Attleboro High grad Kerri Beland battled back from a knee injury in high school and has gone on to play four years of college basketball at Salve Regina, including two years as the team captain. (Rob McGuinness/Salve Athletics)
In the summer before her senior year at Attleboro High, Kerri Beland suffered a torn ACL while playing with her AAU team. It was the type of injury that could have ended her final season at Attleboro and even cost her a chance to play basketball at the next level, but Beland fought her way back. She missed soccer that fall but managed to get back on the court for the final few games of basketball season.
Despite the injury, Beland remained focused on her goal of playing collegiate basketball. With the help of former Attleboro and current Adelphi University coach Missy Traversi, Beland reached out to local schools to find the right fit.
Salve Regina coach Cori Hughes took a chance that Beland could make it back to full fitness and contribute. It was a decision that paid off, as Beland jumped right into the rotation as a freshman and is in the midst of her second year as captain for the Seahawks.
“She told me, ‘It’s going to be hard, but it will be fine. You just have to keep working,’ and I did,” Beland said of her conversations with Hughes during the recruitment process. “She’s been a huge supporter of me and she always gave me a lot of opportunities, which was nice.”
It has been a long road for the senior guard, but Beland appreciates the new perspective that she gained from being sidelined. Beland explained, “It sucks getting hurt but it’s an eye-opening experience. You see the game from a whole different perspective sitting on the bench. I feel like I learned a lot from sitting on the sidelines, as much as it sucked, it was horrible, but I learned a lot.”
The Seahawks had a four-game win streak coming into the week, but dropped games to Roger Williams and Nichols and dropped back to 9-11 overall and 5-6 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). Beland has started all 20 games this season. The 5-foot-8 guard is second on the team with 12.6 points per game, and leads the team with 7.6 rebounds per game.
“We’re playing together better,” she said about the win streak. “We have a lot of strong players on our team but it took us a while to really mesh. We have so much talent but it was one person or a few people trying to do too much and not spreading the floor out.”
After three straight first round exits in the CCC Tournament, Beland thinks that the Seahawks have the opportunity to make a run this winter. “This is anyone’s year and it’s exciting,” she said.
When asked what it would mean to bring home a title during her senior year, Beland replied, “It would be indescribable. The girls that I play with just love the game and my senior class, which is half of the team, we’ve just been through it all together. Finishing it out with them…words wouldn’t even be able to explain how happy I would be.”
Heading into her senior year of high school there was also a lot of excitement for Beland and the Bombardiers. After a playoff appearance the season before, Attleboro looked poised to make even more noise in the Kelley-Rex division. But then Beland went down with an injury and not long after Traversi left to take the job at Adelphi. “It just felt like my whole senior year was crashing down honestly,” Beland reflected. Traversi stayed close with Beland and used her contacts in the coaching world to keep Beland on the radar of area colleges.
Beland made it back onto the court with a few games remaining in the regular season, but it was difficult to adjust to playing after the injury. “It was definitely frustrating,” Beland said. “I’ve never been a quick player and so that was really frustrating to be even slower than I was before and to have to drag around the extra weight on my leg.”
“it was just amazing to play again because basketball has always been a huge part of my life. It was crazy to go that long period without being able to play.”
She admitted that it took a long time to get back to playing like she did prior to the injury. It wasn’t until her sophomore year at Salve that the brace came off and she was able to play with the freedom of not worrying about her knee. That season Beland, who is also a member of the Salve lacrosse team and two-year captain in the spring, was named third team All-CCC and named the 2016-17 Salve Sophomore Athlete of the Year.
“When I had the brace, I could go a little harder because I knew it was there but when you lose the brace you have to kind of start all over about being nervous of hurting yourself again,” she said.
Spending so much time on the sidelines was a reminder of how much she loved the game of basketball and gave her a unique perspective on the work that it takes to play at this level.
“DIII is draining,” Beland said. “You’re not getting money for it and you’re putting in as much time as any other division. You have to love it and, honestly, the injury reminds me every day that there was a time when I didn’t get to play and I never want to have to feel that way ever again. It’s nice to know that I don’t have any regrets.”
With the end of her basketball career in sight (and even with a lacrosse season still to come), Beland and her classmates are trying to slow down and enjoy these final weeks together.
“We’re kind of at that stage right know where we’re at the edge of the cliff and we want to walk back because we’re so nervous,” she said with a chuckle. “It feels like it’s coming to an end so quickly and we just want to slow the time down.”
Salve has five games left before the conference tournament kicks off and will get the final stretch started with the visit of Endicott.
The HockomockSports.com Campus Report is an update on former Hockomock League athletes currently competing in collegiate sports. If you would like to submit an update, please e-mail info@HockomockSports.com.
Babson men’s basketball has been the top ranked DIII college program for a good portion of the season and former HockomockSports.com Player of the Year and Franklin Panther Sam Bohmiller has played a vital role. The Beavers (21-1) are riding a 12-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s visit to Clark. Bohmiller has started in 20 games this season (missing two for an injury), averaging 29 minutes per game. Shooting at 53.4% from the field (49.2% from three point), Bohmiller is averaging 7.6 points per game as well as 2.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds and nearly 1.0 steals per game.
