Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton picked up a key two points and gained some ground in the division title race with a win over Stoughton. Jake McCabe continued his current hot streak with two more goals to pace the offense. Erik Valdovinos and Jacob Crugnale each added one goal in the win while Dylan Baird played well in the midfield. The Bulldogs pushed their unbeaten streak to six games and sit just two points out of the lead in the Davenport.
Foxboro, 0 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – North Attleboro grabbed its third straight win and third straight shutout with a win over visiting Foxboro, leapfrogging the Warriors in the standings. Junior Givany Carney headed in a cross from classmate Griffin Rodden in the 55th minute for the lone goal of the game. David Floyd came up with a handful of big stops to preserve the shutout while Brody Rosenberg and Jaad Ismail had solid showings defensively.
Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Franklin scored the lone goal of the game just under 15 minutes into the contest to earn a season split with Taunton. Tim O’Keefe served a free kick from the right wing into the area that was redirected before falling to the feet of senior Terry O’Neill, who buried his chance from in close. The Panthers had a handful of good looks in the second half but couldn’t tack on a second goal; Taunton keeper Javonte Fernandes had a pair of terrific stops to help keep the deficit at one.
King Philip, 1 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – King Philip sophomore Tommy Lomuscio scored the equalizer with just under 10 minutes to go to help the Warriors grab a point on the road against Mansfield. The Hornets had an ideal start when senior Matt Hyland scored just five minutes into the game to give the hosts the lead, finishing off a pass from classmate James Li. Both Connor O’Reilly (King Philip) and Jack Lasbury-Casey (Mansfield) played well in net.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Sharon recorded the upset of the season, snapping OA’s 10-game unbeaten streak and avenging a 6-1 loss from earlier this year. Adam Landstein scored the lone goal of the game, finishing off a pass from James Zhang. Brady Daylor recorded the shutout in net for the Eagles.
Girls Soccer
Milford, 0 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro broke open a scoreless game with three goals in the second half and moved back to .500 on the season. Seven minutes into the second half Jamie Davies was able to break the deadlock, assisted by Bethany Alves. Kacey Parker teed up Kahlan Gray for a 30-yard strike that double the lead. Emily Dunlea sealed the win with Attleboro’s third goal. Emily Khang picked up the assist.
Canton, 6 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Canton scored six unanswered goals to pick up a big road win and move a win away from .500 on the season. Emily McCabe had four goals and an assist to power the Bulldogs offensively. Stoughton got off to a good start in the match and grabbed the lead after 12 minutes when Makenzie O’Connor coolly finished from the penalty spot. Canton equalized in the 28th minute when Ava Gilmore found the back of the net from long distance. McCabe broke the deadlock with the last kick of the half, taking a pass from Lauren Shatkin, cutting in on her left foot, and finding the back of the net. McCabe would add three goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half, twice running onto balls in behind the Stoughton back line and tapping in after a cross from the left by Devan Spinale. Fay Gallery wrapped up the scoring in the last minute when she met a McCabe corner at the back post.
North Attleboro, 0 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Neve Taylor had a goal and an assist, as Foxboro held off a challenge from North to remain in a first-place tie. Taylor opened the scoring, finishing off a feed from Jordan Carman. Erin Foley made it 2-0 off another Carman assist. Kailee McCabe added a third with a solo run and finish. Lauren Miley wrapped up the scoring with a nice touch on a cross by Taylor.
Franklin, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Stella Regan’s brace powered Franklin to a road win that keeps the Panthers in first place in the Kelley-Rex, two points ahead of Mansfield and KP. Kelly O’Connor and Selene Hammad each scored as well for the Panthers, while Anya Zub had a pair of assists. Jackie O’Neill and Emma Reilly also had helpers in the win, while Rachel Welch and Haylie Aniki split the clean sheet in goal. Franklin coach Jodi Klein praised her team’s composure and ball movement.
Mansfield, 5 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – The Hornets moved into a tie with KP for second place in the Kelley-Rex with a big win on the road. Mansfield had five different goal scorers. Olivia Homsi got the first on an assist from Tarynn Smith, but KP answered back on a penalty from Ella Pisani. Gabby Smith had the second, scoring direct from a corner, but again the Warriors responded as Mikayla Thompson scored unassisted. Alexis O’Keefe put the visitors back in front, assisted by Bridget Hanley and Tarynn Smith scored off a pass from Anna Darlington for her second point of the night to make it 4-2 at the break. Kara Santos closed out the scoring for the Hornets with a second half free kick. Olivia Salisbury made seven saves, including three diving stops, to pick up the win in goal.
Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – OA pulled away to earn another win and remain tied with Foxboro atop the Davenport, scoring four goals in the second half. Katie Gibson, Lauren Sellmayer, Carly Gibson, Camryn O’Connor and Allison Evin were the goal scorers for OA while Emily Meyers and Kathrine Farley combined for the shutout in goal. Sharon had strong performances in the midfield from Sofia Goclowski and Amber Marcus-Blank. Jordanna Morris played well for the Eagles in defense and Autumn Simon had a good first half in goal and created several scoring opportunities playing up top after the break.
Field Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Braintree, 0 – Final
Franklin, 5 @ Algonquin, 2 – Final – Franklin scored three goals in the final quarter to break a tie game and pull away from Algonquin for its 13th win of the season. Algonquin twice took the lead, the first coming in the opening quarter but a goal from Shaw Downing (from Kaitlyn Carney) four minutes later leveled the match, which stayed 1-1 into halftime. Algonquin regained the lead less than a minute into the third but Kendall Jones finished a pass from Carney four minutes later to make it 2-2 heading into the fourth. Haley Wernig put the visitors ahead less than five minutes into the fourth off of Carney’s third assist of the game and then Carney scored herself with just under five minutes to go to make it 4-2.Jones tacked on her second goal of the game two minutes later on a pass from Kaeley Dubriske. Jones also made a pair of huge defensive saves while goalie Megan Sullivan had seven stops.
Taunton, 0 @ New Bedford, 3 – Final – Ashley Amaro and Thalia Nogeira played well in the loss for the Tigers.
Volleyball
Foxboro @ Walpole, 6:00
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames rallied from a two-set deficit to stun Bridgewater-Raynham, earning a season sweep of the Trojans with a 3-2 win (23-25, 21-25, 25-12, 25-12, 15-9). Sophomore Claire O’Rourke helped rally the Tigers with 24 kills and five aces while classmate Sarah Hilliard added 24 kills and four aces. Junior Maddie Homer recorded 42 digs and Hadley Rhodes dished out 39 assists.
Football
Mansfield, 23 @ Attleboro, 7 – Final 1st Quarter: (M) CJ Bell 6-yard rush, James Gilleran XP good.
2nd Quarter: (A) Kaiden Murray 1-yard rush, Anthony Salviati XP good; (M) Rocco Scarpellini 5-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Safety.
4th Quarter: (M) Connor Curtis 19-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
Foxboro, 21 @ North Attleboro, 14 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game. 1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (NA) Tyler Bannon blocked punt, safety.
3rd Quarter: (NA) Chase Frisoli 24-yard pass to Gavin Wells, XP no good; (F) Tom Marcucella 40-yard pass to Rashaad Way, T. Marcucella conversion pass to R. Way.
4th Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 1-yard rush, Conversion no good; (F) Dylan Gordon 72-yard rush, Sam Carpenter XP good; (F) T. Marcucella 68-yard pass to R. Way, XP blocked.
Milford, 14 @ King Philip, 17 – Final
Stoughton, 31 vs. Brockton, 13 – Final 1st Quarter: (S) Anthony Girolamo 24-yard rush, Conversion no good.
2nd Quarter: (S) Jonah Ly 1-yard rush, Conversion no good; (B) Mauricio Powell 20-yard rush, John Dumas XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) A. Girolamo 19-yard rush, J. Ly XP good; (S) Jarred Daughtry 5-yard rush, XP no good.
4th Quarter: (B) Jason Wonodi 24-yard rush, XP no good; (S) J. Daughtry 8-yard rush, XP no good.
Sharon, 7 @ Norwell, 32 – Final
Boys Soccer
Canton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames hit the post and hit the crossbar but couldn’t find the back of the net and the Tigers and Bulldogs of Canton took a point each. Mathias Taylor, Michael Haikal, Hector Bucio and Diego Rivera had great games for the Tigers while Sasha Priajinski earned his eighth shutout of the season in net.
Foxboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Foxboro scored twice in each half to pick up two points on the road over Stoughton. The Warriors scored in quick succession in the first half as AJ Carvalho opened the scoring in the 26th minute and then an own goal (credited to John Hollis) doubled the advantage just two minutes later. In the second half, Cam Barreira set up Alex Penders in the 60th minute for the 3-0 lead and then Barreira capped the scoring with a goal of his own off a feed from Jacob Tessier. Derek Axon notched the shutout in net for Foxboro.
