Below are the official 2020 Hockomock League Boys Hockey All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Hockomock League MVP
Johnny Hagan, Canton
Hockomock League All Stars
Nick Piazza, Attleboro
Johnny Hagan, Canton
Chris Lavoie, Canton
Jack Connolly, Canton
Owen Lehane, Canton
Espen Reager, Foxboro
Kirk Leach, Foxboro
Ronnie MacLellan, Foxboro
Tom Tasker, Franklin
Kyle Hedvig, Franklin
Dylan Marchand, Franklin
Joseph Boselli, King Phillip
Chris Daniels, King Phillip
Kyle Gray, King Phillip
Rocco Bianculli, King Phillip
Sean McCafferty, Mansfield
Kevin Belanger, Mansfield
Dennis Morehouse, North Attleboro
Jake McNeany, North Attleboro
Ryan Gottwald, Oliver Ames
Michael Albert, Taunton
Brady Nichols, Taunton
Honorable Mentions:
Ryan Morry, Attleboro
Ronan O’Mahony, Canton
Jack Watts, Foxboro
Colin Hedvig, Franklin
Jack Coulter, King Philip
Chris Jenkins, Mansfield
William Yeomans, North Attleboro
Owen Connor, Oliver Ames
Jack DeMoura, Taunton
Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 2 @ Martha’s Vineyard, 4 – Final
Canton, 2 @ Braintree, 2 – Final
King Philip, 1 @ Walpole, 2 – Final – King Philip scored the tying goal early in the third period but Walpole jumped back ahead with the game-winning goal with three minutes to go. After the Rebels scored in the second period, Conor Cooke (from Jack Coulter and Aidan Boulger) brought the Warriors level with 10:05 left in the third. Nate Ihley made 25 saves in net for KP.
Mansfield, 2 vs. Shrewsbury, 1 – Final – Mansfield senior Chris Jenkins scored a pair of goals as the Hornets scored an upset win over Shrewsbury, who was on the latest Super 8 watch list. Jenkins scored midway through the first period on a feed from Jack Gormley, and then doubled the lead early in the second with an assist from Conor Benoit. “We played 45 minutes of hockey, it was a great game,” said Mansfield coach Mike Balzarini. The Hornets killed a power play late in the second period while senior goalie Sean McCafferty made 28 saves in the win.
Taunton, 3 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Loran Corcoran, Steven Roderick and Dillon Parker each scored once for Taunton as the Tigers skated to a win on the road. Cade O’Connell scored for Stoughton/Brockton while Nathan Petti made 40 saves in net for the Black Knights.
Girls Hockey
Stoughton, 3 vs. St. Joseph’s Prep, 1 – Final – Haley Nelson scored twice and Morgan Lessa had a pair of points as the Black Knights skated to a win over St. Joseph’s Prep. Lessa scored once and had one helper while Jillian Parker and Zofia Bangs each had an assist.
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Walpole, 3 – Final – Mansfield/Oliver Ames saw a two-goal lead disappear in the third period but the Warriors found the game-winner in dramatic fashion with less than a minute to play. Emma Pereira scored her second goal of the game to put MOA up 3-1 early in the third period, with Tess Luciano adding a second period goal for the Warriors. After Walpole scored twice to tie the game, MOA goalie Jess Widdop was sidelined with an injury, forcing the Warriors to play the final 2:15 without a goalie. Because of a penalty, MOA had just five skaters but Reese Pereira linked up with Ella Waryas, who found Alex Ledin for the game-winner with 55 seconds to go. MOA held Walpole off in the final minute without a goalie.
North Attleboro’s Mark Ayvazyan (right) makes a diving poke check on King Philip’s Rocco Bianculli in the third period. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – It might not have been a win, but it was mission accomplished for the North Attleboro boys hockey team.
The Rocketeers erased a two-goal deficit over the final 22 minutes of play to secure a 3-3 tie with Hockomock rival King Philip, and with the point, North Attleboro punches its ticket to the state tournament.
“They were outstanding,” said North Attleboro head coach Ben McManama after his Rocketeers controlled the third period from start to finish. “We knew we needed our best period of hockey and they delivered. I think it was obvious how hard we worked, how well we worked together and how we stuck to our systems. It was fun to watch.”
The Big Red comeback started, surprisingly enough, on the heels of King Philip’s second goal of the second period. The Warriors had leveled the scoring in the first period, tying the game through 15 minutes, and went on to tack on two goals in the first eight minutes of the second period.
Sophomore Nolan Feyler put KP ahead just 1:18 into the second and scored his second with 6:59 left in the period as the Warriors looked poised to skate away with the game, up 3-1 with three straight goals.
But North Attleboro responded in a timely manner, using a smart hustle play that gave the hosts life. Senior Dennis Morehouse found classmate Jack Connolly entering the zone on the left side and Connolly unleashed a low shot. King Philip goalie Jesper Makudera (25 saves) made the pad stop but North sophomore Nik Kojoian made a great read and won the race to the loose puck, batting the rebound in to make it 3-2.
