh Duncan (eight digs, four kills) had a big day from the service line with 10 aces.
2021 Record: 5-11 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Steve Dunlea
With a good mix of new faces and experienced veterans, Attleboro is aiming to be in the mix of a loaded Kelley-Rex division. For the Bombardiers, it will lean heavily on a deep pitching staff.
It starts with seniors Billy Saltmarsh, who is committed to UMass Dartmouth, and Cian Kelleher, who is committed to Stonehill. They’ll be joined in the rotation by junior lefty Danny Johnson while senior Jamie Bloch and junior Sean O’Hara lend strength to the relief corps. Sophomore Matt Harvie, sophomore Johnny Pagano, and freshman Tyler Dunlea will also be in the mix to see innings on the mound.
Senior captain Owen Taber (UMass Dartmouth) will be an anchor of the Bombardier defense at second base while juniors Peter DelPozzo and Cooper Johnson, along with Pagano, look to fill in at shortstop as senior captain Evan Houle works his way back from an injury from basketball season. Johnson, DelPozzo, and Dunlea are in the mix for the starting job at third while Bloch (committed to UMaine Farmington) and Christian Dame provide depth at first base.
In the outfield, senior Nate George will cover a lot of ground from his spot in centerfield, and the Bombardiers will rotate between Parket Sacket, Hayden Hagerty, Ben Hochwarter, Danny Johnson, Brody McKenna, and Harvie for the other two outfielder spots. Junior Aidan Hochwarter provides a steady presence both at the dish and behind the plate at catcher.
“The strength of this team is its chemistry,” said Attleboro head coach Steve Dunlea. “We have a great group of returning players who have really worked hard to build a team bond through the pandemic. I give a lot of credit to the captains from last year and this year. Despite the challenges they faced with COVID, they were able to rebuild the chemistry of the Attleboro baseball program that was lost when the 2020 season was canceled.”
2021 Record: 8-7 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton got off to a great start to the 2021 campaign, winning six of their first seven games but ended up with a first-round exit in the playoffs. With a strong core of returning players plus a couple of promising young players, the Bulldogs are aiming to get back to the postseason again this season.
The Bulldogs certainly have some holes to fill with the loss of a talented senior class and the departure of ace Andrew Middleton. Fourth-year head coach Ben Shuffain will lean on captains Andy Butler and Matt Chafin to lead the charge this season, along with three-year players Nico Bonanno, Matt Quan, and Zach Peters. Chafin was one of the best offensive players in the league last year, finishing second with a 0.442 average.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Shuffain has a lot of options for pitching, with at least a dozen choices to fill out the rotation and relief corps. Jay Kelleher, Hayden Rose, and Owen Lane will all be in the mix for innings on the mound. Matty Lesser, James Young, Jack Digirolomo, and freshman Kyle Redquest will work the infield while the catching duties will fall to Sean Sullivan and Matt Hart.
“We are a very experienced team with a lot of guys with a lot of innings pitched from last season and wins under their belt,” Shuffain said. “With a few of last year’s backups moving into starting roles and the addition of a few younger guys and the experienced upperclassmen this team should have a good season as they will continue to work hard on the field and in the weight room.”
2021 Record: 5-10 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 3 South Preliminary Round Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro has some of the top returning talents in the league but will look for some of its younger players to provide the depth needed to compete for a division title this season.
Junior captain Sean O’Leary is one of the top arms in the league and has a lot of varsity experience under his belt already. He will be the ace of the staff that will also feature junior Mathieu Sullivan, who made his varsity debut last season, and freshman Nolan Gordon, who has impressed during the preseason. Pitching depth will come from seniors Andrew Peterson, Tom Marcucella, Liam Mulkern, and junior Alex Stern.
Senior captain Tom Marcucella is one of the most experienced players in the league and his versatility gives head coach Derek Suess a lot of options in the infield. Marcucella can play at any of the four infield spots but will spend the majority of his time at first base. Junior Ryan LeClair is back in the mix at shortstop after a breakout season a year ago, sophomore Tyler Prescott is back for his second year with the squad, and freshman Ryan O’Leary offers a solid bat and glove. Senior Kyle Smith and junior Josh Connolly provide solid depth in the infield.
Senior captain and three-sport star Jack Watts will patrol center field for the Warriors and will be flanked by juniors Kenny Mello and Louis Carangelo, all three looking to make an impact with their bats this season. When not pitching, Gordon will also be in the mix for some innings in the outfield and sophomore Shane Henri gives Suess another solid option. Mulkern is the starting catcher with freshmen Ben Angelini and Mike Marcucella in the mix as well.
“We have great leadership from our captains and upperclassmen which has set the tone for the rest of our guys,” Suess said. “The underclassmen have bought in and can contribute right away. We must embrace the daunting challenge of playing in the Hock, and compete with confidence to give ourselves the best chance to reach our goals.”
2021 Record: 16-2 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final Coach: Zach Brown
Franklin graduated some of the best players in the league after last season, but the Panthers still have a loaded lineup and a deep and talented pitching staff that could result in a very deep playoff run.
Not many teams could lose one of the best hitters in the league (Nate Cooke, 0.429) and one of the best catchers in the league (Jake Fitzgibbons, 0.353) and still boast one of the best lineups in the league but that’s how deep the Panthers are. Jack Marino, Ben Jarosz, and Chris Goode were all among the league leaders offensively a season ago, and Franklin also has sophomore Henry Digiorgio and junior Eisig Chin back after picking up a year of varsity experience. Junior Ryan Gerety, a Northeastern commit, is one of the best fielders in the region and is very dangerous at the plate.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
And after surrendering a league-low 40 runs last season, Franklin returns its entire rotation. Jacob Jette had a great junior season and will be one of the best pitchers in the Hock while junior Alfred Mucciarone will look to build upon a solid sophomore campaign. Relievers James Kuczmiec and Ethan Voellmicke dominated last season, coming in time after time and shutting opponents down.
2021 Record: 8-8 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Jeff Plympton, Jr.
It was a good start for head coach Jeff Plympton as the Warriors won eight games last season and went to the playoffs, bowing out to eventual state champions Xaverian.
King Philip has the majority of its lineup back and will be looking to make some noise in a very competitive Kelley-Rex division. After averaging almost five runs a game last year, the Warriors have some key bats back in the lineup this year. Senior Shawn Legere is a returning league all star that starts at shortstop and is coming off a season in which he hit 0.386 and scored a league-best 16 runs. Rudy Gately had a breakout sophomore season and will be a key bat in the lineup again this year.
Gately will also be a go-to option on the mound for Plympton after going 4-0 last season, striking out 33 in 34.1 innings of work with an impressive 1.03 ERA. Tommy Martorano also gained a lot of experience last year as a sophomore and will give the Warriors a solid 1-2 punch for its starting rotation.
“We have a lot of arms to roll out if we need them which is great,” Plympton said. “Shawn Legere provides great leadership to the team and demands hard work at practice and games. Our fielding should be strong this year but I’m looking forward to watching our offense. Last year we struggled at the plate but this year looks promising. Last season we notched our first playoff win in over a decade and we look to keep those strides moving forward this year.”
2021 Record: 8-8 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Chris Hall
With a talented and experienced pitching staff and a list of players eager to make a name for themselves at the dish, Mansfield enters the season with the goal of challenging for the Kelley-Rex division title.
The Hornets were young last spring, and a lot of players earned their first varsity starts on the mound and at-bats. Mansfield has the majority of its team back and will be looking to turn that valuable experience into a successful 2022 campaign. They certainly aren’t shying away from testing that talent with defending state champions Xaverian, Maryland powerhouse Archbishop Spalding, and other top teams on its schedule along with a loaded Hock schedule.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Seniors Anthony Sacchetti, Aaron Blinn, Jimmy Gilleran, and Colby Geddis highlight a deep and talented pitching staff for the Hornets. All of those arms got their feet wet during last year’s season and now give head coach Chris Hall a lot of flexibility with his rotation. There won’t be a drop off as the games go on with four solid options.
The big challenge for the Hornets a season ago was offense, scoring a division low 57 runs. With a strong offseason under their belts, there are a lot of names eager to step up and improve that number. Sacchetti, Gilleran, Geddis, and classmates Andrew Slaney and Jared Fraone will try to lead the way while juniors Conner Zukowski, Sam Martin, Caden Colby, Aidan Jones, and Rocco Scarpellini are all in the mix. Sophomores Connor Curtis and Jake Maydak both played varsity last year and could be impact players right away. Behind the dish, Aidan Jones and Wyatt Bolduc are battling for the starting spot at catcher after the Hornets lost senior Liam Anastasia to an injury.
“The keys to success this season rely heavily on every player doing their job,” Hall said. “The Hornets bring a well-rounded roster to the table and expect to compete all season long. Pitching and defense continue to be a strength for the Hornets. Offensively, the Hornets look to use a variety of talent to score runs and win baseball games.”
2021 Record: 5-9 2021 Finish: Missed Postseason Coach: Alex Dion
There were some growing pains for the Hawks a season ago with a young squad, but with just five players graduated from a year ago, the Hawks are hoping to be a contender in a deep Kelley-Rex division.
Head coach Alex Dion plans to get contributions from all four classes this season, starting with a strong group of seniors that cover the field. Tyler Lane and Grant Scudo will see time in the outfield, Justin Luchini mans first base, Alex McColl can play in a number of spots in the infield, Cole Forrest is a versatile weapon, and John Denegris is an option on the mound.
The rotation will be anchored by junior Evan Cornelius, junior Tyler Caldon, and sophomore Anthony LaPierre. Cornelius started every game for the Hawks last season and will play at first when he’s not on the mound. Caldon and LaPierre, both right-handed pitchers, are up from the JV squad and have impressed in the early going.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Offensively, sophomore Keith Lee picked up valuable experience after starting nine games as a freshman last season. He will start behind the dish and be one of the most important bats in the lineup. Sophomores Damien Carter and Sean McGee also started last season and will make up Milford’s middle infield.
“I am excited about the potential that this group has,” Dion said. “With strong senior leadership and varsity players in all four grades we have an opportunity to compete this year and for years to come. This is a great league and I have a lot of respect for the other teams in it. It starts on the mound and if we can get quality pitching out of the arms that we have here we have a chance to compete. We will have to win games in a variety of ways and I believe that we have the athletes to do that.”
