Canton senior Maggie Malloy has been selected as the HockomockSports.com Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, for Dec. 16 through Dec. 22. Malloy is the 12th player chosen as Player of the Week for the 2018-19 school year and the second player in the winter season.
Malloy had a big week, scoring seven goals, to lead Canton to a pair of wins, including a win at King Philip in the Bulldogs’ league opener. Malloy now has nine goals in four games this year and the defending Hockomock champions and Div. 2 state finalists are unbeaten at 4-0, outscoring those four opponents 20-3.
Malloy was held scoreless in the opening game of the season, but tallied two goals in Canton’s win against Plymouth South. This week, she boosted her scoring total with a pair of impressive performances. Malloy scored all four of Canton’s goals in a 4-1 win against KP, tallying twice in the first period and once each in the second and third to seal the points for the Bulldogs. On Saturday, Malloy was at it again, recording a hat trick against Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake in an 8-0 victory.
This is the second Player of the Week honor for Malloy, who also earned the recognition in March during Canton’s run to the MIAA Division 2 State Championship game last season. This marks the first time that an athlete has been selected twice for Player of the Week for the same sport.
The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision.
Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 7 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Attleboro’s Sam Larkin scored a hat trick to help the Bombardiers get past Foxboro. Ryan Morry added two goals while Cam Littig and Nate Parker each scored once.
Franklin, 1 @ Newburyport, 3 – Final
King Philip, 2 vs. Archbishop Williams, 5 – Final – Ryan Fitzpatrick and Garrett Maxwell scored for King Philip but the Warriors suffered a setback to Archies.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Nauset, 0 – Final – Freshman Bryan Kearns scored the game’s only goal, assisted by Cullen Gallagher and Hunter Costello. Owen Connor was strong in the OA goal, making 25 saves to preserve the shutout and the win.
Stoughton, 1 @ Old Rochester, 8 – Final – Stoughton’s Carter Gerome scored and Thomas McCoy made 35 saves for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 5 @ Somerset-Berkley, 1 – Final – Taunton led by a goal at the end of each the first (1-0) and second periods (2-1), and then scored three third period goals to secure the win. Mike Albert (goal, two assists), Andrew Carter (goal, assist), Nick Vandermeel (goal, assist), and Cam Faria (two assists) each had multi-point games for the Tigers. Andrew Gomes made 26 saves to earn the win.
Girls Hockey
Canton, 8 @ Whitman-Hanson, 0 – Final – Maggie Malloy notched a hat trick, giving her seven goals in the last two games, and freshman Tess Khoury had a pair of goals to lead the Bulldogs to the road win.
Franklin, 4 vs. Algonquin, 1 – Final – Cassi Ronan scored two goals for the second straight game to help Franklin stay unbeaten on the season and hand the T-hawks their first loss. Gina Vignone and Amanda Lewandowski also scored for the Panthers, while sophomore Gabby Colace returned from injury to pick up her first win in net.
King Philip, 2 @ Dennis-Yarmouth, 3 – Final
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 0 @ Longmeadow, 4 – Final – MOA freshman Jess Widdop made 28 saves for the Warriors.
Stoughton, 2 vs. Cambridge, 8 – Final
Wrestling
Haverhill Quad (Canton, Mansfield)
Franklin, 51 @ Ashland, 17 – Final
Monty Tech Duals – King Philip finished second overall at the tournament.
Norton Quad – Sharon went 1-2 on the day, beating Danvers (48-28) but losing to Hingham (36-30) and to Norton (45-22). Alex Bolt went 3-0 for the Eagles.
Whitman-Hanson Quad – Stoughton went 4-1 on the day, losing to Plymouth South (46-27) but beating Carver (51-12), Middleboro (54-29), Josiah Quincy (47-18) and Whitman-Hanson (51-30).
Brockton Quad (Taunton) – The Tigers suffered setbacks to Brockton, Wayland, and Sandwich. Mason Frank (285) had two wins for the Tigers, both by pins. Brandon Mendes (106, pin), Ben Mandeville (113, pin), Tyler Lima (126, pin), Candido Santos (160), Ryan Silva (195, pin), and Devin Wilson (220, pin) each had a win for Taunton.