Taunton, 1 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – King Philip and Taunton traded goals, one coming in each half, and the Warriors and Tigers split the two points. Andrew Seropian gave the hosts the lead in the 12th minute, finishing off a pass from Stephen Griffin to make it 1-0. Taunton’s Riley Rebello equalized in the 49th minute, finishing a free kick to the back post to bring the Tigers level.
Milford, 2 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Milford used a pair of first half goals to earn two points on the road, splitting the season series with Mansfield. Artur Tome opened the scoring with an assist to Bill Silva. Just minutes later, Eduardo Santana doubled the lead with the assist going to Tome.
Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – The Rocketeers registered a pair of goals before the half hour mark and then put the game away with a third with just 10 minutes to go for a win over Sharon. Quinn Conley earned a penalty for the Rocketeers early in the match and Connor Ward buried the chance from the spot, putting the hosts ahead in the 10th minute. Junior Griffin Rodden doubled the lead in the 28th minute, taking a pass from Givany Carney and finishing. Jaad Ismail’s goal in the 70th minute secured the points for North as the senior finished a corner kick from Ward for a 3-0 lead.
Girls Soccer
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Junior Mary Cross scored the lone goal of the game as Oliver Ames claimed a key two points on the road over Davenport for Canton. Cross finished off a pass from Allison Evin in the first half for the lone goal of the game. Emily Meyers earned the shutout in goal for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 0 @ Foxboro, 7 – Final – Foxboro scored four times in the second half to break the game open and keep itself in a first-place tie with OA. Kailee McCabe and Jordan Carman each recorded four points for the Warriors. McCabe scored three times and added an assist, while Carman found the back of the net once and had a hat trick of assists. Lauren Miley scored a brace and DeAnna Hardiman got one. Shayla Ford had a solid game in defense for the Black Knights and Sivannah Marcy was a good outlet up front.
King Philip, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – A day after she tallied a hat trick and five points, Ella Pisani added two more goals and another assist to lift KP to another road win. The Warriors pulled even on points with Franklin for the league lead, having played one more game. Pisani, Brooke Mullins, and Dani Lomuscio all scored in the first half to put KP comfortably ahead. Morgan Norrman, Eilish McGowen, and Pisani each had assist in the opening half. After the break, Pisani completed her brace and Kylie Menendez added the fifth. Paulina Baczkowski and McGowen assisted on the second half goals.
Mansfield, 2 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Tarynn Smith’s brace lifted the Hornets to a road win at Milford, getting Mansfield back on track and keeping it alive in the league title race. Olivia Salisbury made one stop to earn the clean sheet.
North Attleboro, 3 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Emma Pratt and Abbie Pratt each scored in the first half to put the Rocketeers in front. Autumn Simon scored early in the second half off a Sofia Goclowski assist to cut the North lead in half, but Emma Pratt added her second of the game to seal the two points. Haley Sinacola assisted on each of Emma Pratt’s goals and Caroline Ferrin had the assist on Abbie Pratt’s. North came close several times in the second half, with Steph McKenna, Autumn Hewitt, and Casey Butanowicz narrowly missing. Brayden Rice played well for the Rocketeers in midfield, while Meaghan Dowd, Summer Doherty, and Charlotte Moynihan had good games at the back. Leah Steinberg and Carmen Leonardi played well defensively for the Eagles.
Volleyball
North Attleboro, 3 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final
Canton, 3 @ Fontbonne Academy, 1 – Final – Canton overcame an error-prone opening set to settle in, using a complete team effort to rally for a 3-1 win (23-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-15) on the road at Fontbonne. Talya DeGraw had an all-around good match for the Bulldogs with six kills and 27 digs, Katie Dever played well in the middle with four kills and two blocks, and Kelly MacDonald played strong in the backcourt and served well.
King Philip, 3 @ Walpole, 0 – Final – KP swept Walpole for the second time this season, winning 25-12, 25-15, 25-10 to stay unbeaten. Sami Shore led the way with 11 kills and four aces, while Ahunna James had eight kills and seven digs, and Emily Sawyer finished with seven kills and three blocks. Sofia Reidel had a strong service game with seven aces and Stella Bailey chipped in with four aces and five digs. Samantha Asprelli had another strong defensive match with eight digs.
Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 1 – Final – Taunton jumped out to a two-set advantage and took care of business in the fourth to win the match 3-1 (25-15, 25-15, 23-25, 25-14) after dropping a close third set. Angie Lynch had a great all-around game for the Tigers with eight kills, seven digs, four aces, and a block to lead the way. Mikayla Cleary added five kills, four aces, and four blocks while Anna Abouzeid dished out 18 assists and added three kills and a pair of aces. Dani Lofgren (14 digs and excellent serve receive) and Jess Foley (eight digs, three aces) both played well defensively for Taunton.