The goal came just 43 seconds after the Warriors built their two-goal advantage.
“That’s the type of play we needed,” McManama said. “It’s just the little things we talk about. That’s getting the puck to the net, shooting it low and someone else driving hard. That’s hockey, it’s basic and something we preach all the time but we get away from it. Now we’re getting some goals off it so they are seeing it works.
“That’s a very good team we played and I thought we played.”
Makudera came up with a big stick save to stop a five-hole shot from Morehouse with 15 seconds left and North Attleboro goalie Nick Digiacomo (15 saves) was equal to the task on a shot from KP’s Conor Cooke with less than a second to go.
Trailing by just a goal with the postseason a point away, the Rocketeers put together a terrific third period. And it didn’t take long for the hosts to pull even. Just under five minutes into the period, Jeff Baker had his bid knocked away but Morehouse was quick to pounce on the loose puck and blasted it into the back of the net to make it 3-3 with 10:48 to go.
North had a couple of looks at the winner but couldn’t get another put back Makudera. Connolly came flying down the left side and rifled a shot that was covered up. Minutes later, North’s Tyler Sarro and Jake McNeany were inches from a loose puck in front of goal but Makudera dove on top.
Connolly had another chance after a faceoff bounced in front of goal but he couldn’t lift his backhand bid over the goalie.
King Philip had just two shots on goal in the entire third, spending most of the period playing defense. But with under a minute to go, the Warriors had a surge into the zone and Jack Coulter unleashed a blast but it hit off the crossbar and stayed out.
“We haven’t been able to close teams out,” said King Philip coach Paul Carlow. “We played a great second period. I’m not sure if we’re satisfied when we get the lead, or if we’re satisfied with the tie. I’d like to see us put some teams away, especially this time of year. [North Attleboro] is a good team but I felt like we could have won today.”
North Attleboro got off to a strong start early on as Digiacomo came up with a terrific positional save, denying a point-blank chance from Cooke after a great feed from Coulter.
And minutes later, Morehouse skated in uncontested down the right side and flicked his shot into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead with less than three minutes expired.
King Philip answered at the midway point of the period, and in similar fashion to the bid that was denied early on. Coulter forced a turnover behind the net and linked up with Cooke, who initially looked at goal but instead dished a pass in front and Aidan Boulger buried the one-timer to make it 1-1 with 7:31 left in the first.
Rocco Bianculli was the catalyst of KP’s second goal, taking control of a loose puck in the neutral zone and speeding into the offensive zone. He laid a pass off to Chris Daniels, and he quickly fed the puck across to Feyler for the finish plus a 2-1 lead with 13:42 left in the second.
The Warriors went on the power play shortly before the midway point of the game and took full advantage of their chance. Joe Bosellii, who just had a shot saved, let another rip go that was blocked down, the puck eventually finding Feyler for the finish in close.
“I didn’t think we came out that strong in the beginning, we always seem to give up the first goal,” Carlow said. “But after that, we got the goal back, we seemed to get stronger. Then we got the power play goal, which always helps. In the third, we had a broken skate blade and we ended up running around a little bit, couldn’t get the puck out of our zone and it ends up in the back of the net.
“[North Attleboro] needed a point [to qualify], they definitely had a little more 1-2 in the third than we did.”
Both teams have time to prepare for the postseason. King Philip (4-2-2 Hockomock, 10-4-4 overall) has two games left, including a trip to Rodman Arena on Saturday to take on Walpole, and a home game on Monday afternoon against a good Norwood team.
“We haven’t lost in the last four or five games, we’ve won or tied, but I’d like to see us play a complete game going into the playoffs,” Carlow said. “From the drop of the puck to the final whistle. Overall, I like the way they are playing. They are playing strong defensively for the most part, we aren’t giving up a bunch of goals. I’d like to see us put a few more in.”
North Attleboro boys hockey (2-3-3, 7-6-6) will wrap up its regular season on Friday night when it takes on rival Bishop Feehan in what will likely be a playoff atmosphere.
“It’s more about how you’re playing when the playoffs come [instead of record] and when we look at it, especially that third period, we feel like we can do some work in the playoffs if we play like that. We have a big game on Friday against a rival, but I like where we’re at, I really do, but we just have to keep working.”
Mansfield goalie Sean McCafferty tries to make a stop on a shot from King Philip’s Joe Boselli that hit the post. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – Through two periods of play at the Foxboro Sports Center, the Mansfield and King Philip boys hockey teams were split right down the middle.
The Hornets controlled the opening 15 minutes, seizing a 2-0 lead only for the Warriors to respond with an equally as dominant second period that netted a pair of goals and had the teams deadlocked entering the final period.
The play on the ice certainly favored King Philip in the third period but nothing changed on the scoreboard as Mansfield senior goalie Sean McCafferty shined between the pipes to deny the Warriors a third goal, stealing a point in a 2-2 non-league contest between division rivals.
“In the third period he was unbelievable,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Balzarini as McCafferty recorded 15 of his 27 saves in the last period to prevent KP from grabbing its 10th win of the season.