Gymnastics
Attleboro @ Taunton, 4:00
Mansfield @ Attleboro, 4:00
Franklin, 136 @ King Philip, 131.6 – Final – Franklin’s Mia Lizotte won the all-around with a score of 36.35. Lizotte finished with scores of 9.35 on the bar, 9.2 on the vault and the floor exercise, and 8.6 on the beam. Sophomore Emma Owens (8.9), freshman Kate Rudolph (8.85), and sophomore Lexi Lupien (8.5) also had high scores on the vault. On the floor, Franklin got an 8.8 from Rudolph and 8.5 from her classmate Caroline Woelfel, as well as scores of 8.4 from Owens and senior Sadie Rondeau.
Canton senior Maggie Malloy scored all four of the Bulldogs’ goals in a 4-1 road win at King Philip. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – During last year’s state tournament, forward Maggie Malloy caught fire and gave Canton the offensive firepower to match its solid play in the defensive zone. Malloy scored six goals and had three game-winners during that tournament run and it appears that momentum has carried right over to this season.
Malloy scored all four of her team’s goals on Wednesday night at the Foxboro Sports Center to help Canton open its Hockomock League title defense with a 4-1 road win against King Philip. She has six goals in three games to start the new year.
“She’s always going to have the offensive stuff but coming into this year we talked about how we needed her to be more complete,” said Canton coach Dennis Aldrich about Malloy’s play in all three zones. “We have a lot of young kids and her defensive game has really improved a lot and everybody sees that and that’s what they want to do too.”
It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to open the scoring. Sophomore Ellie Rae Roberts (two assists) drove down the right side of the ice and sent a puck into the slot where Malloy was camped out. She fired a shot past KP goalie Lilly Potts (12 saves) and handed the visitors a 1-0 lead inside the first two minutes.
“We talked about getting off to a good start,” Aldrich explained. “They always play us really well and we thought it was important to come out quick and really pressure them. They’ve got some really dynamic players…so we had to get on them and not give them any space.”
Canton nearly doubled the lead a couple minutes later with Roberts having a shot from the right circle kicked aside and then Potts was quickly out to smother Malloy’s rebound attempt. KP’s first attempt on target came with four minutes left in the first when freshman Sydney O’Shea forced a save from the right wall.
KP started to get a foothold in the game over the final few minutes of the first period, but again Malloy was there to pounce on a rare scoring chance. On the power play, Alexa Maffeo kept the puck in at the blue line and got the puck to Malloy, who was able to pick an opening past Potts.
“That goal late in the period was kind of deflating at the time because the girls were playing really well at that point,” said KP coach Jack Unger. “Canton is a very, very good team and you can’t afford to make any mistakes and we had times where we couldn’t get the puck out of our zone just due to a couple small errors and they took advantage of it.”
Down 2-0 at the start of the second, the Warriors had a great chance to cut the lead in half. Alli Meehan weaved through the Canton defense onto her backhand, but was denied by Canton goalie Ava Pacitti. It was a big moment for the senior netminder, who is in her first varsity season, taking over after Colleen Kelleher graduated.
Aldrich said, “Ava’s been really making some good saves for us. We’re used to having that, it’s just a different number but she’s really embraced this team and the team has embraced her. It certainly doesn’t look like she hasn’t played before this year.”
The Bulldogs came close to a third midway through the period when freshman Tess Khoury teed up Malloy in the slot, but Potts was there for a big stop. Maria Femia followed that with a shot off that caromed off the post and then Potts made good stops to deny Roberts and Malloy on the edge of the crease. Lauren Fitzpatrick also forced a save with a shot from the right circle.
Malloy completed her hat trick with three minutes left in the second. Khoury set her up alone in the middle of the zone and Malloy showed remarkable patience before firing a shot under the bar.
Meanwhile, on the other end, Canton was holding KP to just eight shots through two periods, combining strong defensive play with aggressive back-checking from the forwards. In particular, Aldrich praised his seniors, Malloy and Fitzpatrick for setting the tone.
“Lauren Fitzpatrick is one of those players who can have a great game without scoring a goal,” he said. “This was one of the best games she’s ever played and I don’t think she got a point.”