Boys Soccer
King Philip, 0 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Attleboro netted a pair of goals in the second half to earn two hard-fought points at home against visiting King Philip. A long throw from sophomore Luke Hagopian played senior Connor Adema down the right wing, and Adema cut in before tapping a centering pass for an easy touch in front for sophomore Billy Badger in the 58th minute. The Bombardiers doubled the lead in the 67th minute when junior Lucas Marques forced a turnover, connected with Esvin Morales, who one touched it on to Alex Vecchioli and the sophomore’s shot eluded the keeper on the bounce.
Sharon, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Canton twice came back from a goal down in the first half and then Erik Valdovinos found a winner just three minutes after the break to lift Canton to the division victory. Adam Eastman scored twice in the first half for the Eagles. The first came after three minutes when he ran onto a through ball and side-footed his finish into the far corner. His second was in the 24th minute as he rounded the keeper and was able to slide his shot in from a tight angle. Dylan Baird equalized for Canton after a nice turn and a shot through a defender’s legs into the bottom corner. After falling behind again, Canton was able to get back level six minutes before halftime. A low cross from Jake McCabe was partially deflected by Jacob Crugnale into the path of Charlie McKinney and he curled it from 18 yards. Three minutes into the second half, Valdovinos hit a low cross from the left that deflected off a Sharon defender and into the corner for the go-ahead goal. Sharon’s best chance at a tying goal came on a breakaway in the final 10 minutes but Amjad Kordab’s shot was parried by Canton keeper Giovanni Ruggeri and cleared by Jay Kelleher.
Foxboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames scored once in each half to earn a key division win over Foxboro, pushing its win streak to five games. Senior Clide Neau put the hosts ahead in the first half, finishing off a pass from Antonio Fernandes. The Tigers doubled the lead in the second half when freshman Casey Milliken played sophomore Joey Carney for a goal. Mathias Taylor and Michael Haikal played well in the middle for OA.
Milford, 1 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Franklin and Milford traded first half goals and the match finished level with each team taking home a point. The hosts struck first to take the lead when Jack Moran scored off of an assist from Rex Cinelli in the 14th minute. But just five minutes later, Bill Silva knotted the score on a pass from Avi Serri.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – North Attleboro twice erased a one-goal deficit and then scored the final two goals in the last 20 minutes to take a win on the road over Stoughton. The Black Knights opened the scoring in the 16th minute only for North Attleboro’s Brody Rosenberg to equalize in the 35th minute, finishing off a corner from Connor Ward. Stoughton regained the lead early in the second half but Bryce Newth nodded in a cross from Griffin Rodden in the 57th minute to bring the game level again. Quinn Conley gave the visitors their first lead by finishing off a cross from Ward in the 64th minute and tacked on an insurance goal in the 71st minute off a feed from Carson Dameron.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 6 – Final – Ella Pisani and Mikayla Thompson each recorded a brace and KP scored three times in each half to pick up the big win and remain atop the Kelley-Rex. Pisani opened the scoring in the 12th minute, finishing a corner kick from Morgan Norrman. Thompson doubled the lead eight minutes before the break, after a great pass by Dani Lomuscio, and then added her second two minutes later, this time off an assist from Pisani. Pisani scored in the opening minute of the second half on a free kick. Norrman had her second assist, setting up Kylie Menendez to make it 5-0 and Sarah Harper wrapped up the scoring with four minutes to play after being played behind the defense by Danielle Gresham.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Jordan Carman found the back of the net with four minutes left in regulation to lift Foxboro to a dramatic win and into a tie for first place in the Davenport division. Camryn O’Connor broke the deadlock with 25 minutes to play, putting the Tigers in front by a goal, but Kailee McCabe equalized from the penalty spot. Foxboro coach Katie Stalcup said, “I am so proud of my team and the fight they gave today. All-around amazing effort by all!” Kyla Melton and Mary Cross both had strong games for OA.
Franklin, 4 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Anya Zub had a hat trick to lead the Panthers to the road win and keep them within two points of first place in the division. With three goals on Thursday, Zub hit double digits (12) for the season. Kelly O’Connor added the fourth for Franklin. Stella Regan, Bridget Leo, Reilly Lorenzo, and Tori Carmignani all had assists for the visitors. Kailany Ferreira had a big game for the Hawks, making 18 saves to keep the hosts in the game. Brooke Ferreira, Serena Borges, and Aislinn Bennett also played well for Milford, whose head coach Lou Colabello said he was proud of how his team competed despite not getting the result.
