07/16/202107/17/2021

2021 Hockomock League Softball All Stars

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Softball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Kelley-Rex Division Co-MVPs

Hanna Aldrich, Taunton
Kelsey White, Taunton

Davenport Division MVP

Morgan Sylvestre, Foxboro

Honorable Mentions:
Hailey Perry, Attleboro
Stephanie Tendell, Canton
Allie Willis, Foxboro
Molly Collins, Franklin
Mia Bennett, King Philip
Ashlyn Conley, Mansfield
Elise Fauerbach, Milford
Mandi Hanewich, North Attleboro
Grace Simone, Oliver Ames
Melody Casna, Stoughton
Angelina Lynch, Taunton

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Softball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league.

06/09/202106/11/2021

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/10/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Franklin scored once in the first and tacked on two more in the second and that was enough for its pitching staff as the Panthers picked up a 3-1 win on the road, clinching the Kelley-Rex division title for the second straight season. Senior Jake Fitzgibbons drove in a run to put the visitors up 1-0 in the top of the first and then junior Chris Goode and senior Nate Cooke each singled in a run in the second to make it 3-0. Attleboro scored in the bottom of the fifth, when Bailey Camacho (2-for-3) doubled and courtesy runner Hayden Hegarty scored on a single from sophomore Dillon James. Franklin sophomore Alfred Mucciarone earned the win with one run allowed on five hits and one walk, striking out four in five innings. Ethan Voelmicke threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief with four strikeouts while James Kuczmiec got the save, striking out one in 0.2 innings. Dillon came on in relief for the Bombardiers and tossed five shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton scored a pair of runs in back-to-back innings and junior Andrew Middleton struck out 11 as the Bulldogs claimed a win at home. After three scoreless innings, Canton pushed across two runs in each the fourth and fifth innings with four players collecting an RBI. Middleton (2-for-3), Steven Burbank, Nico Bonnano, and Sawyer Julier-Albert each drove in a run while sophomore Matt Chafin scored twice. Middleton allowed one run on one hit and four walks in six innings of work. Foxboro’s Ryan LeClair drove in a run in the sixth inning while Sean O’Leary tossed a complete game, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk, striking out six.

Milford, 3 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Sophomore Conner Zukowski cleared the bases with a three-run double to highlight a four-run fourth inning as Mansfield defended home field against visiting Milford. The Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third but the Hornets responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Milford tacked on another run in the fifth to cut the deficit to two but Mansfield added the run back in the bottom half. Liam Anastasia added had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored for the hosts. Anthony Sacchetti earned the win on the mount with 6.1 innings of work, allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits and two walks, recording seven strikeouts. Milford’s Carter Scudo went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.

Oliver Ames, 9 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – With it’s division title hopes hanging in the balance, Oliver Ames turned a three-run deficit into a three-run advantage between the final two innings, knocking off the Black Knights and clinching a share of the Davenport division title alongside North Attleboro. OA knotted the game at three apiece in the top of the fifth but Stoughton pushed across three runs in the fifth for a 6-3 lead with OA down to its last six outs. In the top of the sixth, Ryan McKenney, Nate Fulford, and Derek Milliken (two RBI) all singled, the latter bringing in two runs, and Jack Muir plated the tying run to make it 6-6. An inning later, Fulford smacked a two-run triple and Max Tower brought Fulford in with a base hit and OA took a 9-6 lead after 5.5 innings. Kosta Spiliakos earned the win in relief, tossing three innings with one run (unearned) allowed on three hits, striking out one. Nick Clark started for OA, striking out seven with four hits and four walks issued. Stoughton’s Brandon Mantilla-Mercado (two runs) and Jonah Ly each had two hits and two RBI.

Softball
Milford, 6 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – Mansfield scored nine times in the opening two innings to earn the sweep of Milford and close out the season at .500. The Hornets scored five times in the first to seemingly grab control of the game. Callie Lake got it started with a walk and stolen base and moved to third on a single by Jill Koppy. A sac fly scored the first run and hits from Ashlyn (2-for-4, two RBI) and Alanna Conley and Abby DeCoste and a walk by Nicole Kobasa brought in the other four. Milford answered right back, putting up a five-spot of its own in the top of the second to tie the game. Mansfield took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom half. Lake drew another leadoff walk and stole second for the second straight inning. With two outs, Ashlyn Conley double, and Kobasa and Alanna Conley (3-for-3, three RBI) each singled to put the Hornets in front. Alanna Conley double and DeCoste (2-for-3, three RBI) tripled to tack on a 10th run in the fifth. Elise Fauerbach went 4-for-4 for Milford, driving in a pair of runs while Camille Bonina collected three hits, including a triple, with three RBI.

Attleboro, 4 @ Franklin, 12 – Final – Franklin scored runs in four of the seven innings, exploding for a game-changing six runs in the fourth inning to earn an upset win over visiting Attleboro. The visitors struck first in the top of the first but the Panthers took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the first. Franklin added one more in the third and then six more in the fourth to grab a 10-1 lead. Attleboro rallied for three runs in the fifth inning but Franklin put the game away with two more runs in the sixth inning. Freshman Carly Johnson-Pellegri had a big day at the dish, smashing a three-run home run in the fourth inning along with an RBI in the third (fielder’s choice) and the sixth (double). Senior Mary Collins added two hits (including a triple) and two runs, senior Gabby Colace had three hits (including a double) and scored two runs), junior Julia White scored twice and had two singles, and junior Aislinn Lavery used her speed for three singles, scoring twice. Georgia Harvey also had a triple for Franklin while Kelly Moussa had a strong day defensively in right field. For Attleboro, Hailey Perry scored twice and had a triple and both Meghan Gordon and Gabby Bosh had a hit and scored a run.

Canton, 5 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final (10 Inn.) – Eighth grader Emma Callahan not only went the distance in the circle but also drove in Peyton Feldman with a double in the bottom of the 10th to pick up the win for the Warriors. Gillian Gordon also pitched a complete game, striking out three and delivering a key hit in the fourth inning. Liz Bickett powered the Bulldogs offensively, going 4-for-5 with three RBI, and Olivia Mackwell went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. Laura Valkanas made several important plays for Canton in extra innings.

North Attleboro, 12 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Kelly Colleran and Zoey McDonough combined to strikeout 12 and allowed only one hit in the shutout. Belle Clarkin had three hits and four RBI and Colleran had three hits, three runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Ally Levine and Emma Bailey chipped in with two hits apiece. Mandi Hanewich scored three times and Emily Nardelli crossed the plate twice.

Boys Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 13 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Remi Creighton and junior Wyatt Fritchman each accounted for eight points as the Tigers went on the road and earned a victor over Stoughton. Both Creighton and Fritchman scored four goals and added four assists in the while while sophomore Ben Reardon netted a hat trick. Sophomore Jake Manthous won 14 faceoffs for OA while sophomore Noah Isleib made nine saves in net.

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – Final – Hailey Bourne and Emma Sharkansky were the catalysts for the OA attack as the Tigers picked up a big victory on senior night. Ashley Almeida scored once in her first start of the season, both Emma Pereira and Catherine O’Donnell played well on the draw for OA, and seniors Emilee Nuss, Lili Lozano, Ella Isleib and Emma O’Donnell played tough defense against a good Canton attack.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin dropped a total of three games as it rolled to a big win over visiting Attleboro. Senior Liam Marr notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while Drew Mahoney won by the same score at third singles for the Panthers. Vayshnav Malhotra recorded a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles and the tream of junior Thomas Broyles and freshman Jay Gorgas took care of business by the same scoreline at second doubles. Senior Anish Gundimeda and junior Sameen Shaik dropped a game in the first set but won six straight in the second set for a 6-1, 6-0 victory at first doubles.

Canton, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Canton’s Minh Duong overcame a one-set deficit to take his match in a third-set 10-point tiebreaker to help the Bulldogs complete a 5-0 sweep over Foxboro. Duong dropped his first set 1-6 but rallied to take the second set 6-4 and emerged victorious with a 10-7 win in the tiebreaker. Suraj Ramanathan was a 6-0, 6-1 winner at first singles while freshman Max Kupferman notched a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles. The team of Ethan Nguyen and Jalen Townsend prevailed 7-5, 6-2 in a hard fought match at first doubles while Davis Lamb and Elias Jabbour teamed up to secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory at second doubles for Canton.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Stoughton won twice in singles play and twice more in doubles action to pick up a 4-1 decision over visiting Oliver Ames. Senior Waseem Sablon didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while sophomore Rayan Sablon notched a 6-1, 6-2 victory at second singles. The team of Evan Khang and Jonah Hochberg were 6-3, 6-3 winners at first doubles while Ben Dias teamed up with Nikhil Khond for a 6-2, 7-5 decision at second doubles. Oliver Ames freshman Nick Westerbeke earned a 6-2, 6-4 win at third singles.

Milford, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
Franklin, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro swept doubles action and won at first singles to secure a 3-2 win at home over visiting Franklin. Junior Ella Lynch-Bartek earned a 6-3, 6-0 win at first singles for the Bombardiers, senior Rachel Rainey and junior Saharla Yusuf emerged with a 7-6 (6), 6-3 win at first doubles, and the team of freshmen Maddie Fuscaldo and Kyra Johnson rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles to give Attleboro the win. Franklin junior Vedika Vinayak prevailed in a marathon match at second singles, taking a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6) win while classmate Sarah Schiavo earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at third singles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Foxboro freshman Athena Li dropped a set for the first time all season but rallied to win two straight to get the win and stay undefeated, helping Foxboro complete a sweep of Canton. Canton’s Rachel Kupferman grabbed the lead with a 6-2 win in the first set but Li battled back to take the second set 6-4 and then got the win with a 6-0 third set. Pam Nelson (second singles) and Sarah Prag (third singles) each won 6-0, 6-0 for the Warriors. Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa earned a 6-4, 6-0 win at first doubles while Makayla Peck teamed up with Emily Stow for a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory at second doubles.

Stoughton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Stoughton rallied from one-set deficits at both first and second singles and grabbed another win in doubles play to earn a close victory over Oliver Ames. All five matches were competitive with OA winning at third singles (Mia Corradini, 6-3, 6-2) and first doubles (Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou, 6-0, 6-2). At first singles, Ally Lada fell behind 4-6 but rallied for a 6-0 win in the second set and a 6-4 victory in the third set. Lena Allie also dropped the first set, 4-6, but came back to win 6-4 in the second and 6-3 in the third for a win for the Black Knights. The team of Nadia Prokupiuk and Emilia Lada prevailed with a hard-fought 7-6 (2), 6-3 win at second doubles.

Mansfield, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final

Wrestling
Mansfield @ Stoughton, 3:45

Oliver Ames, 22 @ Taunton, 45 – Final – For the first time since joining the Hockomock League, Taunton pinned down a win over Oliver Ames. James Collins (113, 4:37), Ben Mandeville (138, 0:48), Sazlily St. Marc (145, 5:11), Jackson Mandeville (170, 1:04), and Logan Frank (195, 4:30) all won by pin for the host Tigers while Brandon Mendes (126, 4-0), Christian Balmain (160, 6-3), and Peter Ye (220, 4-3) each won by decision. Oliver Ames got wins from Kyle Hardie (120, 10-4), Stavros Constantinou (132, 10-6), Deric Lipski (152, 1:05), Anthony Hoffman (182, 9-0), and Jaden Hinton (285, 1:51).

Franklin, 50 @ Canton, 18 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 2 @ Greater New Bedford, 3 – Final – For the third time in the past week, Taunton won the fourth-set to force a fifth but for the first time all season, the Tigers suffered a loss, 3-2 (25-27, 25-22, 19-25, 28-26, 13-15). Tyler Stewart had 27 kills, seven blocks, and 19 digs, Mattia Casagrande added nine kills and 16 digs, Jakob Thorpe finished with seven kills 10 digs, and three aces, and Dolan Campbell had eight kills and four blocks. Travis Nunes anchored the Taunton serve receive and finished with 15 digs and Daniel Medina had 33 assists.