KP came out strong in the third period, but Malloy essentially sealed the win inside three minutes. She stole a puck on the edge of the attacking zone, dragged the puck to her left, opened up her body and found the back of the net.
The Warriors didn’t stop skating, despite being down by four goals. Sammy Robison fired a shot from the point that was redirected inches wide by Meghan Gorman. Nicole Connor, who was all over the ice for KP, fired a shot from the point that Pacitti (16 saves) gloved and then was denied by a quick pad on a wraparound attempt.
With 3:49 left to play in the game, KP got on the board. Sophomore Avri Maxwell went five-hole with a shot from outside the right circle for a power play goal. She almost got a second a minute later but Pacitti stopped two efforts on goal.
KP outshot the Bulldogs 9-3 in the third and 17-16 for the game. “We knew we were down by three goals and it’s a young team but we’ve got some veterans who are pretty competitive and they don’t like to lose, so they wanted to go out and at least try to win that third period.”
He added, “They had the effort from start to finish, we just need to put the puck in the net more.”
Canton (3-0) will look to continue its unbeaten start to the season on Saturday with a trip to Whitman-Hanson. King Philip (1-2-1) will take the trip to Dennis-Yarmouth looking to get back to .500 on the season.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 44 vs. Cumberland, 24 – Final – Attleboro bounced back from last night’s loss with a strong defensive performance to earn its first win of the season. Mackenzie Roberts had 11 points to lead the Bombardiers, Liv McCall scored nine, and Jordyn Lako had eight points and 11 rebounds. Attleboro coach Marty Crowley added that senior Dom Garnes gave the Bombardiers great defense off the bench.
Boys Hockey
Canton, 7 vs. Plymouth South, 2 – Final – Canton senior Ryan Nolte scored a hat trick and junior Chris Lavoie found the back of the net twice as Canton opened its season with a win over Plymouth South. The Bulldogs will play Plymouth North in the final of the Jim Gormley Cup on Saturday at 4:00 at Gallo.
Foxboro, 6 vs. Tri-County, 0 – Final
Mansfield, 4 vs. Walpole, 1 – Final – Mansfield built a 2-0 lead after the first period, extended it to 3-1 in the second, and added an insurance goal in the third to pick up its second win of the season. The Hornets had four different goal scorers with Matt Copponi, Brad Grant, Jack Garland, and Ben Ierardo each lighting the lamp. Copponi, Grant, and Austin Ricker each had assists. The Hornets cashed in twice on the power play and went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Stoughton, 1 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 5 – Final – Carter Gerome scored the lone goal in the Black Knights’ season-opener.
Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 vs. Plymouth South, 0 – Final – Maggie Malloy scored a pair of goals and added an assist as Canton improved to 2-0 on the season. Ava Pacitti made 11 saves in net to earn the shutout.
Franklin, 4 vs. Medway, 3 – Final – Cassi Ronan scored a pair of goals and Regan Paterson and Libby Carter each tallied once to lift the Panthers to a season-opening win.
King Philip, 1 vs. Walpole, 4 – Final
Stoughton, 2 vs. Scituate, 11 – Final
Wrestling
Canton, 36 @ Oliver Ames, 31 – Final – Remi Creighton, Nick McGovern, Billy Tat, Andrew Fraser, and Dean Pacini all earned wins for Oliver Ames but the Tigers suffered a setback to Canton.
Foxboro, 41 vs. Dedham, 33 – Final
Franklin, 49 vs. Tri-County, 19 – Final
North Attleboro, 27 @ Mansfield, 45 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this match. – Mansfield showed off its strength, experience, and versatility in the middle weights to earn a non-league win against North Attleboro. The Hornets led 33-0 after starting the meet at 120 pounds. Antonios Sevastos earned a 10-3 win to start the Hornets off with four points and Andy Triantafilopoulos followed with a 17-2 win at 126. Steven Chase earned a pin at 132 and Stefan Steyn won 2-0 at 138. Will Stratton won at 145 and CJ and George Glaropoulos each followed with pins. Montrell Jackson got North’s first team points with a pin, coming back from 6-1 down in the first and 8-6 down in the third to make it 33-6. Jayden Curley answered back with a pin at 182, but North won three straight matches to cut into the lead. Liam Rizk won at 195 and then John Kummer (220), Mateusz Kudra (285), and Tanner Ferguson (106) had back-to-back-to-back pins. Max Farley closed the meet for the Hornets with a pin at 113.
