Tag: Hayley Gaskin
2019 Hockomock League Volleyball All Stars
Below are the official 2019 Hockomock League Volleyball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Hockomock League MVP
Taylor Harris, Canton
Hockomock League All Stars
Ana Leonardo, Attleboro
Taylor Harris, Canton
Elizabeth Bickett, Canton
Grace Boudreau, Foxboro
Kelsey Treweek, Foxboro
Allyson Bonnet-Eymard, Franklin
Bridget Jackson, Franklin
Catherine Waldeck, King Philip
Nicole Coughlan, King Philip
Samantha Sternburg, Mansfield
Allison Corsini, Milford
Julia Riordan, Milford
Kylie Melanson, North Attleboro
Hayley Gaskin, North Attleboro
Allison Kemp, Oliver Ames
Jordan Bosse, Oliver Ames
Maya Aidlin-Perlman, Sharon
Alexa Quinones, Stoughton
Hailey Sullivan, Taunton
Whalers Sink North Attleboro in Postseason Opener
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – North Attleboro entered Thursday night’s Div. 1 South opening round match against New Bedford at the Pickering Gym as the higher seed and the favorite, but Halloween turned out to be more trick than treat for Big Red.
The Whalers took control of the match from the start, as sophomore Germinal Tagne proved to be too much to handle for the North defense, and rolled to a comprehensive 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-18) sweep that abruptly ended the season for the Davenport division runner-up.
“We always give credit where credit’s due,” said North coach Kim Hallahan about the Whalers. “I thought they were incredible. They didn’t let any balls hit the floor. They fought for every single point and they’re fantastic. They have a really, really good team.”
Tagne was a force right from the opening point, recording nine kills, a block, and an ace in the first set. North recently won a five-set thriller at Canton and it was the block against Bulldogs star hitter Taylor Harris that drew plaudits from the opponents, but nothing that the Rocketeers did seemed to slow Tagne down, as she scored from both the front and back lines.
It was close for a while at the start, but New Bedford pulled away by winning 7-of-8 points to push the lead to 15-7. Every time that North started to get close, Tagne stepped up. She won back-to-back points to end a run and make it 19-12 and it was her ninth kill of the set that sealed the lead for the visitors.
The lone bright spot for the Rocketeers (13-6) in the opening set was senior hitter Kylie Melanson, who had six kills and seemed to be picking the back corner with every hit.
“Kylie all season has been our No. 1 and I’m glad she pulled through for us tonight and she was dependable,” said Hallahan. “We have so many great hitters, but it just didn’t work for us tonight.”
After being dominated in the first, North needed a response. The hosts came out flying in the second set, winning 10 of the first 12 points to take a commanding lead. Along with Melanson, North also got a kill from Grace Munleyand three straight aces from libero Brooke Street during that stretch.
Setter Hayley Gaskin was starting to spray the ball around and, after Abby Gallagher had a pair of kills to help extend the advantage to 16-7, New Bedford was forced into a timeout. It looked like North had woken up and it was going to be a much more even match.
New Bedford had other ideas. The Whalers rattled off nine straight points to tie the game and put North on its heels. Munley struck to put North back in front at 18-17, but then a Tagne kill and a block by middle hitter Jessica Dias gave New Bedford the lead.
Hallahan explained, “Unfortunately that’s kind of what happens with us. When they get one, we kind of get down on ourselves and they just keep getting more and more and more and we can’t seem to get ourselves out of that funk. I think that’s what happened to us tonight too. We couldn’t snap out of it.”
It was obvious that this was going to be a critical point in the match and North again responded to the challenge with a pair of service points for Street. Tagne got back-to-back points, but then Joanna Collins-Bilyeu earned a point with a well-placed push. The crowd was into it and North had energy, but a Dias kill and then a shot into the net put North in an 0-2 hole.
The Whalers knew the victory was in their grasp and they didn’t let up in the third. After Morgan Correia’s serve hit the top of the net and dropped to the court untouched, New Bedford led 18-9. The Rocketeers wouldn’t quit though, as Melanson got a kill to and then won back-to-back service points.
A long rally ended with a Dias block to make it 22-12, but North then rolled off six straight points to pull back within four. Collins-Bilyeu had a kill and a service point during the run, but it was brought to a halt by another blast by Tagne off the block. New Bedford won the final two points to book its place in the second round.
“We don’t like to use excuses but I think nerves got the best of us,” Hallahan admitted. “I think we were a little nervous coming in, playoffs, it was pretty big. I thought that it would work out in our favor because we had a home game, but I think we were just nervous and we didn’t really play our game.”
North Beats Canton and Keeps Title Hopes Alive
CANTON, Mass. – While Canton had already secured at least a share of its 15th league title in 17 seasons, there was still a chance that North Attleboro could split and make it two titles in three years for Big Red, but that would require beating the Bulldogs for a second time this season.
North dropped the first set on Wednesday night, battled to win two close sets in a row, and was forced to a decisive fifth set before securing a 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 26-24, 18-25, 15-7) victory and a season sweep over its Davenport rival.
“When the energy is up, we thrive,” said North coach Kim Hallahan. “So, it’s nice to play against great competition. They’re a great team and we like that competition, it boosts us and gives us a lot of energy. Luckily, they did it twice.”
The first set was back-and-forth at the start with North building a 16-13 lead behind strong play at the net from its front line, including Kylie Melanson, Joanna Collins-Bilyeu, and Grace Munley. Canton called a timeout to reset and whatever was said in the huddle worked because the Bulldogs rolled off seven straight points and finished the first on a 12-2 run.
After being largely held in check for most of the set, senior hitter Taylor Harris (20 kills) got going for the Bulldogs with three straight kills and then a block for a point. Claire Quinn closed out the set with a kill to put the hosts ahead 1-0 in the match.
“We’ve been fighting through a lot of injuries all year and we’ve been fighting back in matches,” said Canton coach Pat Cawley. “We’ve had a lot of different lineups and we find ourselves down a lot until they kind of get used to each other and come back.”
The momentum carried over to the start of the second, with Canton jumping out to a 4-0 lead, but North came storming back to take the lead. The lead switched hands five times and the score was tied 13 times in the set, as neither team managed to get any separation. Riding the hot hand of Munley (20 kills) and a big ace from setter Hayley Gaskin that gave them set point, North edged out a 25-23 win in the second.