The point helps Mansfield move within five points of qualifying for the state tournament, although the Hornets could qualify with a point against Foxboro on Friday, securing a second place finish in the Kelley-Rex.
“He’s been the backbone of this team all year long,” Balzarini continued about McCafferty. “Games we’ve won, games that we’ve tied, even games that we’ve lost, he’s played great. He played phenomenal against Winthrop even though they scored what they did, it could have been a lot more. And he was great again tonight in the third.”
What looked like a good start for King Philip ended up being a big moment for Mansfield. The Warriors went on the power play just over a minute into the contest but were caught a bit flat-footed. Hornet senior Kevin Belanger won a battle at the blue line and skated in on a breakaway. He cut across the front of the net and deposited the puck five-hole to give Mansfield a 1-0 lead just 1:46 into the game.
From there, the Hornets piled it on in the opening period, holding an 11-4 advantage on shot on goals. Just past the midway point of the period, an interference call in the neutral zone presented the Hornets with a power play opportunity and Mansfield cashed in just over a minute in.
After Chris Jenkins had a shot blocked, Belanger quickly batted the loose buck on goal. King Philip goalie Jesper Makudera (17 saves) made a pad stop but Jake Lund was the first to the rebound and buried it into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead with 5:31 to play in the first.
Mansfield nearly made it 3-0 in the first in the final minutes when Belanger flew into the offensive zone and fired a wrist shot that clanked off the far post and stayed out.
The second period couldn’t have gone much different than the first as it was all King Philip from the first face off. Junior Justin Yatsuhashi had an early chance after a turnover but his backhand from in close was over the bar.
Mansfield’s Sam Clayman came up with a big stop on a two-on-one chance for the Warriors at the 12 minute mark but the Warriors kept applying pressure and came up with a power play chance with 8:32 to go in the second.
McCafferty came up with early saves on the man-down situation stopping a give-and-go between Joe Boselli and Nolan Feyler, the former depositing a shot right into the goalie’s chest. Senior defenseman Kyle Gray also had a blast denied in the open portion of the power play.
Finally the pressure paid off as Gray fired a low show that was saved but senior Chris Daniels was in perfect position in front to clean up the rebound with a nice backhand finish to make it 2-1.
“It was very similar to the first game,” said KP coach Paul Carlow, the Warriors having erased a two-goal deficit in the first meeting as well. “I try to use analogies with the kids…you never want to get punched in the face first, right? But we almost have to. First shot on net goes in both games. I love their resolve, I love their battle…they don’t quit. I’d love to see us come out [to start] like we did in the second. Hopefully we get that.”
King Philip capitalized on the momentum and needed just 17 seconds to find the equalizing goal. The puck popped up near the blue line and was brought down by a Hornet but King Philip’s Jack Coulter was alert to the play, applying pressure and came away with the puck.
It resulted in a two-on-one chance for KP and Coulter slid a pass across for a finish from Aidan Boulger to make it 2-2 with 6:55 to play in the second. The Warriors had another power play chance late in the period but the Hornets killed it off.
“I think there’s always a natural letdown after qualifying for the tournament, especially for a team that isn’t used to being there,” Carlow said. “We’re in and maybe we took our foot off the gas, I think that was what happened in the first. But I love the way they responded, they came out and tied it in the second. And I felt like we outplayed them down the stretch, we certainly had more quality chances in the third.
“Mansfield always plays us tough. [McCafferty] certainly played well for them tonight. They are a good team, I think they’ll get into the tournament.”
Mansfield had an early chance in the third when a KP defenseman slipped as Cam Page fed Liam Anastasia but Makudera made a glove save on the latter’s wrist shot.
The result of the period featured stop after stop from McCafferty. Coulter fired a shot that was redirected by Conor Cooke only to be denied by the McCafferty’s mask. Yatsuhashi had a found chance swallowed up.
The best chance came at the midway point when Boselli came away with a breakaway chance, making a move to get past McCafferty but the goalie did enough for force Boselli wide enough that his bid on goal hit the post and stayed out. KP had two rebound chances after with Feyler and Rocco Bianculli burying shots on net but were stoned by McCafferty.
Mansfield nearly came up with a chance to steal the win on a two-on-one break but Gray made a terrific read to stop the bid.
King Philip’s final chances were from Feyler, who took a pass from Bianculli, but didn’t get all of it when he spun around to fire a shot on goal. And Noah Ray got a piece of a shot from Bianculli but again McCafferty was up to the task.
“[Two-goal leads] have not been our friend at all,” Balzarini said, noting the first meeting against KP plus a pair of two-goal leads against Franklin that both disappeared. “We were struggling starting, and now that’s getting better, but we just have to put together a 45-minute game. There are times we get complacent and we stray away from what we’re trying to focus on within our system. I thought our forecheck was great in the first period and then we just were kind of on our heels.”