05/25/202105/26/2021

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/25/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Dillon James went six innings, striking out four, and allowing just two hits to pick up his first career win and helping Attleboro split the home-and-home with Mansfield. Cam Foster pitched a scoreless seventh to close the game out. Owen Taber had a big game at the plate and in the field, scoring two runs, hitting a homer, starting two double plays, and making a leaping grab in the first. Jake Gorman provided the game-winning hit in the first inning when he blasted a two-run homer. Taber scored for a second time when he hit a solo homer in the third. Attleboro tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when Nate George walked and stole second and then scored on a Matt McMahon double. Luke Urban and Jared Fraone had the only hits for the Hornets. Aaron Blinn and Colby Geddis combined for four innings of relief, allowing one unearned run and striking out seven between them.

Stoughton, 3 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final – Foxboro scored three times in the third, added six runs in the fifth to take the lead for good, and added three more in the sixth to seal the win and keep the Warriors tied with OA at the top of the league standings. Sean Yoest went 3-for-4 with a walk and scored a pair of runs, Sean O’Leary went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and also scored twice, and Mike O’Toole was 3-for-4 with a run scored and drove in two. Mike LaVita added two hits, a double, and three RBI, as Foxboro had 16 hits and drew nine walks as a team. Cam Prescott went the distance, allowing one earned run and striking out eight. Kyle Doolin, Brandon Mantilla-Mercado, and Brad Franey each had two hits for the Black Knights.

Taunton, 3 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Milford, 2 @ King Philip, 10 – Final – KP scored at least once in each of the first five innings, including three runs in each of the third and fifth innings to split the two-day series with Milford. Nick Viscusi, Conor Cooke, and Dan Nineve each had three hits and two RBI apiece for the Warriors, while Grayden Lawrence added a hit and drove in two. KP scored once in the bottom of the first when Rudy Gately’s sac fly plated Eli Reed. In the second, Reed came in again, this time on a single by Viscusi. Nineve drove in Gately with single in the third and then Lawrence brought in two with a single. Cooke had singles in the fourth and fifth, driving in runs with both, and Viscusi and Nineve each knocked in runs in the fifth as well. Gately was strong on the mound, pitching a complete game with 10 strikeouts to get KP the win.

Sharon, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – OA won its second game in two days to stay level with Foxboro at the top of the Davenport division standings. Matt Nigro grabbed the win with five innings of work, allowing one run and striking out a pair. Kosta Spiliakos closed it out with two scoreless innings of relief and the Tigers turned a 6-4-3 double play to end it. Derek Milliken and Will Whiteside both went 2-for-3. Milliken had a double, an RBI< a run scored, and stole a base, while Whiteside had two steals, a run scored, and an outfield assist when his throw from center cut down a runner at the plate. Jadon Ricci and Nate Carpentier both had a hit and RBI and Jack Morley celebrated his birthday by plating one run with a sac fly and played good defense at second.

Softball
Mansfield, 7 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – After giving up 24 hits to Attleboro on Monday, Mansfield bounced right back, holding the Bombardiers to just four hits and splitting the season series. Attleboro grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fifth, but the Hornets scored twice in the sixth to take the lead and then added a five-run rally in the seventh to seal the win. Callie Lake singled and scored on a sacrifice by Olivia Medeira that turned into an error. Madeira scored what turned out to be the game-winning run on a fly ball to center. In the seventh, Alanna Conley, Nicole Kobasa, and Abby DeCoste singled to load the bases and Mansfield took advantage of two walks, a passed ball, a slow roller to first, and a single by Molly Kucharski to score five times. Kucharski went 3-for-4 on the day and Kobasa came up with a pair of nice catches in the sixth inning to help keep Attleboro off the board.

Foxboro @ Stoughton, 4:00

Franklin, 0 @ Taunton, 14 – Final (5 Inn.) – Kelsey White continued to dominate in the circle, striking out 11 batters and allowing just one hit over five innings. It was the eighth shutout in nine games this season for the Tigers, who also had seven homers and 17 hits as a team. Hanna Aldrich went 3-for-3 and hit two homers (and a double), driving in three runs and scoring three times. McKenzie McAloon also hit a pair of solo homers and White helped her own cause with two homers (for the second straight day) and two RBI. Tayah DaCosta had the seventh homer, going 3-for-3 and scoring a pair of runs. Carly Johnson-Pellegri had the lone hit of the day for the Panthers.

King Philip, 17 @ Milford, 3 – Final – KP, the league’s leading offense, pounded out 17 hits and scored 17 runs for a ninth straight win to start the season. Paige Berdos went 3-for-5 with a walk, scored three runs, and drove in one from the leadoff spot and Mia Bennett was 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and a pair of RBI. Anna Bradley was 2-for-3 with two walks and scored three runs from the eight-hole. Freshman Jordan Bennett picked up the win in the circle, allowing one earned run on four hits, and striking out 13. Elise Fauerbach went 1-for-3 and had an RBI for the Hawks, who also got hits from Sarah Wengel, Carly Fereira, and Camille Bonina.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Trinity Payne struck out five and allowed five hits in a complete game victory that earned a split of the season series with OA. Payne also scored once for the Eagles, while Sneha Kini came in to score twice and Ciara McAuliffe scored an important insurance run. Sharon coach Heather Poliferno called it an overall great performance at the plate and in the field!” Emma Varella pitched three innings, striking out three, and Katie Melendy closed the game with three innings of relief and struck out six for the Tigers. Lexi Galsband and Kalei Clark both went 2-for-3 at the plate and Galsband had OA’s lone run.

Boys Tennis
Mansfield, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield took all five matches in a sweep on the road at Attleboro, also sweeping the season series with the Bombardiers. Kailash Elumelai (first singles) and Dheeraj Valluru (second singles) each rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win while Nikhil Nain picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win to round out singles action. In doubles play, the team of Pratham Tallam and Diwakar Sandhu emerged with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win at first doubles while Sashu Panaganti and Justin Weiner battled to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Foxboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Just one day after dropping a close match on the road to Foxboro, Stoughton flipped the script and earned a 3-2 decision over the Warriors on their new courts. Waseem Sablon continued to dominate at first singles for the Black Knights, this time with a 6-0, 6-1 decision. Stoughton then swept doubles action to get the win; sophomores Jake Berry and Evan Khang prevailed 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) at first doubles while the pairing of sophomores Murtaza Khalil and Ben Dias earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles. For Foxboro, Justin Neale won 6-1, 6-4 at second singles and Bo Canfield earned a 6-3, 6-4 win at third singles.

Franklin, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Franklin swept its match with Taunton to stay perfect on the season and stay tied with Mansfield at the top of the Kelley-Rex division. Liam Marr, Vayshnay Malhotra, and Drew Mahoney didn’t drop a game between them to earn straight set wins at the singles. Tyler Fitzpatrick and Tim O’Keefe won 6-3, 6-0 at first singles and Ryan Essam and Ahan Shetty had a clean sweep (6-0, 6-0) at second doubles. Franklin will face the Hornets next week.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon won all but four games to sweep OA for the second day in a row and remain unbeaten on the season and stay one up in the loss column on second-place North Attleboro in the Davenport title race. Mehul (6-0, 6-0) and Ruemon Bhattacharyya (6-1, 6-1) won at first and second singles and Max Chen (6-0, 6-0) made it a sweep with a win at third singles. Wenhao Yang and Savir Basil won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and Rowan Gran and Hyojai Park won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – King Philip earned a series sweep against the Hawks after winning all five matches on the road. Senior Nick Putney didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, junior Brady Jannell added a 7-5, 6-1 win at second singles, and junior Jon Cohen was victorious 6-1, 6-0 at third singles for KP. The first doubles team of sophomore Jackson Hom and junior Diego Neto won 6-4, 6-1 while the pairing of juniors Connor Sachleben and Adam Gousie secured a 6-3, 6-2 win at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final– Mansfield earned wins at second and third singles and first doubles to earn its second victory over Attleboro in two days. Aryanna Khosravani went to a third set with Lauren Anthony at second singles before pulling out a 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 win. Kate Martin won in straight sets (6-0, 6-3) at third singles and the team of Sarah Harrington and Avdi Sameer came through with a 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 victory over Attleboro’s team of Tina Lam and Saharla Yusuf, sealing the win. Ella Lynch-Bartek won in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) at first singles and freshmen Maddie Fulscado and Kyra Johnson won 6-4, 6-3 to get points for the Bombardiers.

Stoughton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this match – Foxboro continued to roll in singles action with all three players winning in straight sets and the Warriors added another point in doubles play this time around in another win over Stoughton. Athena Li, Pam Nelson, and Sarah Prag all secured 6-0, 6-0 wins for the Warriors while the team of Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win at first doubles. Stoughton’s second doubles team of Nadia Prokopiuk and Emilia Lada picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win.

Taunton, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – The Panthers swept the singles and won at second doubles to bounce back from Monday’s loss, split the series with Taunton, and move back to .500 in league play. Freshman Hailey Morin won 6-4, 6-3 at first singles and juniors Vedika Vinayak (6-1, 6-4) and Sarah Schiavo (6-1, 6-3) also won in straight sets. Taunton’s doubles team of Brooke Belle and Sam Parrett won 6-3, 6-3, but Franklin’s Shriya Rajesh and Amulya Jayam won 6-1, 7-6 at second doubles to get a fourth point.

Milford, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final

Sharon, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Sharon won at second and third singles and second doubles to earn the sweep of Oliver Ames. Allie Aguilar earned the straight sets (6-1, 6-1) win at second singles and Hannah Faberman won 6-1, 6-2 at third singles to put Sharon on the brink and Sophia Oh and Ritu Sreeram clinched the win with a 6-1, 6-1 win at second doubles. Kate McCormick made history for the Tigers at first singles, becoming the first Tiger to win at first singles against Sharon in more than a decade. After winning only five games in Monday’s match with Navya Shulka, McCormick won in straight sets (6-2, 6-4). OA coach Danielle Erickson said, “She truly left it all on the court and played a match to remember.” OA’s second point came from the first doubles team of Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou, who won 7-5, 6-2.

Boys Outdoor Track
Attleboro @ Taunton, 5:00

Sharon, 70 @ Foxboro, 65 – Final

Girls Outdoor Track
Attleboro, 82 @ Taunton, 53 – Final – Kamsi Igbobi had three first-place finishes to lead the Bombardiers to their first dual meet win of the season. Igbobi took first in the 100 meters (13.4), the 100-meter hurdles (18.2), and the shot put with a throw of 34-1. Madison Ellis also had a strong overall meet with three second-place finishes (mile, two-mile, and high jump), and Angela Cooney took third in the 100-meter hurdles and 2-mile in her first meet back after an injury. Eleanor Graber ran the 400-meter hurdles for the first time and took first in a time of 1:34.3 and Kelly Neuendorf qualified for sectionals with PR of 11:52 to win the 2-mile. Dana Blouin also had a PR (5:33.2) to take first in the mile.

Sharon, 63 @ Foxboro, 73 – Final

Wrestling
Taunton, 40 @ Mansfield, 37 – Final – Heavyweight Peter Ye clinched a win for Taunton in the final match, pinning his opponent to turn a three-point deficit into a three-point win in a back-and-forth dual meet. Michale Leskoski, James Collins, Ryan Jones, Ben Mandeville, Christian Balmain, and Jackson Mandeville also won their matches for the Tigers.

Canton @ Milford, 6:00
Stoughton @ Sharon, 7:00

05/11/202105/12/2021

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/11/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 8 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Attleboro exploded for six runs in the top of the first and never looked back, securing their first win of the season with an 8-3 decision over Taunton. Senior Jake Gorman, junior Evan Houle, and sophomore Owen Taber each had two hits for the Bombardiers while senior Bailey Camacho drove in a pair of runs. Junior Billy Saltmarsh picked up the win with five strong innings of work on the mound while sophomore Danny Johnson pitched well in two innings of relief.

Canton, 6 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Canton junior Andrew Middleton dazzled on the mound for the second straight start, tossing his second straight shutout. After a perfect game in his first start, Middleton allowed just one hit — a bunt — in a complete-game effort, striking out 16 for the second straight contest. He walked just two batters while throwing 65 of his 94 pitches for strikes. Offensively, senior Cam Sanchez set the tone from the leadoff spot with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI, sophomore Matt Chafin drove in two runs on two hits, and Steven Burbank and Middleton each had an RBI.