North took charge in the third set, with Munley continuing to be tough to slow down and Melanson and Abby Gallagher adding alternatives on the outside. It seemed like all the bounces were going North’s way as well, with Munley getting a point on a hit that rolled down the top of the net and dropped into an unoccupied space and then following up a remarkable dig by Canton’s Angie Elias by smashing another kill that made it 20-15.
Just when it looked like the Rocketeers might roll into the lead in the match, Canton came storming back, eventually tying the set at 24-24. With the match on the brink, Gallagher had back-to-back kills to close out the third.
“These girls put in all the time, all the practice, they put in 110 percent and that’s all I’ve ever asked for as a coach,” said Hallahan. “When we go into timeouts, whether we’re down or up, I tell them you have this and you have to believe in yourselves the way I believe in you. They definitely did tonight.”
Canton would not go quietly. In addition to Harris on the outside, the Bulldogs also relied on the middle of the net with Liz Bickett and Shannon Malloy playing well on the inside.
“We did get some points in the middle when we got our passing where we needed it to be,” Cawley explained. “I thought Liz had a great match blocking and hitting and she’s a six-position player for us, so she’s played well all the way around.”
North had the chance to seal the win, leading 16-14 in the fourth, but again Canton managed to rally. This time the Bulldogs scored 11 of the final 13 points in the set, including a seven-point series with Nikki Desjardins at the service line. Fittingly, it was Bickett that rose up with a blast to close it out and force a fifth and deciding set.
In the fifth, the Rocketeers stormed out of the gate, winning five of the first six points. Canton got as close as three on two occasions but North had the answer. Munley was immense in the final set, recording seven kills, and Melanson closed out the match with a blast.
“She was unreal,” Hallahan said about Munley. “She has grown tremendously. She has been the most improved out of any kid that I’ve coached before. She had so much fun tonight, so it’s really great to see that.”
Cawley was glad to see her team continue to fight back in the match and get the chance to perform in a playoff-like atmosphere. “It’s tough losing a match like that,” she said, “but I told the kids, this is what we want to do, this is the volleyball we want to play and unfortunately we couldn’t pull it out. We battled, it’s all I can ask for.”
Despite the loss, Canton (15-3, 12-3) will have the chance to win the title outright when it travels to Milford on Friday.
When Cawley was asked about maintaining the consistent level of success over the past 17 years, she replied, “People look at it because we put the Canton shirts on, we’re going to win, but many, many years it’s a puzzle until midseason and we don’t know how we’re going to do. I keep telling the kids that winning a league title is hard, it’s not expected, and you should enjoy it.”
North Attleboro (12-5, 11-4) will be rooting for Milford on Friday but to have a shot at splitting the title will also have to beat Foxboro in the regular season finale.
Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/23/19
Today’s games are listed below.
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 2 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Attleboro scored twice in a five-minute span in the second half to earn a comeback win over Taunton and punch its ticket to the state tournament. Sarah McMahon and Amanda Burns scored just under four minutes apart as the Bombarders overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit. Jocelyn Pagliuca scored with just under two minutes left in the first half to put the hosts ahead.
North Attleboro, 1 @ Canton, 6 – Final
Sharon @ Foxboro, 3:45
Franklin, 8 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames cut it to a one-goal game 10 minutes into the second half but Franklin scored four straight goals to finish the game and pull away for the win. Hannah Stryke scored her second of the game with just over 20 minutes left in the game to make it 4-3, but Amanda Lewandowski answered a minute later, Kaitlyn Carney scored her third goal to increase the lead, and Jill Fenerty scored a pair of unassisted goals to complete her hat trick to give the Panthers an 8-3 win. Carney scored twice in the first half and set up Olivia Rondeau on a corner with no time left to give the visitors a 3-1 lead at half. Neilee Hess had four saves in net while Kate O’Rourke came up with a big defensive stop for Franklin.
King Philip, 2 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Sophomore Christian Gifun had a goal and an assist to help King Philip claim a win on the road at Mansfield. Gifun used a beautiful cross to set up junior Isabelle Crocker for her first varsity goal in the 10th minute. Gifun then tipped in a feed from senior Sammy Robison to make it 2-0 in the 19th minute. Makenzie Manning earned the shutout with 15 saves while Charlotte Colella and Haley Izydorczak turned in stellar defensive performances for KP.
Milford, 2 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Alexa Agnew and Kat Swineford each scored once as Milford went on the road and picked up a win over Stoughton. Paige Reisman mad six saves to earn the win for the Scarlet Hawks. Morgan Lessa scored for the Black Knights.
Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this match – Taunton rallied to win the opening set and went on to win the next two to earn a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21) sweep over Attleboro. Jaelyn Fernandez set up the Tigers’ offense, dishing out 29 assists to go along with six kills and four aces. Hailey Sullivan added 10 digs and two aces while Riley Edwards chipped in with four kills and two blocks. Sonya Fernandez (six kills, three aces), Ella Dunderdale (five kills, three aces), and Mikayla Cleary (five kills, block) all played well for Taunton.
North Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
Sharon, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Sharon and Foxboro went back and forth, with the Warriors taking the first and fourth sets and the Eagles winning the second and third. The Warriors pulled out a tightly contested fifth set to earn the 3-2 win (25-16, 26-28, 25-27, 25-19, 17-15). Grace Boudreau led the way for Foxboro with 17 kills, four blocks, and 23 digs, Shakirah Ketant chipped in with three kills and four total blocks, and Grace Fortune finished with 23 digs and 12 service points.
Franklin, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames avenged a loss from earlier this season, winning two straight sets to break a 1-1 tie to earn a 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21) win over Franklin. Allie Kemp set the offense in motion for OA with 38 assists as Jordan Bosse (14 kills, four aces), Ryley McNeeley (13 kills), and Jordyn Vella (six kills, four blocks) had strong performances at the net. Alison Barth anchored the defense with 32 serve receptions and 27 digs. For Franklin, Sophie Lyons had 15 kills, Allyson Bonnet-Eymard added 12 kills and 15 digs, Bridget Jackson and Emma Chase each registered six kills, Cailyn Mackintosh added 39 assists, and Jill Benoit had 11 digs.
King Philip, 3 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Kristen Masse shined on the service line for the Warriors, leading her team to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-9) win on the road at Mansfield. Masse had 16 service points with 12 aces to lead the way while Lily Carlow added two aces, two kills, five digs, and 12 service points. Nicole Coughlan (14 kills), Catherine Waldeck (10 kills, two blocks), and Ali McNamara (four kills) paced the KP attack. For Mansfield, Steph Walker had nine assists and Alina Nowakowski had seven kills.
Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/15/19
Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Soccer
Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final
Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – North Attleboro scored a trio of first half goals and never looked back in a big win over visiting Stoughton. Matt Mordini opened the scoring just beyond the half hour mark, putting the hosts ahead in the 31st minute off of an assist from Jeremy Folan. James Sales grabbed his first of two goals with an unassisted tally in the 39th minute and the Rocketeers deposited another tally just a minute later when Alex Pfeffer scored on a feed from Matt Conley. North added to its lead in the 48th minute when Sales finished a cross from Pfeffer. Eddy Mendoza scored his first career goal in the 74th minute, burying a free kick from 30 yards out.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final
Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro scored late in the first half to level the game and then tallied three unanswered goals in the second half to earn two points. Canton took a 1-0 lead midway through the first but sophomore Kailee McCabe found the equalizer for the Warriors with five minutes left in the first half. Lizzy Davis (from Katelyn Mollica) and Kendra Wentling each found the back of the net while McCabe bagged her second of the game with 11 minutes to go to secure the win.
Milford, 3 @ Sharon, 1 – Final
North Attleboro, 7 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – North scored six unanswered goals to earn a big road win. Lily Cameron scored the first two goals for the Rocketeers, one assisted by Lydia Hershey and the second by Alex Moulson. Caroline Ferrin got her first career goal just before halftime to make it 3-1. After Moulson scored from the penalty spot, following a foul on Steph McKenna, Ferrin got her second career goal off a Moulson assist. Moulson got her brace before Olivia Wills rounded out the scoring off a Cameron helper. Nikki Anderson scored for Stoughton.
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames converted a penalty kick in the first half to take the lead and found the back of the net twice in the second half to earn a win on the road at Taunton. Abby Hodges scored from the spot to put OA up by the break. Erin Holmberg orchestrated a pair of second half goals, assisting on goals from Leah Johnson and Camryn O’Connor as OA improved to 11-2-2.
Field Hockey
Mansfield, 2 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final
Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
King Philip, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin took the lead just past the 20-minute mark of the first half and doubled its lead early in the second half to pick up a win over visiting King Philip. With the win, the Panthers move within one point of clinching a share and two points from clinching the division crown. Amanda Lewandowski scored in the 21st minute to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Freshman Kaitlyn Carney finished off a feed from Maeve Ledwith just under four minutes into the second half to make it 2-0. Neilee Hess made three saves in the win. King Philip goalie Makenzie Manning kept the Warriors in the game with 18 saves. Senior Charlotte Colella, junior Alli Beltramini, and sophomore Molly Piller all played well defensively for the Warriors.
Stoughton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final
Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final
Sharon, 1 @ Milford, 1 – Final
Volleyball
Mansfield, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield went on the road and earned a 3-0 sweep (35-22, 25-19, 25-20) over Attleboro. Sam Sternburg had a strong showing for the Hornets with 12 service points and nine digs while Ashley Santos added 14 service points and six kills for Mansfield.
Foxboro, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this match. – Canton defended home court in a key division battle, earning a 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-17) victory over Foxboro. Taylor Harris led the way for the Bulldogs with 16 kills and nine digs while Liz Bickett played well with seven kills and 11 digs. Both Talya DeGraw and Kiara Cerruti had strong games at the net for Canton. Despite the loss, Foxboro didn’t had a single service error. Pam Nelson (11 digs, seven service points) and Sara Addeche (two aces, five service points) led the way at the service line for Foxboro. Grace Boudreau had 12 digs, six kills, and two blocks, Shakirah Ketant added two kills and two blocks, and Kelsey Treweek finished with eight digs for the Warriors.
King Philip, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this match.
Sharon, 0 @ Milford, 3 – Final
Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro had a strong showing on Tuesday afternoon, notching a 3-0 sweep (25-6, 25-8, 25-13) win over visiting Stoughton. Hayley Gaskin dished out 22 assists in the win with Kylie Melanson (eight kills, seven aces) and Eliza Dion (seven kills) pacing the attack.
Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames earned an important win at home, beating Taunton 3-0 (25-13, 25-8, 25-13) to stay just a game back of first place in the division. Sarah Morley impressed at the service line with 23 service points, including 10 aces, while adding 12 digs to pace the host Tigers. Allie Kemp handed out 22 assists, Ryley McNeeley added 10 kills, and Caroline Flynn finished with eight kills for OA.
Boys Cross Country
Attleboro, 32 @ Franklin, 19 – Final – Franklin had four of the first five runners to earn a win over Attleboro and finish 5-0 in league action, clinching the Kelley-Rex division title for the third straight season. Senior Tyler Brogan earned another win, clocking in at 16:45. Nicholas Calitri was second overall, finishing one second later at 16:46.
Results: 1. Tyler Brogan, Fra (16:45) 2. Nicholas Calitri, Fra (16:46) 3. Nathan Seybert, Att (17:04) 4. Camden Harrington, Fra (17:20) 5. Declan Walmsley, Fra (17:28) 6. Francis Wenner, Att (17:40) 7. Griffin Sieczkiewicz, Fra (17:56) 8. Ethan Sylvia, Att (17:58) 9. Neil Bowie, Att (18:06) 10. Jack Clifford, Fra (18:13)
North Attleboro, 20 @ Foxboro, 42 – Final – Foxboro’s Ryan Proulx (17:19) finished the division dual meets undefeated but North Attleboro had the next six runners cross the finish to grab a win on the road. Senior Daniel Nobrega was the top finisher for the Rocketeers in 18:00.
Results: 1. Ryan Proulx, Fox (17:19) 2. Daniel Nobrega, NA (18:00) 3. Christopher Galligan, NA (18:21) 4. Griffin Gouck, NA (18:52) 5. Casey Poirier, NA (19:00) 6. Jack MacLaughlin, NA (19:09) 7. Mark Carlson, NA (19:13) 8. Jake Parkman, Fox (19:27) 9. William Bradley, NA (19:39) 10. Nicolas Olson, Fox (19:44)
Oliver Ames, 28 @ King Philip, 31 – Final
Taunton @ Mansfield, 3:45
Sharon, 15 @ Stoughton, 50 – Final – It was a clean sweep for Sharon as its top six runners took the top six spots to secure the win and clinch the Davenport division crown. It marks the second straight year that the Eagles have won the division title. Jacob Dubin won the race for Sharon in 18:13.