King Philip boys hockey (4-2-2 Hockomock, 9-4-3 overall) will host Oliver Ames on Saturday while Mansfield (3-1-3, 5-6-5) will play its final league game of the year against Foxboro. If Mansfield wins, they will finish alone in second place, while a tie would mean the Hornets share second with KP, both situations securing Mansfield a playoff berth. A Foxboro win would mean Mansfield finished third in the division and need five points in its final three games.
Franklin senior Kevin O’Rielly fires a shot against King Philip in the second period on Wednesday night. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – Coming off a tie to Mansfield and a loss to Canton, and now trailing by a goal to King Philip with just a period left, the Franklin boys hockey was on the verge of letting its grasp of the Kelley-Rex division slip away.
But first-year Panther coach Anthony Sarno challenged his squad to rise to the occasion over the final 15 minutes, and the team delivered.
Franklin scored three goals in the third period, erasing a one-goal deficit and landing a 4-2 win over King Philip. With the win, the Panthers move into sole possession of first place in the division with 10 points with one game to go. The win also secures a playoff spot because Franklin can’t finish worse than second place in the Kelley-Rex.
“‘How bad do you want it?’” Sarno asked his players between the second and third periods. “It’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s the will to win, how bad do you want to push back? We’re tired of being slapped in mouth late in the games with all these ties. And against Canton last game, they the best team in the league no doubt, but we didn’t really challenge them the way we should have or could have.
“We have to take care of the puck and do all the little things, we have to do what we did in the third period tonight and we came out with the will to win.”
Franklin took the first lead of the game midway through the opening period but King Philip answered inside the final minute and took the lead with the only goal of the second period.
Despite not converting on a very early power play chance in the third period, the Panthers pounced on a chance just over four minutes in to level the scoring. Senior forward Kyle Hedvig fired a tough angle shot on goal that was knocked down by KP senior goalie Jesper Makudera (40 saves) but senior defenseman Colin Hedvig had pinched down in and lifted the rebound into the back of the net to make it 2-2.
King Philip nearly regained the lead past the midway point of the period but the play ended giving the Panthers the go-ahead strike. KP senior Joe Boselli intercepted a clearance attempt and skated into the slot before unleashing a hard wrist shot. Franklin senior goalie Ray Ivers (26 saves) got just enough of it with his shoulder to keep it out, the puck deflecting over the net and up the sideboards.
From there, Franklin raced into a 2-on-1 situation as Kyle Hedvig snuck a pass under the KP defenseman to an open Declan Lovett in front, and he buried his chance from in close to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead with 4:11 to play.
The momentum stayed with the Panthers for the remainder of the game, and Kyle Hedvig and Declan Lovett combined to set up the insurance goal for the hosts, finding Colin Hedvig wide open in the slot in front of goal and his one-timer made it 4-2 with 1:49 to play.
“It was nice to see the kids make the push to come back,” Sarno said. “I give them a lot of credit. Like I said from the beginning of the year I love these kids, they’ve been resilient and really fought through a lot of adversity, even if we created some of it on our own. But it takes a hell of a team to come back from that, now we just have to stop putting ourselves in those positions and start using our assets like our speed, moving the puck quickly, stick to stick, and I think if we do that, we’ll be a much more deadly team in these last seven games.”
King Philip had one other good chance in the third period, coming on the penalty kill. Boselli jumped onto a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated it towards goal before firing a shot that was denied by Ivers. The Warriors had 10 total shots in the third but didn’t threaten with a serious chance after falling behind.
The Warriors were also without their top defenseman in Kyle Gray (sick), who is also third on the team in points, but head coach Paul Carlow said that wasn’t an excuse.
”Kyle’s our anchor back there so we had a built-in excuse with him out but the boys didn’t take it, they rallied around each other,” Carlow said. “I felt like we gave everything we had, just ran out of gas. I felt like we needed some momentum so that first goal in the third was going to be huge. They got it and I think that kind of turned the tide. We played mostly two lines, four or five defensemen, I just think we ran out of legs.
“We had some breakdowns at the end and I think it was fatigue more than anything else. I don’t think it was their will, we just ran out of gas and [Franklin] is a good team.”
Both teams scored in a first period that was fast-paced and full of hard hits as both teams came out flying. The Panthers jumped ahead just moments after Makudera robbed them of the opening tally. Shane McCaffrey intercepted a clearance pass and made a nice move to find space to unleash a shot that Makudera saved, the rebound falling to Shea Hurley but a diving stop from the goalie kept it scoreless.
But on the ensuing faceoff from the right circle, the puck squirmed towards the slot with multiple sticks batting at it. The puck eventually found the stick of junior JT Dwyer and he turned and whipped a shot on target that found the back fo the net for a 1-0 lead with 6:11 to go in the first.
King Philip responded in the final minute. Senior defenseman Ethan McGuire ripped a low shot through traffic that hit the back of the net and came out, quick enough that the ref signaled for no goal. But the second official called the play dead, got together with the other ref, and ruled it had gone in making it 1-1 with 37 seconds left in the first.
The Warriors’ lone power play chance came early in the second period but Ivers denied chances from junior Conor Cooke and sophomore Nolan Feyler to keep the game tied.