2021 Record: 12-5 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Mike Hart
After splitting the division title a season ago, the Rocketeers enter the 2022 campaign with a chance at winning back-to-back division titles for the first time in 30 years.
Replacing ace Dennis Colleran won’t be easy but North Attleboro has some solid arms on the mound including senior Danny Curran and senior David Floyd, who missed last season. Curran went 2-0 last year and struck out 22 in 23 innings of work with a 3.65 ERA. Head coach Mike Hart also has pitching options in senior Anthony Wescott, and juniors Jordan Paradis, Derek Maceda, and Ayden Delaney.
One of the big reasons the Rocketeers had such success last season was their offense, which scored a Davenport division 110 runs. Maceda was one of the best bats in the league and will patrol the outfield for the Big Red along with Curran, Paradis, and senior Christian Bates. In the infield, Floyd will be joined by classmates Brody Rosenberg, Gavin Wells, and Nik Kojoian, and senior Tyler Bannon will patrol shortstop. Junior Aidan Conrad had a breakout season starting behind the dish a year ago.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
“We’re going to look to put a lot of pressure on other teams offensively,” Hart said. “We have many capable pitchers who can provide quality innings. We feel our defense will limit mistakes and not give many runs away. If we want to have a successful season we will need contributions from everybody on the roster on a daily basis. We will rely on our senior leadership and experience to guide us through the season. We need guys to excel in their role and focus on the job at hand.”
2021 Record: 9-6 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Joe Abarr
After earning a share of the Davenport title last season, the Tigers have the pieces in place to make another run at the division crown this year.
A combination of veterans and new faces eager to make an impression gives head coach Joe Abarr a nice mix to work with. Offensively, the Tigers will look for their senior captains to lead the way. Jake Waxman will play first base and potentially some outfield and is one of the best bats in the Hockomock League while Joe Cicchetti could also see time at first as well as the outfield, and is a strong two-way player. Patrick Finnerty is back in the mix after a strong junior season.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
On the mound, OA has a pair of lefties at the top of the rotation. Nick Clark (3-0, 2.78, 32K) and Jack Richardson (2-2, 2.07, 21K) are both coming off great junior seasons and will give the Tigers a solid 1-2 punch on the mound this year. Richardson will also see time in the outfield and will be a key piece of the lineup offensively.
“We have a good mix of returners and young talented players looking for opportunities to help our team win,” Abarr said. “We are excited for a full ‘normal’ season back in the Hock.”
2021 Record: 3-12 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Preliminary Round Coach: Andrew Poliferno
Sharon enters the season with a roster eager to compete among the Hockomock League’s top teams, but the Eagles will have to do so all on the road this season. With the construction of the new high school currently underway where Sharon’s field was, it will be all road trips for the Eagles this season.
It will start with the 10 seniors on the team, including captains Dan Okstein and Dylan Labbe. Okstein is back after an injury limited his time a year ago and will be a key piece in the lineup offensively. He will be the anchor of the outfield, playing mostly in left but could also see time in center. Labbe has a ton of varsity experience and will be the ace of the pitching staff this year. Also on the mound returns sophomore Luke Meixel, one of the league’s breakout players last year as a freshman. junior Alex Coughlin, Ryan Baker, Zach Loomis, Jack Broughton, and Okstein will also be in the mix for innings on the mound.
Offensively, Nate Yaffe is back after a great year at the dish a year ago and will take over at shortstop. Not only is Yaffe consistent with the bat, but he’s also very dangerous on the base paths. Another speedy option at the dish will be Palash Raina and the Eagles are hoping to get key contributions at the plate from Okstein and varsity newcomer Connor Blaney. Liam Conway takes over behind the dish and Will Hippler, Owen Kevorkian, Eli Greenfield, Josh Tolentino, and Jake Loomis are all in the mix for spots in the lineup as well.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
“As a second-year varsity coach, I couldn’t be prouder to see how ready our players are to play their 2022 season,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Poliferno. “It is evident our players worked hard during the off-season to prepare to compete in the Hockomock. Our players are gritty, determined, and not afraid to put in the hard work that it takes to improve. In addition to their drive to succeed, the team vibe is positive and players go out of their way to encourage one another. I believe we have the makings of a very talented and passionate group of players ready to make noise for their 2022 season.”
2021 Record: 4-10 2021 Finish: Missed Postseason Coach: Kevin Carty
There will be a lot of new faces in the Stoughton lineup this season, and that goes for the dugout too as Kevin Carty takes over for Mike Armour, who was the longest-tenured coach in the Hockomock League.
Carty is going to lean heavily on his seniors, who make up over half of the Knights’ roster. There is a lot of versatility among the senior class as well with players like Joe McNulty and Jonah Ly, who could see time in the outfield, the infield, on the mound, and in McNulty’s case, even behind the dish. Brad Franey, Anthony Girolamo, Anthony Tilton, James Price, and Owen Wiesnberger are all seniors that are in the mix for infield spots.
Girolamo, Ly, and Price will be joined by sophomore Will Worsley, junior Jeriel Cuello, junior Sean Farley, junior Joe Rush, and sophomore Hunter Malkin as options on the mound for Carty.
“We have a deep group of seniors that will carry us this year,” Carty said. “These seniors are very athletic and can play anywhere on the field. They have the ability to be great leaders for the younger players. We will go as far as they carry us.”
2021 Record: 13-5 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Semifinal Coach: Blair Bourque
Replacing a league MVP is never an easy task as the Tigers have to do with Danny MacDougall, but Taunton has a lot of depth and a lot of new faces looking to make a name for themselves as they help Taunton challenge for the Kelley-Rex title.
The strength of the 2022 Tigers will be offense and defense. Taunton has already lost some pitchers to injury so it will be a group effort on the mound this season. Coming off a season in which they scored 119 runs (nearly 7 runs a game), the offense will once again be a key component. Dawson Bryce had a breakout year after hitting 0.341 and driving in 12 runs a season ago, and junior Ryan MacDougall is one of the best power hitters in the league.
Seniors Evan Cali, Colby DeCouta, Colin Botelho, and junior Braden Sullivan are all very experienced at the varsity level and head coach Blair Bourque will lean on their leadership this season.
“Unlike in years past, we don’t have any true pitchers; our pitching staff consists of position players who will need to step up and give us an opportunity to compete,” Bourque said.”Offensively, we’ll look to have productive at-bats, be patient, and take advantage of mistakes. We should have one of the more productive offenses Taunton has had in some time. Although we’ll continue to play fundamental baseball, we hope to be able to capitalize when opportunity presents itself.”
Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton picked up a key two points and gained some ground in the division title race with a win over Stoughton. Jake McCabe continued his current hot streak with two more goals to pace the offense. Erik Valdovinos and Jacob Crugnale each added one goal in the win while Dylan Baird played well in the midfield. The Bulldogs pushed their unbeaten streak to six games and sit just two points out of the lead in the Davenport.
Foxboro, 0 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – North Attleboro grabbed its third straight win and third straight shutout with a win over visiting Foxboro, leapfrogging the Warriors in the standings. Junior Givany Carney headed in a cross from classmate Griffin Rodden in the 55th minute for the lone goal of the game. David Floyd came up with a handful of big stops to preserve the shutout while Brody Rosenberg and Jaad Ismail had solid showings defensively.
Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Franklin scored the lone goal of the game just under 15 minutes into the contest to earn a season split with Taunton. Tim O’Keefe served a free kick from the right wing into the area that was redirected before falling to the feet of senior Terry O’Neill, who buried his chance from in close. The Panthers had a handful of good looks in the second half but couldn’t tack on a second goal; Taunton keeper Javonte Fernandes had a pair of terrific stops to help keep the deficit at one.
King Philip, 1 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – King Philip sophomore Tommy Lomuscio scored the equalizer with just under 10 minutes to go to help the Warriors grab a point on the road against Mansfield. The Hornets had an ideal start when senior Matt Hyland scored just five minutes into the game to give the hosts the lead, finishing off a pass from classmate James Li. Both Connor O’Reilly (King Philip) and Jack Lasbury-Casey (Mansfield) played well in net.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Sharon recorded the upset of the season, snapping OA’s 10-game unbeaten streak and avenging a 6-1 loss from earlier this year. Adam Landstein scored the lone goal of the game, finishing off a pass from James Zhang. Brady Daylor recorded the shutout in net for the Eagles.
Girls Soccer
Milford, 0 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro broke open a scoreless game with three goals in the second half and moved back to .500 on the season. Seven minutes into the second half Jamie Davies was able to break the deadlock, assisted by Bethany Alves. Kacey Parker teed up Kahlan Gray for a 30-yard strike that double the lead. Emily Dunlea sealed the win with Attleboro’s third goal. Emily Khang picked up the assist.
Canton, 6 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Canton scored six unanswered goals to pick up a big road win and move a win away from .500 on the season. Emily McCabe had four goals and an assist to power the Bulldogs offensively. Stoughton got off to a good start in the match and grabbed the lead after 12 minutes when Makenzie O’Connor coolly finished from the penalty spot. Canton equalized in the 28th minute when Ava Gilmore found the back of the net from long distance. McCabe broke the deadlock with the last kick of the half, taking a pass from Lauren Shatkin, cutting in on her left foot, and finding the back of the net. McCabe would add three goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half, twice running onto balls in behind the Stoughton back line and tapping in after a cross from the left by Devan Spinale. Fay Gallery wrapped up the scoring in the last minute when she met a McCabe corner at the back post.
North Attleboro, 0 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Neve Taylor had a goal and an assist, as Foxboro held off a challenge from North to remain in a first-place tie. Taylor opened the scoring, finishing off a feed from Jordan Carman. Erin Foley made it 2-0 off another Carman assist. Kailee McCabe added a third with a solo run and finish. Lauren Miley wrapped up the scoring with a nice touch on a cross by Taylor.
Franklin, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Stella Regan’s brace powered Franklin to a road win that keeps the Panthers in first place in the Kelley-Rex, two points ahead of Mansfield and KP. Kelly O’Connor and Selene Hammad each scored as well for the Panthers, while Anya Zub had a pair of assists. Jackie O’Neill and Emma Reilly also had helpers in the win, while Rachel Welch and Haylie Aniki split the clean sheet in goal. Franklin coach Jodi Klein praised her team’s composure and ball movement.