Sharon, 69 @ Taunton, 12 – Final – The Eagles had 10 wrestlers win by pinfall to earn a win over Taunton. Adam Landstein (106), Ben Shocket (113), Amit Levin (120), Vinay Chinnam (126), Aaron Cashton (132), Kevin Simons (138), Tyler Cashton (145), Andrew Ableman (160), Jon Wald (182), and Alex Bolt (195) each earned a victory by fall for Sharon. Taunton’s Corey Abelard (220) and Mason Frank (285) each win by pinfall in under a minute.
Boys Swimming
Canton, 81 @ King Philip, 88 – Final – King Philip captains Tyler Stringfellow and Colby Vieira both had strong performances in the first meet of the season for the Warriors. Stringfellow won the 50 free while Vieira took first in the 100 fly and 10 backstroke. Cameron Stringfellow, John Dionis, and Dean Whyte added first place finishes, while Jackson Klein and Andrew Pham were consistent point scorers as well.
North Attleboro, 69 @ Oliver Ames, 93 – Final
Girls Swimming
Canton, 89 @ King Philip, 79 – Final – King Philip’s Megan Campbell, Jess Sullivan, Cate Digiacomo, and Morgan Sachleben put forth a strong effort with first places finishes for the Warriors.
King Philip and Franklin will do battle again this winter in the second season of Hockomock League girls hockey and both will look to unseat inaugural champion Canton. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
2017-2018 Record: 2017-2018 Finish: Reached Div. 2 state title game. Coach: Dennis Aldrich
For two straight winters, Canton has advanced to the TD Garden to play in the Div. 2 state title game. Two years ago, the Bulldogs shocked everyone by getting to the final, but last season there was an expectation that Canton could make a deep tournament run. Those high expectations are there again this year, as the first-ever Hockomock League champions return two experienced lines of forwards and defensemen that all saw time during the tournament run.
The first line returns the team’s top two scorers with senior forwards Maggie Malloy (10 goals, 13 assists) and Lauren Fitzpatrick (14 goals, nine assists) forming a dynamic partnership that sparked the Bulldogs attack last season. Malloy was particularly prolific in the playoffs, providing decisive goals throughout the playoffs. Second line center Andrea McNeil has graduated but sophomores Lizzie Tassinari, Maria Femia, and Ellie Rae Roberts provided speed and energy during solid rookie seasons.
Defense has been Canton’s best weapon in each of the last two seasons. Although outstanding goalie Colleen Kelleher has graduated, senior Ava Pacitti is earning rave reviews during the preseason and she will have a well-drilled group of defensemen in front of her. Seniors Katie Trerice and Leah McClellan and junior Meg Aldrich and Alexa Maffeo will form a solid top two pairings at the blue line, with McClellan adding the different dimension of also jumping into the attack as often as possible.
“Canton’s staple has always been one of a hard skating, defensively stingy, opportunistic team. This year should be no exception,” said Canton coach Dennis Aldrich, who is looking forward to the new challenge of defending a Hockomock League title.
2017-2018 Record: 14-4-4 2017-2018 Finish: Reached Div. 1 first round. Coach: Margie Burke
Franklin had a very strong 2017-18 season, winning 14 games, including one in the postseason, and will try to build on that momentum to make another run at the postseason and to challenge inaugural league champ Canton at the top of the standings.
There is plenty of experience coming back to power the Panthers up the league standings. Senior Regan Paterson is one of the league’s top skaters and was the league’s top scorer last year with 18 goals and seven assists. Sophomores Victoria Quinn, Amanda Lewandowski, and Libby Carter will also provide offense after combining for 16 goals as freshmen. Junior Jordan Dwyer is also back up top after a 12-point season last year. While this a lot of youth in the forward lines, all saw time last season.