Just over the midway point, the Warriors broke through to take their first lead of the game. A quick break from Chris Daniels led to a two-on-one opportunity and Daniels made the right decision, sliding a pass over to Aidan Bougler and the junior smashed his one-timer into the back of the net to make I 2-1 with 5:22 left in the third.
Franklin came close on a handful of chances in the final couple of minutes but Makudera made some terrific stops to keep the Warriors ahead. Senior Tom Tasker had a blast denied, Will Sheehan linked up with Kyle Hedvig right in front but Makudera made the point-blank stop, and then denied Lovett on the rebound.
KP nearly added to its lead on a break as Rocco Bianculli sent a chipped pass into the zone for Jack Coulter, but Ivers was up to the task.
On the other end, Sheehan tossed a shot on goal that was redirected by Sean Dunbar just over the net, and in the final seconds Colin Hedvig sent a cross-ice pass to McCaffrey who quickly delivered a pass in front to Dylan Marchand but his one-timer was blocked by Makudera and Hurley had his rebound bid stopped.
Franklin boys hockey (4-1-2 Hockomock, 6-4-3 overall). can clinch the Kelley-Rex division outright with a win over North Attleboro when they meet on Saturday at 7:30. A point can also clinch depending on the outcome of the Mansfield and Foxboro game. King Philip (3-2-2, 8-4-2) falls into third in the division but is still in contention for a division title, but would need help from Foxboro and North Attleboro, and would have to take care of Oliver Ames on Saturday at 6:10.
Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames rallied for three goals in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit and grab a win at home over Attleboro. Cam Perron, Hunter Costello, and Jake Gottwald each found the back of the net for the Tigers, who scored the game-winning goal with 4:30 left in the contest. Perron and Ryan Gottwald had assists for OA.
Mansfield, 3 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip rallied from a two-goal deficit, scoring the tying goal with just over five minutes remaining to earn a key point and move into a tie for first place in the Kelley-Rex division with two games let. King Philip junior Aidan Boulger scored on an assist from classmate David Lawler with 5:43 to play to bring the Warriors level. Mansfield opened the scoring less than a minute in when Jake Lund (from Kevin Belanger and Chris Jenkins) scored at 14:10. Jenkins doubled the lead with 9:19 left in the second period on a feed from Lund. King Philip got on the board with 7:46 to play in the middle period on an unassisted tally from Jack Coulter but Mansfield pushed the lead to 3-1 on a goal from Mark DeGirolamo (from Kyle Oakley and Joseph Gormley) just 19 seconds later. KP pulled one back on the power play when Chris Daniels scored on assists from Joe Boselli and Rocco Bianculli.
Stoughton, 1 @ Nauset, 1 – Final – Stoughton rallied for a goal late in the third period to earn a tie on the road at Nauset. Dante Massaro scored a goal on assist from Anthony Hern with 2:57 left in the game to grab a point.
Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 @ Hingham, 1 – Final – Canton freshman Olivia Maffeo scored all four goals to lead the Bulldogs to a win on the road.
Franklin, 1 @ Norwood, 2 – Final
King Philip, 1 @ Westwood, 4 – Final
Wrestling
Methuen Super-Quad (Canton) – The Bulldogs notched a pair of wins at the Metheun SuperQuad. Canton picked up wins over Waltham (58-24) and Quabbin (24-15) but suffered setbacks to St. John’s Shrewsbury (52-23), Lynnfield/North Reading (54-21) and host Metheun (71-6).
Timberlane (NH) Invitational (Franklin, Mansfield) – Both Franklin and Mansfield finished in the top five in the team standings at the Timberlane Invitational. The Panthers had one individual champion, a second place finish, five grapplers take third while the Hornets had two champions, one second place finish, and three wrestlers take fourth. Franklin’s Dom Sackley won the 160 bracket, Mansfield’s Antonios Sevastos went 3-0 to take first at 126, and CJ Glaropoulos needed just 1:19 total to get three wins and take first at 170 for the Hornets. Finishing second included Franklin’s Kenny Sauer (152) and Mansfield’s Noah Jellenik (220). Drew DiFilippo (120), Jake Carlucci (132), Alex Fracassa (145), Liam Cogavin (170), and Dylan Nawn (182) all finished third for the Panthers while Mansfield’s Noah Price (120), Will Stratton (145), and Ciaran Connolly (160) each finished fourth.
St. John’s Prep Quad (Foxboro), 10:00AM
Whitman-Hanson Quad (King Philip, Sharon) – Sharon picked up a pair of wins, recording victories over both Bridgewater Raynham (43-25) and host Whitman-Hanson (56-18). David Gelman, Amit Levin, Kirit Gosetty, and Philip Varvak each picked up a pair of wins at the meet.