Mansfield, 5 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – The Hornets moved into a tie with KP for second place in the Kelley-Rex with a big win on the road. Mansfield had five different goal scorers. Olivia Homsi got the first on an assist from Tarynn Smith, but KP answered back on a penalty from Ella Pisani. Gabby Smith had the second, scoring direct from a corner, but again the Warriors responded as Mikayla Thompson scored unassisted. Alexis O’Keefe put the visitors back in front, assisted by Bridget Hanley and Tarynn Smith scored off a pass from Anna Darlington for her second point of the night to make it 4-2 at the break. Kara Santos closed out the scoring for the Hornets with a second half free kick. Olivia Salisbury made seven saves, including three diving stops, to pick up the win in goal.
Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – OA pulled away to earn another win and remain tied with Foxboro atop the Davenport, scoring four goals in the second half. Katie Gibson, Lauren Sellmayer, Carly Gibson, Camryn O’Connor and Allison Evin were the goal scorers for OA while Emily Meyers and Kathrine Farley combined for the shutout in goal. Sharon had strong performances in the midfield from Sofia Goclowski and Amber Marcus-Blank. Jordanna Morris played well for the Eagles in defense and Autumn Simon had a good first half in goal and created several scoring opportunities playing up top after the break.
Field Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Braintree, 0 – Final
Franklin, 5 @ Algonquin, 2 – Final – Franklin scored three goals in the final quarter to break a tie game and pull away from Algonquin for its 13th win of the season. Algonquin twice took the lead, the first coming in the opening quarter but a goal from Shaw Downing (from Kaitlyn Carney) four minutes later leveled the match, which stayed 1-1 into halftime. Algonquin regained the lead less than a minute into the third but Kendall Jones finished a pass from Carney four minutes later to make it 2-2 heading into the fourth. Haley Wernig put the visitors ahead less than five minutes into the fourth off of Carney’s third assist of the game and then Carney scored herself with just under five minutes to go to make it 4-2.Jones tacked on her second goal of the game two minutes later on a pass from Kaeley Dubriske. Jones also made a pair of huge defensive saves while goalie Megan Sullivan had seven stops.
Taunton, 0 @ New Bedford, 3 – Final – Ashley Amaro and Thalia Nogeira played well in the loss for the Tigers.
Volleyball
Foxboro @ Walpole, 6:00
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames rallied from a two-set deficit to stun Bridgewater-Raynham, earning a season sweep of the Trojans with a 3-2 win (23-25, 21-25, 25-12, 25-12, 15-9). Sophomore Claire O’Rourke helped rally the Tigers with 24 kills and five aces while classmate Sarah Hilliard added 24 kills and four aces. Junior Maddie Homer recorded 42 digs and Hadley Rhodes dished out 39 assists.
2020 Record: 2-5-6 Coach: Peter Pereira
The Bombardiers seemed to get things in gear just as last season was coming to an end, finishing the season unbeaten in its final five games. But there won’t be much carryover to this year as Attleboro only has three starters back from a team that lost 14 seniors to graduation.
It will be a lot of new faces for longtime head coach Peter Pereira, who is still trying to fit the puzzle pieces together to figure out the best combination for his Bombardiers. Senior Cashel Stuger joined the lineup last season and will be a main part of the Attleboro defense this year with Lucas Marques, Ian Miller, and John Blouin all in the mix to see minutes. Junior Esvin Morales begins his third year on the varsity level and has the most experience at this level on the team. Morales is a crafty midfielder that is very dangerous in the attack and on set pieces. Seniors Liam Bischoff and Thomas Russo have good varsity experience and should see expanded roles this year.
Sophomore Alex Vecchioli exploded onto the scene last year, scoring a team-high four goals. He’ll join Morales to solidify the Attleboro midfield but he’s no stranger to getting forward and making some noise in the attack. Sophomores Tyler Rocchio and Brady Whitmarsh are battling for the starting position in goal while Pereira is looking for the likes of Connor Adema, Yannie Skortas, and Emilio Ticas to step up in the attack.
2020 Record: 6-3-3 Coach: Danny Erickson
Canton was the main challenger to OA’s division title win last season, playing tough against the Tigers in both matches. In fact, the Bulldogs’ lone losses were to both division champs in OA and Milford, the latter coming in the semifinal of the Hock Cup.
Canton has a large chunk of those players returning to the pitch for this season and a lot of them have multiple years of experience playing at the varsity level, which means expectations are high for Canton. OA has been the team to beat in the Davenport for the majority of the past decade but it looks like that could be different this year with how much skill the Bulldogs have.
There are veteran players all over the field, starting in the back with the anchor of the defense in senior All-Hockomock selection Giovanni Ruggeri, who returns as the starting goalie. Establishing a strong defensive group in front of Ruggeri will be key but the Bulldogs have a track record of getting better defensively as the season goes on. There is a lot of firepower going forward with senior Dylan Baird being the link in the midfield, helping the Dogs transition from defense to offense. There will be a lot of options in the attacking third with both Erik Valdovinos (three goals, two assists) and Jacob Crugnale up front (goal, seven assists). Junior Jake McCabe is also back after scoring three goals and notching two helpers.
“We are so excited to head into the season,” said head coach Danny Erickson. “Our team has a very high ceiling for success and we are working hard to reach that ceiling. Couldn’t have much more difficult of an early-season schedule playing Franklin, OA, and Milford to open up the Hock so we will certainly be presented some very tall tasks right out of the gates.”
2020 Record: 4-6-2 Coach: Dan Ambrosio
Foxboro is leaning on a strong senior class, a group of talented returners, and a mix of new faces to try and make a run at the Davenport division title. The heart of the team will be with the senior class, including four-year player Derek Axon and midfielder Alex McGarry.
Axon has been on the roster since his freshman year and will start in net for the Warriors, leading the way for what head coach Dan Ambrosio hopes is a strong defensive unit. Foxboro has been on the lower half of the Davenport table in terms of goals against in each of the past two seasons but Ambrosio believes he has a strong defensive unit that will play well in front of Axon. McGarry, a three-year member of the varsity squad, will be a key piece in the middle of the pitch.
It’s not often a team gets a transfer with not only varsity experience, but experience playing in the Hockomock League. But the Warriors added Jorge Sanchez, who has two years of playing at Canton under his belt and could be a big boost for Foxboro. Senior forward Matt Angelini has improved each year with the program and will be one of the top strikers in the league while junior Alex Penders has impressed so far in the preseason. Sophomore John Hollis made a splash during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and could be poised for a breakout year for the Warriors.
“The group has done an outstanding job of coming together as a team,” Ambrosio said. “We look forward to playing the Foxboro way and competing to win the Hockomock regular season.”
2020 Record: 3-5-4 Head Coach: Fran Bositis
Hall of Fame head coach Fran Bositis is back on the sidelines for his 51st season in charge and he and his Panthers are anxious to get back to normal soccer after last year’s abbreviated season that featured rule changes that altered the game.
Bositis has liked what he’s seen so far in the preseason with the team improving after each training session and after each scrimmage. Having a trio of four-year players is an advantage that many teams won’t have so the Panthers will lean heavily on seniors Terry O’Neill, Tyler Powderly, and Aidan Griffith for their veteran leadership. There are a lot of upperclassman on the roster with seniors Jack Moran, Nelson Martinez, and Kevin Proenca all back in the mix after playing last season.
O’Neill, the 2019 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year, is the spine of the team, patrolling the middle of the pitch. We saw early on in his career his ability to get forward and become a scoring threat but he also showed he can sit back and solidify the defensive unit. Both Powderly and Griffith provide a lot of speed on the outside. Junior Trey Lovell and sophomore Rex Cinelli earned some minutes a season ago while Bositis expects junior Will Krysak and sophomore Sean O’Leary to be steady contributors this season.
“I feel the outlook is bright as long as we continue to work hard and look to make small improvements every day,” Bositis said. “I also feel that we have very good senior leadership and that this will be important in helping our younger players develop.”
2020 Record: 5-4-4 Coach: Mike O’Neill
The Warriors graduated nearly its entire starting lineup, losing a total of eight players from the starting 11, along with five more seniors from last year’s squad, but somehow KP boasts a strong returning group of players.
That’s a credit to head coach Mike O’Neill, who has shown since he took over the varsity team that he will take full advantage of the depth of his roster, getting a lot of player’s minutes each season. Last year’s abbreviated season was no different; KP has half a dozen players back with varsity experience ready to make a run at the division title.
There are four captains: Caleb Cassetta, John Pfeiffer, Sean McCarthy, and Stephen Griffin, and all four bring something a little different to the table. Cassetta can do a bit of everything, from being the maestro of the midfield, to shoring up the defense, to sliding up front to score goals. Pfeiffer plays both defensively and in the midfield and provides key leadership, McCarthy is an aggressive outside back, and Griffin is a four-year member of varsity that can play in a variety of roles going forward.
Junior Matt Cargo could be poised for a breakout year in the midfield while senior Dan Fifolt is back in the mix to give KP at outside back. Junior Andrew Seropian has had a good preseason so far while sophomores Tommy Lomusico, Will Bowen, and Dermott Amorim are all competing to try and give the Warriors a boost on the offensive end.
“I think there is going to be a lot of parity in the Hock this year,” O’Neill said. “It will be difficult (as always) to win games. We graduated 13 seniors and 8 starters last year. That is a significant loss of experience on the field, but it also provides opportunities for younger players. I am excited to see which players will step into the available roles and have a breakout year.”
2020 Record: 6-4-2 Coach: Steve Sheridan
For years, Mansfield has been known as a defensive team that sets the tone with its physicality, taking advantage of set pieces on the offensive end to win games. Things might be a little different in 2021.
While Mansfield still boasts a strong defensive group, the heart and soul of the team is in the midfield. There is a lot of creativity in the group that features senior captains Matty Hyland and Danny Rowe along with juniors Grady Sullivan and Connor Palinski. The unit has impressed in the preseason, moving the ball around, combining to get up field and attack opposing defenses. Mansfield has traditionally used a lot of subs for its forwards under Sheridan and that looks like it will be the case again this year with senior Liam Anastasia and junior Dan Checkoway both in the mix.
Four-year varsity player Dylan Buchanan will take on a new role this year, making the switch to defense. His speed will make it tough for opponents to get in behind the Hornet back line. Senior Michael Caridi is another returner and he will join Buchanan in the back in front of senior goalie Jack Lasbury-Casey.
“This is the first time in a very long time that I can honestly say that the defense is not the strength of our team, the midfield is!!”