Foxboro, 4 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Foxboro got the bats going early with three runs in the second inning and Dylan Quinn was solid on the mound from start to finish as the Warriors picked up their first win of the season. Quinn allowed one run on three hits and two walks, striking out two in five innings of work. Sophomore Sean O’Leary pitched two scoreless innings in relief with one strikeout for the save. Sophomore Ryan LeClair (run) and junior Jack Watts (run) each had a pair of hits for Foxboro, which totaled 10 as a team. Liam Mulkern and Quinn reach drove in a run in the win.

Franklin, 4 @ Milford, 2 – Final – After Milford tied the game with a run in the bottom half of the sixth, Franklin regained the lead with two runs in the top of the seventh to sweep the series with the Hawks. Jacob Jette’s pinch-hit RBI single drove in Jack Marino for what proved to be the game-winning run, and Jette scored the insurance run on contact from Ryan Gerety. Ethan Voellmicke picked up the win in a relief appearance, tossing two innings with three strikeouts while James Kuczmiec earned the save, stranding the tying run at first. Jake Fitzgibbons was the starter for the Panthers, allowing one run on three hits in four innings of work with three strikeouts. Nate Cooke added a hit, a walk, and two RBI for the Panthers. For Milford, Wes Solomon tossed a complete game with four runs allowed (three earned) on four hits, striking out two while Mario Lee had a hit and a run scored.

King Philip, 5 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – King Philip rallied to erase a five-run deficit but Mansfield jumped back ahead with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior Chris Potts drew a bases-loaded walk to push across the go-ahead run as Mansfield moved to 2-0 on the season. The Hornets plated four runs in the top of the first and added one more in the second but KP responded with two in the third and three in the fifth to tie the game. Potts’ walk was one of nine drawn by the Hornets on the day, who had just five hits total. Juniors Anthony Sacchetti and Aaron Blinn each had a hit and an RBI for Mansfield. Freshman Jake Maydak earned the win in relief, striking out three with just one walk allowed in 2.1 scoreless innings of work. For KP, Shawn Legere went 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored, and Conor Cooke recorded a pair of hits, runs, and RBI.

Oliver Ames, 8 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames rallied from a four-run deficit, scoring four runs in the top of the sixth inning to secure a win on the road against North Attleboro. Jadon Ricci had the big two-run hit in the sixth and added a run himself on a passed ball. Jake Waxman added a hit and an RBI and Derek Milliken had two hits, including a double, and an RBI to pace the Tigers’ offense. Kosta Spiliakos pitched five innings for OA with two strikeouts and two walks while Nick Clark threw two innings of hitless relief, striking out the last four batters to earn the save.

Softball
Taunton, 13 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Hanna Aldrich hit a pair of homers and drive in five runs and freshman Sam Lincoln struck out 10 over five innings to earn a win in her first career start, as Taunton swept its home-and-home series with Attleboro. Taunton wasted little time getting its offense into gear. Angie Lynch and Kyleah Plumb had back-to-back singles and then Aldrich drilled a homer to left center. Although one of the runners was ruled out for not touching third, Taunton got its third run when McKenzie McAloon crushed a solo homer to left field. The Tigers added one in the fourth when Hayley Krockta’s base hit skipped past the left fielder and she came all the way around to make it 4-0. The floodgates opened in the fifth, as Taunton scored six times on four hits and a couple of costly Attleboro miscues in the field. Aldrich and Kelsey White each plated a run with singles and Skyler Rheaume drove in one with a sac fly. Taunton scored five unearned runs off Attleboro starter Lindsey Perry in the game. Lincoln dominated the first five innings, allowing only three base runners, two hits, and one ball out of the infield (a single to right by Rylie Camacho). Lincoln struck out the side in both the third and fourth innings. Aldrich tacked on two more with her second homer of the day in the sixth and White scored on a passed ball to end the scoring. White, who struck out 16 on Monday, came in to pitch in the sixth and struck out the side to seal the win.

Sharon, 1 @ Foxboro, 11 – Final – Foxboro eighth-grader Emma Callahan continued to shine during his debut season, getting it done both in the circle and at the plate. Callahan allowed just one hit while striking out 12 in the win. At the plate, she helped her own cause with three hits. Sophomore Ally Foulsham made her pitching debut for the Eagles and struck out five. Trinity Payne accounted for the lone Sharon run with a solo homer.

Milford, 9 @ Franklin, 11 – Final – Franklin prevailed with an 11-9 win in a back-and-forth battle with visiting Franklin to present head coach Katie Holbrook with her first career win. In an offensive battle, senior Gabby Colace clubbed out four hits and scored four runs, driving in three runs and junior Julia White added three hits with two RBI. Senior Lauren Cote (two doubles, two RBI) and freshman Carly Johnson-Pellegri (two doubles, two runs) each added two hits in the win. Milford’s Carly Ferreira went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, three runs, and RBI, Elise Fauerbach went 5-for-5 with two runs, and freshman Maddie Burns had four hits, two RBI, and a run scored.

Mansfield, 0 @ King Philip, 17 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip’s offense continued its hot start to the season, this time putting up 17 runs at PAL in a win over visiting Mansfield. Charlotte Raymond clubbed four doubles for the Warriors, driving in three runs and crossing home three times as well. Sophomore Libby Walsh added three hits, including a double and a triple, while knocking in four runs, and sophomore Sarah Cullen went 3-for-3, reaching a fourth time after being hit by a pitch, and had a home run, a double, and a single with three RBI. Jordan Bennett, who had two doubles at the plate, tossed a five-inning shutout, allowing two hits while striking out six.

Stoughton, 9 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Stoughton sophomore Kerry Driscoll earned her first career win as the Black Knights earned a season sweep of rival Canton. Driscoll threw four innings with one run allowed on four hits and four strikeouts. Nicole Baker came in for three innings of relief for Stoughton. Offensively, freshman Julie Powers led the charge with three hits, including a double and a triple, with two RBI and two runs scored. Mel Casna and Alyssa Edwards each drove in a pair of runs for Stoughton, Sarah McGrath added two hits, and Sydney Menz and Catherine Leal (RBI) each had a hit in the win. Liz Bickett went 4-for-4 and Ellie Bohane went 2-for-3 with a double for the Bulldogs.

North Attleboro, 15 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final (5 inn.) – Kelly Colleran earned her career win, allowing only one hit and striking out eight Tigers over five innings. She also continued her hot start at the plate, racking up three hits and driving in three. She now has 10 hits in the first three games of her career. Belle Clarkin had two hits and also drove in three for North, while Emily Nardelli had two hits and three runs scored. Mandi Hanewich scored three times and Ally Levine hit a homer and drove in a pair. Caitlin Miller had a hit and scored a run for OA while Emma Varella had three strikeouts in the circle.

Boys Tennis
Taunton, 0 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Attleboro completed the series sweep of the Tigers, this time taking a 5-0 decision. All three singles players won in straight sets for the Bombardiers with Ethan Johnson winning 6-4, 6-3 at first singles, Evan Sousa winning 6-2, 6-2 at second singles, and Matt Lortos taking a 6-3, 6-2 decision at third singles. The team of Alejandro Jimenez and Kevin Rebelo prevailed 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 at first doubles while Malachi Jefferson and Alex Suarez didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at second doubles.

Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Waseem Sablon won in straight sets at first singles for Stoughton but Canton took the points in the other four matches to get the victory. Sablon won 6-0, 6-3 at first singles for the Black Knights while Max Kupferman earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles for Canton, and Minh Duong grabbed a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Bulldogs. The team of Ethan Nguyen and Jalen Townsend secured a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles while Elias Jabbour and Charlie Doody picked up a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Sharon went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to sweep the series against Foxboro. Mehul Bhattacharyya didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, Max Chen secured a 6-3, 6-3 win at second singles, and Rithrik Neti emerged with a 6-4, 7-5 win at third singles. The team of freshmen Matthew Lally and Alex Budovaloev earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles while juniors Mitch Weiss and Deyan Kassev teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin defended its home court, taking care of business with a clean sweep of visiting Milford. Both Liam Marr (first singles) and Vayshnav Malhotra (second singles) won 6-0, 6-0 while Drew Mahoney earned a 6-1, 6-0 victory at third singles. The first doubles team of Anish Gundimeda and Sameen Shaik took home a 6-2, 6-0 win while Thomas Broyles and Jay Gorgas won at second doubles with a score of 6-0, 6-0.

Mansfield, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Mansfield went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to sweep the series against King Philip. Kailash Elumelai earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles, Dheeraj Valluru took a 6-1, 6-4 decision at second singles, and Benson Delaney didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of seniors Kai Schirmacher and Nikhil Lanikpalle secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles while the team of junior Jonah Fine and senior Adam Elsner picked up a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – North Attleboro made it three straight wins to start the season, taking another 5-0 decision over Oliver Ames. Jonah Manso (first singles) and the team of Brody Carter and Niteesh Saravanan (second doubles) both won by the score of 6-0, 6-0 for the Rocketeers. Sam Gallagher added a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, Will Folan picked up a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles, and the team of Connor Willis and Sayf Siddiq earned a 6-1, 6-1 decision at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Attleboro won a pair of matches in both singles and doubles action to get their second straight win over the Tigers. First singles Ella Lynch-Bartek (6-3, 6-4) and second singles Lauren Anthony (6-1, 6-1) each won in straight sets for the Bombardiers. The first doubles team of Rachel Rainey and Tina Lam won 7-5, 1-6, 10-8 while the pairing of freshmen Maddie Fulscado and Kyra Johnson picked up a 7-5, 6-1 win at second doubles. Taunton’s Cayeesha Charles won 6-0, 6-3 at third singles.

Canton, 2 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – A day after suffering a loss to Canton on the road, Stoughton flipped the script and earned a 3-2 win at home over the Bulldogs. Allie Lada emerged with a three-set win at second singles (6-0, 3-6, 6-4) to secure the winning point for the Black Knights. Lena Allie added a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles, and the team of Nadia Prokopiuk and Stefani Reznikow picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win at second doubles. Canton’s Rachel Kupferman won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles while Lily Hazam and Olivia Durham teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles.

Foxboro, 3 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – For the second straight day, Foxboro won at all three singles matches to get a victory over Sharon. Freshman Athena Li won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Pam Nelson earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles, and Sarah Prag once again won a close set at third singles, this time 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 to help the Warriors earn the victory. The team of Anjali Jha and Julia Zevelinsky emerged with a 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-1 win at first doubles while Alice Zaniewski and Sophia Oh picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles.

Franklin, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Franklin won its second straight match, this time going on the road to Milford and getting a sweep. Junior Vedika Vinayek picked up a 6-2, 6-0 win at first singles, freshman Hailey Morin earned a 6-0, 6-3 win at second singles, and junior Sarah Schiavo was victorious at third singles with a score of 6-0, 6-0. The team of sophomores Kelsey Maguire and Allison Bagley prevailed at first doubles 5-7, 6-4, 10-7 while the pairing of sophomores Lexi Masters and Tanvi Shah won 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles.

King Philip @ Mansfield, 3:45

Oliver Ames, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro won all three singles matches to defend home court, earning a second straight win over Oliver Ames. Junior Charlotte Moynihan prevailed in a tight battle at first singles, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-3), senior Haley Strom earned a 6-0, 3-6, 6-0 win at second singles, and freshman Lauren Hunt won 6-2, 6-4 at third singles. Oliver Ames’ Kate McLaughlin and Grace Houser picked up a 6-4, 6-4 win at first doubles while Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper secured a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Boys Outdoor Track
Stoughton, 91 @ Canton, 45 – Final – Canton’s Deyontai Dennis broke the school record in the long jump, taking first with a leap of 21’11.5″, while also winning both the 400MH (60.4) and the 110MH (17.0).

Oliver Ames, 88 @ Foxboro, 47 – Final

Sharon @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Taunton, 67 @ King Philip, 69 – Final

Girls Outdoor Track
Stoughton, 62 @ Canton, 74 – Final – Canton’s Maddie Rousseau won four events and broke her school record for the second straight meet. Rousseau set a new Bulldog record in the 100M hurdles, clocking in at 14.9. She also placed first in the 200M (26.2), the triple jump (31’0.5″), and the high jump (4’10”). Kiara Cerruti set a pair of new PRs in the win, taking first in the 1 Mile (5:46.9) and second in the 800M (2:36.2).