Stoughton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Emma Pratt had a goal and an assist and North Attleboro earned its second straight win, moving back to .500 on the season. Steph McKenna opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, off a pass from Pratt. Autumn Hewitt set up Pratt for what turned out to be the game-winner, as Pratt was able to beat the keeper to the ball and finish. Sivannah Marcy got the lone goal for the Black Knights in the closing minutes. North coach Bill Wallace praised the play of midfielders Brayden Rice, Charlotte Moynihan, Brooke Sullivan, and Lily Adams. Stoughton coach Hermes Lima is hoping that his team can carry momentum from a solid performance into Friday’s game with Norwood. He highlighted Morgan Cook for her playmaking and Shayla Ford for being able to create scoring chances. Lima also credited Bianca Casna and Emma Byrne for being able to put pressure on the North defense.
Boys Cross-Country
Taunton, 24 @ Franklin, 32 – Final
Oliver Ames @ Canton, 3:45
Girls Cross-Country
Taunton, 40 @ Franklin, 21 – Final – Franklin took first and second overall, three of the top five, and used its depth to take a win over Taunton. Senior Charlene Peng clocked in at 20:20 for first overall while sophomore Alexandra Batla took second in 20:30. Taunton freshmen Colby Dunham (20:39) and Emerson Deponte (20:49) finished third and fourth, respectively, while Franklin sophomore Vivienne Loukota took fifth in 21:33.
Oliver Ames @ Canton, 3:45
Golf
Canton, 147 @ Taunton, 177 – Final – Canton’s Will Gefteas fired a two-under par round to lead the Bulldogs to a big win on the road. Gefteas came in with a two-under round of 34 for medalist honors while Mekhala Costello shot a 37, and both Conor Hunter and Mike Leonetti carded rounds of 38. Jack Gobin led the way for Taunton with a 38.
Mansfield, 164 @ Taunton, 177 – Final – Junior Drew Urban fired a 41 in his first varsity match, helping the Hornets pick up their 10th win of the season against Taunt. Senior Cian Goulet shot a team-low round of 39, senior Hunter Tang added a 40, Urban came in with a 41, and Jordan Tavares, Ryan Doherty and Nathan McLean all shot a 44. Jack Gobin earned medalist honors, leading Taunton with a low-round of 38.
Attleboro, 161 @ Milford, 170 – Final – Brendan Raymond earned medalist honors, coming in as the lone golfer under 40 for the day to lead the Bombardiers past Milford at Hopedale Country Club. Raymond shot a 36, Evan Houle and Leo Lombardo each carded a 41, and Jackson Sweeney finished with a 43 for Attleboro. Nate Lawrence led the Scarlet Hawks with a 40 while Ronan Fleming shot a 43.
Foxboro, 162 @ King Philip, 148 – Final – Mike Matheson had the best individual round of any Hock golfer this season as King Philip took down Foxboro. Matheson had three birdies (three, four, six) and added an eagle on the fifth hole to finish with a 31. Jared Curran added a 37 while both Pat Reardon and Gavin Croke shot a 40 for the hosts. Jack Watts led Foxboro with a team-low round of 37.
Oliver Ames, 150 @ Stoughton, 196 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Jo Jo Gaultier recorded four birdies and the Tigers rolled to a win at Easton Country Club. Gaultier birdied on two, six, eight, and nine to finish with a two-under medalist round of 34. Senior Jake Kaplan added a 38 in the win while sophomores Sean Kearns and David Rodgers each carded a 39. Anthony Hern led the way for the Black Knights with a 41.
2020 Record: 2-5-6 Coach: Peter Pereira
The Bombardiers seemed to get things in gear just as last season was coming to an end, finishing the season unbeaten in its final five games. But there won’t be much carryover to this year as Attleboro only has three starters back from a team that lost 14 seniors to graduation.
It will be a lot of new faces for longtime head coach Peter Pereira, who is still trying to fit the puzzle pieces together to figure out the best combination for his Bombardiers. Senior Cashel Stuger joined the lineup last season and will be a main part of the Attleboro defense this year with Lucas Marques, Ian Miller, and John Blouin all in the mix to see minutes. Junior Esvin Morales begins his third year on the varsity level and has the most experience at this level on the team. Morales is a crafty midfielder that is very dangerous in the attack and on set pieces. Seniors Liam Bischoff and Thomas Russo have good varsity experience and should see expanded roles this year.