2020 Record: 10-0-3 Coach: Antonio Pinto
The target on Milford’s back this season will be bigger than ever as the Scarlet Hawks enter the season with three straight division titles; last year’s Kelley-Rex crown and two from the Davenport prior to that. While the Hawks are certainly in the hunt to make it four straight, they’ll do so without their best player from the past two seasons.
Last year’s Hockomock League MVP and lone Massachusetts All-American selection Leo Coelho graduated alongside nine other players that helped Milford won the Hockomock Cup last season. That class also included star midfielder Lucas Da Silva and 2019 playoff hero and goalie Leo Oliveira. While it might seem like the cupboard is a bit thin, the Hawks have reloaded with some new talent eager to win a title of their own.
Kevin Gomes has been on varsity since he was a sophomore and has plenty of varsity starts in net under his belt. He came off the bench in the Hockomock Cup and came up huge to help the Hawks take the win. Milford also has veteran centerback Chris Tocci back in the fold; Tocci is not only one of the most experienced backs in the league but he’s one of the most skilled and his prowess in the air is key for the Hawks.
Senior Avi Seri and juniors Arthur Tome and Hulanger Pires all took advantage of their expanded roles last season and will be key in the offense this season.
“We have a good direct style of play,” said head coach Antonio Pinto.
2020 Record: 3-6-3 Coach: Geoff Burgess
It was a good offseason for the Rocketeers, who used their time between seasons to improve their craft. North has developed a reputation for a defense-first-minded program over the past couple of seasons and the Big Red is sticking true to its colors in 2021.
The strength of the team lies in the defense with a lot of experience in the defensive third. Senior captain Brody Rosenberg will slide into a center back role and anchor the defense from there while sophomore Kaden Burns returns to his outside back position after picking up vital experience during last year’s abbreviated season. Senior David Floyd returns in goal this year after posting a 1.50 goals against average last season.
Connor Ward has been making plays in this league for a long time and look for that to continue during his senior season Ward uses his versatility and creativeness to orchestrate the Rocketeer push forward. Sophomore Carson Dameron is another returner in the midfield unit for North Attleboro; look for senior Jaad Ismail and juniors Griffin Rodden and Givany Carney to give North’s offense a boost.
“We have a great mix of experience and talent that will hopefully lead to a successful year,” said North Attleboro head coach Geoff Burgess. “The team really came together this summer at Camp Manitou and they really believe in each other. They really want to work hard to improve each day and are one of the most coachable groups we have ever had. We are all really excited to get back to normal soccer and see what this season holds for us.”
2020 Record: 12-1-0 Coach: John Barata
Oliver Ames spent the majority of the last decade at the top of the mountain in the Hockomock League, winning five Davenport division titles and two Kelley-Rex crowns since the league split. The Tigers are the defending champs in the Davenport and lost just one game (Hock Cup) last year, but this will be the biggest turnover that OA has seen in a long time.
Oliver Ames graduated over a dozen players, including nearly its entire starting lineup of a team that scored a league-best 59 goals and had a league-low five goals against. Not only did the Tigers lose a talented senior class, but a majority of the players were also either two or three-year starters, so there will be a lot of new faces getting playing time at the varsity level for the first time. Senior captain Mathias Taylor is the most experienced player back for the Tigers after getting a lot of time as a sophomore and starting last fall. His versatility will be key as the Tigers carve out roles for the new players; Taylor can control the play from the middle of the pitch, move up front as a dangerous attacking option, or sit back some to help solidify the defense.
Hector Bucio is the other returner starter for the Tigers after earning some minutes after a sophomore, picking up some starts in the process, and will be a big part of the offense for OA. Michael Haikal also saw time on the field during the COVID-shortened season and will see an expanded role this year as one of the team’s captains. With new faces in the mix, OA is focusing on attacking with pace while stressing getting numbers behind the ball to defend against the tough competition in the Hockomock League.
“We are excited to be back playing regular soccer and looking forward to seeing how this very young and inexperienced team gels during the season,” said OA head coach John Barata. “We hope to win a couple games and get these underclassmen a lot of experience.”
2020 Record: 0-10-2 Coach: Jon Grant
It starts with the fundamentals for head coach Jon Grant and his Black Knights: an improved defensive effort to stay in games and better technical play to increase scoring games.
And so far, so good as Grant has seen improvement on both ends of the pitch throughout the preseason. Throughout each of the last two seasons, the Knights have shown glimpses and the goal this season is to string together consistent performances and limit the mistakes to keep Stoughton in the game. Captains Rhuan Carvalho and Joao Marotti, both seniors, give the Knights some experience up top as they battle against a tough Hockomock League schedule. Although Evan Khang and Kyle Grant as just sophomores, they saw a lot of time last season and will bring that experience and talent to Stoughton’s midfield.
Defensively, the Knights will turn to senior captain Owen Roddy to anchor the defense. He will be joined by classmate Val Pierre to try and solidify the Stoughton back line.
“Everyone is excited to be back out on the field and it will make it even sweeter as we add the competition of the season,” said Jon Grant. “This season we are looking to not beat ourselves by limiting our mistakes. This mentality will put us in a good position each game to compete. Combine that with great effort and a positive attitude and we have a pretty good recipe for success.”
2020 Record: 0-3-7 Coach: Taylor Whitters
The Tigers only played four games last fall due to COVID so there wasn’t much of an opportunity to pick up varsity experience for the younger players, which make up most of the roster for the 2021 season. The lineup will feature mostly juniors along with a group of sophomores so Taunton will lean heavily on the few players that have played at this level before.
That starts with juniors Riley Rebello and Joseph Renquinha, who both enter their third season apart of the varsity team. Rebello has seen time just about everywhere for the Tigers, including at center back, attacking mid, and up front at striker. The experience that both he and Renquinha possess will be key as the young Taunton team tackles a difficult schedule. Taunton is also looking for juniors Aidden Fitting, Quincy-Jones Sylvia, Conal Scully, and Jonathan Trinh to step into big roles right away.
Taunton will rely on a strong work ethic to try and put pressure on teams, using team speed to attack opposing defenses. The Tigers have been in a lot of close games — three of the for from last season, and 11 of their games in 2019 were decided by a goal or less. Taunton will be hoping to end up on the other end of those one-goal results this season to try and make a push for the postseason. Sophomores Javonte Fernandes, Delano Costa-Hanlon, and Joshua Letourneau, alongside junior Sete Deletoile, will be in the mix on their first year with the team.
“I am hoping for us to continue to mature this season and raise the bar a little higher each game,” said head coach Taylor Whitters.
Boys Soccer
King Philip, 2 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip scored twice in the fourth quarter to secure two points on the road, grabbing a victory at Attleboro. Evan McEvoy opened the scoring after a short corner, taking three touches towards goal before blasting a shot into the side netting. With two minutes left, McEvoy set up a key insurance goal with a long ball over the top. Caleb Casetta-Waxman raced onto the ball and beat the oncoming keeper, lobbing a volley that found the back of the net.
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames clinched the Davenport division title outright with a 2-0 decision on the road over the Bulldogs. Colin Milliken gave the visitors the lead, converting a chance from Anthony DaCosta in the first half. Milliken then set up Matt Nikiciuk for a goal in the second half. Drew Nickla had the shutout in net, getting help from Ben Cohen, Hector Bucio, Jimmy Keane, Brady deVos and Mathias Taylor.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – North Attleboro broke the deadlock midway through the third quarter to earn two points on the road. With the score tied 1-1, North Attleboro senior Eddy Mendoza took a pair of touches before dishing off to Matt Conley, who one-touched Mendoza through on a textbook give-and-go and Mendoza finished in alone on the keeper to make it 2-1. The Rocketeers took the lead in the opening quarter when Connor Ward smashed a 30-yard bomb off the crossbar that bounced down and deflected off the keeper and in. Foxboro drew level in the second quarter when freshman John Hollis played Max Beigel into space and he cut his shot past a defender from just inside the 18-yard line. Big Red keeper David Floyd had a strong day in net, making two big saves in the fourth to preserve the win.
Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – A well-played, competitive match ended up with both Mansfield and Franklin earning a point on Wednesday night. Both coaches praised the work ethic from both sides and agreed it was a hard-fought match from both squads. Eric Sullivan earned the shutout in net behind a strong defensive performance from the Hornets. Franklin’s Luc Boudreau picked up his first shutout, earning the praise of head coach Fran Bositis for his continued improvement throughout the season.
Sharon, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Sharon scored a pair of second half goals to earn a pair of points on the road with a win over the Black Knights. Playing under the lights on the new turf at Stoughton, the Eagles peppered the Black Knights with a handful of good chances in the third quarter but Stoughton goalie Nolan Gerome stood on his head to keep Sharon off the board. Finally in the 56th minute, senior Bryce Nathan rifled a shot from distance that went just under the bar for a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, junior James Zhang took advantage of time and space atop the area and placed a perfectly weighted shot into the top corner to make it 2-0.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Attleboro scored midway through the first quarter and put in a solid defensive performance to get the road win and split the series with KP. Meghan Panzer got credit for the game’s only goal, when her cross deflected off a KP defender and into the back of the net. KP coach Gary Pichel said of Attleboro, “They played great defense all game long.”
Canton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames took an early lead but Canton responded with three unanswered goals to earn the win on the road. Lauren Sellmayer (from Emma Pereira) scored in the first quarter to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Elisa Diletizia scored a pair of goals and Mia Gilmore had a goal and an assist to bring the Bulldogs back on the road and keep Canton atop the Davenport division. Marissa Staffiere saved a penalty kick late in the second half to keep Canton ahead by two. Sarai Costello added an assist in the win.
Foxboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Jordyn Collins scored twice and assisted on another, as Foxboro swept the season series with North and kept the pressure on league-leading Canton. Collins had a hand in all four goals that Foxboro scored against North this week. She opened the scoring in the third quarter, assisted by Jordan Carman, and doubled the lead in the fourth, assisted by Kailee McCabe. In between the first two goals, North nearly equalized. Steph McKenna struck the crossbar and the ball went straight down but not over the line. Collins also set up McCabe for the third goal that sealed the points and keeps Foxboro within a point of Canton heading into two games against the Bulldogs next week. North coach Bill Wallace said that Summer Doherty, Charlotte Moynihan, and Jordyn Sullivan played well defensively.