Mansfield’s Joe Collins has had a terrific year for Southern New Hampshire’s hockey team through 26 games. A graduate student, Collins is second on the team with 11 goals, first on the team with 21 assists and leads the Penmen with 32 points. His +8 is second on the team and his three game-winning goals is tied for the most on the team. Collins is currently riding a three game point streak, recording two against Daniel Webster, one against Franklin Pierce and two against Framingham State. Collins will conclude his final regular season on Saturday in Foxboro against Stonehill.
Taunton graduate Angie Martinez etched her name into Mount Ida’s record books twice this season. In early December, Martinez became just the fourth women’s basketball player in program history to join the 1,000 point club. Less than a week later, Martinez became the first ever Mustang to record 1,000 rebounds. She then took her success to another level in January, hauling in her 1,125th career board, making her the all-time women’s rebounding leader in Great Northeast Athletic Conference history. For her senior season, she is third on the team with 9.1 points per game and leads the Mustangs with 12.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
Bridgewater State currently sits at 13-9 overall and 6-3 in MASCAC play, good enough for third. The Bears are coming off a win over league-leading Salem State in a game that saw Taunton grad Fawaz Mass drop a game-high 23 points and former HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Rocky DeAndrade chipping in with 16 points. Mass (16.2 ppg) and DeAndrade (14.4) are currently the top two in scoring for the Bears while Mansfield’s Greg Romanko, a captain is at 8.8 points per game and Milford’s Michael Soares is at 4.3 points per game. Mass is second on the team in rebounding and DeAndrade leads the Bears in assists. Soares scored a career-high 19 points late last month in a win over MCLA. Romanko also scored a season-high 19 points back in December in a rout of Maine-Augusta.
Bridgewater travels to Worcester State on Saturday to battle Milford graduate Aaron Anniballi and the Lancers. Anniballi turned it on midway through the season and was rewarded, earning starts in the last five games and six of the last seven. In a road trip to league-leading Salem State, Anniballi dropped a career-high 22 points, including a career-best five three pointers made. In the last five games, Anniballi is averaging 11.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Lancers. For the season, he’s second on the team in assists and fourth in scoring despite just seven starts.
Former HockomockSports.com Hockey Player of the Year Ryan Spillane found the back of the net for the first time in his collegiate career, netting one of five goals in Saint Anselm’s win over Daniel Webster. A Franklin High product, Spillane has appeared in 14 games this year, including the last four. He registered his first assist on Friday, February 3rd against Southern Maine and then scored his first goal on Saturday. N
Success on the ice at Saint Anselm is noting new for the Spillane family though, as Kaitlyn Spillane, a junior, continues to be a big piece of the Hawks’ women’s hockey team. After 12 points as a freshman and 24 points as a sophomore, Spillane is already up to 26 points during her junior campaign. Her 26 points is good for second on the team, a combination of 10 goals and 16 assists. She’s currently riding an eight game point streak heading into Friday night’s tilt with Williams. During that stretch, she registered four points in a win over New England College.
Michael Choate has strung together two strong meets for the Boston University swim team. The former KP Warrior had three top three finishes against Boston College, including third in the 100 backstroke (52.79), third in the 200 butterfly (1:58.57) and second in the 200 backstroke (1:52.11). He followed that up with three more top three finishes against Bryant, including second in the 200 free (1:47.26) and third in the 500 free (4:56.08). He was also apart of the 200 medley relay that took third (1:38.76). North Attleboro’s Sarah Hargrave also had solid showings in the same meets. On senior night against BC, she took first in the 500 free (4:57.16) and first in the 200 free relay (1:37.34). Against Bryant, she placed third in the 100 free (54.43) and was apart of the 400 free relay that touched in third (3:49.61).
2016 HockomockSports.com First Team selection Alecia Quinones has been a top option off the bench for UMass Boston this season. The Stoughton High product has come off the bench and appeared in all 22 games for the Beacons, averaging 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and shooting nearly 40% from the floor. Quinones showed what she can do when she played 23 minutes earlier this season at Colby College. She scored 20 points on 8/13 shooting in the win for UMass Boston.
A trio of former Hockomock rivals turned teammates are playing a big role for UMass Amherst’s men’s swimming team. Attleboro’s Owen Wright, Franklin’s Austen Sholudko and King Philip’s Chris DiGiacomo have all helped the Minutemen as they head into Atlantic 10 Championships next weekend. In their latest meet against Fordham, Wright took first place in the 50 yard free (21.53), fourth in the 100 yard free and was apart of the 200 yard free relay team that took second place. DiGiacomo took first place in the 200 yard backstroke, second in the 200 yard IM and placed third in the 200 yard free. Sholudko placed fifth overall in the 1000 yard free and was seventh in the 500 yard free.
Bristol Community College has racked up 13 wins so far this season and is averaging an impressive 88.6 points per game as a team. Former HockomockSports.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year and Taunton standout Jose Mercado is currently third on the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game, fifth on the team with 4.5 rebounds a game and second with 2.0 steals. After coming off the bench for the majority of the season, Mercado has worked his way into the starting line up, starting five straight games. In that stretch, he’s averaged 16.4 points, 5.6 boards, 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals for the Bayhawks, who are 4-1 with him in the starting lineup.