Oliver Ames, 75 @ Foxboro, 60 – Final

Sharon @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Taunton @ King Philip, 3:45

Wrestling
Foxboro, 45 @ Taunton, 36 – Final

King Philip, 24 @ Sharon, 48 – Final

North Attleboro, 40 @ Milford, 31 – Final

05/10/202105/11/2021

2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Attleboro

2019 Record: 11-11
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Mark Homer

The Bombardiers will be fielding one of the most balanced lineups the program has seen in recent memory. Head coach Mark Homer believes his group of enthusiastic, hard-working, and motivated players can compete for the division title in what is always a very competitive division.

2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview

It will start with a strong group of returners that picked up valuable experience two years ago during the 2019 season. Senior captains Brenna Morse and Lora Woyton have been leaders both on and off the field during the offseason and so far during the preseason. Homer credits their commitment for setting the tone for the entire program. Juniors Lindsey Perry, Hailey Perry, and Meghan Gordon all burst onto the scene as freshmen during the 2019 season and will be key pieces this year.

Homer is going to lean heavily on his senior class, which also features Natalie Mansur, Gabby Bosh, Nina Campbell, and Janie Hillman. The Bombardiers are set to get a boost from a strong core of underclassmen as well, including sophomores Lauren Eby and Sarah Mayer as well as freshmen Rylie Camacho and Kayla Goldrick.

“This year’s team represents one of the most balanced groups we’ve had here at AHS in a while,” Homer said. “Win, lose, or draw this year’s team is about working hard and having fun doing it.”

Canton

2019 Record: 6-14
2019 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Dave Bohane

With four seniors returning and five sophomore and freshmen making their varsity debuts, Canton has a good mix of youth and experience to build on this season. It will be the senior class that the Bulldogs hope will provide the leadership to make a move up the standings and maybe challenge the top teams in the Davenport.

Senior center fielder Liz Bickett has been a star for the Bulldogs, earning all-star honors as a sophomore, and is a power bat in the middle of the lineup. Senior Steph Trendell can play both corner infield positions or jump behind the plate and senior Sarah Kelly can step in at either middle infield spot. Both will be setting the table at the top of the order. Senior Amanda Vrabel will start at catcher and work with Canton’s younger pitchers including juniors Gillian Gordon and Sophia Santos and freshman Jess Wright.

Foxboro

2019 Record: 8-13
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Mark Maguire

Youth will be the story for Foxboro this season, as the Warriors will be relying on players seeing their first varsity action in several positions, including a pair of eighth-graders who have been called up for the spring. Still, confidence is high that the Warriors have the talent to compete with the top teams in the Davenport and make a push up the standings.

2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Senior shortstop Morgan Sylvestre gives the Warriors a good foundation to build on, batting third and giving them a strong arm at short. Junior Peyton Feldman will see time at both third and second and will bat leadoff. Senior Nicole Theriault will play second and center, one of the few outfielders on the roster with any varsity experience, and Fiona Dunn can also jump in at second as well. Eighth-grader Ava Hill has impressed in preseason and will play first. Junior Alexandra Willis will be behind the plate and working with a young pitching staff led by eighth-grader Emma Callahan. The Warriors will also count on Dunn, Juliana Pettigrew, and Lucy Mulkern as pitchers. Andrea and Jill Slattery, Sadie Calabrese, Kaylee Bruce, Ellie Smith, and Grace Pisarczyk will all get the chance in the outfield this season.

Foxboro coach Mark Maguire said, “I’m expecting the girls to compete hard, and really feed off the energy that Peyton and Morgan bring to the top of our order. With strong leadership from our captains, we’re looking for this team to come together quickly and, hopefully compete for the Davenport.”

Franklin

2019 Record: 16-7
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Katie Holbrook

After coming within a game of sharing the league title with Taunton in 2019 (and within one run of facing the Tigers in the South semifinal), Franklin returns only two players and has a new coaching staff with Katie Holbrook taking over this season. Despite all the new faces, the Panthers expect to be in the mix for the league title again this year.

Senior Gabby Colace is the lone player on the roster with significant varsity experience and she will be counted on to be a run producer. Fellow senior Molly Collins will join Colace in the middle infield positions and the Panthers have players who are versatile to play multiple positions. Franklin has a potentially strong lineup with Libby Carter, Georgia Harvey, and Lauren Cote all capable of coming up with big hits and driving in a lot of runs. Juniors Julia White and Aislinn Lavery, and senior Jenny Maciel give Franklin good pitching depth and will try to keep the opposition off-balance and allow the defense to make plays behind them. Sophomore Hailey Fales will get the call behind the plate.

“They have already shown in just one scrimmage and a couple of practices great strides in gelling as a team and their commitment to team unity,” said Holbrook. “What we lack in experience we are making up for in determination and commitment to growth. I am impressed with the depth and solid foundation of all the players and it will give us a lot of options with lineups.”

King Philip

2019 Record: 13-9
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Kate Fallon-Comeau

The Warriors will have a new coach this season with former Mansfield standout player and former Franklin coach Kate Fallon-Comeau takes over at the helm.

King Philip will have a relatively young and inexperienced group at the varsity level so Fallon-Comeau will lean on her four seniors to lead the way. Paige Berdos is a three-year starter and a captain for the Warriors, a member of the varsity team since her freshman season. She’s joined by classmate Anna Bradley as captain and that duo will look to provide excellent leadership to the young Warriors. Seniors Libby Curran and Rubi Butler round out the class of 2021.

Berdos will anchor the outfield from center field and will be the spark for the offense from the leadoff spot. Bradley returns to her spot at first base and provides some pop to the lineup. From there, the Warriors will feature a lot of faces new to the varsity level. Junior Meg Sherwood and sophomore Charlotte Raymond will round out the outside for KP while junior Mia Bennett takes over at second base. Sophomore Libby Walsh brings a big bat to the lineup and will be a reliable option defensively at shortstop while freshman Maddie Paschke is slated to start at the hot corner. Junior Lauren Hooper provides depth and can fit into multiple spots in the lineup.

2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Junior Emma Sheehan and freshman Jordan Bennett are both options to start in the circle for Fallon-Comeau. Both will be new to the varsity level this season so the Warriors will look to play strong defense to help out the pitchers. Sophomore Sarah Cullen will do the bulk of the catching for KP.

“We’re excited to be back out on the field and looking forward to having a successful season,” Fallon-Comeau said.

Mansfield

2019 Record: 12-9
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Lori Letendre

Mansfield has consistently been a playoff team and competitive in the Kelley-Rex division but, with only two players returning from 2019, the Hornets enter the spring as a little bit of a mystery. With four freshmen and a sophomore on the roster, and only two seniors, Mansfield will be looking to put talented players in the right spots to keep battling the league’s top teams.

Senior pitcher Ashlyn Conley is one of the few players with any varsity experience and will be back in the circle this year. Junior first baseman Casey Moussette is the other returning player, after a strong freshman season at the plate in 2019. Abby DeCoste is the only other senior on varsity this season, while Jill Koppy, Molly Kucharski, Callie Lake, and Liv Madeira are all rookies who could step in and make instant impacts. Sophomore Olivia Harnden is another underclassman stepping right into the varsity team this year.

“We have a lot of talent but are still trying to learn to work together at new positions,” said Mansfield coach Lori Letendre. “It has been great to be on the field playing again and we are looking forward to the season.”

Milford

2019 Record: 2-18
2019 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Steve DiVitto

Milford is turning the page on a tough 2019. The Hawks have been a powerhouse since joining the Hock but have gone through a transition period after graduating the core of the last state title-winning team. That transition won’t be helped by moving into the Kelley-Rex division this season, but head coach Steve DiVitto is hoping his seniors can build a foundation for several talented underclassmen that are excited about their first opportunity on varsity.

2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview

The Hawks return five players from the 2019 team. Junior Olivia Morelli will be in the circle this season and can also play shortstop. Seniors Erin McEvoy and Carly Ferreira will be at the corner infield spots and senior Natalie Casilli will be back in the outfield. Senior Elise Fauerbach can play behind the plate or in the outfield. Junior Gianna Cacciola is a new face to watch at third base. Freshman Maeve Driscoll could see time at pitcher or at short and her classmate Camille Bonina will see time at first and in the outfield.

“This year’s team is focused on the here and now and not the past,” said DiVitto. “Keeping our awesome team chemistry will be an important part of this season. We’re excited for the challenges of playing in the Hock!”

North Attleboro

2019 Record: 16-6
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Bill Wallace

North Attleboro ended a two-decade wait for a league title in 2019 and had the potential to be even better last season, but the Rocketeers will come into this spring having graduated seven starters, with only three players returning with varsity experience, and looking for a new crop of players to search for a second straight Davenport crown.

Senior second baseman Emily Nardelli has been a starter since her freshman year and will be an impact player in the lineup and in the field. Senior Belle Clarkin adds versatility with her ability to play catcher, outfield, and first base, and junior Mandi Hanewich will step into center field. Pitching should remain a strength for North with a pair of promising sophomores, Kelly Colleran and Zoey McDonough, jumping into the circle. Colleran will also see time at shortstop and McDonough at first. Junior Ally Levine will be the new starter at catcher and juniors Chloe Mearn and Shaelyn Burns can play corner infield spots. Emma Bailey and Grace Simmons will add to the outfield, while there are a host of young players, including the lone freshman on the roster, Aubrey Amado, who can play multiple positions and add useful depth.

“I feel like a new coach this year after missing last year,” said North coach Bill Wallace, who also notched his 200th career win in 2019. “Since the last time we had softball I have graduated seven starters.”

Oliver Ames

2019 Record: 4-16
2019 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Lindsey Allison

Oliver Ames is back in the Davenport division and has a small roster, but it is one that has coach Lindsey Allison excited about its potential and versatility. The Tigers will hope that a change of scenery and a speedy, athletic lineup will see a jump up the standings to put pressure on the top teams in the division this season.

2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview

The Tigers will have a pair of pitchers this season as senior Emma Varella will be joined by sophomore Katie Melendy. Both have multiple pitches to keep batters off-balance and both can play other positions when they’re not in the circle. Senior Grace Simone will provide leadership for the pitching staff and a big bat in the middle of the lineup. Her leadership will be important as the Tigers will be carrying four sophomores and a freshman along with its five seniors.

Allison said, “As a coaching staff, we are looking forward to a season with a versatile team that works together and picks each other up. These kids work hard every day, strive for greatness, and are hungry for wins. Looking forward to a great season.”

Sharon

2019 Record: 5-15
2019 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Heather Poliferno

Sharon is filled with upperclassman so experience will be key as the Eagles look to compete in a wide-open Davenport division. The three captains this year are shortstop Julia Earley, second baseman Sneha Kini, — both seniors — and junior pitcher Trinity Payne so the Eagles will lean on their strength up the middle of the field.

Payne picked up plenty of experience during her freshman year so will be battle-tested for the 2021 season. Earley and Kini give the Eagles a strong defensive foundation and will provide leadership both in the field and at the plate. Of the 11 players on the roster, 10 are upperclassman so head coach Heather Poliferno has an experienced group at her disposal. Poliferno believes her team has a strong mix of power and contact hitters so versatility throughout the lineup will be key.

The one underclassman on the roster is sophomore Ally Foulsham, who could make an immediate impact in her first season with the program. Foulsham can also toe the rubber in the pitcher’s circle so the Eagles have options to work with in the pitching department. After missing out on last season, the Eagles are eager to get back on the field and compete for a division title.

“My high school coach always used to say ‘why not us?’ and I would say the same thing – Why not us? Our players work hard to be the best they can be,” Poliferno said. “They can compete in any setting. We are hungry to play and we have the skill set to do it. So, why not us?”

Stoughton

2019 Record: 15-7
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Deb Parker

Stoughton had an impressive 2019, finishing in second place in the Davenport behind North Attleboro and winning its opening playoff game on a walk-off against Somerset-Berkley. With five returning starters, the Black Knights will be looking to carry momentum into this spring and make another push for a league title.