Stoughton, 0 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Stoughton went on the road and earned its first point under first-year coach Hermes Lima. Shayla Ford moved from striker into defense for most of the game to try and slow down the Sharon attack. Lima said, “Shayla was by far my best player on the field today and played a heck of a game. We had our chances but could not capitalize but I am proud of the way the girls played today!” He also highlighted Isabella Rodrigues for her play moving from center mid to forward.
Field Hockey
Stoughton, 6 @ Sharon, 2 – Final
Golf
Franklin, 154 @ Mansfield, 145 – Final – Mansfield set a new home course record and finished undefeated against division opponents, clinching the Kelley-Rex division title outright with a win over Franklin. Mansfield senior Ryan Dow fired a two-under par round of 33 to pace the Hornets to the division title clinching win while Cian Goulet added a 36, and both Nate Morreale and Jason See shot 38. Franklin’s Nolan Norton shot an even par round of 35 while Pat Dolan added a 38 and Jack Paterson shot a 39.
Sharon, 181 @ Stoughton, 179 – Final – Stoughton earned its first win of the season with a two-stroke decision over Sharon at Easton Country Club. Max Huminik led the way for the Black Knights with a team-low round of 44. Anthony Hern, Jake Curtis, and Patrick Smith all chipped in with a 45. Eric Carter was the match medalist, leading Sharon with a low round of 42. Nathan Daley added a round of 45 for the Eagles.
King Philip, 149 @ Attleboro, 163 – Final
Oliver Ames, 166 @ Canton, 145 – Final – Canton completed an undefeated regular season with its second straight win over Oliver Ames. Nate MacDonald was the match medalist, shooting a low round of 35 to pace the Bulldogs. Thomas Singleton added a 36 while Will Gefteas and Ryan Doucette each shot a 37. Noah Isleib and David Rodgers led the way for OA, each carding a round of 41.
Foxboro, 154 @ North Attleboro 150 – Final – North Attleboro senior Aidan Weir and sophomore Dillon Harding both a great day on the links at Heather Hill Country Club, leading the Rocketeers to a win over visiting Foxboro. Weir and Harding split match medalist honors, shooting a one-over round of 36. Sam Gallagher and Tyler DeMattio each shot 39 in the win. Foxboro’s Dylan Quinn, Jack Watts, and Dylan Pothier each shot 38 while Mat Sullivan and Matt Fossella finished at 40.
Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Two days after suffering a 4-0 loss, Attleboro battled to a scoreless draw with the Hornets to earn a point. Mansfield goalie Jack Lansbury-Casey had a strong outing in net with eight saves.
Canton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Canton scored two minutes into the third quarter and that was enough for the Bulldogs in a win on the road. Sophomore Jake McCabe converted a feed from junior Jacob Crugnale for the lone tally of the match. David Floyd had a solid outing in net for the Rocketeers with eight saves.
Stoughton, 1 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game – Foxboro sandwiched a pair of third quarter goals around a tally from Stoughton to earn two points and a season sweep of the Black Knights. After a scoreless first half, Foxboro’s Max Beigel opened the scoring in the 44th minute, tucking his show low to the left into the back corner for a 1-0 advantage. Rhuan Carvalho helped bring the Black Knights level, sending a perfectly paced through ball to Joao Marotti, who was fouled in the box for a pen. Carvalho blasted a left-footed shot that Foxboro keeper Nick Penders got his fingertips to but the ball kissed off the post and in to bring Stoughton level at 1-1. The deadlock lasted less than 10 minutes as Matt Angelini raced onto a loose ball behind the defense and hit a left-footed shot on the run just inside of the far post. Stoughton keeper Nolan Gerome had a strong outing with eight saves.
Taunton, 1 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin scored a pair of first quarter goals a minute apart and held on the rest of the way to earn two points at home over visiting Taunton. Ben Moccia opened the scoring for the Panthers, finishing off a feed from Charlie Amante for a 1-0 advantage. Just a minute later, Ryan Witt set up Ethan Cain, who scored for the third straight game, for a 2-0 lead. Taunton sophomore Riley Rebello cut the deficit in half with an unassisted goal in the second quarter.
Milford, 2 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip battled back from a 2-0 deficit, scoring right before the halftime whistle and then just seconds before the final whistle to grab a point over visiting Milford. Junior Avi Seri put the Hawks ahead in the eighth minute on an assist from Leo Coelho, who scored in the 31st minute on an assist from Arthur Tome to make it 2-0. King Philip cut the lead in half with less than a minute to go in the first half when junior Stephen Griffin converted a free kick. And then with just 12 seconds left, Conor O’Neill buried a service from Evan McCoy to bring the Warriors level at the death.
Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames exploded for six second half goals to earn a big win at home over visiting Sharon. The Tigers built a 2-0 lead at halftime on goals from Mathias Taylor (from Ben Cohen) and Anthony DaCosta (from Colin Milliken). Senior Brady deVos added a second half brace for the Tigers while Milliken, Kevin Louhis, Dillon Cupples, and Jared Goldman also scored. Senior Ryan Ventura and freshman Joey Carney added assists.
Girls Soccer
Mansfield, 2 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Cathryn Cooney scored twice in the second quarter to lift Mansfield to a win on the road. Olivia Salisbury and Kelsey Hubler combined to keep a clean sheet for the Hornets.
Foxboro, 9 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Alyssa Vandenboom scored three times and Jordyn Collins and Erin Foley each scored twice, as Foxboro’s offense clicked into gear with a big road win. Kailee McCabe recorded five points on the day, finishing with one goal and four assists, and Katelyn Mollica added three, scoring one and assisting on two. Meghan Burke, Jordan Carman, and Collins all had one assist in the win. Stoughton coach Hermes Lima credited the leadership of seniors Mackenzie Manning, Nikki Anderson, and Rebecca DeSousa for keeping the Black Knights going. He said the team had several good attacks for forward Shayla Ford but just couldn’t find the finish.
Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Clare Bowen’s hat trick keeps the Panthers rolling along, having won all six of their games so far this season and extending their lead to six points in division standings (second-place KP plays on Thursday). Jamie Tanner and Riley Fitzpatrick also scored for Franklin. Izzy Arnold had a pair of assists, while Norah Anderson, Erin Quaile, and Tanner each had one helper apiece.
Oliver Ames, 4 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Sharon’s goal came on a first half penalty kick by Sofia Goclowski that put the Eagles ahead 1-0 but the Tigers scored four straight to get the win on the road. Katie Gibson (assist), Camryn O’Connor (two assists), Emma Pereira, and Carly Gibson scored for OA. Lucinda Cotter notched an assist for the Tigers.
Golf
Canton, 147 @ North Attleboro, 156 – Final – Another day, another new golfer steps up to lead the Bulldogs as Conor Hunter fired a match-medalist even par round of 35 as Canton notched a win on the road at Heather Hill Country Club over North Attleboro. Will Gefteas and Owen Donovan each chipped in with a 37 while Aiden French carded a 38 for Canton. Sophomore Jake Gaskin led the Rocketeers with a team-low round of 37, Sam Gallagher added a 38, Jordan Paradis shot a 40, and Tyler DeMattio finished with a 41.
Taunton, 194 @ Franklin, 149 – Final – Franklin earned its eighth straight win to start the season behind an impressive two-under par round of 33 from senior Jack Paterson. Sean Connelly added a 38 in the win while both Nolan Norton and Pat Dolan carded rounds of 39. Spencer Andrews was Taunton’s top performer, coming in with a team-low round of 44.
King Philip, 158 @ Milford, 173 – Final – King Philip went on the road and earned a win over Milford at the Hopedale Country Club. Jared Curran was the match medalist, shooting a team-low round of 36 to pace the Warriors. Mike Matheson added a 37 and Gavin Croke chipped in with a 42 for KP.
Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Milford’s Victor Botelho scored on each side on halftime to help the Scarlet Hawks pick up two points against visiting Attleboro. Milford opened the scoring when Lucas Da Silva finished off a feed from Arthur Tome but Attleboro equalized on a goal from Jackson Singer (assisted by Hugo Henriquez). Botelho put the Hawks back ahead on an assist from Leo Coelho to make it 2-1 going into halftime. Da Silva set Botelho up to make it 3-1, and Coelho (from Da Silva) added an insurance tally for the 4-1 win.
Canton, 1 @ Sharon, 1 – Final
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames moved to 3-0 on the season with its third shutout, this time going on the road and beating Foxboro. Senior Colin Milliken scored once and set up three more to lead the way for the Tigers. Milliken set up Kevin Louhis for the opening goal and then assisted on back-to-back goals from Mathias Taylor. Taylor set up Milliken prior to those goals to make it 2-0. OA senior Gage Fritchman scored his first career goal on a penalty kick.
Mansfield, 2 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Mansfield scored a pair of fourth quarters to earn two points on the road against Taunton. After three scoreless quarters, the Hornets finally broke through in the 64th minute. Connor Palinski earned an assist after showing great hustle to track down a loose ball, centering to find Sagar Koul right at the six yard box for the finish. Mansfield doubled its lead five minutes later when Koul settled a pass from Tommy Lanzillo and blasted a shot in from a step inside the area. Eric Sullivan earned his second shutout of the season for Mansfield.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro senior Matt Conley bagged a brace as the Rocketeers broke into the win column with a 2-0 road victory over Stoughton. Conley scored the Big Red’s first goal of the season in the 10th minute of the contest, beating the keeper 1-on-1 after latching onto a through ball from Connor Ward. The Rocketeers doubled their lead in the 55th minute as Jaad Ismail found Conley streaking in behind the defense and he finished into the far corner. David Floyd (nine saves) played well for North to record the shutout.
Girls Soccer
Milford, 0 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Briley Harnois scored twice for the Bombardiers, who picked up a win in their delayed season opener and senior day. Jessica Gates added an assist and Alexis Campbell earned the clean sheet in goal. Attleboro coach Steve Santos was proud of his team’s start after having to wait an extra week to get on the field, saying the Bombardiers created a number of early chances against a Milford team that battled throughout.