Results: 1. Jacob Dubin, Sha (18:13) 2. Mark Starovoytov, Sha (18:17) 3. James Kong, Sha (18:19) 4. Bradley Weiss, Sha (18:33) 5. Jordan Saks, Sha (18:34) 6. Siddharth Reddy, Sha (18:35) 7. Balint Mihajlovits, Sha (18:53) 8. Bob Currier, Sto (18:54) 9. Alex Tao, Sha (18:55) 10. Sebastian Malek, Sto (19:28)
Girls Cross Country
Attleboro, 37 @ Franklin, 24 – Final – Attleboro earned first and third place but Franklin used its depth to claim 10 of the top 12 spots to earn the win and clinch a share of the Kelley-Rex title with a 4-1 mark. Attleboro junior Kelly Neuendorf won the race in 21:02 while Franklin senior Sarah Giuliano took second, crossing the finish line two seconds later.
Results: 1. Kelly Neuendorf, Att (21:02) 2. Sarah Giuliano, Fra (21:04) 3. Kimberley Esteban, Att (21:07) 4. Caitlin Casey, Fra (21:34) 5. Sydney Hawkins, Fra (21:40) 6. Audria Hawkins, Fra (21:40) 7. Liliana Duffy, Fra (21:53) 8. Emma Nelson, Fra (22:24) 9. Ruth Ann Mulvey, Fra (22:25) 10. Angelina Perez, Fra (22:27)
North Attleboro, 25 @ Foxboro, 34 – Final – Foxboro took first and second overall but North Attleboro had six straight cross the finish line to pick up the win. Abby Hassman won again, this time finishing in 18:50 for Foxboro. North Attleboro junior Melissa Sapini took third in 21:52.
Results: 1. Abby Hassman, Fox (18:50) 2. Jenn Yeomans, Fox (21:07) 3. Melissa Sapini, NA (21:52) 4. Shruti Srinivasan, NA (22:01) 5. Emily Manning, NA (22:04) 6. Marta Botelho, NA (22:18) 7. Olivia Forbes, NA (22:22) 8. Catherine Hanewich, NA (22:29) 9. Emily Steele, Fox (22:36) 10. Anya Doherty, Fox (23:04)
Oliver Ames, 27 @ King Philip, 28 – Final
Taunton, 32 @ Mansfield, 23 – Final – Mansfield finished the division dual meet schedule with a win over Taunton. Tessa Lancaster won the race for the Hornets with teammates Jess Alestock and Emma Lamson taking second and third, respectively.
Results: 1. Tessa Lancaster, Mans (20:30) 2. Jess Alestock, Mans (21:22) 3. Emma Lamson, Mans (21:23) 4. Lily Valcovic, Tau (21:41) 5. Livy Weber, Tau (21:51) 6. Kailey Melito-Santos, Tau (22:08) 7. Anne Riley, Mans (22:34) 8. Olivia Diaz, Tau (22:35) 9. Tatyana Mainer-Smith, Tau () 10. Devin Anderson, Mans ()
Sharon, 17 @ Stoughton, 43 – Final – Sharon had the top three runners cross the finish line and six of the top seven to beat Stoughton and clinch the Davenport division title for the first time since 2015. The trio of Daphne Theiler, Eliana Boxerman, and Juliana Dudziak led the way for Sharon once again, finishing within three seconds of each other.
Results: 1. Daphne Theiler, Sha (20:27) 2. Eliana Boxerman, Sha (20:48) 3. Juliana Dudziak, Sha (20:50) 4. Rebecca Lally, Sto (22:26) 5. Margaret Li, Sha (24:30) 6. Sierra Robinson, Sha (24:36) 7. Berta Faktorovich, Sha (24:38) 8. Elaine McCarthy, Sto (25:06) 9. Jess Maddaliena, Sto (25:12) 10. Julia Franey, Sto (25:20)
Golf
Sharon, 162 @ Canton, 145 – Final – Canton’s Mike Leonetti fired a career-best 35 to earn match medalist honors and lead the Bulldogs to a pair of wins over Sharon and King Philip. The win over Sharon gives the Bulldogs the Davenport title outright. Chris Lavoie added a 36 for Canton while Will Gefteas and Conor Hunter each fired a 37 for Canton. Sharon’s Ethan Skelly had a strong showing with a team-low 36. Eric Carter (41), Nathan Daly (42), and Will Frier (43) also scored for the Eagles.
King Philip, 161 @ Canton, 145 – Final – King Philip senior Kayla Schuberth fired a team-low 39 but the Warriors fell to Canton. Jack Hastry added a round of 40 for the Warriors while Patrick Reardon and Jared Curran each shot 41.
Taunton, 183 @ Foxboro, 170 – Final – Foxboro notched its ninth win of the season, taking down Taunton in a crossover match at Foxboro Country Club. Dylan Quinn shot a team-low 40, carding five pars in the win. Matt Fossella and Luke Davies had three pars apiece and both finished at 43 while Noah Hicks shot a 44. Taunton’s Spencer Andrews was the match medalist with a 39.
Stoughton @ Attleboro, 2:30
Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/07/19
Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – After leading by one at halftime, Franklin found of the back of the net three times in the second half to pull away from the Bombardiers. Jacob Cummings scored for the third straight game for Franklin, scoring a pair of goals in the win. Lucas Moura opened the scoring in the first half, going in alone on the keeper on a feed from Matt Szczepanowski to put the Panthers ahead 1-0. Cummings nodded in a header from Ethan Cain’s corner to make it 2-0, senior Sam Stowell converted a penalty kick, and Cummings powered his way to another goal to make it 4-0. Senior Jack Rudolph played well in net for the Panthers.
Milford, 2 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Canton opened the scoring early in the second half but Milford rallied for a pair of goals to get the win and stay unbeaten. Dylan Baird netted his first career goal to put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0. Minutes later, Milford senior Pedro Araujo converted a penalty kick to knot the score. Joao Pedro Da Silva scored the game-winning goal for the second straight game, finishing off an assist from Lucas Da Silva to make it 2-1.