One of the keys for Stoughton’s high hopes for the season is the return of senior pitcher Nicole Baker, who had a breakout sophomore campaign and emerged as one of the top arms in the league. Baker is the lone infielder returning but senior Julia Driscoll will take over at third and senior Sarah McGrath will be behind the plate. Junior Sydney Menz, who batted over .400 as a freshman, will start in center, while junior Melody Casna takes over at short. Junior Kate Bulger will get the nod in left and senior Lauren Turner starts in right. Sophomore Kerry Driscoll adds depth in the circle and Stoughton has a crop of freshmen who could contribute right away, including Alyssa Edwards, Maddie Hinds, and Julie Powers.

“It’s a little surreal coming back to the field after losing an entire season,” said Stoughton coach Deb Parker. “If we’ve learned anything from last year it’s that nothing is promised, and we have to take advantage of every opportunity we have on and off the field. These young women work hard, and I believe we have the depth, drive, and talent this year to have a great showing in this very competitive league.”

Taunton

2019 Record: 22-3
2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Semifinal
Coach: Carrie Consalvi

Taunton is one of the few teams that is coming back from the two-year layoff with a lineup that looks pretty similar to the one from 2019. The biggest change for the Tigers will be on the bench with long-time coach Dave Lewry retiring at the end of the 2019 season and Carrie Consalvi taking over. Consalvi goes into her first spring with a team loaded with talent that looks ready to defend its Kelley-Rex title.

Senior pitcher Kelsey White is back healthy following an injury that would’ve kept her out of last season. The reigning league MVP looks back to the form that helped Taunton win a state title three years ago. Reigning HockomockSports.com Hanna Aldrich is back for her senior season at shortstop and as one of the top power hitters in the Hock. Aldrich is joined up the middle by senior second baseman McKenzie McAloon. All three will be playing DI softball next year. Senior Skylar Rheaume and Tayah Decosta add to the leadership on the team and Taunton will have enviable depth with sophomore Olivia Mendonca back after playing as an eighth-grader and freshman Sam Lincoln looking like Taunton’s next pitching prospect.

“These players have had just about every challenge thrown at them over the past year, but if there was one group that could take all of this and rise to the occasion it is this group,” said Consalvi. “They are hungry to win, and I am hopeful my senior leadership will recall what it took to win that state championship back in 2018 and impart their wisdom with this group of younger players, as it will take every single one of them to make something so special to happen again.”

2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview

03/17/202103/18/2021

Milford Rallies to Win in Five Sets at Attleboro

Milford Volleyball — Milford players celebrate after the final point of their come from behind, five-set win at Attleboro. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – In a shortened fifth set, getting off to a good start is paramount. After battling back to even Wednesday night’s match at two sets apiece, Milford carried the momentum over, winning seven of the final set’s first eight points and never looking back.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Hawks came back from down a set twice in the match before finally pulling out a 3-2 (17-25, 25-7, 19-25, 25-14, 15-7) road victory that completes a hard-fought season sweep of the Bombardiers and moves Milford back to .500 on the year.

“The consistency wasn’t there tonight, that’s for sure,” admitted Milford coach Tammy Webber, who praised her team for being able to battle and still come out with the win. She added, “That’s a sign of growth that they were able to do that because I’d say in the past we would’ve folded in the fifth set.”

Attleboro has struggled in the opening set of its last two matches (at Taunton and at Milford) and found it hard to climb back out of the early hole. On Wednesday, the Bombardiers came out with extra energy and an emphasis on starting quickly. It worked.

The Bombardiers used a 7-0 run to turn a 6-3 deficit into a 10-6 lead in the first. Gabriella Bolduc gave Attleboro an early spark with a couple of kills and Summer Pereira stepped up in the middle with three blocks in the first. After Milford answered with three straight, Attleboro rattled off 10 of the next 14 points to take control of the set.

“Playing on the road is always difficult,” said first-year Attleboro coach Mary Katherine Runey. “Our fans aren’t there and we’re staying on the bus until we’re allowed to come in and that’s definitely taking a hit on us, but I was excited to get back at home because I know we have way more energy.”

Krista Greening had a good swing off the Milford block for a point and then Ana Leonardo fired in an ace. Elise Fauerbach had a block for the Hawks to try and stall Attleboro’s momentum but Natalie Brojek had a kill and then Pereira closed out the first with another block.

“The block has not been there all season and the defense has really taken a hit,” Runey said, “but tonight the switch was flipped and Summer was hot and I was so happy to see it. She really need that for her own play and I was happy for her.”

 After such a great start, it looked like Attleboro was on its way, but the second set was all Milford. The Hawks scored 13 of the first 14 points in the set and then closed it with the final eight points to earn a lopsided point in the match.

Cressida Michalowski had three aces during the first portion of the set. Lexi Starks had a bump drop in for a point and Sarah Brogioli started to heat up on the outside. During the final run to close out the set, Starks added a pair of aces and Aliza Syed scored with a tip and a block. The combination of Brogioli on the outside and Syed in the middle was tough for Attleboro to contain.

Webber said, “I’m happy with the balance of our hitters this year. We have a good mix of strength and finesse and consistency. It’s been good.”

The hosts quickly set aside the difficult second set and got back to the strong serve-receive game that they played at the start of the match, but a Syed kill had the Hawks up 14-11. Attleboro didn’t panic and scored the next seven points to take the lead.

Pereira got it started with a block that fired up the Bombardiers and Kate Petrosso had a big swing in the middle to tie the set at 14-14. Milford kept things close but a couple of errors a service point from Lily Boedeker gave Attleboro a cushion to restore its lead in the match.

Milford seemed to thrive in the even numbered sets. With Attleboro leading the fourth 7-6, nine of the next 10 points to put themselves in front to stay. Starks got it going with a kill and then a well-place tip and Brogioli had back-to-back aces for a 15-8 lead. Brojek answered with a nice tip over the block but Brogioli had a pair of kills and Michalowski had an ace.

After Fauerbach scored with a swing off the Attleboro block, Syed added a kill. Brogioli closed out the fourth with another big hit on the outside.

“If the other team gets three or four in a row, then they start to lose their confidence in themselves,” Runey explained. “We need to develop our winning mindset and as soon as they see that start to slip away it really takes its toll on their confidence.”

Now that Milford was back in it, the Hawks made sure to close things out. Syed had a kill and a block and Emily Croteau added an ace as the visitors scored the first four points of the fifth set. Michalowski added back-to-back aces, the first hitting the top of the net before dropping in, and Attleboro never recovered. The Bombardiers got no closer than four and the Hawks pulled away to get the win.

“You never want to have to come back in the fifth set,” said Webber. “Our serving has been our go-to so far this season and when it fails us it really affects our game and we scored a lot of points of it but we really needed it in the fifth game.”

After starting with two tough matches against league-leading Franklin, Milford (2-2) has built a little momentum heading into two matches against King Philip.

“We were trying not to gauge our whole season off of Franklin,” Webber said. “It was a little measuring stick, but we knew we could play better than that and we played better this week.”

Attleboro (1-3) will look to rebound when it hosts Mansfield on Monday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

12/31/2020

2020-2021 Hockomock Girls Basketball Preview

A new girls basketball season will tip off in January. Read a team-by-team look at each team. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2020-2021 Hockomock Girls Basketball Preview

Attleboro

2019-2020 Record: 10-12
2019-2020 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Martin Crowley
After a couple of rebuilding years, Attleboro made a jump last winter and clinched its return to the playoffs in the final game of the regular season. While the Bombardiers will miss the all-around game of Nyah Thomas, who is at Worcester State after a breakout senior season, Attleboro will count on six returners from last year’s roster and a couple of promising newcomers to make some noise in the Kelley-Rex.

Thomas’ scoring and ball-handling will be tough to replicate, but the Bombardiers have strength and athleticism in the post. Junior Meg Gordon developed into a double-double machine last year, using her quickness and length to cause problems in the paint. Senior Ryan Johnson is another forward with length that can impact the game on the glass and protecting the rim.

In the backcourt, senior Gabby Bosh is back to run the point as well as being a pesky defender. Juniors Hailey and Lindsey Perry will also add to the depth at the guard position and to the team’s overall speed and defensive effort. Freshmen guards Kayla Goldrick and Narissa Smith are newcomers that have the potential to make an instant impact and should immediately find themselves in the backcourt rotation.

Attleboro coach Marty Crowley said, “For us to be successful we must be able to play defense consistently and rebound. This is by far the most athletic team we have had and hopefully we can use that to our advantage. We are blessed to be in the gym everyday with such great kids and that is a win in itself.”

Canton

2019-2020 Record: 13-10
2019-2020 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Jim Choquette
Canton has been a youthful team with potential for the past two seasons and the Bulldogs come into the winter with an opportunity to turn that potential into the program’s first league title since 1992. After graduating just one player from last year’s team and with many of its standout players now in year three as starters, Canton has the experience to match its talent.

Juniors Fay and Sydney Gallery and Kiara Cerruti have been standouts since their first games as freshmen and have the all-around games to cause match-up problems for the opposition. All three can score from the perimeter, but Sydney gives the Bulldogs a presence on the post while Fay can score off the dribble and be a playmaker on offense. Cerruti is a pure scorer, with good range and the ability to take defenders off the bounce.

Depth should be a strength for the Bulldogs this season, with players able to come off the bench and produce at every position. Carly Fitzgerald and Marissa Staffiere will return in the backcourt, giving Canton solid ball-handlers and a pair of strong defenders. Senior Kayla Albert adds length and rebounding in the paint and sophomore Samya DaSilva showed off great footwork last year and will be another scoring threat on the block.

“I’m very excited to take the floor with this group of girls,” said Canton coach Jim Choquette. “I love their desire to improve, win games and represent the town of Canton to the best of their abilities. We all want to improve on our past successes, and we’ve been working hard to do so. Very lucky to be coaching this team!”

Foxboro

2019-2020 Record: 24-2
2019-2020 Finish: D2 State Co-Champion
Coach: Lisa Downs
Foxboro closed out the 2019-20 season by winning its final 16 games and securing a second state title in the past three seasons. The Warriors graduated four starters from last year’s team, so players will have to step into bigger roles this season and newcomers will have to produce right away to make it five straight Davenport titles.

Defense and tempo are the hallmarks of Foxboro’s success under head coach Lisa Downs and that should be the same this year. For scoring, the Warriors are going to count on senior Katelyn Mollica. One of the top players in the league for the past three seasons, the Stonehill College-commit is one of the league’s top shooters and strong help defender. Senior Jordyn Collins is another key component from last year’s team, as a tenacious defender and a slasher who can get to the rim.

Senior Hannah Blake will step into the starting lineup at center this winter and Downs thinks that she has the potential to be one of the best bigs in the league. Senior Morgan Sylvestre had some big moments last year (for instance, the D2 South final against Hingham) and will see more time at point guard this year. Freshmen guards Camryn Collins and Erin Foley will both be in the mix right away and sophomore Lauren Miley is back after missing all of last year with an injury.

“We graduated a large chunk of our roster from last season so we will have quite a few new faces on the court to accompany Katelyn,” Downs said. “We will continue to focus on our defensive efforts and will strive to pursue the fast pace that we have become familiar with. Safety of the girls is obviously my first concern, but it is also my hope to be able to provide the most fulfilling season possible in terms of overall improvement on both ends of the court.”

Franklin

2019-2020 Record: 25-0
2019-2020 Finish: D1 State Co-Champion
Coach: John Leighton
Last winter, Franklin went start-to-finish as the top team not only in the league but in the state and capped off an undefeated season with the program’s first state championship. The graduation of center Ali Brigham, who was arguably the program’s best-ever player, is a big change for the Panthers this year but there is plenty of talent and experience on the roster to make a push for a three-peat of Kelley-Rex titles.

Junior Olivia Quinn is one of the main reasons that the Panthers are considered the favorites in the Kelley-Rex again this year. Quinn scored nearly 400 points and was one of the top three or four players in the league last season. She continues to develop and improve and will be the focal point of the offense this year. Senior Erin Quaile is the two-time Defensive Player of the Year but is also a solid point guard who limits turnovers, calms things down, and gets Franklin into its sets.

The offense will obviously look a little different this year, without a 6-foot-3 center in the middle, but the Panthers have talent on the wings to cause problems. Seniors Elizabeth Wilson and Kaleigh Houlihan, and junior Stefany Padula can all stretch the defense with their ability to knock down perimeter shots. The forward position should also be strong with Emma Sousa, Brigid Early, and Katie Peterson giving Franklin length and athleticism on the block.