Sophomore Alex Vecchioli exploded onto the scene last year, scoring a team-high four goals. He’ll join Morales to solidify the Attleboro midfield but he’s no stranger to getting forward and making some noise in the attack. Sophomores Tyler Rocchio and Brady Whitmarsh are battling for the starting position in goal while Pereira is looking for the likes of Connor Adema, Yannie Skortas, and Emilio Ticas to step up in the attack.
2020 Record: 6-3-3 Coach: Danny Erickson
Canton was the main challenger to OA’s division title win last season, playing tough against the Tigers in both matches. In fact, the Bulldogs’ lone losses were to both division champs in OA and Milford, the latter coming in the semifinal of the Hock Cup.
Canton has a large chunk of those players returning to the pitch for this season and a lot of them have multiple years of experience playing at the varsity level, which means expectations are high for Canton. OA has been the team to beat in the Davenport for the majority of the past decade but it looks like that could be different this year with how much skill the Bulldogs have.
There are veteran players all over the field, starting in the back with the anchor of the defense in senior All-Hockomock selection Giovanni Ruggeri, who returns as the starting goalie. Establishing a strong defensive group in front of Ruggeri will be key but the Bulldogs have a track record of getting better defensively as the season goes on. There is a lot of firepower going forward with senior Dylan Baird being the link in the midfield, helping the Dogs transition from defense to offense. There will be a lot of options in the attacking third with both Erik Valdovinos (three goals, two assists) and Jacob Crugnale up front (goal, seven assists). Junior Jake McCabe is also back after scoring three goals and notching two helpers.
“We are so excited to head into the season,” said head coach Danny Erickson. “Our team has a very high ceiling for success and we are working hard to reach that ceiling. Couldn’t have much more difficult of an early-season schedule playing Franklin, OA, and Milford to open up the Hock so we will certainly be presented some very tall tasks right out of the gates.”
2020 Record: 4-6-2 Coach: Dan Ambrosio
Foxboro is leaning on a strong senior class, a group of talented returners, and a mix of new faces to try and make a run at the Davenport division title. The heart of the team will be with the senior class, including four-year player Derek Axon and midfielder Alex McGarry.
Axon has been on the roster since his freshman year and will start in net for the Warriors, leading the way for what head coach Dan Ambrosio hopes is a strong defensive unit. Foxboro has been on the lower half of the Davenport table in terms of goals against in each of the past two seasons but Ambrosio believes he has a strong defensive unit that will play well in front of Axon. McGarry, a three-year member of the varsity squad, will be a key piece in the middle of the pitch.
It’s not often a team gets a transfer with not only varsity experience, but experience playing in the Hockomock League. But the Warriors added Jorge Sanchez, who has two years of playing at Canton under his belt and could be a big boost for Foxboro. Senior forward Matt Angelini has improved each year with the program and will be one of the top strikers in the league while junior Alex Penders has impressed so far in the preseason. Sophomore John Hollis made a splash during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and could be poised for a breakout year for the Warriors.
“The group has done an outstanding job of coming together as a team,” Ambrosio said. “We look forward to playing the Foxboro way and competing to win the Hockomock regular season.”
2020 Record: 3-5-4 Head Coach: Fran Bositis
Hall of Fame head coach Fran Bositis is back on the sidelines for his 51st season in charge and he and his Panthers are anxious to get back to normal soccer after last year’s abbreviated season that featured rule changes that altered the game.
Bositis has liked what he’s seen so far in the preseason with the team improving after each training session and after each scrimmage. Having a trio of four-year players is an advantage that many teams won’t have so the Panthers will lean heavily on seniors Terry O’Neill, Tyler Powderly, and Aidan Griffith for their veteran leadership. There are a lot of upperclassman on the roster with seniors Jack Moran, Nelson Martinez, and Kevin Proenca all back in the mix after playing last season.
O’Neill, the 2019 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year, is the spine of the team, patrolling the middle of the pitch. We saw early on in his career his ability to get forward and become a scoring threat but he also showed he can sit back and solidify the defensive unit. Both Powderly and Griffith provide a lot of speed on the outside. Junior Trey Lovell and sophomore Rex Cinelli earned some minutes a season ago while Bositis expects junior Will Krysak and sophomore Sean O’Leary to be steady contributors this season.
“I feel the outlook is bright as long as we continue to work hard and look to make small improvements every day,” Bositis said. “I also feel that we have very good senior leadership and that this will be important in helping our younger players develop.”
2020 Record: 5-4-4 Coach: Mike O’Neill
The Warriors graduated nearly its entire starting lineup, losing a total of eight players from the starting 11, along with five more seniors from last year’s squad, but somehow KP boasts a strong returning group of players.