Former HockomockSports.com Girls Basketball Player of the Year Kat Tamulionis has found a new home at Babson and recently helped the program to its 600th win. The Foxboro alum has appeared in 14 games, earning her first collegiate start at Mount Holyoke on January 21st. In the program’s 600th win, a 72-51 win over Emerson, Tamulionis scored a career-high eight points Another former Foxboro standout Ashley Snyder has made nine appearances for the Beavers so far this season, playing a season-high 12 minutes against Emory & Henry earlier this season.
There were plenty of Hockomock alums on the court on Wednesday night when Wheaton visited Clark University. Foxboro’s Rob Lowey and Alex DuBrow dressed for the visitors while Milford’s David Mercier and Joe Atkinson are both captains for the Cougars. In just his second collegiate start, DuBrow made a big difference down the stretch for the Lyons. The freshman hit a pair of free throws with 51 seconds left to give Wheaton a four point lead and then stole an inbounds pass with 22 seconds left, adding one more free throw to help ice the game. DuBrow tied a career-high with 13 points in the game while adding four assists. On the season, he’s averaging 6.8 points, 2.7 assists and leads the team with a 1.6 assist/turnover ratio. Mercier had a game-high 21 points while Atkinson added 16 in the loss. For the season, Mercier is fourth on the team with 10.7 points and fourth in rebounding at 4.2. Atkinson is the team’s top rebounder with 7.5 boards a game and is averaging 11.8 points for Clark (13-9).
Taunton’s Dylan Schrama had a strong showing in Clark University’s meet with WPI at the end of January. Competing in five events, Schrama was first for Clark in three events and touched the wall before anyone else in one event. He took first place overall in the 200 yard IM, clocking in at 2:15.42. He also placed fourth in the 50 yard backstroke and took third in the 100 yard free style. He was also a member of the 200 yard medley relay that came in third overall.
King Philip graduate and current Northeastern sophomore Carly Schnabel was tabbed as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Swimmer of the Week. She’s the first Northeastern swimmer to earn the honor this season. Competing at Harvard, Schnabel turned in a historic performance in the 1,000-yard free by setting a new program record in 10:03.95 for first place. Her time is over seven seconds ahead of the next closest conference competitor for the event this season.
Keene State snapped a two-game skid with the help of King Philip alum Jimmy Layman. The junior forward came off the bench to score 13 points (5/8 FG), had four rebounds and came away with three steals. The Owls (15-7) recently were ranked 10th in the Northeast in the NCAA Regional Rankings for DIII. Layman has a been a top contributor off the bench so far this season, playing in 21 games and averaging 3.8 points per game and 2.1 rebounds. He scored a season-high 17 points back in December at WPI.
Less than a week after Mansfield junior Tyler Boulter set a new program record for most threes in a game (10), older brother and former Hockomock League MVP Ryan Boulter decided it was his turn to set a record. In Merrimack’s home game against Southern Connecticut, Boulter put on a show – connecting on nine three pointers to tie the school record. The sophomore forward finished with a career-high 40 points in the Warriors’ overtime win. Although just a sophomore, Boulter is currently leading the Warriors with 18.2 points per game, averaging 3.3 threes in contest. He also is hauling in 4.4 boards on average.
UMass Dartmouth women’s basketball program is used to having a Hockomock alum leading the way, and this year is no different. After years of dominance from North Attleboro’s Meg Ronaghan, now it’s Franklin’s Alicia Kutil that’s leading the way for the Corsairs (19-3). Kutil is second with 13.6 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game, while adding 2.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals. She was named the Little East Conference Player of the Week earlier this week.
Mansfield’s George Apostolopoulos qualified for the NEISDA Division II/III Championships in the 50 breaststroke over the weekend at the Bridgewater State Bears Invitational. Apostolopoulos posted a time of 35.43 seconds in the 50 breaststroke to qualify. Attleboro’s Dylon Willis helped the Bears to a pair of wins at a tri-meet at the end of January, beating Husson and Regis. Willis was apart of the 200 medley relay team that came in second, took first in the 50 yard breaststroke (28.08) and the 100 yard breaststroke and was second in the 100 IM.
Also at Bridgewater State, Mansfield’s Abbie Grant and Danielle Souza, North Attleboro’s Adi Tobias and King Philip’s Emily Garven are swimming for the Bears. At the BSU Bears Invitational, Grant was second in the 50 yard butterfly and the 100 yard IM, Souza took third in the 200 yard free, Tobias grabbed second in the 100 yard butterfly and Garven won the 50 yard backstroke as well as the 100 yard free.
Attleboro’s Bri Hochwarter is averaging 13.6 points per game and has been a big reason why Wheelock College women’s basketball has registered 10 wins this season. She is also averaging 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals for the Wildcats. Hochwarter is on a strong stretch, scoring in double figures in four straight games. She’s hit 14 threes in that stretch, averaging 16.8 points per game.
Former Mansfield Hornet and Winnipeg Jets draft pick Erik Foley is enjoying another successful year at Providence. After an impressive freshman year (seven goals, 12 assists), he’s already topped his rookie point total during his sophomore year. He’s tied for a team-high 10 goals and also has 13 assists, good for 23 points – third for the Friars. Providence is 17-8-4 on the season and ranked #11 in the country.