Sharon, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Olivia Rodman, Gabriella Herivaux, and Elisa Diletizia each scored once to lift Canton to a third straight win to start the season and into a one-point lead in the division. Rodman opened the scoring with a rocket from outside the box in the first quarter and Mia Gilmore then set up Herivaux with a through ball to get a second before halftime, but Sharon was resilient and kept battling. Wendy Wooden nearly halved the deficit right before the break with a tight angled shot but it went over the bar and landed on the roof of the net. The score stayed 2-0 until late in the fourth quarter when Diletizia blasted one just under the bar for Canton’s third. Sharon goalie Cass Barbera played well in the loss and Mekhala Costello finished with two assists for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – The Warriors battled back from a 2-0 deficit, scoring twice in the second half to come away with a point. Trailing by two goals at the break, Foxboro had a goal disallowed early in the third quarter, but Grace Ferguson scored off a Kailee McCabe assist to cut the deficit to one and then McCabe scored an unassisted goal to secure the draw. Sophomores Mary Cross and Jenna Gilman scored to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. Emma Pereira had an assist while senior Madeleine Taylor and junior Alexa Lane had strong games for OA.
Taunton, 0 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Olivia Salisbury and Kelsey Hubler combined for the shutout and helped the Hornets get their first point of the season. Mansfield coach Kevin Smith praised his defense for limiting Taunton’s chances and added that the Tigers played well in their defensive third, blocking shots and coming up with a lot of big saves.
Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – Steph McKenna scored a hat trick and Emma Pratt scored twice to lead North Attleboro to its first win of the season, keeping the Rocketeers unbeaten through three matches. Caroline Ferrin and Tess Collins also scored for North, with Collins adding an assist. Maggie O’Brien, Ari Newth, Clara Giuliano, Brayden Rice, and Jordyn Sullivan also had assists for North. Kaylah Seavey and Maddie Ferrin split time in goal to get the clean sheet. First-year Stoughton coach Hermes Lima praised his team’s start to the game, as it was scoreless after the first, and explained that he needs the team to not get down after a mistake and let teams break the game open. He said, “We were chasing almost the whole middle quarters and that cannot happen.”
Field Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Canton’s Meghan LaBelle scored twice as the Bulldogs went on the road and earned two points on the grass at Sharon.
Mansfield, 3 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Mansfield and Taunton traded goals back and forth, the latter scoring in the final minutes as the squads settled for a point each in a draw. Ashley Amaro scored a pair of goals for the Tigers, both assisted by Kylie Thorpe, while Alana Tavares added an unassisted goal. Jocelyn Pagliuca and Skylar Rheaume played well defensively in front of junior Emily Gannon (16 saves) for Taunton.
Foxboro, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames overcame an early deficit with three straight goals to knock off visiting Foxboro. The Warriors took the lead less than three minutes into on a goal from Dylan Rappoli but the Tigers responded less than two minutes later when Sofia Anestam set up Georgia Costello to make it 1-1. Costello put the Tigers ahead in the second quarter with an unassisted goal just 33 seconds into the frame. Julia Maclaine secured the win for the Tigers with a second half insurance goal set up by Erin Cottam. Peyton Phillips made seven saves for OA and had an outstanding second half in the cage. OA coach Sharon Lawrence lauded the performances of Abbey Boyce, Emily Han, and Maggie Woods.
Golf
Attleboro, 175 @ Milford, 179 – Final – Brendan Raymond was the match medalist, helping the Bombariders pick up a win on the road at Hopedale Country Club. Raymond shot a match-low round of 36 while Milford’s top performers were Dave Pacella (42) and Jacob Hipolito (43).
Canton, 148 @ Sharon, 173 – Final – Canton’s Mike Leonetti earned match medalist honors and Nate MacDonald shot an even par to help the Bulldogs pick up a victory at the Cape Club of Sharon. Leonetti carded a two-under par round of 34 while MacDonald shot a 36 for the Bulldogs. Will Gefteas added a 38 and Owen Donovan carded a 40 for Canton. Nathan Daley led the Eagles with a one-over round of 37 while Eric Carter added a 41 for Sharon.
King Philip, 163 @ Franklin, 158 – Final – Franklin’s depth proved pivotal in a close win at home over visiting King Philip. The Warriors’ Jared Curran was the match medalist with a 37 while Mike Matheson shot a 39 for KP. But Franklin’s top four all finished within four strokes of one another, led by Jack Paterson’s 38. Sean Connelly added a 39, Nolan Norton shot a 40, and Brian Sandham chipped in with a 41 in Franklin’s win.
Taunton, 191 @ Mansfield, 148 – Final – All four of Mansfield’s scorers shot under 40 at Norton Country Club as the Hornets picked up a win over Taunton. Ryan Dow led the way with a match-medalist round of 35, Brian See added a round of 37 while both Cian Goulet and Nate Morreale each shot a 38 in the win.
North Attleboro, 172 @ Stoughton, 181 – Final – Jake Gaskin and Sam Gallagher split medalist honors as the Rocketeers recorded a win at Easton Country Club over Stoughton. Both Gaskin and Gallagher shot 42 to lead the Big Red to a win. Anthony Hern also shot a 42 to earn medalist honors while Joe Mark added a 43 for the Black Knights.
Foxboro, 160 @ Oliver Ames, 153 – Final – Oliver Ames picked up an important win over division foe Foxboro on the links at Pine Oaks in Easton. Senior Logan Domenico and junior Jake Kaplan each shot a 37 to lead the Tigers, with Domencio sinking a birdie on the eighth hole. Senior Will Gianni added a 39 in the win and freshman Sean Kearns finished with a 40.
Boys Cross-Country
Canton @ Sharon, 3:45
Oliver Ames, 15 @ Foxboro, 50 – Final – It was a clean sweep for the Tigers, taking the top scoring spots to earn a big win over Foxboro. Kyle Sarney won the race for the Tigers while Owen McMorrow and Nate Reservitz rounded out the top three. Nicolas Olson clocked in at 19:14 and was Foxboro’s top runner while Jared Ciora ran a PR (19:37) and was second for Foxboro.
North Attleboro @ Stoughton, 3:45
Girls Cross-Country
Canton @ Sharon, 3:45
Oliver Ames, 17 @ Foxboro, 43 – Final – The Tigers took the first three spots in the race en route to a victory on the road over Foxboro. Katie Soberaij was the winner with teammates Jojo Holmes and Hailey Goldman taking second and third, respectively. Foxboro’s Aine Fitzpatrick finished in 22:05 for fourth place overall while Mabel Linck took seventh for the Warriors.
Oliver Ames’ Mathias Taylor tries to dribble past North Attleboro’s Andrew Faris in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – A late goal from North Attleboro nearly led to the end of Oliver Ames’ season during last year’s playoffs.
It’s safe to say the Tigers learned their lesson.
In last year’s D2 South Sectional quarterfinal matchup, Oliver Ames boys soccer saw a lead disappear in the final minutes of regulation before pulling out a victory in the extra rounds of penalty kicks.
Fast forward to the first game of the 2020 season, and while the on-field product certainly looks a bit different under the current circumstances, the Tigers found themselves in the same situation: control of the game but only a 1-0 lead to show for it.
Oliver Ames’ experience was on full display as the Tigers made sure to slam the door shut this time around, opening the season up with a 3-0 win over the Rocketeers.
Similar to a year ago, Oliver Ames jumped in front with a goal inside the opening 20 minutes but couldn’t solve the Rocketeers’ defense and keeper David Floyd over the next two quarters — yes, soccer in 2020 means four quarters.
When North Attleboro finally found itself with some time in the attacking third, the Tigers turned the tables by doubling their lead on the break to make it 2-0, and tacked on an insurance goal five minutes later.
“[North Attleboro] is very disciplined,” said Oliver Ames head coach John Barata. “Geoff [Burgess] does a phenomenal job organizing the back four and then they have another line in front of that, so two lines of defense…they are very good at it. We have to do a lot of training to try and find a way to break them down. But then you throw the new rules in, and you throw in that it’s the first game of the season, this was a good first run at it in a real competitive environment.”
The first 60 minutes (or three quarters) belonged to the Tigers, with the Tigers knocking on the door in the 13th minute (a hard shot from Mathias Taylor denied by Floyd) and in the 17th minute (a Colin Milliken shot from inside the area turned aside by Floyd) before the hosts were able to breakthrough.
Milliken’s quick switch — taking a feed from the right side of the pitch and quickly changing the point of attack to the left side — put the ball at the feet of senior Kevin Louhis, who took advantage of the space he was given and deposited a low hard shot inside the far post for a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.
“Honestly, the ball that killed us in the first half was a ball that normally could have been cleaned up with a header,” said North Attleboro head coach Geoff Burgess. “They played it every time and got Kevin in behind us and how do you defend it? I knew that’s how they’d play so I thought we had a good game plan to try to slow him and we kind of kept him under wraps but the way they move the ball so quickly from side to side, even as organized as we were with our back six, they were just too fast.”
OA continued to pressure but without anything to show for it. Anthony DaCosta had a shot from atop the area saved and then a combination between Michael Haikal and Louhis resulted in a shot from the latter that forced a diving save from Floyd; North Attleboro’s Kyle Robinson was first to the ball to clear it.
North Attleboro’s best chance of the first half came after a miscue from the Tigers in their own defensive third. Ryan Adams-Lopez was quick to intercept a pass out of the back but his bid on net was handled by OA keeper Drew Nickla.
“It’s an interesting dynamic,” Barata said of the effect the modifications have. “It feels like there’s a different intensity level in these games, we’re trying to get the guys to up their urgency. It almost seems that since they can’t challenge hard without it being a foul, they are almost holding back a little bit. But, that aside, once we’re out there playing, it’s great to watch them play even if it’s different. And we have a good style for this opportunity so we’re okay with it.”
North Attleboro Boys Soccer
Oliver Ames Boys Soccer
It didn’t take long for OA to threaten in the second half as Matthew Nikiciuk rocketed a shot off the post a minute in, and Taylor’s cheeky touch over a defender forced a fingertip stop from Floyd in the box.
North Attleboro’s defense made life difficult for the Tigers, who had a majority of the possession but spent a lot of time trying to find a way past the Rocketeers’ packed in defensive group. North’s Donovan Carter had a pair of big plays just minutes apart, winning a one-on-one battle to stop a chance on goal and blocking a shot moments later. Carter’s centerback partner Justin Silva denied a through ball attempt right after as OA continued to push forward.
“The gameplan was to park the bus and we wanted to create through our outside guys but the problem was we couldn’t hold the ball long enough to create anything,” Burgess said. “But credit to [OA], they create a hurried energy so you’re under stress all the time. But I’m starting eight seniors, there should be some composure there and we should be able to pull that off. Not that we have a lot of time to prepare for them Wednesday, but we need to be able to execute that going forward.”