Framingham Quad (North Attleboro) – The Rocketeers picked up two wins as a team and had five grapplers post 3-0 records at the Framingham quad. North Attleboro pinned down wins over Needham (45-25) and Milton (55-12) but fell to the host Flyers (39-30). Ethan Smith (126, three pins), Chris Galligan (132, one pin, one tech fall), Mike Edmonds (170, two pins), Keysun Wise (220, three pins) and John Kummer (285, one pin) each went 3-0 on the day. Andrew Faris (138), Jon Lozinski (145), and Alex Warsofsky (195) each had a pair of wins for the Rocketeers.
Sandwich Tournament (Taunton) – Taunton had its best ever showing at the Cape Cod Invitational, a tournament the Tigers compete in annually, by taking third overall as a team with 135 points. Taunton had one champion, a pair of second and third place finishes, and three wrestlers take fourth. Christian Balmain won the 152 bracket, earning three pinfall victories to get to the final where he used a third period escape to secure a 3-2 decision. Nico Sallaway (170) and James Collins (106) each finishes second, Xavier Sandoval (126) and Brandon Mendes (113) each took third, and Peter Ye (182), Jackson Mandeville (138), and Ben Mandeville (132) each finished fourth.
Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 0 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Canton scored once in each the first and second periods to earn a Hockomock League win over visiting Foxboro. Senior Dom Cammarata scored his first career goal in the first and sophomore Eamon Kelly doubled the lead with a goal late in the second period.
King Philip, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – KP rallied from 1-0 down after the first period with a pair of goals in each of the second and third periods. Joe Boselli scored the tying goal on an assist from Chris Daniels and then the combo switched roles to put KP ahead 2-1. Jack Coulter (from Conor Cooke) made it 3-1 in the third period and then Cooke added the fourth (with assists from Aidan Boulger and Coulter). Nate Ihley made 18 saves to get the win.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames erased a two goal deficit by scoring three unanswered third period goals to grab a win at home over North Attleboro. Cam Perron got the Tigers on the board on an assist from Ryan Gottwald while Duncan Pereira (assisted by Ross Carroll and Hunter Costello) tied the game for OA. Perron (from Brad Powers) scored the game-winner with three minutes to play to give OA the win.
Stoughton, 5 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 3 – Final – Colin Alessi, Al Bermingham, and Dante Massaro all scored to help Stoughton skate to a win over visiting Cardinal Spellman. Alessi and Bermingham each scored a pair of goals to pace the offense while Massaro found the best of the net once.
Girls Hockey
Canton, 1 @ Westwood, 4 – Final
Franklin, 2 @ Medway, 3 – Final
Stoughton, 3 vs. Shawsheen, 2 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Stoughton’s Morgan Lessa scored with 7.2 seconds left to give the Black Knights a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Shawsheen. The Rams built a 2-0 lead with a goal in each the first and second periods but Stoughton got on the board with five minutes left in the second. Lessa fired a shot on net and Zofia Bangs tucked in the rebound to cut the deficit to 2-1. Samantha Sherman tied the game, squeaking a rebound just under the goalie. Lessa scored the winner on an odd-man rush in the final seconds to give the Black Knights their first win of the season. Brianna Buckley had a strong game in net for Stoughton.
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 @ Dedham, 6 – Final
King Philip, 1 @ Notre Dame Academy, 3 – Final
Wrestling
Norton Quad (Canton, Stoughton), 10:00
Carver Quad (Foxboro), 10:00
Algonquin Quad (Franklin), 10:00
Oliver Ames Quad, 10:00
Walpole Quad (King Philip), 10:00
Holliston Quad (North Attleboro) – North Attleboro went 1-2 at the Holliston quad, picking up a win over Quabbin (18-9). The Rocketeers lost to host Holliston (46-30) as well as Melrose (48-26). Ethan Smith had a strong showing for the Rocketeers, picking up 3-0 wins all by pinfall at the 126 weight class. Andrew Faris (138) and Mike Edmonds (170, two pins) each went 2-0 for North Attleboro.
Marlboro Quad (Sharon) – Sharon suffered just its second loss of the season to host Marlboro but also picked up a pair of wins. The Eagles beat Masconomet (42-19) and St. John’s Shrewsbury (38-36) but fell to Marlboro (33-27). Adam Landstein (106) went 3-0 on the day for the Eagles, picking up a pair of pinfall victories and another by decision. Tyler Freedman (160) and Philip Varvak (170) each recorded two wins by pinfall on the day.
Marshfield Quad (Mansfield, Taunton) – Mansfield’s CJ Glaropoulos recorded the 100th win of his career and the Hornets posted a 3-1 record at the Marshfield Super Quad. Mansfield picked up wins over Silver Lake (60-18), Leominster (48-6) and Marshfield (36-18) with its lone loss coming to one of the top teams in the state in Metheun (48-33). Glaropoulos, Max Farley, Antonios Sevastos, Ciaran Connolly, and Noah Price well went undefeated on the day for the Hornets.
King Philip goalie Jasper Makudera (right) makes a save against Canton sophomore Eamon Kelly in the first period. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
CANTON, Mass. – It was back to the basics for the Canton boys hockey team.
After back-to-back games in which the Bulldogs needed a third period goal to ignite its offense, Canton focused on all of the little things to get things going from the start.