With the NEWMAC Championships on the horizon next week, Taunton’s Kyle Werra and WPI’s men swimming team are looking to make a slash. Werra has competed in eight events for the Engineers so far this season. At the Clark University Cougar Invitational, Werra set three best times for the season. In the 200 free, he clocked in a 1:57.85, in the 100 breaststroke he touched the wall at 1:08.12 and in the 400 medley, he timed at 4:45.18.
Oliver Ames alum Caitlyn Abela continues to be a big piece for Saint Anselm. The Hawks, who have former Canton assistant Colleen Moriarty on the staff, stand at 15-8 on the season. Abela is second on the team at 10.9 points per game, scoring a season-high 23 earlier this year in a win at Daemen. She’s also averaged 3.3 rebounds a game this year (season-high 11 at Adelphi) and 1.1 assists (season-high 4 vs. NYIT).
A pair of former Hockomock rivals are now teammates at Merrimack. Franklin’s Lexi Martin and Attleboro’s Emily Houle are both contributing for the Warriors (11-11) this season. Martin, a sophomore, has started in all 22 games this season, averaging 8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. She scored a season-high 19 points in a win over New Haven in early January and had a stretch in which she scored in double figures in six of eight games. Houle, a freshman and last year’s HockomockSports.com Girls Basketball Player of the Year, has played in 11 games, scoring five points in a game at Adelphi against former head coach Missy Traversi and hitting a three in a close win over St. Michael’s last week.
Former Mansfield Hornet Kevin Conner has scored 13 points in back to back games for Mount Ida heading into this week’s contest with Rivier. The Mustangs (14-8 overall) are currently in fourth place in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. Conner, who was slowed by an injury to start the season, has started in every game he’s been available for. In a win at Rivier, Conner was a perfect 6/6 from the field and in a loss to conference-leading Albertus Magnus, Conner added 13 points including a pair of threes. In 17 games, Conner is averaging 8.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists a game.
Attleboro’s Kerri Beland is having a strong sophomore season for the Salve Regina women’s basketball game. The former Attleboro Bombardier is leading the Seahawks in scoring with 12.5 points per game, shooting 40% from the floor and 36% from three point. She’s also fourth on the team in rebounding with 5.3 boards.
Ever since the turn of the calendar, former Franklin standout Chris Rodgers has gone on a tear for WPI. After coming off the bench for the start of the season, Rodgers picked up his first start on December 6th. In his last seven starts, dating back to January 18th, Rodgers has been one of the Engineers top options on offense. He scored a season-high 23 points and hauled in nine rebounds in a narrow loss to Springfield and scored in double figures in six of those seven games. He’s averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in that span for WPI, who have four wins in that same stretch.
Former Sharon standout Jake Fishman was recently named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, on of only two non-Div. I players on the list. (Trent Hermann/Carolyn Studio{ Below is an update on former Hockomock League athletes currently competing in collegiate sports. If you would like to submit an update, please e-mail info@HockomockSports.com.
BASEBALL
Last week, USA Baseball announced its 60-man Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and former Sharon star and current Union College junior pitcher Jake Fishman was among those listed. Fishman is one of only two non-Div. I players that were on the list, which includes 18 preseason picks and 42 players that were added over the course of the season.
Fishman is currently leading Union with a .383 batting average and has driven in 10 runs. He has also been a star on the mound with a miniscule ERA of 0.51 and a record of 4-0. He has thrown three complete games in five starts and has struck out 51 batters and allowed only two earned runs in 35 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .211 against Fishman this season.
The semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award will be announced by USA Baseball on June 1.
Former Attleboro High outfielder Matt Elliot went 4-5 in a doubleheader against Suffolk over the weekend. The Anna Maria College freshman is batting .294 this year with seven RBI and an OPS of .805. He is also 1-4 on the mound over six starts and has struck out 12 in 33-2/3 innings for the AMCATS.
Brendan Skidmore of Franklin has a seven-game hit streak going for Binghamton University. The junior infielder is batting a team-high .344 with seven homers and 28 RBI this season. His OPS is .983 and he has also been strong with the glove, boasting a fielding percentage of .994.
Former Oliver Ames pitcher David Holmes threw a complete game for Bridgewater State in the opening game of a doubleheader with Mass. College of Liberal Arts to pick up a 1-0 victory. Holmes struck out seven and allowed only four hits and improved to 4-1 on the season. He has an ERA of 3.00 on the season and batter are hitting only .247 against him this year. Also for the Bears, former Taunton player Travis Ritchie went 2-5 in the second game of the MCLA doubleheader and is currently batting .286 on the season, good for third on the team. He also has a homer and nine RBI.
J.J. Branch suffered his first loss of the season at Endicott in a 5-0 loss to Salve Regina on Sunday. Branch allowed three earned runs in seven innings and struck out a pair of hitters. For the season, the former Milford pitcher leads the Gulls with an ERA of 2.50 and is now 5-1 overall. He has struck out 33 batters in 57-2/3 innings pitched.
David MacKinnon went 3-4 and drew a pair of walks for Hartford in an 11-5 victory over Quinnipiac on Tuesday. The Oliver Ames star is now batting a team-high .372 with two homers and 22 RBI this season and is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak. MacKinnon has struck out a team-low 11 times in 148 at bats this year.