“We are excited to be back on the court and I have been very impressed by our depth,” said Franklin coach John Leighton. “Our girls have been committed to getting better and competing on every play.”

King Philip

2019-2020 Record: 12-9
2019-2020 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Dan Nagle
King Philip head coach Dan Nagle has implemented a unique system based on high pressure and constant running. The Warriors don’t have to worry about shot clock violations. With a roster of athletic players who will all be counted on at some point and have a year of experience in the system, Nagle hopes this year’s team can create even more chaos that last winter and push Franklin at the top of the Kelley-Rex.

Senior Emma Glaser is the team’s top returning scorer and the Springfield College-commit will be counted on to take a step up, as the Warriors lost their top three scorers to graduation and transfers. Glaser is an athletic wing with range out beyond the three-point line. Athleticism is a common theme for this roster. Senior Caroline Aaron is another versatile wing who can contribute on both ends of the floor.

Depth won’t be an issue for the Warriors, who regularly sub five players at once and everyone gets playing time. Junior guards Elizabeth Molla, Liv Lafond, Grace Clyde, and Julia Marsden will provide scoring punch. At 6-foot-3, sophomore center Emily Sawyer gives KP a unique weapon in the middle and looks more comfortable with the speed at varsity. Senior Courtney Keswick battled injuries last year but is back healthy and gives KP a consistent three-point threat. Sophomore Jackie Bonner is a scorer being moved up from JV who could be poised for a breakout year.

Nagle said, “It’s year two in the system, so the learning curve has been a lot smaller and kids are picking things up fast. What we do is no secret. It’s going to be pandemonium every game, win or lose. This year’s team might even be a better fit for it because generally we have better team speed and it being year two makes a huge difference.”

Mansfield

2019-2020 Record: 9-14
2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Heather McPherson
After more than two decades in charge, Mike Redding retired as head coach after last season. There will be some continuity for the program however, as former player and assistant coach Heather McPherson will move into the first seat this year. McPherson can count on continuity on the floor as well, with six seniors among the returning players for the Hornets.

While the Hornets missed the playoffs last year, they also had some impressive wins against playoff teams along the way, beating Attleboro, King Philip, and Bishop Feehan. Senior Kayla Vine was one of the league’s top perimeter shooters and also a solid playmaker with her ability to get into the paint. Senior Ashley Santos extended her range as a shooter last year was a strong all-around player that was a tough matchup on both ends of the court. Sophomore Abby Wager showed flashes of her potential as a scorer during a strong rookie season and her development could be a big boost this year.

Mansfield will have plenty of depth to call on. Senior Ally Prentis adds another shooter, senior Sarah Dooling is another versatile forward, and seniors Brooke Berube and Kacey Veiking give the Hornets a lot of height in the paint. Junior Anna Darlington and sophomore Olivia Salisbury should see more time in the backcourt.

McPherson said, “I couldn’t ask for a better senior group to begin my varsity coaching career, they have set an exciting tone to the season with their energy, effort, enthusiasm. With all of the uncertainty that this year has brought we are excited for the opportunity to be playing basketball. For us to compete each night we will need to play good fundamental basketball.”

Milford

2019-2020 Record: 3-17
2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: TJ Dolliver
While Milford went winless in league play last year, the Hawks lost no one to graduation and will have seven seniors on this season’s roster. Experience will be a key for Milford, which for the first time will be playing in the Kelley-Rex division. Although the Hawks have struggled at times offensively, no one can argue with the team’s effort and athleticism, especially on defense (ask state champion Foxboro, which was held to just 44 points last year) and that should once again be the team’s strength.

Senior Emma Lawrence will be the team’s focal point this year after an all-star junior season. Lawrence has long arms, endless energy, and the ability to get to the basket. Fellow senior Jillian Michelson is another player who will shadow the opposing team’s top offensive player and use her speed and length to cause problems. Sophomore Brooke Ferreira stepped in at point guard last year and had an impressive rookie campaign. Her ball-handling and ability to get into the lane was critical to the team’s offense, which could at times struggle from the perimeter.

Milford is not a tall team, but the Hawks have several versatile forwards that crash the boards and will make it tough for teams to score in the paint. Seniors Carly Ferreira, Katie Maietta, and Elise Fauerbach add physicality on the block for a team that likes to get up and pressure the ball.

“Having a senior-heavy roster and a team of hard working girls, this season will be a lot of fun,” said Milford coach TJ Dolliver.

North Attleboro

2019-2020 Record: 9-11
2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Nikki Correia
Under first-year head coach Nikki Correia, North Attleboro bounced back last year and went into the final game of the regular season with a chance of clinching a return to the postseason. Although Big Red missed out on the tournament, the Rocketeers come into this season with optimism. A year of experience in Correia’s system and a strong corps of returning players gives North hopes of springing a surprise in the Davenport division.

Senior guard Amanda Kaiser will remain the focal point for opposing defenses and will force them to extend beyond the three-point line to prevent her from getting going. Kaiser is also a strong defender, who can kickstart the North break by forcing turnovers. Sophomore Summer Doherty is another wing player whose quickness and length causes problems on defense and her strength allows her to get into the lane on offense.

Senior Siobhan Weir keeps things calm even as North tries to get out and run as often as possible, while also adding a strong mid-range game. Senior Lydia Santos missed last season with injury and will be another strong ball-handler and leader in the backcourt. Sophomore Ava McKeon had an impressive rookie season on the wing and uses her strength and athleticism to get into the lane and her energy to get on the boards. Fellow sophomore Taylor McMath got called up last season and made an instant impact as a post player. North isn’t the tallest team, but McMath gives the Rocketeers extra length in the paint on both ends of the floor.

“I know with my team they have been so excited just to be on the basketball court again with their teammates and ready to compete,” said Correia. “Overall we have a strong unit and I can not wait to start the basketball season and see what these girls will do as a team. They all bring different strengths to the game so once they can mesh it all together on the court it will be great to see.”

Oliver Ames

2019-2020 Record: 14-7
2019-2020 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Laney Clement-Holbrook
Oliver Ames is back in the Davenport division for the first time since 2016, when the Tigers won their last league title. OA returns with the goal of ending Foxboro’s four-year run as the top team in the division and has a talented, experienced roster to try and win the program’s Hock-best 23rd league title.

The Tigers pushed Franklin for the Kelley-Rex crown all the way to the final week of league play last year and that experience has given them added confidence heading into the new season. Injuries took their toll down the stretch, but when fully healthy OA boasts one of the deepest rosters in the league. Caroline Flynn is more of a point forward than a point guard but she has developed into one of the league’s top playmakers, while also being one of its top rebounding guards. Caroline Peper battled a back injury all of last season, but when healthy is one of the top shooters in the Hock.

Junior Hailey Bourne has emerged as one of the top defensive players in the league, capable of guarding players on the perimeter or in the post. Senior Jess Erlich adds shooting from her forward position. OA has six returning players who will be bolstered by an exciting crop of newcomers, including freshman guard Jasmyn Cooper.

OA coach Laney Clement-Holbrook, who passed the 700-win mark last season, said, “OA’s strengths will come from the depth of their lineup and a cast of young and upcoming players with great intensity and love for the game. Despite the challenges associated with pandemic, OA is excited to have the chance to play this season and value every second they get to compete for the top spot.”

Sharon

2019-2020 Record: 4-16
2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Sandy Lombardi
Sharon finished with only four wins last season, but the Eagles also lost seven games by 10 points or less, including five games by five points or fewer and twice lost by a single basket. With a good core of versatile players returning, the Eagles are hoping to make a move up the standings in what continues to be a competitive Davenport division.

The graduations of Ally Brown and Kaitlyn Wallace take away two of the team’s top ball-handlers and perimeter scorers, but the Eagles can make up for that with strength in the paint. Senior Leah Fandel and junior Trinity Payne are difference makers on both ends of the court, capable of crashing the boards, protecting the rim, and offering interior scoring. Both players are capable of stepping back and knocking down short jumpers too, adding a different dimension to the offense.

Sophomore guards Tess Letendre and Emily Freeman will be counted on to pick up some of the slack on the perimeter and get the Eagles into their offensive sets. Seniors Gaby Cabral and Julia Early will also be counted on to take bigger roles this season. The Eagles will also have a pair of freshmen, Rachel Hager and Eva Poulton, who will be expected to contribute right away.

“I’m excited for the girls to have an opportunity to play this season,” said Sharon coach Sandy Lombardi. “Looking back a few months ago I would not have imagined us having a season at all.”

Stoughton

2019-2020 Record: 9-11
2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Charmaine Steele Jordan
Stoughton narrowly missed out on a playoff spot last year, falling just one win short of qualifying for the tournament (that included a one-point loss to North Attleboro midway through the season). The Black Knights will have to try and make up for the graduation of their two leading scorers, Aliyah Wright and Shyanne Trinh, but head coach Charmaine Steele Jordan expects that this year’s roster will live up to the program’s standard of hustle, hard work, and aggressiveness.

Mackenzie Manning is the team’s top returning scorer and Steele Jordan is counting on the senior guard to provide leadership and passion for the younger players. Fellow seniors Cate Downey and Jess Maddalena (who is out for the season with an injury) are also going to be counted on to set the tone for the team.

Junior guard Makaiyah Singleton Rivera saw plenty of time last year and gives the Black Knights a boost of speed and energy on the perimeter. There are also several underclassmen who will be jumping up to varsity and could add important minutes this season. Sophomore guards Kiara Scardina and Shayla Ford and freshman forward Alyssa Edwards are newcomers to keep an eye on this season.

Steele Jordan said, “I’m really thankful for all the players that came out for our program this year in the middle of pandemic. Looking forward to kicking off the season in 2021. Our goals have not changed, the Black Knights will play hard, play together and represent the Stoughton community with pride this season.”

Taunton

2019-2020 Record: 5-15
2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Amy Siggens
Taunton has struggled to get going this winter, as practices were halted after just three days and the teams won’t resume basketball activities until next week, which has forced the opening games with Attleboro to be postponed. The Tigers will also be without last year’s leading scorer, sophomore Kameron St. Pierre, who has opted out. With all of that, second-year head coach Amy Siggens is still excited that the team this season and building on the fundamentals of her system.

The Tigers will be an experienced, if still young, team this season. Seniors Jaelyn and Sonya Fernandez will be the focal points on the offensive end. They are both versatile players capable of stepping back and knocking down shots and also taking their defenders off the dribble. Their athleticism on both ends of the court makes them a tough matchup. They also provide leadership for a team that is building consistency. The Tigers won five games last year, but also lost seven times by single digits, including once in overtime.

A strength of the team will be its depth in the backcourt. Senior Tori DaRosa is a tough defender and gets the Tigers into their sets. Juniors Abby Souza and Braeley McDonald are also strong options to provide shooting off the bench. Sophomore Maddie Michenzie can be a force on the boards and adds a different dimension in the post on both ends of the court.

“We’re rolling with the punches here,” said Siggens about having to postpone practices until the New Year. “Everyday is something new and you just have to adjust. We’re focusing on the leadership of our seniors but also the development of our young kids. This is a year to really pull it back and go after the fundamentals and the basics.”

12/13/2019

2019-2020 Hockomock Girls Basketball Preview

2018-2019 Hockomock Girls Basketball Preview — The new girls basketball season promises to be as competitive as ever with a number of teams jockeying for a place in the state tournament. Here is our team-by-team breakdown. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2019-2020 Hockomock Girls Basketball Preview

Attleboro

2018-2019 Record: 8-14
2018-2019 Finish: Missed postseason.
Coach: Martin Crowley
Attleboro was three wins shy of reaching the postseason last year, despite a roster filled with inexperienced players, and the Bombardiers demonstrated the potential in the squad by upsetting Franklin late in the season and handing the Panthers their only league loss. This winter, the Bombardiers will be looking to turn potential into reality and make a jump into the playoff picture.

Six players are returning from last year, including seniors Nyah Thomas and Liv McCall, who give Attleboro a talented backcourt on both ends of the court. Thomas adds length and slashing ability, while McCall is a sharpshooter who will be the team’s primary ball-handler. Sophomore Meg Gordon has taken a big leap from last year and head coach Marty Crowley thinks that she is ready for a breakout season on the wing.