And it certainly helps when two-thirds of your top line returns from injury.
Senior Chris Savoie, the team’s leading goal scorer, returned after a three-game hiatus to join classmate Johnny Hagan and sophomore Eamon Kelly (who rejoined the lineup on Wednesday) and the Bulldogs found the back of the net in each period en route to a 5-2 decision over a good King Philip team.
With the win, Canton extends its unbeaten streak to 35 games.
“We checked a lot of the boxes tonight,” said Canton head coach Brian Shuman. “We learned from some of the games in the past against KP where you have to come out and do the little things like winning the battles, getting pucks to the net, working hard on the backcheck, and good things will happen. We kind of got away from that, even in some of the games we’ve played well, we have to realize the little things will lead to the goal scoring opportunities.”
Canton’s top line combined for three goals while Shane Marshall scored twice, finding the back of the net for the second straight game. The Bulldogs never trailed, turning a one-goal lead after a period into a two-goal advantage through 30 minutes. Canton had a four-goal lead before KP scored in the final minute of play.
“They don’t make many mistakes and they have three lines, one is as good as the next,” said King Philip head coach Paul Carlow. “They are well-coached and a deep team, they are good every year for a reason. It’s a good measuring stick, we need to play better to do well down the stretch. I think all the Hock teams are good but I think they are clearly the best.”
After a relatively even first 10 minutes, Canton seized the lead with just 2:25 to go. Not only did it give the hosts the lead and the momentum before the first intermission, it was a sign of things to come for the Bulldogs’ offense.
Just seconds after a 4-on-4 situation ended, Kelly made a hard drive to the net down the left side, cutting in front of the net but KP goalie Jesper Makudera made the stop. But Marshall was first the loose puck and batted the rebound in to give the hosts the lead.
King Philip responded well to start the second period, cashing in on its offensive zone pressure. The Warriors were able to force a loose clearance and sophomore Shaun Fitzpatrick won a stick battle to unleash a wrist shot. Canton goalie Joe Cammarata made the kick save but the rebound popped right to senior Noah Ray and he buried it to make it 1-1 with 11:15 left in the second.
While the Warriors seemed to have the momentum, they were whistled for a trip and the Bulldogs went on the power play. Canton needed just over a minute to cash in as senior defenseman Owen Lehane skated down into the right circle, firing a shot that Kelly tipped in for a 2-1 lead.
“We were battling out front, looked like a stick might have hit a skate…it was just a tough time for that call,” Carlow said. “We got some momentum back there with the goal early in the second and I felt like if we could play 5-on-5 for a good stretch, we were okay. But they took the lead right back on the power play, and right after we had a bad turnover that led to a breakaway.
“I think 5-on-5 we were okay tonight but obviously, [Canton] is a good hockey team, you can’t make mistakes against them. I didn’t think we played our best and I would have liked to see us play more 5-on-5 hockey but giving them the momentum right back certainly hurt us.”
King Philip had a chance to answer when it went on the man-advantage less than two minutes after Canton’s second goal, but instead, it was the Bulldogs that struck. Hagan took advantage of a turnover in the neutral zone, used his speed to race across the blue line and fired a low shot five-hole for a shorthanded tally, giving the Dogs a 3-1 lead with 6:50 left in the second.
“Getting Chris Lavoie back on the power play particularly, having that third option is really important,” Shuman said. “Ironically, those are two guys [Owen and Eamon] that often times don’t touch the puck as much. Owen did a great job taking the ice he was given and Eamon doing what we preach all the time, going with his stick to the net and he made a good play.”
The Warriors had another chance to cut into the lead late in the period on a power play chance. A loose puck popped right in front to Conor Cooke and his shot looked destined for the back of the net but Cammarata made a terrific stop to keep the two-goal lead.
KP couldn’t convert on an early power play chance in the third period and junior David Lawler blasted a shot from the blue line that saw a rebound bounce around in front, but no one on KP could get a stick to it.
Canton made the visitors pay, scoring just before the midway mark of the third period. Ronan O’Mahony took and pass from Jack Connolly and laced a low shot through traffic from the blue line that Makudera stopped but Marshall was quick to pounce on the loose puck and buried it for a 4-1 lead.
With just under three minutes to go, Hagan skated in down the left boards and fired a shot that was stopped by Makudera but once again the Bulldogs were there for the rebound and Kelly tapped it in for a 5-1 advantage.
“The third was our best period, we talked about the next goal (in the third) was huge,” Shuman said. “If they scored, they’d have a ton of energy and be back in the game. Or if we got it, we’d take a huge step towards winning the game. The fourth one came from a good shot, the defense made a good play, and Shane buried it.”
King Philip’s Aidan Boulger finished off a scrum in front of the net with less than a minute to play in the game. Jack Coulter and Cooke earned assists on the goal.
Canton boys hockey (3-0 Hockomock, 7-0-2) will host Oliver Ames on Wednesday evening while King Philip (1-1, 6-3-0) returns home to take on North Attleboro on the same night.