MacKinnon’s former teammate at Oliver Ames, Mike Ferrara, came through with a clutch at bat for Worcester State to help the Lancers beat Becker College in extra innings. Ferrara came through with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to tie it, before the Lancers added another for a 10-9 win. Ferrara was 2-4 with a pair of RBI in the game. The freshman is now hitting .279 on the season and has hit one homer and drive in 13 runs.
Former Foxboro player Connor Longley went 1-4 with an RBI and former Sharon pitcher Nate Pederson picked up the win with 2-2/3 innings of scoreless relief as Keene State beat Western New England on Monday. Longley, a freshman first baseman, has stepped right into the lineup and is batting .310 with a homer and 19 RBI. Pederson, also a freshman, is now 1-1 and has struck out six batters in 13-2/3 innings this season.
Junior third baseman Mike Slaby went 3-6 and scored a pair of runs for Lesley University in an 11-4 win against Mitchell College on Sunday that clinched the Lynx the fourth seed in the upcoming NECC Baseball Championship. In 34 games this season, the former Foxboro High player is batting .388 (good for second on the team), has scored 19 runs and picked up 16 RBI.
Former HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Max Lancaster went 3-9 for MIT in a doubleheader sweep of Wheaton College that earned the Engineers their second straight NEWMAC regular season title and top seed in the upcoming conference tournament. The Attleboro grad is batting .278 on the season and has three homers and 17 RBI in 20 games played.
Former North Attleboro player Dylon Grzenda drove in a pair of runs with a single to left as part of a four-run fourth inning that lifted the University of New Haven to a win against Saint Anselm on Monday. The freshman infielder has hits in five of his last eight appearances.
Another former Rocketeer, Matt Hardy, went 1-3 with a pair of RBI to help Nichols College earn a spilt of a doubleheader with Western New England on Sunday. The junior has a team-high .395 average and has driven in 19 runs this year for the Bisons. He has struck out only five times in 124 at bats and has scored 27 runs.
Junior pitcher Matt Nunes allowed three earned runs in 5-1/3 innings on Saturday to help Westfield State split a doubleheader with Fitchburg State. With the win, the former Taunton player improved to 2-1 on the season with an ERA of 5.04. Nunes also has one save this year and has struck out 29 batters in 25 innings of work.
SOFTBALL
Freshman pitcher Renee Poirier was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week and the Patriot League Rookie of the Week after going 2-0 in the last week with no earned runs allowed. The former King Philip player threw a pair of complete games for the Black Knights to beat Quinnipiac and Holy Cross. For the season, Poirier is 7-5 with an ERA of 2.21 and has struck out 60 batters. Opponents are only hitting .231 against her. Army has won 30 games and reached 10 league wins for the first time since 2013.
Last year’s Hockomock League MVP Kelly Reading went 2-4 with three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases on Saturday to help Cedar Crest College (Pa.) to a 9-2 win in the second game of a doubleheader with Keystone College. The former Taunton and Franklin player is batting .355 this season with an OBP of .418. She also leads the team with 14 steals and has driven in 16 runs.
Former Mansfield player Bri Chiusano, a senior at Coastal Carolina, was named the Big South Player of the Week on Monday. Chiusano batted .619 last week, going 13-21, with two RBI and nine runs scored. In the process, Chiusano set a Big South career mark with 196 runs scored. She has at least one hit in 30 of the past 32 games and is now third in the league with a .394 batting average and second with 71 hits and 49 runs scored. She is also among the nation’s best in stealing bases with 141 for her career, including 25 this season.
Franklin Pierce ended its softball season with a loss to Stonehill on Sunday and a couple of Hock alumni closed out strong seasons for the Ravens. Senior Patricia Hansen, a former Mansfield player, finished with a record of 6-4 and an ERA of 3.16. She struck out 39 in 75-1/3 innings and threw eight complete games. Sophomore Samantha Bonvino, a Milford alum, batted .293 with a homer and 13 RBI.
Another former Scarlet Hawk continues to pitch well for the University of Kentucky. Former HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Shannon Smith has made 14 appearances and nine starts for the Wildcats this season and has a record of 3-0 with an impressive ERA of 1.83. Smith, who won a pair of state titles for Milford, has struck out 72 batters in 42 innings and opponents are batting only .147 against her.
Senior Nicole LeBlanc became Lasell College’s all-time hits leader on Saturday with the 163rd base hit of her career during a doubleheader split with Rivier. LeBlanc, an Oliver Ames alum, had three hits and drove in four runs during a 9-1 victory in the opener and then added another RBI, the 100th of her career, in a 9-3 game two loss. LeBlanc is second on the Lasers in hitting this season with a .355 batting average and tops in slugging at .548. She has two of the team’s three homers and driven in a team-high 19 runs.
Former Oliver Ames player Lexi Soucie had a big day for Salve Regina against UMass Boston. On Monday, Soucie went 3-3 with two solo homers and drove in three runs to lead the Seahawks to a 7-5 extra innings win. She also went 1-3 with an RBI in the second game of the doubleheader. Soucie now has a team-leading four homers on the season and is batting .289. In the same game, Taunton grad Lauren Mitsiaris went 3-4 with three RBI and a run scored for the Beacons and in the second game added a hit and another RBI. In the second game, Sharon alum Kelsey Whiting pitched three innings of relief for UMass Boston, her longest outing of the season.