North Attleboro, 1 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro scored first but Foxboro responded with a pair of first half goals to earn the win at home. James Sales gave the visitors the lead in the 8th minute but the advantage lasted just a minute. Dylan Barreira netted the tying goal in the 9th minute and then scored again in the 16th minute to help the Warriors earn two points.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Jimmy Keane scored the lone goal of the game in the first half to lead the Tigers to a win on the road. Keane bagged his fifth goal of the season in the 28th minute, finishing a corner kick from Colin Milliken.
Taunton, 1 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Mansfield and Taunton traded second half goals to split the points under the lights at Alumni Field. The Hornets took the lead in the 66th minute but Taunton found the equalizer eight minutes later to earn the draw. Colin Caridi finished a scrum in the area, with Matt Hyland setting things up off a long throw from Dylan Buchanan. Jared Roderick scored the equalizer for the Tigers. Mansfield junior Eric Sullivan made his first career start in net and played great, making 12 saves.
Sharon, 1 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Stoughton took the lead in the first half but Sharon converted a penalty kick in the second half to earn the draw. Luiz Gustavo put the Knights ahead while Nolan Gerome made six saves in net for the hosts.
Girls Soccer
Franklin, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – In a game that was affected by heavy winds, Franklin got the game’s only goal 11 minutes into the second half. Sabrina Addi’s free kick bounced around in the box and Chloe Barca prodded it home. The Bombardiers played well defensively, according to head coach Steve Santos, but struggled to create scoring opportunities. He praised Sophia Salviati and Emily Antonik for holding down the Attleboro defensive unit.
Canton, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Milford broke a 2-2 deadlock with a goal in the final 10 minutes to earn an important divisional win. Dani Atherton scored twice for the Hawks and Ashleigh Starks added one. Juliana France had a pair of assists in the win while Maddie Boyle had one.
King Philip, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – King Philip built a 2-0 lead by halftime and added three more goals in the second half to earn two points on the road. Chloe Layne (penalty kick, 29th minute) and Avery Snead (from Grace Lawler, 33rd minute) scored four minutes apart to give the visitors the lead at the break. Snead then scored twice in a seven-minute span, first heading in a corner from Makayla Griffin in the 48th minute, and again in the 55th minute on a cross from Layne. Paulina Baczkowski finished a rebound in the 74th minute to make it 5-0. KP coach Gary Pichel said his defense, featuring Paige Varvarigos, Olivia Berry, Griffin, and Lawler, played exceptional defense to secure KP’s 10th shutout.
Mansfield, 0 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Grace Pimenta recorded 10 saves to maintain a clean sheet for the Tigers, while Olivia Salisbury made one stop to earn a shutout for the Hornets.
Stoughton, 2 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Stoughton freshman Shayla Ford scored a pair of second half goals to help the Black Knights earn a point on the road. Sharon scored twice in the first half but Ford struck twice for the Knights in the second half with Mackenzie Manning and Isabella Rodrigues grabbing assists.
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin scored a pair of early goals and flexed its defensive muscles to earn a win over visiting Attleboro. Lelia Frankina put the Panthers ahead just over two minutes into the game, and Kaitlyn Carney doubled the advantage 39 seconds later. Attleboro’s Anna Beck cut the deficit in half on an assist from Emelia Westwater. Franklin goalie Neilee Hess made seven saves in the win.
Milford, 0 @ Canton, 6 – Final
North Attleboro, 0 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final
Oliver Ames, 3 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
Sharon, 1 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Stoughton’s Abby Massarelli scored with 65 seconds left in the game to help the Black Knights earn a point against visiting Sharon. Anya Lane put the Eagles ahead with a goal in the first half.
Taunton, 0 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final
Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin defended home court with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-13) sweep over visiting Attleboro. Sophomore Cailyn Mackintosh paced the offense with 16 assists while freshman Meghan Linkilla played well, adding nine assists. Allyson Bonnet-Eymard put down 13 kills and Bridget Jackson finished with six aces for the Panthers.
Milford, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton picked up a key win over division rival Milford, prevailing with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-20) win over the visiting Hawks. Taylor Harris had 12 kills and four aces, Liz Bickett added four kills and 12 digs, and Jackie Morrissey distributed the ball well with 21 assists along with a pair of aces.
North Attleboro, 3 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – After splitting the first two sets, North Attleboro earned two straight wins to pick up a 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-22, 25-17) win on the road. Hayley Gaskin continued her strong season, dishing out 43 assists for the Rocketeers while Grace Munley (16 kills) and Kylie Melanson (11 kills) paced the North offense. Foxboro’s Grace Boudreau (13 kills, three blocks) and Shannon McDonald (seven kills, six blocks) played well at the net, Kelsey Treweek added 22 digs, Pam Nelson had 12 service points, and Maddie O’Brien dished out 23 assists for the Warriors.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – In a battle of two of the top teams in the Kelley-Rex division, King Philip earned a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-11) win over visiting Oliver Ames. Catherine Waldeck paced the Warriors’ offense with 11 kills and two blocks, Ali McNamara and Nicole Coughlan (six aces) each added five kills, and Emma Brooks chipped in with four aces and five digs for KP. Oliver Ames’ Alison Barth had 28 serve receptions and 15 digs, Allie Kemp dished out 17 assists, Jordan Bosse finished with 10 kills, and Jordyn Vella chipped in with three blocks.
Taunton, 1 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – The Tigers and the Hornets split the opening two sets, but the hosts rebounded to win two straight and take the match, 3-1 (27-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-22). Ashley Santos had a strong day with seven kills and 14 service points, Julia Buiser added nine digs and nine service points, and Emily Dardinski finished with 11 service points for the Hornets.
Sharon, 3 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this match.
Boys Cross Country
Taunton, 32 @ Attleboro, 23 – Final – Attleboro’s Nathan Seybert (17:08) took first place and the Bombardiers grabbed fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh to secure a victory over Taunton. Taunton’s Ty Cali took second overall.
Results: 1. Nathan Seybert, Att (17:08) 2. Ty Cali, Tau 3. Nolan Tavares, Tau 4. Shane Cataloni, Att (18:36) 5. Neil Bowie, Att (18:39) 6. Ethan Sylvia, Att (18:42) 7. Lee Casstevens, Att (18:54) 8. Ryan Strawbridge, Tau 9. Brayden Cali, Tau 10. Colin Quinlan, Tau
Canton, 32 @ North Attleboro, 24 – Final – North Attleboro had three of the top four runners in a close win over visiting Canton. Daniel Nobrega won the race in 17:41 for the Rocketeers while Canton sophomore Kyle Downing was third overall.