The Rocketeers finally got their offense going at the start of the fourth quarter as junior Brody Rosenberg played speedy senior Matt Conley into some space but his centering pass in the area went without an answer.
North earned a corner moments later but a miscue resulted in a quick counter for the hosts. Taylor quickly cleared the ball up to Louhis, who played it to a streaking DaCosta. DaCosta carried the ball with pace, forcing the lone defender to commit before sliding it back to Louhis, who finished under the sliding keeper for a 2-0 lead in the 66th minute.
“We needed more offense but they don’t let you sustain it for very long with their pressure,” Burgess said. “The kid in the middle [Nikiciuk], he’s just so quick to the ball. He’s so good at disrupting, he does a good job of ruining plays we want to run. We knew what we wanted to do, we just couldn’t execute it which is a credit to them.”
Five minutes later, freshman Joey Carney combined with DaCosta off of a kick-in, the former using a fake to fool the defender before dropping a perfectly placed cross to Milliken, who positioned himself between three defenders. Milliken took the ball down off his chest and use a deft touch with the outside of his right foot to find the back of the net for a 3-0 advantage in the 71st minute.
“We’re very confident that no one is going to give us space because we know that if they do, we can most likely take advantage of it,” Barata said. “We just have to find a way to beat teams when they pack it in a bit. We want the space, we want to be able to run a bit and we’re hoping teams will try to run with us.
“[North] is very good in transition, they are good fast going forward. I just think that we did a good job of pinning them back in their own half for close to 90% of the game. We were definitely on the front foot in this game but we know they’ll make some adjustments and they’ll challenge us again Wednesday.”
Oliver Ames (1-0 Davenport, 1-0 overall) will travel to North Attleboro (0-1, 0-1) for a rematch on Wednesday night at 6:00.
2019 Record: 6-9-3 2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Peter Pereira
One more goal scored or one goal less allowed could have changed the entire outcome of the 2019 season for the Bombardiers, who suffered six one-goal losses and three draws. Now with more varsity experience under their belts, Attleboro is aiming to surprise some teams in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex division title this season.
Longtime head coach Peter Pereira is counting on that experience to translate into leadership on and off the field. Senior goalie Zackary Brown is back in net for the Bombardiers and is showing more confidence inside the area. Senior Joey Soucy is making the transition to defense and will play alongside classmates Jayden Lockhart and Andrew Fasoldt. Junior Cashel Stuger is also back in the mix defensively while seniors Henry Marini and Alejandro Jimenez could factor into the defensive unit as well.
Jackson Singer emerged as a strong option in the midfield in his first season with the Bombardiers and should be a big piece again this year. Singer will pair up with Hugo Henriquez to give Attleboro an experienced duo in the heart of the pitch. Seniors Ben Fasoldt, Emilio Amaya, and Tyler Sar will all be apart of the midfield while juniors Tom Russo and Emilio Ticas should see valuable minutes for the Bombardiers. Freshman Alex Vecchioli has shown a lot of versatility so far and could play in a variety of roles.
Up front, Attleboro will be relying on a combination of speed, tough, and work effort as they challenge opposing defenses. Depending on the pairing, Attleboro will be able to attack in a variety of ways. Seniors Justin Lurssen and Connor Paquin as well as juniors Liam Bischoff and Yianni Skordas will all see time in the attack. Sophomore Esvin Morales emerged as one of the top attacking threats a year ago and will be among the top finishers in the league.
“We have a good group of seniors and hope that this experience will pay off,” Pereira said. “We believe we will have a more competitive, more mature, and more balanced team.”
2019 Record: 4-12-2 2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Danny Erickson
The Bulldogs were very young during the 2019 season with just a half dozen seniors on the squad, but that meant plenty of young players were able to gain valuable on-field experience at the varsity level. Now the Bulldogs will be looking to contend in a very competitive Davenport division in the shortened 2020 season.
The defense will be the backbone of the team this season as the Bulldogs have a lot of experience at the centerback position. Senior captain Matt Giglio is back for his third year with the squad after being a key piece in each of the previous two years. He will be joined in the middle of the defense by Will Keefe, who anchored the Dogs’ backline last year and earned All-Hockomock honors.
Junior Dylan Baird had a breakout sophomore season and will be one of the main pieces in the midfield. After a down season for Canton on the offensive end as a whole last year, Baird’s presence in the midfield will help create opportunities going forward. Up front, the Bulldogs are counting on senior Colton Marliani to be a go-to scoring threat.
Canton already suffered a big blow as senior captain TJ McCabe, who has been with the squad since he was a freshman, will miss the season due to injury. On the flip side, the Bulldogs are getting a boost with the addition of Abdul Barrie. Barrie played in the youth leagues in Canton but will make his CHS debut this fall and could make a big impact for the Dogs.
“I think the rule modifications will challenge us all equally,” said longtime Canton head coach Danny Erickson. “But after a week or so of training, to me, it’s still soccer.”
2019 Record: 7-8-3 2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Dan Ambrosio
The Warriors had a sour taste in their mouth at the end of last season, losing the last game of the year to miss out on the playoffs. While Foxboro won’t have the chance to get back to the postseason this year, the Davenport division title is certainly in reach.
Foxboro graduated a couple of stalwarts (Joe Cusack, Dylan Barreira, Will Morrison) that were important pieces of the squad in each of the last couple of seasons, but there are plenty of experienced players back from last year’s seven-win squad plus a handful of new faces anxious to make their mark. Seniors Max Beigel and PJ Frost will give the Warriors plenty of leadership and experience, especially in the midfield and attacking third. Foxboro will look to play quick, using the counterattack to hit on the break.
After giving up nearly two goals a game a season ago, the Warriors are aiming to tighten up the back as they navigate through a very competitive Davenport division. First-year head coach Dan Ambrosio is also counting on new players like John Hollis and Ryan Flaherty to make an impact during the shortened season.
“We are a tight-knit group who like to have fun playing the game and look forward to representing our school and town,” Ambrosio said.
2019 Record: 9-7-4 2019 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal Coach: Fran Bositis
With returning players in most areas of the pitch and a trio of top midfielders in the Hockomock League, the Panthers should be in the mix for the Kelley-Rex title, although it could be one of the most competitive seasons since the league split into two.
With just 10 games and all six teams in the Kelley-Rex possible contenders, there is little margin for error. The Panthers will be put to the test right away as they take on Milford, who won the Davenport two years in a row and went to the D2 State Final last season, in the opening week. But longtime head coach Fran Bositis has plenty of talent on his roster to try and make a push for the division title. It all starts in the midfield with a trio of returning starters in Ethan Cain, Tyler Powderly, and last year’s HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Terry O’Neill.
All three bring something different to the table which will make Franklin’s midfield among the most dynamic in the league. Powderly’s speed on the wings will give defenses fits while Cain will bring plenty of creativity as the Panthers push forward. O’Neill won’t be able to dominate in the air like he did a season ago thanks to the new modifications that ban headers, but the junior is also such a calming presence with the ball at his feet and will help Franklin keep possession. Ben Moccia, who started in the midfield a season ago, is moving up top to the number 9 spot, while Charlie Amante, Ryan Witt, Jack Moran, and Kevin Proenca will also see time in the attack.
The Panthers have some new faces in the defensive unit. Will Fox is the lone returning starter and has impressed in the early stages of the season. Sam George, Robbin Tappin, and Karl Gruseck will all factor into the Panthers’ defense while Aidan Griffith, Nelson Martinez, and Connor Scagliarini will be options for Bositis to play either defense or in the midfield. Newcomers Trey Lovell and Rex Cinelli could see valuable minutes right away. Former Panther standout goalie Freddie Backmann, who is without a season at Regis College, is mentoring Luc Boudreau, this year’s starting keeper for Franklin.
“I think that we have a very good group of athletes (soccer players) who have worked real hard in preparation for this season,” Bositis said. “I know that they are all excited to be playing and that they are looking forward to competing against the other Kelley-Rex teams and putting themselves in a position to challenge for a league championship.”
2019 Record: 8-5-6 2019 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round Coach: Mike O’Neill
King Philip was the surprise team of the 2019 season, overcoming a large amount of inexperience to take third in the Kelley-Rex and qualify for the state tournament. While the Warriors won’t sneak up on anyone this season, the skill and experience they return should put them in the mix for the division title.
Second-year head coach Mike O’Neill has strong players in all areas of the pitch, starting with senior captain Evan McEvoy. A four-year player with the program, McEvoy is coming off a breakout season in 2019 and will be among the top midfielders in the league. He will control the pace for the Warriors from the center of the pitch, working with fellow captain Alex Leon, who will use his speed to patrol the wings and get in behind the defense. Both Caleb Waxman and Stephen Griffin made an impact last season and should see expanded roles in the shortened 2020 season. Sophomore Matt Crago is a new face that could make a splash in his first year.
The Warriors should have one of the top defenses in the league again this season. Senior captain Aidan Lindmark is back in goal and his distribution skills will factor in heavily to how KP plays out of the back. Jeremy White had a strong 2019 season at center back and will bolster the Warriors’ backline when he returns from injury. In the meantime, four-year player Ajae Olsen, who is normally patrolling the wing or up top, will have his versatility on display as he slides into the centerback spot.
“Our players and coaches are thankful that we are at the point where we can have a season,” O’Neill said. “So much work and sacrifice have gone into getting the Hockomock League schools to this moment. I’m looking forward to some excellent and competitive soccer. I expect every game to be extremely competitive – there are no easy games in the Hock. Five wins may win the division.”
2019 Record: 6-7-5 2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Steve Sheridan
With just 10 games scheduled for the season, every game – from the first to the last – is going to be important. No one understands that more than the 2020 Hornets, who came up just short of the state tournament last year. After a slow start, Mansfield became one of the toughest teams to beat down the stretch, finishing on an eight-game unbeaten streak that featured an upset of division champion Oliver Ames but came just one point shy of postseason play.
With the postseason not in the picture for this year, the focus shifts on the division title. The Hornets are hoping to carry the momentum from the end of last season into this year. Mansfield will have a mix of veterans and inexperience in its defensive unit. Senior captain Evan Eames will be the centerpiece of the group alongside classmate Michael Jeans, who missed all of last season due to injury. Sophomores Grady Sullivan and Nate Kablik round out the Hornets’ back four while senior captain Eric Sullivan will take over starting in goal.