Although Simmons was swept in a doubleheader by Johnson and Wales, former Milford catcher Taylor LeBrun had a big day with a double and homer. She went 1-3 in game two and drove in three runs. Former North Attleboro player Mikaela Caracciolo also went 1-3 in game two with a bunt single. Caracciolo is hitting .375 this season and has driven in 19 runs. LeBrun has hit .317 in her freshman season with a pair of homers and 16 RBI and a .537 slugging percentage.
Sophomore Meg Colleran was named the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week and UMass Co-Athlete of the Week after picking up a 4-0 record in five appearances in the circle with an ERA of .62. She tossed her sixth shutout of the season against George Washington and matched her career-high with eight strikeouts. She struck out 23 in batters in 22-2/3 innings. Colleran is 16-14 on the season with a 2.04 ERA and 112 strikeouts.
Hannah Smith of Attleboro tossed a complete game in a 2-1 loss for UMass Dartmouth against Keene State. Smith struck out four in the loss and moved her season record to 11-7 with an ERA of 2.59. In the second game of the doubleheader King Philip alum Maddie O’Gryzek went 2-4 for the Corsairs with a run scored and an RBI. She is batting .319 in her rookie season.
Former Milford player Caroline Fairbanks went 5-8 as Wheaton College split a doubleheader with Smith College on Sunday. She went 2-4 in the opening game (an 8-6 loss) and drove in a pair of runs. In the second game, Fairbanks went 3-4 and drove in another three runs. Fairbanks is hitting .427 this year with nine homers and 31 RBI. In the same game former Franklin player Rebecca Seifert went 1-3 with an RBI, as Wheaton rolled to an 8-1 win.
MEN’S LACROSSE
Former King Philip attacker Brandon King scored a hat trick for Clark University in a 14-8 win over Mass. Maritime that helped the Cougars reach nine wins in a season for the first time in program history. He added another goal on Wednesday in a loss to Springfield College. King, a freshman, is among the team leaders with 12 goals this season and he has also recorded an assist for Clark.
Former Franklin player Connor Trainor made 10 saves for St. Joseph’s College of Maine in a loss to Mount Ida. Trainor, a sophomore, has started all 15 games this year and has made 182 saves, including twice making 18 saves in a game (in losses to Johnson and Wales and the University of New England).
Former Sharon player Jake Rotman has played in 15 games this season for Salisbury University and has scored 15 goals and assisted on 11 others for the country’s No. 1 ranked Div. III team, according to LaxMagazine and the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association coaches poll. The senior midfielder has jumped from 12 points last year to 26 this season, as the Sea Gulls get set for the conference tournament final.
Alex Pacitti scored a first half goal for St. Anselm in a 14-8 win over Bentley that clinched the team a berth in the NE-10 tournament for the third time in the past four seasons. Pacitti, a junior midfielder from Foxboro, is tied for second on the team with 20 goals and has also chipped in with five assists in 12 games.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Nicole Ellin had a goal and assist, three draw controls, and forced two turnovers in Bard College’s loss to Rochester on Friday. The former Franklin lax and soccer star added a goal and three ground balls in a loss to RIT on Saturday. Ellin led the team with 25 goals and 31 points this season. She added 44 draw controls and 36 ground balls for the Raptors.
Mansfield alum Kristen Tuleja had two goals and three assists for Emmanuel College in a 20-8 win over Rivier last Saturday, Heading into the regular season finale this weekend, the senior midfielder has a team-high 54 goals and added 15 assists. In her four-year career, Tuleja has scored 206 goals and has recorded 77 assists.
Sophomore Jaimee Lutz has been on a scoring streak for Fitchburg State. The Foxboro grad has scored at least one goal in her last nine games, eight of those were wins for the Falcons. Lutz has 23 goals and eight assists on the season. Her former Foxboro teammate Carrie Long has also had a strOng sophomore season for the Falcons with 10 goals and an assist. Long scored two goals in a game twice, including two against Worcester State on Saturday, and has played in all 17 games.
Another former Foxboro player, Katie Notarangelo, had three draw controls in MIT’s loss to Babson College on Wednesday. Notarangelo, a sophomore midfielder, is fourth on the team with 41 points this season (35 goals and six assists). She is also third on the team with 29 ground balls and second with 45 draw controls.
Former King Philip player Alyssa DeLuca has scored 16 goals in the last five games for Illinois Tech, including four against Concordia Chicago and then a hat trick against Benedictine on Wednesday. DeLuca has scored 49 goals this season, 17 more than the team’s next top scorer, and also has four assists. She is also third on the team with 25 draw controls despite missing a pair of games in midseason.
Bridget Doherty scored a hat trick and added an assist for Lasell College in a big win over Albert Magnus on Tuesday. It was the second straight hat trick for the Franklin alum, a senior midfielder, who also scored three goals against Johnson and Wales. Doherty has scored 20 goals in 15 games this season and also has 16 assists.
Canton grad Sam Sullivan scored five goals in Plymouth State’s 13-7 win over Southern Maine on Wednesday. The sophomore attacker has scored a team-high 40 goals this season and added five assists for the Panthers. It was the second time this season that Sullivan notched five goals in a game and she also scored six against Lasell in March. Fellow sophomore Jordyn Kim of Sharon has played in 12 games this season and has chipped in with a goal.