Juniors Gabby Bosh and Emma Reilly will both be back to add some nous to the lineup, while sophomores Hailey and Lindsey Perry add grit and toughness. Junior Ryan Johnson will add size to the frontcourt, while sophomore Lillian Froio and juniors Jackie MacDonald and Laura McVeigh add depth and physicality. Overall, it is a much deeper, more experienced group for Crowley to build lineups with this season.

“For us to be successful we must be able to play defense consistently and rebound,” Crowley said. “Nyah and Liv I am sure are going to draw a lot of attention from other teams, so we must make sure that we are smart offensively and get touches for everyone, however, we feel as if we have the players in place who will contribute offensively.”

Canton

2018-2019 Record: 14-7
2018-2019 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinal.
Coach: Jim Choquette
Youth was served for the Bulldogs last season, as a talented trio of freshmen jumped into the starting lineup and helped Canton have one of its most successful seasons in program history, with 14 wins and a return to the state tournament. There were still some learning curves to overcome, but now a more experienced group is play with speed and get out on the break as often as possible to give Foxboro a challenge in the Davenport title race and bring home a postseason win.

Although Canton is still a relatively young team, the talent on the roster is undeniable. Sophomores Kiara Cerruti and Sydney and Fay Gallery all had impressive rookie campaigns, showing off their skills on the wing, from three-point range, and in the paint. They will face even more pressure this season, as teams know what they like to do and will be even more determined to take them out of their games.

Sophomore Carly Fitzgerald will be one of the players stepping into the point guard role vacated by the graduation of Julia Hamilton and will be the facilitator getting Canton into its offense. In the paint, Canton has size and athleticism in senior Lilah Milton and junior Kayla Albert, who are both active rebounders and finishers at the rim and both have shown the ability to knock down the occasional jumper as well. Juniors Angie Elias and Sam Lamarr and sophomore Annie Hoban all have experience from last year to add to Canton’s depth.

Canton coach Jim Choquette said, “Each day we will try to improve as a coaching staff and a program. By the end of the season, our hopes are to be playing at our best.”

Foxboro

2017-2018 Record: 20-3
2017-2018 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinal.
Coach: Lisa Downs
The two-time defending Davenport division champions return all but one player from last year’s roster, so Foxboro remains the team to beat for the league title and expectations are very high heading into a new season. After a trip to the Div. 2 South semifinals last season, the Warriors will be aiming for even more this winter, trying to regain the top spot not just in the Hock but also in the South sectional.

Junior Katelyn Mollica was the team’s leading scorer last year and is already closing in on 1,000 points for her career. The team’s primary ball-handler and one of the best shooters in the league, Mollica will be one of the top offensive threats in the league. She will have plenty of help. Senior guard Lizzy Davis and senior forwards Yara Fawaz and Abby Hassman will also return to the starting lineup this season and add athleticism, speed, and tenacity on both ends of the floor, taking some pressure off Mollica with their ability to score in the open court.

Senior Shakirah Ketant came on strong at the end of last season and gives Foxboro a different, more physical look in the paint. Junior Jordyn Collins is a tough on-the-ball defender and has speed to burn. Seniors Jamie DeVellis and Julia Kelley both saw time on the floor last year and will add to Foxboro’s depth. Sophomore center Hannah Blake is a new face that could provide more strength in the post.

“The Hockomock League continues to produce teams, which make every night a tough one – there are really no teams that you can take lightly,” said Foxboro coach Lisa Downs. “The preparation required to compete in this league really benefits teams that get to the postseason.”

Franklin

2018-2019 Record: 21-4
2018-2019 Finish: Reached D1 State Semifinal.
Coach: John Leighton
Franklin is coming off its best season in program history and the Panthers have the talent returning to potentially surpass that success this winter. After winning the program’s first sectional title and coming within minutes of reaching the state title game, Franklin returns three of its starters and a host of bench players ready to step into bigger roles this year.

The key to it all is senior Ali Brigham. The George Washington-commit controlled the paint on both ends of the floor last season and remains the league’s most dominant star, as she continues to expand her game to make it even more difficult for the opposition. Teams can’t focus only on Brigham, as senior forward Meghan O’Connell showed in the playoffs the problems she can present with her ability to score and rebound and sophomore Olivia Quinn is another forward with size that teams will struggle to match up with.

Junior point guard Erin Quaile is a tenacious defender and a solid ball-handler, who is developing her outside shot. Senior Sydney Garilli and juniors Elizabeth Wilson, Teagan Collins, and Carissa Alers all saw time last season and will be in the backcourt rotation. Franklin will also add several newcomers, who could step right in and contribute, including juniors Katelynn Taylor and Kaleigh Houlihan and sophomores Emma Sousa and Stefany Padula. On balance, the Panthers look likely to be the team to beat again in the Kelley-Rex.

“I am excited by what I have seen to date,” said Franklin coach John Leighton. “They are a very motivated group who have bought into their team motto ‘We Over Me.’ They are good teammates who seek team success over individual glory.”

King Philip

2018-2019 Record: 14-8
2018-2019 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal.
Coach: Dan Nagle
King Philip had a breakout season in 2018-19, winning 13 games and reaching the Div. 1 South quarterfinal. Returning seven players from last year’s roster, new head coach Dan Nagle takes over a program in solid shape and is looking to build on last season’s success and try to challenge Franklin at the top of the league standings this winter.

Senior Faye Veilleux spearheaded KP’s breakout season when she emerged as one of the top post scorers in the league. Her versatility and her ability to get out in transition will be crucial to Nagle’s fastbreaking style. Senior Faith Roy will give the Warriors a clutch outside shooter and classmate Taylor Butler adds physicality to the guard or forward position.

Junior Emma Glaser will be expected to take on a bigger role after a strong sophomore season on the wing and junior point guard Brianna James demonstrated the ability to get into the lane at will and finish even against taller opponents. Juniors Caroline Aaron and Courtney Keswick are also back from last year to provide depth on the wings and 6-foot-3 freshman Emily Sawyer will give KP much-needed size in the post, as they try to combat Franklin’s Ali Brigham. The Warriors are going to try and break teams down with aggressive defending and their speed in transition.

Nagle said, “It has been a great start to the year with this group of kids. From top to bottom our roster is full of girls who love the game of basketball and are enjoying the process of improving day to day here in the early going. I think we will be a fun team to watch this season, and I look forward to the challenge of having our kids compete night in and night out in an excellent league like the Hockomock.”

Mansfield

2018-2019 Record: 17-6
2018-2019 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal.
Coach: Mike Redding
Mansfield has consistently been one of the top programs in the Kelley-Rex division but even the best programs are going to need time to overcome the graduation of 10 seniors. The Hornets will lack experience, but head coach Mike Redding will be looking for improvement over the course of the season and will be hoping to have the team playing its best basketball as the tournament rolls around.

Senior Becca Hottleman was recently cleared after knee surgery and will be back at the point for the Hornets. Hottleman is one of only two players that got starts last year. Junior forward Ashley Santos is the other and she will be one of the players expected to see her numbers take a jump, as she should expect to get a few more looks on the offensive end. Senior Kelly Doherty and junior Kayla Vine will jump into starting roles on the wings, while junior Sara Dooling will be a starter at forward.

While there is a lack of varsity playing time on the roster, there are plenty of upperclassmen that will be expected to contribute. Junior Sarah Sacco will back-up Hottleman at the point, while junior Ally Prentis and senior Grace Benton will add depth at the wing. Senior Grace Maher and juniors Brooke Berube and Kacey Veiking will see time in the frontcourt and freshman wing Abby Wager should get opportunities to build experience this season.

“This group has very limited varsity basketball experience overall because we had that large and talented group of 10 seniors last year, but we’re not young and will rely on senior leadership and a deep junior class and all have varsity experience in other sports,” said Redding. “We have good size and depth in the post and all of them can shoot, handle the ball, and play like guards, which should cause some problems for the defense. It will be a work in progress and we’ll have to battle for wins in a very good league but this will be a good basketball team by February when the tourney rolls around.”

Milford

2018-2019 Record: 1-19
2018-2019 Finish: Missed postseason.
Coach: T.J. Dolliver
Last year was a tough one for Milford. After graduating the bulk of the roster, an inexperienced group struggled through the season, but never lost the work rate and closed out the winter with its first win. The Hawks are still relatively young, but head coach TJ Dolliver is approaching the new year with optimism because of his team’s continued growth.

Four juniors are entering their third varsity seasons and the Hawks will be counting on them to provide necessary leadership on and off the court. Emma Lawrence, Jillian Michelson, Carly Fereira, and Katie Maietta have all gotten plenty of playing time last year and the hope is that experience will serve them well this winter.

This will be a guard-heavy lineup, especially with no player over 5-foot-8. Junior Elise Fauerbach will add some physical play to the frontcourt and sophomore forward Jill Araujo is a newcomer that can add some depth in the paint.

“There is a lot to pay attention to but what I care about the most is how we do this together,” said Dolliver. “I have a great group of girls and a great coaching staff and I believe this season will be very rewarding.”

North Attleboro

2018-2019 Record: 7-14
2018-2019 Finish: Missed postseason.
Coach: Nikki Correia
It has been a tough run over the last few seasons for North Attleboro, which won seven games and missed the playoffs for the third straight year, but there are still positives to take away as former assistant Nikki Correia takes over for her first year in charge. North has several experienced players returning to try and push Big Red back up the standings.

The backcourt should be a plus for North with senior point guard Olivia Forbes back to run the show and keep the Rocketeers getting into the transition game that Correia prefers. She will be joined at the guard position by junior Amanda Kaiser, who emerged as not only a threat from deep but also as a tough defender who gets her hands into the passing lane. Juniors Siobhan Weir and Lydia Santos will add to the depth at guard to help with the full-court pressure that North will turn to this year.

North hasn’t had much height in the past few seasons, but there are several forwards who can compete on the glass. Senior forward Eliza Dion is an aggressive defender and can take her defender off the dribble. Senior Regan Fein will add extra depth in the paint. Freshman guard Ava McKeown and sophomore guard Summer Doherty are two newcomers that could make an instant impact.

“I am looking forward to being apart of watching this team and this program grow this year,” Correia said. “There are six returning seniors, so that veteran play will be very helpful, as well as returning a great shooter and adding an athletic sophomore and freshman to the mix.”

Oliver Ames

2018-2019 Record: 13-9
2018-2019 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal.
Coach: Laney Clement-Holbrook
Oliver Ames had a lot of new faces last year, but the success was very familiar. The Tigers finished with 13 wins and reached the Div. 1 South quarterfinal, giving Wellesley all it could handle on the road. A year of experience and the return of a strong core of players means expectations are even higher for OA this winter.

Sophomore Caroline Peper will be the player that is going to draw the most attention at the start of the new season. As a freshman, Peper was one of the league’s top scorers and its top shooters. Junior Caroline Flynn was also an all-star last year. She runs the point, is one of the top passers on the team, and also one of its top rebounders. Her overall game helps the Tigers control games. Also in the backcourt will be seniors Meg Holleran and Erin Holmberg, who is coming back after surgery cost her almost all of last season.

Senior Tate Hadges will be on the front line, giving OA another strong defender and rebounder. Sophomore Hailey Bourne, while undersized, gives the Tigers a lot of effort in the post even when matched up against some of the best frontcourt players in the league. Junior Jess Erlich and Tori Harney and sophomore Anna Murphy will add to the team’s depth on the wing.

“As always, the Hock will present with a very high level of competition,” said OA coach Laney Clement-Holbrook. “We are looking forward to being capable of putting together a variety of strong personnel combinations which will provide us with depth as we face those challenges.”

Sharon

2018-2019 Record: 9-11
2018-2019 Finish: Missed postseason.
Coach: Sandra Lombardi
Sharon narrowly missed out on its first playoff appearance under head coach Sandy Lombardi, finishing just one win away from a tournament berth. With three returning starters and several younger players who got significant playing time last year, the Eagles will be eyeing that elusive postseason berth.

Three seniors will be counted on to lead the team at both ends of the floor. Point guard Ally Brown will be expected to get the Eagles into their offensive sets and is a strong defender on the other end, keeping pressure on the perimeter. Shooting guard Kaitlyn Wallace is the team’s top outside threat, stretching the defense with her range and also being a strong passer off the dribble. Forward Telishya Herbert led the team in scoring last year and is a matchup nightmare in the paint with her aggressive play going to the basket.