Senior captain Tommy Lanzillo will run the show from the center of the pitch, helping the Hornets transition from defense to offense. Lanzillo is strong with the ball at his feet and will help distribute as the Hornets hit on the counter. Senior Colin True and juniors Matt Hyland and Dan Rowe will join Lanzillo in the Hornets’ midfield. Junior Dylan Buchanan is back for his third year with the squad and will play up top alongside Aiden Steele.
2019 Record: 18-1-2 2019 Finish: D2 State Finalists Coach: Antonio Pinta
Milford arrives in the Kelley-Rex division with a huge target on its back. Coming off back-to-back Davenport division titles and a trip to the D2 State Final a season ago, the Hawks enter their new division as the favorite. But game in and game out, Milford can expect to get everyone’s best.
First-year head coach Antonio Pinto might be new to the varsity position but has been with the program during this successful run as an assistant and JV coach. It will all start with the reigning HockomockSports Player of the Year and Hockomock League MVP Leo Coelho, who can play just about any position on the pitch at a high level. If there is a need to shut down a high-powered offense, you might see Coelho playing defense. Or if the Hawks need a boost offensively, he can just as easily move up front and provide creativity in the final third.
The Hawks are far from a one-trick pony with both Lucas Da Silva (eight goals, seven assists) and Joao Pedro Da Silva (six goals, three assists) back in the mix this season. Replacing the Hockomock’s leading scorer in Pedro Araujo (25 goals, 11 assists) will be tough but we saw the Hawks do just that when Araujo took over for former HockomockSports Player of the Year Wallison de Oliveira.
Defensively, the Hawks will be strong up the middle. Junior Kevin Gomes returns to start in goal for the Hawks after getting valuable experience there during last year’s season and deep playoff run. And junior Chris Tocci is back in the heart of the defense at centerback after a breakout sophomore campaign. While the new regulations will certainly challenge the Hawks defensively with heading and slide tackling banned, Milford should have a big advantage offensively because of their strong possession skills.
“I’m very excited to be out there with the guys this season,” Pinto said. “We are ready to play no matter what the rules and conditions are! We’re ecstatic to have a season.”
2019 Record: 9-7-4 2019 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal Coach: Geoff Burgess
The Rocketeers and head coach Geoff Burgess have found a recipe for success over the past couple of seasons and will be looking to replicate that again this year. Defense always comes first for the Rocketeers, who allowed just 0.68 goals per game last year. While every team is being forced to make changes because of the new modifications due to COVID-19, the Rocketeers might be affected more than most with heading, slide tackles, and shoulder-to-shoulder challenges banned.
But the Rocketeers have adjusted during the preseason and will be relying on defense and goalkeeping once again this season. Replacing two-time HockomockSports Best XI selection Kyle Briere in net won’t be easy but the North Attleboro is turning to junior David Floyd, who is one of the most athletic players on the team this season according to Burgess. The Rocketeers also boast one of the best centerback combinations in the league with seniors Justin Silva and Donovan Carter back in the fold this year. With a season of experience playing together, it will be tough for teams to find ways to get by the defense anchored by that duo.
While defense remains a top priority for the Big Red, that doesn’t mean North isn’t a dangerous team in the attacking third. As they’ve shown over the past two seasons, speed can kill. Relying on the counterattack and set pieces for the majority of their offensive chances, North brings back senior forward Matt Conley (one goal, five assists) to try and beat defenses with his speed and skill. Junior Connor Ward will have a lot to say about the pace the Rocketeers play at as he orchestrates the team from the center of the pitch.
“With an abbreviated season and a large senior class, we hope to challenge OA for the league title,” Burgess said. “This will obviously be a huge challenge but our defense will be tough to breakdown and you can’t lose if the other team does not score.”
2019 Record: 15-4-0 2019 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinal Coach: John Barata
Oliver Ames has reached the D2 State Final three times since 2014 and with a large group of experienced and skilled players back from last year’s team that went 15-4, another trip to the finals might have been in the cards for 2020. But with postseason canceled due to COVID-19, the Tigers are looking to make as big of an impact as they can.
After a four-year stint in the Kelley-Rex, one that included a pair of division titles (2017 and 2019), the Tigers are back in the Davenport division where they won five titles in the first six years after the Hockomock split. OA brings back nine players that either started or saw a good amount of minutes on the pitch last year, highlighted by HockomockSports Best XI selections Colin Milliken, Brady deVos, and Kevin Louhis. Milliken will help the Tigers transition from defense to offense from his center mid spot, Louhis will be a go-to option on the offensive end, and deVos is back to anchor the defense for the second straight season.
The Tigers will have plenty of options to go along with Milliken (10 goals, 14 assists) and Louhis (4 goals, 9 assists) in the attacking third. Jimmy Keane (six goals, one assist) bolsters the midfield while Anthony DaCosta (six goals, one assist) has improved each of the past two seasons and will be a handful for opposing defenses. Senior Matthew Nikiciuk really emerged as a force in the middle of the pitch last season and will be a big part of the offense, especially through set pieces. Both Mathias Taylor and Dillon Cupples burst onto the scene a year ago and will be in the mix as the Tigers push forward.
Senior goalie Drew Nickla returns in net after a strong year in 2019. The Tigers graduated the most from the defensive unit so the early challenge will be developing chemistry quickly in the backline. Head coach John Barata is also looking for Ben Cohen, Michael Haikal, and Hector Bucio as viable options for the Tigers while sophomore Jake Williams and freshmen Ryan Linhares, Joey Carney, and Diego Rivera are new faces to keep an eye out for.
“We are looking forward to competing this fall and enjoying the opportunity to grow as people and players,” Barata said. “This is a unique situation for a very unique group of players and we are going to make the best of it and play the best soccer we can. These young men are fantastic and we are going to have a great time this season regardless of the on field results…but we hope to have a few of those too!”
2019 Record: 6-7-5 2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Scott Nathan
The Eagles enter the 2020 campaign with a chip on their shoulder, coming up just one point shy of the state tournament a year ago. While Sharon can’t make up for that with a tournament appearance this year with the playoffs canceled due to COVID-19, the Eagles can certainly make some noise while challenging for the Davenport division title.
Sharon said goodbye to a handful of experienced veterans including Michael Baur, Brian Higgins, and Isaiah Stessman, but first-year head coach Scott Nathan has a group of proven players plus a bunch of news faces eager to make their mark. Senior captain Bryce Nathan and junior captain James Zhang will lead the way both on and off the pitch this year as the Eagles compete for the Davenport crown.
Bryce Nathan is one of the most versatile players in the league, playing anywhere from defense to striker during his tenure with the Eagles. Zhang, fresh off an impressive sophomore campaign, is very confident with the ball at his feet and does a nice job distributing from the center of the pitch. Sophomore Matthew Baur is back in goal after getting a varsity season under his belt. Rhys Davis and Brandon Mauricio highlight a list of returners defensively while Coby Jacobson, Samid Khandaker, Adam Landstein, Aaron Livshin, and Daniel Zagoren are all back with varsity experience as well.
The Eagles will focus on a sound defense first before transitioning into offense. Patience will be key this year as Sharon looks to make the most of each opportunity as they push forward. Brady Daylor, Malachi Diaz, Adam Eastman, Daniel Fishman, Amjad Kordab, Jack Landstein, Rohan Prakash, Elliot Pototsky Nicholas Rincon, Aaron Tamkin, Jeffrey Xiang, and Tony Yang are new to the varsity level and will be looking to make an impact on the pitch for the Eagles in 2020.
“The game will be different…for players, coaches, referees, and fans,” Scott Nathan said. “I am just happy for the boys that they have the opportunity to play the game they love!”
2019 Record: 3-13-2 2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Jon Grant
With a year of experience under coach Jon Grant, the Black Knights are aiming to have a bounce back year and compete with the top teams in the Davenport division.
There were plenty of bumps in the road during the 2019 season but Stoughton certainly showed some bright spots, including wins over Mansfield and Canton. Now the Black Knights will try to compete in each game and string some results together. Captain Nolan Gerome returns in goal for Stoughton and is among the best keepers in the league. Opposing head coaches have raved about saves Gerome has made over the past couple of seasons and he will be the anchor of the Black Knights’ defensive unit.
Playing in front of Gerome will be senior captain Ryan Sears and junior Owen Roddy, who both played valuable minutes last year. With a good amount of experience and skill in the back, Stoughton is hoping defense will be a cornerstone for the 2020 season. Grant is looking for Rhuan Carvalho to be a top playmaker for the Black Knights, distributing from the center of the pitch to create some offensive chances.
“Our goal for this year to improve on last season,” Grant said. “This year the players came in to the short season fairly well conditioned and with a great attitude. All the players are so grateful to have this opportunity to be back out on the field. This will definitely help us in this short season.”
2019 Record: 2-9-7 2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Taylor Whitters
It’s easy to look at Taunton’s record from a season ago and make assumptions, but upon further review, the Tigers were in just about every game they played. Five of the nine losses were decided by just one goal and the Tigers had a league-high seven draws; one goal either way and the Tigers were that close to a spot in the tournament. It goes to show how competitive the league was and how important each goal is.
With a strong nucleus of players back from last year’s squad, the playoffs wouldn’t have been such a far reach for Taunton this season. But with the postseason not in play, the Tigers will shift focus on being a darkhorse in the Kelley-Rex division title hunt. The new modifications will make it tough for all teams when it comes to defending, but it will also benefit something that Taunton has plenty of: speed. The Tigers plan on utilizing their pace on both ends of the pitch, getting behind the defense on one end while using their speed defensively to fend off opposing offenses.
Taunton will be strong up the middle with senior Travis Nunes back in the heart of the pitch and sophomore Riley Rebello back to anchor the defense. Senior Hunter Cabral will give the Tigers flexibility by playing in both the midfield and up front. Head coach Taylor Whitters is looking for sophomores Joseph Renquinha Jr., Aidden Fitting, Quincy Jones-Sylvia, Jonathan Trinh, and Nathan Keenan to all be in the mix this season.
“Despite everything that has occurred in recent months, we have one of the most versatile and technically sound teams that Taunton High School Boys Soccer has seen in a long time,” Whitters said. “This group of young men have the number one factor in the success of any team: chemistry. They have the willingness to play for the team, not for themselves. I feel with their talents, abilities, and desire to work together as a unit, we will be a team to watch in our division this season.”