That’s a credit to head coach Mike O’Neill, who has shown since he took over the varsity team that he will take full advantage of the depth of his roster, getting a lot of player’s minutes each season. Last year’s abbreviated season was no different; KP has half a dozen players back with varsity experience ready to make a run at the division title.
There are four captains: Caleb Cassetta, John Pfeiffer, Sean McCarthy, and Stephen Griffin, and all four bring something a little different to the table. Cassetta can do a bit of everything, from being the maestro of the midfield, to shoring up the defense, to sliding up front to score goals. Pfeiffer plays both defensively and in the midfield and provides key leadership, McCarthy is an aggressive outside back, and Griffin is a four-year member of varsity that can play in a variety of roles going forward.
Junior Matt Cargo could be poised for a breakout year in the midfield while senior Dan Fifolt is back in the mix to give KP at outside back. Junior Andrew Seropian has had a good preseason so far while sophomores Tommy Lomusico, Will Bowen, and Dermott Amorim are all competing to try and give the Warriors a boost on the offensive end.
“I think there is going to be a lot of parity in the Hock this year,” O’Neill said. “It will be difficult (as always) to win games. We graduated 13 seniors and 8 starters last year. That is a significant loss of experience on the field, but it also provides opportunities for younger players. I am excited to see which players will step into the available roles and have a breakout year.”
2020 Record: 6-4-2 Coach: Steve Sheridan
For years, Mansfield has been known as a defensive team that sets the tone with its physicality, taking advantage of set pieces on the offensive end to win games. Things might be a little different in 2021.
While Mansfield still boasts a strong defensive group, the heart and soul of the team is in the midfield. There is a lot of creativity in the group that features senior captains Matty Hyland and Danny Rowe along with juniors Grady Sullivan and Connor Palinski. The unit has impressed in the preseason, moving the ball around, combining to get up field and attack opposing defenses. Mansfield has traditionally used a lot of subs for its forwards under Sheridan and that looks like it will be the case again this year with senior Liam Anastasia and junior Dan Checkoway both in the mix.
Four-year varsity player Dylan Buchanan will take on a new role this year, making the switch to defense. His speed will make it tough for opponents to get in behind the Hornet back line. Senior Michael Caridi is another returner and he will join Buchanan in the back in front of senior goalie Jack Lasbury-Casey.
“This is the first time in a very long time that I can honestly say that the defense is not the strength of our team, the midfield is!!”
2020 Record: 10-0-3 Coach: Antonio Pinto
The target on Milford’s back this season will be bigger than ever as the Scarlet Hawks enter the season with three straight division titles; last year’s Kelley-Rex crown and two from the Davenport prior to that. While the Hawks are certainly in the hunt to make it four straight, they’ll do so without their best player from the past two seasons.
Last year’s Hockomock League MVP and lone Massachusetts All-American selection Leo Coelho graduated alongside nine other players that helped Milford won the Hockomock Cup last season. That class also included star midfielder Lucas Da Silva and 2019 playoff hero and goalie Leo Oliveira. While it might seem like the cupboard is a bit thin, the Hawks have reloaded with some new talent eager to win a title of their own.
Kevin Gomes has been on varsity since he was a sophomore and has plenty of varsity starts in net under his belt. He came off the bench in the Hockomock Cup and came up huge to help the Hawks take the win. Milford also has veteran centerback Chris Tocci back in the fold; Tocci is not only one of the most experienced backs in the league but he’s one of the most skilled and his prowess in the air is key for the Hawks.
Senior Avi Seri and juniors Arthur Tome and Hulanger Pires all took advantage of their expanded roles last season and will be key in the offense this season.
“We have a good direct style of play,” said head coach Antonio Pinto.
2020 Record: 3-6-3 Coach: Geoff Burgess
It was a good offseason for the Rocketeers, who used their time between seasons to improve their craft. North has developed a reputation for a defense-first-minded program over the past couple of seasons and the Big Red is sticking true to its colors in 2021.
The strength of the team lies in the defense with a lot of experience in the defensive third. Senior captain Brody Rosenberg will slide into a center back role and anchor the defense from there while sophomore Kaden Burns returns to his outside back position after picking up vital experience during last year’s abbreviated season. Senior David Floyd returns in goal this year after posting a 1.50 goals against average last season.
Connor Ward has been making plays in this league for a long time and look for that to continue during his senior season Ward uses his versatility and creativeness to orchestrate the Rocketeer push forward. Sophomore Carson Dameron is another returner in the midfield unit for North Attleboro; look for senior Jaad Ismail and juniors Griffin Rodden and Givany Carney to give North’s offense a boost.