Girls Basketball
King Philip, 43 @ Needham, 69 – Final
Boys Hockey
Canton, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final
Foxboro, 0 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – King Philip’s offense delivered three goals in the middle period, building on its lead from the first period to notch a league win over Foxboro. KP took a 1-0 lead in the first on a goal from Nolan Feyler with Joe Boselli and Rocco Bianculli earning assists. In the second, Boselli scored twice and Jack Coulter added a third to build the big advantage. Chris Daniels and Kyle Gray set Boselli up for his first goal while Bianculli grabbed his second assist on KP’s third goal. Conor Cooke and Aidan Boulger had assists on Coulter’s goal. Jesper Makudera made 18 saves in net to earn the shutout for KP.
Franklin, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. – Franklin cashed in for a pair of goals in the first period behind a strong start and tacked on two more in the third period to skate past OA in league action. The Panthers peppered the net in the opening minutes with Colin Hedvig scoring unassisted just 59 seconds into the game. Shane McCaffrey added a goal on a wrist shot with 4:05 to go in the opening frame. After a scoreless second, Franklin extended its league with a shorthanded goal as Tom Tasker finished off a pass from Kyle Hedvig on an odd-man rush. OA’s Jake Gottwald redirected a shot from Zach Manganaro to get the Tigers on the board but McCaffrey sealed the game with an empty netter. OA goalie Owen Connor had 36 saves in net.
Mansfield, 1 @ Shrewsbury, 4 – Final
North Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. – North Attleboro built a four goal lead before holding off a late surge from Taunton to pick up a league win. The Rocketeers struck just over two minutes into the game as sophomore Sam Clarke capitalized in front after some hard work from Brady Sarro. Clarke added his second on a redirect on a shot from Charlie Connolly with under a minute to go in the first period. Dennis Morehouse made it 3-0 with a nice finish in front in the second period and Sarro tipped in a shot early in the third to make it 3-0. Taunton’s Brady Nichols scored with five minutes to go and then help set up a goal from freshman Colton Scheralis.
Stoughton, 6 vs. Durfee, 1 – Final – Junior Dante Massaro paced the offense with a three goal hat trick performance, helping Stoughton/Brockton earn its second straight win. Colin Alessi added a pair of goals in the win while junior Jack Mahoney scored once.
Stoughton, 6 vs. Quincy/North Quincy, 6 – Final – Stoughton stormed back, scoring five times in the final period to earn a tie with Quincy/North Quincy. Morgan Lessa had a hand in all six of the goals. She recorded a hat trick and assisted on the other three. Zoey Bangs added two goals and Haley Nelson had the sixth. Nelson also had three assists. Sam Sherman had an assist for Stoughton as well.
Boys Hockey
King Philip, 4 vs. Milton, 2 – Final – King Philip built a 3-0 lead in the second period and added an important fourth goal in the third period to skate past Milton and into the championship game of the Quincy Youth Arena Holiday Tournament. The Warriors scored first as Jack Coulter lit the lamp with assists from Conor Cooke and Rocco Bianculli for a 1-0 lead through 15 minutes. KP tacked on two more in the second with Joe Boselli scoring unassisted and Coulter netting his second, from Cooke. Milton got on the board to make it 3-1 heading to the third. Aidan Boulger scored on a feed from Noah Ray to give the Warriors a 4-1 lead. The Wildcats scored on a power play with the goalie pulled in the final minute. KP will play North Quincy in the final on Saturday.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Winthrop, 3 – Final – The Tigers took a one-goal deficit late into the game but Winthrop scored on a late penalty and added a third in the final minutes to get the win. Senior goalie Owen Connor played well in net for the Tigers while freshmen Sean McCarthy and Jack Perron had strong games.
Stoughton, 6 vs. Tri-County, 3 – Final – Stoughton/Brockton broke into the win column behind a six-goal outburst against Tri-County in the consolation game of the Bellingham Boosters Tournament. Junior Dante Massaro led the charge offensively, scoring a hat trick while junior Kyle Cruickshank scored twice and junior Ryan Flannery found the back of the net once. Junior goalie Ryan Spanno made 26 saves in net for the win.
Taunton, 2 @ Middleboro, 1 – Final – Taunton scored a pair of goals inside the final five minutes of the game to stun Middleboro with a come-from-behind victory. Camden Faria scored both goals for the Tigers, including the game-winner with just 16 seconds left to give Taunton two points. Brady Nichols recorded a pair of assists while Michael Albert and Connor McGrath each had one. Sean Bunker made 19 saves in net to earn the victory.
Girls Hockey
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 7 vs. Walpole, 5 – Final – Mansfield/Oliver Ames needed less than a minute to open the scoring, eventually skating away with a 7-5 win in a high-scoring affair. Emma Pereira and Alex Ledin each scored a pair of goals to lead the way for the Warriors, who led 3-1 after one and 6-4 heading into the third. Ella Waryas, Tess Luciano, and Melissa Shanteler all scored once in the win while Emma Garland, Sam Ledin, and Reese Pereira each recorded a pair of assists.