The starting lineup will be rounded out by junior Leah Fandel and sophomore Trinity Payne, two athletic forwards that will give Sharon decent size on the front line. Senior Nicole Teven, juniors Julia Early and Gaby Cabral and freshman Tess Letendre will all see plenty of playing time this season and will look to contribute to the team’s success.

“Ally, Kaitlyn, and Telishya have the most varsity experience and I expect great things from them this year,” Lombardi said. “We have a young team and I am hoping some of the younger players are able to step up this year as well.”

Stoughton

2018-2019 Record: 7-13
2018-2019 Finish: Missed postseason.
Coach: Charmaine Steele Jordan
A new era will begin this winter, as Stoughton moves into its brand new gym with a lot of new faces on the roster, hoping to get the Black Knights back into the playoff race this season after missing out on the tournament last year.

The key for the Black Knights will be its senior leadership. Although Sydnee Hyacinthe has moved on to Milton Academy, they still return a strong core led by senior Aliyah Wright. The point guard can be a dominant presence on both ends of the floor, sparking Stoughton on defense and breaking down the opposition off the dribble. Senior Shyanne Trinh is healthy to start the season and will be the team’s top outside threat, with the ability to knock down shots off the dribble. Senior forward Lexi Baptista is an athletic post threat who can also step back and knock down the mid-range jumper.

Senior Hannah Pagano and juniors Brooke Bulger, Mackenzie Manning, and Catherine Downey will add to the team’s depth, especially in the backcourt. Sophomore Makaiyah Singleton Rivera and freshman Kyla Sheedy-Goff will be two of the newcomers to the roster that could make a name for themselves this season.

“Despite being somewhat young this season this group of ladies worked really hard in the off-season,” said Stoughton coach Charmain Steele Jordan. “The sky is the limit this season and our Black Knights are going compete hard until the final whistle blows.”

Taunton

2018-2019 Record: 7-15
2018-2019 Finish: Missed postseason.
Coach: Amy Siggens
After a number of seasons under coach Walter Harrigan, Taunton has turned to former King Philip coach Amy Siggens this year and she has brought plenty of energy into her first preseason with the Tigers, trying to push the program back into the playoff hunt.

As Siggens and the players become more comfortable with each other, the Tigers will count on their returning starters to get things off to a good start. Juniors Sonya and Jaelyn Fernandez and Kelsey White will be the players to watch this season after strong sophomore campaigns. All three have good size, with both Sonya and Jaelyn providing strong presences on the boards and out on the break and White causing match-up issues on the perimeter. All three will need to step up on the defensive end and keep the Tigers running.

Taunton also has depth, although it will be relatively inexperienced. Seniors Liz Crisman and Jaylah Chaves and junior Tori DaRosa will add more depth in the backcourt. Sophomores Braeley McDonald and Abby Souza (who has helped out on varsity since she was an eighth-grader) and freshman Kameron St. Pierre will also chip in this season.

“Any coaching change brings lots of challenges and, this season, we will be faced with our share,” said Siggens. “I am very encouraged from what I’ve seen thus far. Our bench is young and talented but how quickly a good group of less experienced players develop, will determine the degree of our progress and we are off to a good start.”

10/01/201910/02/2019

OA Wins Battle of League Leaders in Milford

Oliver Ames Volleyball — OA senior Jordan Bosse led the Tigers with 13 kills, helping them earn a four-set win at Milford in a battle of teams that entered the night leading their respective divisions. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

MILFORD, Mass. – Oliver Ames dominated the first two sets of Tuesday evening’s battle of division leaders at Milford, winning 25-11 and 25-14 to take control of the match. Everything was going OA’s way until the third set, when the Hawks stayed alive by grabbing a 25-19 win.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Just when it looked like the hosts might also be able to grab the momentum and add drama to the match, OA took back control. The Tigers rolled in the fourth and final set, winning 25-12, to earn an impressive bounce back 3-1 victory that keeps them just ahead of Franklin and King Philip in the Kelley-Rex division title race.

“I said, the game’s not over,” said OA coach Chelsea Cunningham about her message to the team heading into the fourth set. “The game’s never over until you hear the whistle blow and if you take it one point at a time, play together, it makes a world of difference.”

Milford entered Tuesday’s game in a three-way tie for first in the Davenport division with Canton and North Attleboro and the Hawks started well enough in the opening set. Lauren Corsini had a pair of kills and Sarah Brogioli had an ace to put the home team up 4-2 early. That was the high point of the set for the Hawks.

OA setter Allie Kemp (27 assists) started spreading the ball around to the Tigers’ talented hitters, with Jordan Bosse (team-high 13 kills) and Ryley McNeeley (10 kills) both finding the range on the outside. The balance in the OA attack proved difficult for Milford to control.

Cunningham explained, “It’s nice to have options rather than rely on one person and strain that player. I like having options and the kids know they’re all options, so being able to mix it up and have a flexible lineup is really fun to work with.”

The Hawks also hurt themselves. Shorthanded after an injury ruled junior hitter Elise Fauerbach out for the season, Milford looked out of sorts in all aspects of the game from serve-receive to hitting to defense. OA took advantage to jump in front and never look back.

“Everything was off,” said Milford coach Tammy Webber. “We didn’t have everyone at practice yesterday. Elise went off [injured] on Friday, so we didn’t practice as a team with the new lineup. Not that it matters…we were just flat. We adjusted finally and then we didn’t stick with our game plan.”

The second set started even worse for Milford. OA won eight straight points to build an 11-1 lead. McNeeley continued to find the range on the outside and Sarah Morley had a pair of aces during her eight-point run at the service line. The Hawks tried to battle back behind Allison Corsini’s kills from her middle position, but OA quickly snuffed out any momentum.

Jordyn Vella smashed a kill right down the middle to make it 17-6. Brogioli got hot at the service line with three aces that cut the lead to nine, but Bosse closed out the set with another kill that put OA in position to take the match.

While it was an admittedly rough night for the Hawks, they showed fight in the third set to keep from being swept. The hosts grabbed the lead on back-to-back Brogioli kills, a block by Lauren Corsini, and an ace by Lexi Starks. OA got back within five, but consecutive kills by setter Julia Riordan and hitter Alyssa Williamson made it 22-15 and essentially sealed the set.

“We started blocking and playing defense and we were able to set up our offense, swinging and not making unforced errors,” said Webber. She added, “We need to rise to the occasion. We need to play better against the better teams, consistently.”

After extending the match, it looked like the home team might make it an interesting finish, but instead the Tigers responded, leading 6-1 and 9-2 to halt any momentum. Sophomore Hadley Rhodes gave OA a spark in the fourth set with back-to-back kills that made it 14-5 and then a block that put the Tigers ahead 22-8.

“She’s awesome,” Cunningham said about Rhodes. “She’s young, she wants to play, will do anything to get on the floor and when she gets that time she puts 100 percent in. I’ll take someone who’s feisty and wants to take risks.”

It was an important road win for the Tigers, keeping them one ahead of Franklin in the loss column and now two ahead of King Philip in the win column (OA has played two more league games than the Warriors).

Cunningham said, “We had to take this one seriously and know that we had to earn it. They’re starting to learn that when they earn their points it’s more fun that relying on other teams making mistakes.”

Oliver Ames (9-2, 8-1) will look to avenge one of its losses when it hosts Brockton on Friday. Milford (6-4, 6-3) will try to bounce back at league-leading Canton on Monday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

09/19/201910/21/2019

Hawks Hang On For Win Over Hornets

Milford volleyball Elise Fauerbach — Milford’s Elise Fauerbach tries to hit around a Mansfield block in the third set. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

MILFORD, Mass. – There wasn’t much that could separate the Mansfield and Milford volleyball teams on Wednesday evening.

Entering the contest with identical 3-1 records, the Hawks and Hornets split the first four sets evenly, with the hosts grabbing the first and third while the visitors came back to level things twice, forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.

And even then, the two sides were nearly even. After a back-and-forth start, Milford went on an 8-1 run that put them a point away from one point away from clinching the game. That final point didn’t come easy, though, as Mansfield recorded four straight points to half the deficit.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

But in the end, the Hawks got that final point to earn a hard-fought 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 25-17, 21-25, 15-10) win over the Hornets.

“I just told them to keep playing their game, and to take care of themselves,” said Milford coach Tammy Webber of her message to her team as Mansfield battled back late. “Obviously it’s a team game but if they all took care of their own jobs, things would work out and we were able to end it.”

While the Hawks didn’t register an ace in the fifth set, their serving proved to be a vital asset and a key to the win. After service errors on their first two chances, Milford put Mansfield under a lot of pressure with strong serving.

After taking a 6-5 lead on a block from Allison Corsini (nine kills, seven blocks), Mansfield’s defense had a hard time dealing with a strong serve from Elise Fauerbach. Two more strong serves from Fauerbach led to easy kills from Corsini as she slammed down a pair of open looks that popped up from the Hornets’ serve receive, putting the Hawks up 9-5.

Corsini and Alyssa Williamson (12 kills, two aces) had back-to-back kills coming out of a Hornet timeout, and a Mansfield hitting error combined with another Corsini kill (off another loose receive from Mansfield) put the Hawks on the verge of the win at 14-6.

Mansfield picked up some momentum when Olivia McGrath (13 kills, eight service points) put down a kill and registered an ace, and Julia Kelly slammed down a kill to make it 14-10 before a play error gave Milford the final point for the win.

“We picked up our serving in that fifth set,” Webber said. “Our serving is our first line of offense and we depend on it a lot. When it’s off, we feel it, you could see if some of the first sets. But it was on in that tight situation which was good.

We talked about [Allison] making her presence known at the net and taking control, between her and her sister [Lauren] at the net.”

The first game set the tone for the rest of the match, as neither side was able to generate a large lead. Milford had a 5-0 burst that featured a back row kill from Fauerbach to take a 16-11 lead but Mansfield battled back to make it a two-point game at 18-16 on a nice tip from Alina Nowakowski (11 kills) after a nice dig from Sam Sternburg (19 digs, 10 service points).

Milford sophomore Sarah Brogioli (five kills, seven aces) landed back-to-back aces while Williamson landed two big kills down the stretch to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

Mansfield used a 7-1 run early in the second set to take its largest lead of the match. Nowakowski had back-to-back kills, McGrath landed a big kill from the middle, and Julia Buiser had an ace to put the Hornets ahead 13-7. The run continued with two aces from McGrath and one from Olivia Fernando to make it 19-10. Milford made a mini-run but McGrath grabbed another kill to make it 1-1.

“In our last game, we weren’t talking consistently so I was really happy about being better at that today, I was really proud of that,” said Mansfield coach Melissa Heeden. “This is the first time we went to a fifth set, and I feel having back-to-back challenging games and another on Friday, it will benefit us. We just switched the rotation and it’s starting to gel. The girls are upset but I’m thrilled with where we are at.

“It’s still early in the season and I’m happy with where we are at. Of course I wish we won but I’m happy with how they fought back and how they played, it was a good team effort.”

Williamson had a pair of big kills in succession and Lauren Corsini (five kills, four blocks) added one of her own on a nice set from Julia Riordan (20 assists) to highlight a quick 7-2 burst in the third set for the Hawks. That little run made the difference and Brogioli landed a kill late to give Milford a 2-1 lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Mansfield used a similar run in the fourth set as it had in the second, creating separation early. A pair of aces from Brogioli closed the game and two Hornet errors made it a tie game at 19-19. Mansfield kept the advantage thanks to two kills from McGrath and a key block from Emily Dardinski on a hit that would have tied the game. Kelly clinched the fourth set win with a nicely placed tip.

“I can’t believe how evenly matched that entire match was,” Webber said. “They had their ups, we had our ups, they had their downs, we had our downs, it was crazy. The fifth set started with two missed serves and it was just a matter of who was going to react better after that and we responded much better than we usually do.”

Milford volleyball (4-1 Hockomock, 4-1 overall) will look to make it three straight wins when it travels to North Attleboro on Friday. Mansfield (3-2, 3-2) will try and get back into the win column when it travels to Oliver Ames on Friday.

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