“We have a great mix of experience and talent that will hopefully lead to a successful year,” said North Attleboro head coach Geoff Burgess. “The team really came together this summer at Camp Manitou and they really believe in each other. They really want to work hard to improve each day and are one of the most coachable groups we have ever had. We are all really excited to get back to normal soccer and see what this season holds for us.”
2020 Record: 12-1-0 Coach: John Barata
Oliver Ames spent the majority of the last decade at the top of the mountain in the Hockomock League, winning five Davenport division titles and two Kelley-Rex crowns since the league split. The Tigers are the defending champs in the Davenport and lost just one game (Hock Cup) last year, but this will be the biggest turnover that OA has seen in a long time.
Oliver Ames graduated over a dozen players, including nearly its entire starting lineup of a team that scored a league-best 59 goals and had a league-low five goals against. Not only did the Tigers lose a talented senior class, but a majority of the players were also either two or three-year starters, so there will be a lot of new faces getting playing time at the varsity level for the first time. Senior captain Mathias Taylor is the most experienced player back for the Tigers after getting a lot of time as a sophomore and starting last fall. His versatility will be key as the Tigers carve out roles for the new players; Taylor can control the play from the middle of the pitch, move up front as a dangerous attacking option, or sit back some to help solidify the defense.
Hector Bucio is the other returner starter for the Tigers after earning some minutes after a sophomore, picking up some starts in the process, and will be a big part of the offense for OA. Michael Haikal also saw time on the field during the COVID-shortened season and will see an expanded role this year as one of the team’s captains. With new faces in the mix, OA is focusing on attacking with pace while stressing getting numbers behind the ball to defend against the tough competition in the Hockomock League.
“We are excited to be back playing regular soccer and looking forward to seeing how this very young and inexperienced team gels during the season,” said OA head coach John Barata. “We hope to win a couple games and get these underclassmen a lot of experience.”
2020 Record: 0-10-2 Coach: Jon Grant
It starts with the fundamentals for head coach Jon Grant and his Black Knights: an improved defensive effort to stay in games and better technical play to increase scoring games.
And so far, so good as Grant has seen improvement on both ends of the pitch throughout the preseason. Throughout each of the last two seasons, the Knights have shown glimpses and the goal this season is to string together consistent performances and limit the mistakes to keep Stoughton in the game. Captains Rhuan Carvalho and Joao Marotti, both seniors, give the Knights some experience up top as they battle against a tough Hockomock League schedule. Although Evan Khang and Kyle Grant as just sophomores, they saw a lot of time last season and will bring that experience and talent to Stoughton’s midfield.
Defensively, the Knights will turn to senior captain Owen Roddy to anchor the defense. He will be joined by classmate Val Pierre to try and solidify the Stoughton back line.
“Everyone is excited to be back out on the field and it will make it even sweeter as we add the competition of the season,” said Jon Grant. “This season we are looking to not beat ourselves by limiting our mistakes. This mentality will put us in a good position each game to compete. Combine that with great effort and a positive attitude and we have a pretty good recipe for success.”
2020 Record: 0-3-7 Coach: Taylor Whitters
The Tigers only played four games last fall due to COVID so there wasn’t much of an opportunity to pick up varsity experience for the younger players, which make up most of the roster for the 2021 season. The lineup will feature mostly juniors along with a group of sophomores so Taunton will lean heavily on the few players that have played at this level before.
That starts with juniors Riley Rebello and Joseph Renquinha, who both enter their third season apart of the varsity team. Rebello has seen time just about everywhere for the Tigers, including at center back, attacking mid, and up front at striker. The experience that both he and Renquinha possess will be key as the young Taunton team tackles a difficult schedule. Taunton is also looking for juniors Aidden Fitting, Quincy-Jones Sylvia, Conal Scully, and Jonathan Trinh to step into big roles right away.
Taunton will rely on a strong work ethic to try and put pressure on teams, using team speed to attack opposing defenses. The Tigers have been in a lot of close games — three of the for from last season, and 11 of their games in 2019 were decided by a goal or less. Taunton will be hoping to end up on the other end of those one-goal results this season to try and make a push for the postseason. Sophomores Javonte Fernandes, Delano Costa-Hanlon, and Joshua Letourneau, alongside junior Sete Deletoile, will be in the mix on their first year with the team.
“I am hoping for us to continue to mature this season and raise the bar a little higher each game,” said head coach Taylor Whitters.