Two-time HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Marta Versprille scored a pair of goals for St. Anselm College against Assumption on Wednesday. It was the fourth straight game with at least one goal for the sophomore midfielder, who is fourth on the team with 13 goals this season. She also has four assists and is second on the team with 24 draw controls, tied for third with 17 ground balls, and tied for the team lead with 17 caused turnovers.
Salve Regina senior Abby Tepper closed out her collegiate career with two goals and two assist in a loss to UMass Dartmouth on Wednesday. Tepper was tied for second on the team with 23 goals and added five assists. She was also second on the team with 35 ground balls and tied for fourth with 10 caused turnovers. Former Attleboro player Kerri Beland started nine games this season for Salve and had 18 ground balls and six draw controls.
Foxboro alum Ellen Decker scored a pair of goals and had two assists in Southern New Hampshire’s loss to New Haven on Wednesday. The junior midfielder has scored 24 goals and assisted on 18 others this season, good for fourth on the team in scoring. She is also third on the team with 39 draw controls. Another former Foxboro player, freshman Mary Beth Sweeney, has played in all 16 games for SHNU this year and has scored seven goals and had three assists in her rookie campaign.
Westfield State senior captain Blair Smith of Milford scored from 10 yards out with 1:10 left in overtime to hand the Owls a 12-11 victory over Bridgewater State on April 19. Smith is tied for second on the team with 20 goals this season. Olivia Overdahl, another former Milford player, has played 14 games and scored two goals in her freshman season. Liz Navoni, a freshman from Mansfield, has scored four goals in 13 games this year and Maria Woodall, a freshman goalie from King Philip, has played in six games and made 11 saves.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Providence College senior Alana Prinos, a Foxboro grad, closed out the regular season by helping the Friars top doubles team earn a point in 6-1 loss to Seton Hall that closed out the regular season. Heading into the Big East Championships, Prinos has a career singles record of 46-44 and doubles record of 46-43.
Emma Prinos of Foxboro picked up a point at second doubles for Stonehill in a narrow win against Hartford on April 17. Prinos teamed with fellow sophomore Victoria Barbetta for a 7-5 win in the final regular season match.
Below is an update on former Hockomock League athletes currently competing in collegiate sports. If you would like to submit an update, please e-mail info@HockomockSports.com.
Joe Farroba’s Bridgewater State team is full of former Hockomock players and for the first time this season, all five of them made up his starting lineup on Thursday night. Oliver Ames’ Ryan Carney, Taunton’s Fawaz Mass, Milford’s Michael Soares and Mansfield’s Greg Romanko and Rocky DeAndrade. The five combined for 72 of the team’s 83 points in a double overtime win over UMass Boston. It was Carney’s first collegiate start and he didn’t disappoint, scoring a career-high 23 points while Romanko also netted a career-high 18 points. For the season, Mass leads the Bears in scoring with 15.2 points (5.6 rebounds), DeAndrade is third with 8.9 points (3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists), Romanko has 8.8 points (3.3 rebounds), Carney 8.3 points and Soares 3.1 points (2.1 rebounds).
Canton’s Olivia Murphy has been a monster for UMass Boston so far during his senior season, leading the team with 20.1 points and 15.6 rebounds a game. She’s been a nuisance for opponents by averaging an impressive 8.4 offensive rebounds per game and is leading the team with 2.6 blocks a game.
Former HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Sam Bohmiller has played a big role for Babson in the first part of the season. Bohmiller has started in all 11 games, averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and has connected on a team-high 17 three pointers. Babson is 7-4 so far this season.
Franklin’s Lexi Martin has missed the past two games but has been a vital piece for Merrimack so far in her freshman year. Through her 12 appearances, Martin has averaged 6.4 points per game, shooting nearly 50% from the floor. She’s added 2.3 rebounds a game as well. Back at the beginning of December, Martin poured in a career high 19 points in a 72-68 win up at St. Michael’s.
Taunton’s Angie Martinez continues to be the go-to scorer for Mount Ida in her junior season. Martinez is averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game while also pulling in over 13 rebounds a game (another team-high). Over the Mustangs’ past three games, Martinez has averaged 19 points, including dropping 23 points in a 59-57 win over Becker.
Out in Worcester, a trio of former Milford Scarlet Hawks are playing a big role for Clark. Juniors David Mercier and Joe Atkinson are both regulars in the lineup while former Milford coach Steve Manguso is in his third year as Associate Head Coach. Former North Attleboro standout Justin Perron is in his first year as an assistant coach. Mercier is averaging 9.3 points per game and 4.4 rebounds while Atkinson is scoring 7.4 points per game, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals.
At Framingham State, Joe McCabe is having a solid start to his senior season. A former Canton standout, McCabe is a captain and has appeared in all of the Rams games except for one. McCabe is coming off his best scoring performance since November, scoring 10 points against Salem State.
A trio of Hockomock alums – all from different schools – are the captains at Colby Sawyer this year. Mansfield’s Katie McCarthy, Oliver Ames’ Kristin Ellis and Sharon’s Jessica Shenkel are the captains are all in the top six in scoring on the team. Shenkel leads the 7-4 Chargers at 11.4 points per game, Ellis has averaged 5.5 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds and McCarthy has 3.7 points a team-best 3.7 assists a game.