Results: 1. Daniel Nobrega, NA (17:41) 2. Chris Galligan, NA (17:48) 3. Kyle Downing, Can (17:52) 4. Griffin Gouck, NA (18:15) 5. Alex Maddestra, Can (18:20) 6. Jack Hernon, Can (18:24) 7. Peter Milne, Can (18:29) 8. Casey Poirier, NA (18:47) 9. Mark Carlson, NA (18:48) 10. Jack MacLaughlin, NA (18:48)
Foxboro, 43 @ Sharon, 20 – Final – Foxboro’s Ryan Proulx (15:18) continued his strong season, crossing the finish line first by over a minute, but Sharon had the next seven runners cross to earn the win. James Kong was the top runner for the Eagles.
Results: 1. Ryan Proulx, Fox (15:18) 2. James Kong, Sha (16:04) 3. Mark Starovoytov, Sha (16:35) 4. Jordan Saks, Sha (16:36) 5. Siddharth Reddy, Sha (16:37) 6. Jacob Dubin, Sha (16:47) 7. Balint Mihajlovits, Sha (17:01) 8. Alex Tao, Sha (17:04) 9. Nate Palter, Fox (17:21) 10. Jake Parkman, Fox (17:21)
Oliver Ames, 32 @ Franklin, 23 – Final – Franklin had three of the top four runners and four of the top seven to earn a win over Oliver Ames. Tyler Brogan (16:34) and Nicholas Calitri (16:39) finished five seconds apart to take first and second.
Results: 1. Tyler Brogan, Fra (16:34) 2. Nicholas Calitri, Fra (16:39) 4. Camden Harrington, Fra (17:08) 7. Declan Walmsley, Fra (17:39) 9. Clancy Golden, Fra (17:56)
Mansfield, 31 @ King Philip, 26 – Final – Four of the top six spots belonged to Warriors of King Philip high school, leading to a win at home over Mansfield. Seniors Mike Griffin (14:59) and Michael Norberg (15:05) were the top two runners.
Results: 1. Mike Griffin, KP (14:59) 2. Michael Norberg, KP (15:05) 5. Dan Botte, KP (16:20) 6. Jovan Joseph, KP (16:26)
Stoughton @ Milford, 4:00
Girls Cross Country
Taunton, 25 @ Attleboro, 30 – Final – Attleboro had the top two runners cross the finish line but the next five runners were all Tigers, helping Taunton pick up a win on the road. Attleboro’s Kimberly Esteban won the race in 21:33 while Taunton’s top five runners all finished within two minutes of one another, led by Lily Valcovic in 22:32.
Results: 1. Kimberly Esteban, Att (21:33) 2. Kelly Neuendorf, Att (21:50) 3. Lily Valcovic, Tau (22:32) 4. Kailey Melito-Santos, Tau (22:53) 5. Livvy Weber, Tau (23:11) 6. Nia Mainer-Smith, Tau (23:36) 7. Olivia Dias, Tau (23:47) 8. Jazlyn Miller-Villanueva, Att (24:02) 9. Diana Blouin, Att (24:12) 10. Morgan Coleman, Att (24:43)
Canton, 40 @ North Attleboro, 19 – Final – The top two runners to cross the finish line were Rocketeers, and North Attleboro had six of the top 10 runners in the meet to beat Canton. Junior Melissa Sapini won the race in 20:57.
Results: 1. Melissa Sapini, NA (20:57) 2. Emily Manning, NA (21:06) 3. Marie Messinger, Can (21:12) 4. Shruti Srinivasan, NA (21:23) 5. Olivia Forbes, NA (21:43) 6. Kayla Wong, Can (21:49) 7. Natalie Kaiser, NA (22:00) 8. Marta Botelho, NA (22:21) 9. Erica Boone, Can (23:09) 10. Kate Kelleher, Can (23:34)
Foxboro, 34 @ Sharon, 23 – Final – Foxboro’s Abby Hassman won the race but Sharon’s top trio of Daphne Theiler, Eliana Boxerman, and Juliana Dudziak took the next three spots to help the Eagles secure the win. Hassman won in 17:09.
Results: 1. Abby Hassman, Fox (17:09) 2. Daphne Theiler, Sha (17:49) 3. Eliana Boxerman, Sha (18:18) 4. Juliana Dudziak, Sha (18:31) 5. Jenn Yeomans, Fox (19:35) 6. Margaret Li, Sha (19:53) 7. Emily Steele, Fox (20:47) 8. Sierra Robinson, Sha (20:58) 9. Bera Faktorovich, Sha (21:08) 10. Anya Doherty, Fox (21:11)
Oliver Ames, 27 @ Franklin, 28 – Final
Mansfield, 33 @ King Philip, 24 – Final – King Philip’s Maya Evans crossed the finish line first and the Warriors had three of the top five, and four of the top seven, to pick up a win over Mansfield. Evans won the race in 18:24.
Results. 1. Maya Evans, KP (18:24) 2. Tessa Lancaster, Mans (18:41) 3. Ava Pisani, KP (19:45) 4. Emma Lamson, Mans (19:53) 5. Meg Sherwood, KP (19:55) 6. Jess Alestock, Mans (19:57) 7. Dayna Aubin, KP (20:36) 8. Abigail Simmons, KP (20:53) 9. Anne Riley, Mans (21:32) 10. Erin Regnier, KP (21:35).
Stoughton @ Milford, 4:00
Golf
Attleboro vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 3:30
Franklin, 161 @ Canton, 155 – Final – In a battle of two of the top teams in the Hockomock League, Canton prevailed with the win and stayed unbeaten on the season. Conor Hunter earned match medalist honors, firing a low round of 37. Chris Lavoie and Mike Leonetti each shot 39 in the win. Franklin’s Jack Paterson led the way for the Panthers with a 38 while Brian Sandham added a 40 and Pat Dolan finished with a 41.
Sharon, 163 @ Stoughton, 169 – Final – Sharon’s Ethan Skelly fired a round of 37 at Easton Country Club, earning match medalist honors and helping the Eagles to a close win over Stoughton. Eric Carter chipped in with a 41 for the Eagles. Stoughton’s Max Huminik had a team-low round of 39 while Jack Curtis added a 41.
Taunton, 165 @ Oliver Ames, 160 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Carter Allbritton came in with the final group, firing a 40 to help the host Tigers prevail.
Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/26/19
Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Soccer
Canton, 1 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield scored a pair of goals in the final 30 minutes of the game to grab a win over visiting Canton. The Hornets took the lead just five minutes into the contest before Canton knotted the score in the 50th minute. Mansfield regained the lead just a couple of minutes later and added an insurance strike in the final minutes. Cam Eddy finished off a throw in from Dylan Buchanan to put the hosts up. After Canton tied it, Cam Bovey scored off a corner kick from Tommy Lanzillo. Buchanan put the game away with two minutes left, connecting on a cross from Matt Hyland.
Sharon, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames erased a pair of first half deficits, and then added two goals in the second half to take down visiting Sharon. After the Eagles took a 1-0 lead, Anthony DaCosta answered for OA. Michael Baur ripped a shot to the upper corner from distance to put Sharon back in front but sophomore Mathias Taylor scored his first career goal to pull the hosts level to send the game into halftime tied 2-2. Colin Milliken gave OA its first lead of the game, finishing in alone on the keeper after a through ball from Kevin Louhis. Senior Matt Nosalek netted his first goal on a feed from Milliken to give the Tigers a two-goal lead.
Girls Soccer
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames opened the scoring just before the halftime break before tacking on two more in the second half to grab two points on the road. Erin Holmberg put the Tigers ahead with two minutes left in the first half, and then set up Camryn O’Connor, who scored on a header to make it 2-0. Leah Johnson found the back of the net to make it 3-0 for OA.
Field Hockey
Taunton, 0 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game – Attleboro converted a pair of penalty corners in the first half and added a late insurance tally to get a win over visiting Taunton. Anna Beck scored all three goals for the Bombardiers, using low hard shots off corners from Amanda Burns to give the hosts a 2-0 lead by halftime. Beck added a third with 2:58 to play.
Canton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final
Foxboro, 6 @ Sharon, 0 – Final
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Franklin continued its strong start to the season, racing out to a 3-0 lead at halftime and scoring eight straight overall to beat visiting Oliver Ames. Stephanie Bell scored a pair of goals and assisted on another all in the first half for the Panthers. Amanda Lewandowski scored twice, Leila Frankina and Olivia Rondeau each scored and had an assist, and Kaitlyn Carney and Hanna Richardson each scored once. Neilee Hess made five saves in the win. Ellie Waters (from Cassie Gennis) scored for Oliver Ames.
Mansfield, 0 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – King Philip scored the lone goal just moments into the second half to earn a win over Mansfield in an evenly played game. Senior Raegan Simeone tapped in a rebound off a shot from Molly Piller with 28:17 to play in the second half for the game-winning goal. Junior Makenzie Manning made four key stops to preserve the win for the Warriors. KP coach Lisa Cropper said Sammy Robison, Char Colella, and Haley Izydorczak all played extremely well on defense for the Warriors.
Stoughton, 0 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Milford senior Kat Swineford recorded four points and classmate Paige Reisman made 23 saves to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a win over visiting Stoughton. Swineford scored a hat trick and also had an assist in the win. Olyvia Whyte added a goal and two assists, Julia Kidman scored once, and Maddy Carneiro chipped in with an assist for Milford.
Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Attleboro won a key fourth set to force a game five, but Taunton emerged with a tight 3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 25-17, 16-25, 16-4) win on the road against the Bombardiers. Alyssa Turcotte paced the offense with nine kills while Sonya Fernandez added seven kills, four digs, and a block for the Tigers. Fabiana Pereira and Jaelyn Fernandez each had eight digs for Taunton.
Canton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro picked up its biggest win of the season, earning a 3-0 sweep (25-18, 25-22, 25-17) over division rival Canton. Hayley Gaskin set the offense in motion with 31 assists as Kylie Melanson (14 kills) and Grace Munley (seven kills, three blocks) shined at the net. Brooke Street led the defense with 10 digs, Meghan McCormack added eight digs, and Lauren Antonetti chipped in with seven digs. For Canton, Taylor Harris put down 17 kills along with 10 digs and a pair of aces, and Talya DeGraw added two kills, two blocks, and played a great defensive game for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 3 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Foxboro fell behind twice but won back-to-back sets, including a close fifth set, to grab a 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 15-11) win over Sharon. Sara Addeche had a strong showing at the service line with 12 service points (two aces) while adding five kills. Shannon McDonald also had five kills, Pam Nelson (12 digs) and Kelsey Treweek (11 digs) paced the defense, Maddie O’Brien dished out 31 assists, and Grace Boudreau shined a the net with 22 kills, six blocks, and 13 digs.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames rallied to win the third set to keep the match going, but Franklin closed it out in the fourth set to grab a 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 26-28, 25-23) win over the Tigers. For OA, Jordan Bosse had 16 kills, 15 digs, and three aces, Allie Kemp added 31 assists, and Alison Barth finished with 32 digs and 35 serve receptions.
Mansfield, 2 @ King Philip,3 – Final – King Philip and Mansfield traded wins, forcing a fifth game where the Warriors emerged with a 3-2 (25-23, 27-29, 25-17, 20-25, 15-8) victory. Nicole Coughlan shined at the net for KP with 21 kills and two blocks while Catherine Waldeck (12 kills) and Kristen Masse (six kills) both had strong showings offensively as well. Emma Brooks added five aces, four kills, and 11 digs, while Lily Carlow chipped in with 17 service points (three aces) and six digs. For Mansfield, Sam Sternburg (11 service points) had a strong showing defensively with 25 digs, Olivia McGrath added six blocks and 12 service points, and Kacey Veiking finished with six blocks.
Stoughton, 0 @ Milford, 3 – Final
Golf
Foxboro, 162 @ Canton, 143 – Final – Canton completed the season sweep of division foe Foxboro behind an even-par performance from Chris Lavoie. Lavoie, the match medalist, shot a 34 to lead the Bulldogs while Will Gefteas and Conor Hunter each shot 36, and Thomas Singleton finished with a 37. Dylan Quinn led the Warriors with a team-low round of 39.
Mansfield, 165 @ Taunton, 185 – Final – Mansfield bounced back from its first loss of the season to earn its ninth win of the year, with junior Brian See leading the way with a medalist round of 40. Jason See added a 41 while Cian Goulet and Mike O’Neil each finished with a 42.