King Philip alum John Mullane is just one of two players to start all 10 games for Elmira College in New York. Mullane, a senior, is averaging 6.4 points per game, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He also leads the Eagles in free throw attempts (25) and offensive rebounds (16). Mullane had a season-best 13 rebounds in the team’s 62-59 win over Endicott at the end of December.
King Philip graduate Ellen Wagner has impressed early on in her sophomore year for Roanoke College. Wagner is fourth on the team in scoring with 7.7 points and four rebounds a game. She scored a career-high 17 points back in December, shooting over 72% of the floor to help the Maroons to a big win over Mary Baldwin College.
Former Stoughton 1,000 pointer scorer Aaron Calixte has appeared in all 14 games for Maine, a D1 team, this season. Calixte is averaging 8.1 points per game, shooting at nearly 50% from the floor. He is averaging 2.4 assists per game and 2.6 rebounds as the Bears are 4-10 so far this season.
Speaking of D1 programs, former KP star Jake Layman and Maryland is ranked third in the country. Layman has started in all 15 games and is averaging 11.1 points per game and 5.3 rebounds a game. He has 18 steals and 14 blocks on the season. Layman had one of his best games of the season when he dropped 18 points in the Terps 88-63 win over Rutgers.
Over at UMass Dartmouth, former HockomockSports.com Girls Basketball Player of the Year Meg Ronaghan scored her 1,000 career point in the fourth quarter in a win over Salem State. The North Attleboro grad scored 21 points in the game to reach the milestone. Check back on Sunday for our feature story on Ronaghan.
Also at Umass Dartmouth, Franklin graduate Alicia Kutil has started all 10 games and is averaging 9.5 points per game, which is fourth on the team. Kutil is also averaging 4.9 rebounds while Milford grad Jess Pye has appeared in five games so far for the 8-2 Corsairs.
On Wednesday, former Mansfield standout and 2015 Hockomock League Boys Basketball MVP Ryan Boulter dropped career-high 17 points in his 11th game played for Merrimack. The Warriors needed a late bucket to secure the win but Boulter was a big reason that Merrimack was in it. Coming off the bench, Boulter played 26 minutes and shots 55% from the floor and hit five three pointers. So far in his rookie year, Boulter is averaging 5.8 points per game.
Another former Mansfield player, Kevin Conner, has started in all 11 of Mount Ida’s game so far, averaging 6 points per game and 3.6 rebounds a game. The Mustangs are 4-5 so far while Conner’s best game came back in December in a one point loss to Johnson & Wales. The sophomore had a season-best 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in the game.
Former HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Karlie O’Driscoll has been a big part of Caldwell’s nine wins i 15 games so far this season. The Sharon alum is third on the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game while she leads the teams in rebounds at 5.8 per game. In the two games in 2016, O’Driscoll has reached double figures both times, scoring 24 points over the two games.
Taunton’s Chris Green and Sharon’s Jimmy Fritzson are the two leading scorers for Rhode Island College through 12 games this season. Green is scoring a team-best 18.3 points a game, also averaging 3.4 rebounds a game and has shot nearly 90% at the free throw line. Fritzson, a former 1,000 point scorer for the Eagles, is second on the team with 11.3 points per game and is averaging 2.1 rebounds a game.
Former Franklin big man Marcus Giese is enjoying a successful start to his collegiate career at RPI. Standing at 6’8, Giese has played and scored in every single game this season. He’s averaging 6.4 points per game (a career high 10 came against Hibert in November), is pulling in 5.3 boards a game and 2.1 assists per game. RPI is 7-4 so far this season and 1-1 in conference play.
Sharon’s Emilee Daley scored a season-high 17 points in Boston College’s win over Bryant just before the new year. Daley was 7/11 from the floor and had a pair of rebounds and assists in just 23 minutes of play. Daley, who played two years at Sharon, is averaging 8.3 points per game and 3.1 rebounds off the bench for the 11-1 Eagles.
Attleboro’s Kerri Beland is currently third in scoring at 6.0 points per game for Salve Regina. Beland has started in 10 games so far this season and is pulling down 3.3 rebounds a game and has 1.5 assists a game. Back in December, the former Bombardier scored 12 points in a win over Curry.
Former Oliver Ames 1,000 point scorer Caitlyn Abela is second in scoring for Saint Anselm, who is 7-5 to start the season. Abela is averaging 10.4 points per game, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. In the month of December, Abela scored 61 points over five games for the Hawks. Her strongest scoring performance of the year came when she scored 19 points in a loss at Assumption.
Another former player for OA’s Laney Clement-Holbrook is enjoying success at the D1 level. Asia Mitchell-Owens is currently third in scoring with 10.5 points per game for UMass Lowell. Mitchell-Owens has started in all 13 games for the River Hawks (3-10). The former Tigers is also averaging 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game.
Former Attleboro coach Missy Traversi’s Wildcats are 6-2 so far this season. Wheelock has four straight games and Attleboro grad Bri Hochwarter is a big season. The junior is second in scoring at 12.9 points per game and has scored in double figures in each of the last four games.