North Attleboro, 164 @ Milford, 180 – Final – North Attleboro picked up a division win over Milford on the road. Jillian Barend was the match medalist, shooting a match-low round of 37. Jake Gaskin (41), Sam Gallagher (42), and Justin Strom (44) also scored for the Rocketeers while Tyler Wetherbee had a 41 for Milford.
Stoughton, 147 @ Sharon, 136 – Final (7 holes)
Medway, 185 @ Franklin, 165 – Final – Franklin notched its 11th straight win of the season with a non-league decision over Medway. Jack Paterson earned match medalist honors with a 39 while Pat Dolan added a 41 and Sean Connelly finished with a 42.
2018 Hockomock League Volleyball All Stars
Below are the official 2018 Hockomock League Volleyball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Hockomock League MVP
Lauren McGrath, Franklin
Hockomock League All Stars
Chelsea Calcagni, Attleboro
Nicole Brown, Canton
Erin Devine, Canton
Megan McDonough, Canton
Grace Boudreau, Foxboro
Lauren McGrath, Franklin
Riley Marino, Franklin
Ellie Wisniewski, Franklin
Catherine Waldeck, King Philip
Greenly Kelly, Mansfield
Sydney Sutton, Milford
Tatiana Sotelo, North Attleboro
Hayley Gaskin, North Attleboro
Sadie Homer, Oliver Ames
Allison Kemp, Oliver Ames
Jade Veth, Sharon
Hanna Holden, Stoughton
Molly Turner, Stoughton
McKenzie Lucie, Taunton
Honorable Mentions:
Anastasia Leonardo, Attleboro
Julia Minichiello, Canton
Pam Nelson, Foxboro
Margaret Doyle, Franklin
Nicole Coughlan, King Philip
Emily Dardinski, Mansfield
Nina Pinto, Milford
Kylie Melanson, North Attleboro
Jordan Bosse, Oliver Ames
Abby Fine, Sharon
Delaney Nagel, Stoughton
Kamila Cuevas, Taunton
Rocketeers Grounded By Brockton In Playoff Opener
BROCKTON, Mass. – At the midway point of the season, the North Attleboro volleyball team was staring at a 3-6 record and a return trip to the postseason in jeopardy.
But the young Rocketeers matured quickly, turning their season around over the final nine games. North Attleboro won seven of those contests, including an upset win over Canton, to book its place in the D1 South tournament.
#10 North Attleboro showed its mettle in the match, rallying in the second set to tie the match at 1-1 but the #7 seeded Boxers (14-7) came back to win a tight third set and finished it off in four to secure a 3-1 win (25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 25-18) over the Rocketeers.
“I think we were a little low on our communication, I think that was our biggest struggle,” said first-year North Attleboro head coach Kim Hallahan. “We played a great game but we had some trouble with our passing. We’ve worked on it this year but we didn’t have our best tonight. There were some nerves tonight too.”
North Attleboro showed some nerves in the opening set, hurting themselves with nearly a dozen unforced errors. The Rocketeers hurt themselves with a couple of serves out of bounds, a half dozen hitting errors, and allowing Brockton’s serve game to finish with three aces.
After the first 12 points were split evenly, Brockton used a run to create some separation. A kill from North Attleboro junior Grace Munley landed a kill to get North within three, down 13-10, but the Boxers pulled away. A pair of kills, a service error, and an ace from Brockton forced a timeout with the Boxers up 17-11.
Brockton stretched its lead to 22-13 but North responded with three straight points to get within six at 22-16. However, the Boxers finished the game as North had back-to-back hitting errors and the Boxers secured the first set with a block kill.
North Attleboro came out rejuvenated in the second set and jumped out to a 6-1 lead, with Munley and Tatiana Sotelo (13 kills, 10 digs) each recording a kill early on. While Brockton made a push to get back into it, a kill from Ryan Sullivan (eight kills) on a nice set from junior Hayley Gaskin (27 assists) extended the Rocketeers’ advantage to 11-5.
Brockton refused to go away, getting within two points on a handful of occasions, coming within one point midway through, and even tying it late, but North Attleboro never relinquished its lead.
A run from the Boxers cut the lead to 16-15, forcing Hallahan to take a timeout. North responded with two kills from each Sotelo and junior Eliza Dion to push the lead to 20-15. Brockton came back with. 5-0 run of its to tie the game but with its back against the wall, North answered with a 5-2 run.
Sotelo had a kill, Brockton had an attack error, Melanson had some big swings resulting in a pair of kills and Dion ended the set with another kill to tie it 1-1.
“When we play with a lot of energy and we played with a lot of intensity, we play a great game of volleyball,” Hallahan said. “But it’s one thing that happens against us and they can go into a lull. We can’t get ourselves out of those sometimes and it adds up.”
While Brockton had a strong start in the third set, North Attleboro stayed with the Boxers the whole way. Brockton led by as much as six early (11-5) but the Rocketeers continued to stay in striking distance behind a 6-2 run. In that run, both Melanson and Munley had a kill and Melanson had an ace – just one of two aces the Rocketeers had in the entire match.
“They’re libero was amazing and the whole game we talked about keeping it away from her but she was really strong on the serves,” Hallahan said. ”And on top of that, we were just giving them a ton of balls. Whether it was free balls or on serve receive, we weren’t clicking tonight.“
The see-saw battle continued with Brockton extended its lead to five (17-12) but North got within one by going on a 6-2 tear of their own. But similar to how the Rocketeers never surrendered the lead in the second set, Brockton never let its lead evaporate in the third, and finished it off, 25-21.
“[Sotelo] is really good,” said Brockton head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau. “We couldn’t keep the ball away from her enough and she executed really wll. We wanted to make sure we had some good runs when she was in the back row so she wouldn’t get to the front row to hurt us.”
North jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fourth set but Brockton quickly took over and never looked back. The Rocketeers stayed within striking distance throughout, down three at 12-9, and got it down to two at 18-16, but that would be the closest North got. After a North timeout, Brockton closed the set, and match, out with a 5-2 run to win 25-18.
“We knew at the beginning of the season that since we were young that there would be some hard times,” Hallahan said. “But we talked about being a second half team, we wanted to be strongest in the second half of the season. I know they have the talent, you could see it tonight, but we just need to continue to put the work in. I’m really proud of them, they had a great second half of the season. Tonight just didn’t work in our favor.
North Attleboro volleyball finishes the season at 10-9 overall.