Defense will be one of the team’s strengths this season, with juniors Tina Pisano, Gina Vignone, and Gianna Cameron and senior Cassi Ronan all back to lead a veteran crew. One of the biggest changes for the Panthers will be in goal. Natalie Stott had an impressive freshman campaign but left to attend prep school, so Franklin will turn to sophomore Gabby Colace, who allowed only 0.56 goals against, saved 96 percent of the shots she faced, and had three shutouts as a freshman, and is ready to step into a bigger role. Senior Gianna Cornetta will also see time in net.
Franklin coach Margie Burke, who was honored with the National Ice Hockey Officials Association (NIHOA) Coach of the Year award last March, said, “I expect the hockey [in the league] to be very competitive again this year.”
2017-2018 Record: 11-9-2 2017-2018 Finish: Reached Div. 2 first round. Coach: Jack Unger
King Philip finished second in the inaugural season of Hockomock girls hockey and nearly reached the Div. 2 quarterfinal, only losing to Archbishop Williams by single goal, and the Warriors bring back their leading scorers to try and make a run at the Hock title. With a mix of experience and youth, KP could give Canton a run in the league and be poised for a tournament run as well.
The forward line will be very experienced with seniors Meghan Gorman, Alli Meehan, Alli Wilson, and Emily Brawley all back to provide scoring punch. Leading scorer Nicole Connor is also back and the senior defender is one of the most dynamic players in the league, giving KP strong play at the blue line and adding to the attack. Connor will be joined in the defense by seniors Madelyn Kelley and Lilly Worthington.
Goaltending should be a strength for the Warriors this season with senior Lilly Potts and junior Cristina Coleman both capable of shutting down the opposition. The team is also loaded with underclassmen, which bodes well for the program’s future. Freshmen Sydney O’Shea and Morgan Cunningham are a pair of newcomers that could make instant contributions for the Warriors this season.
“Despite being a younger team overall, the players have tremendous potential,” said KP coach Jack Unger. “Typical of all the sports programs within the Hockomock League, each game is against the best inter-league contestants out there. We all have the ability to beat one another each time out.”
2017-2018 Record: 12-7-3 2017-2018 Finish: Reached Div. 1 first round. Coach: Roy Bain
While Mansfield/Oliver Ames has a new coach, as Roy Bain takes over the program this season, and will be looking to move on without leading scorer Cat Luciano, who is now at Holy Cross, there are 15 players returning from the team that got back into the state tournament last winter and nine freshmen that have added depth to the growing program.
Seniors Isabelle Shanteler (Mansfield) and Mackenzi Fraser (Foxboro) will try to make up some of Luciano’s scoring from last year. The duo will be on the top scoring line along with freshman Kylie O’Keefe (Foxboro) and provide the speed and energy to jumpstart the MOA attack. Unlike past years, the Warriors won’t be counting on one player to dominate the stats but will look to take advantage of its depth. Senior Lindsey Corning (Mansfield) will center the second line between sophomore wingers Ella Waryas (Foxboro) and Emma Garland (Mansfield), while sophomores Alex Ledin (OA) and Lily O’Brien (Mansfield) have shown promise as centers as well.
The defense is led by senior Danae Reager (Foxboro), who has been a varsity player for four years and sets the standard for the blue line group. Sophomores Melissa Shanteler (Mansfield) and Emma Pereira (OA) will be paired together, while Reager will be paired with sophomore Megan O’Hara (Mansfield). Freshman Jess Widdop (OA) has been outstanding in net during the preseason and has built the team’s confidence heading into the opening game.
Bain said of his new goalie, “In the 10 days since we’ve started practicing, she’s been nothing short of impressive. Her athleticism and work ethic will serve the team well as we enter the season.”
2017-2018 Record: 4-17 2017-2018 Finish: Missed postseason. Coach: Rich Grasso
Last winter, Stoughton had its best season as a program, winning four games, including a three-game win streak early in the schedule. This year, the Black Knights will get a boost from a co-op with Sharon, which should increase the numbers in the program as it tries to add its first win in the Hockomock League to its recent accomplishments.
The loss of leading scorer Julia Russell to an injury, which also kept her out of the field hockey season, will be tough, but the Black Knights have several other experienced players coming back to try and pick up the slack. Senior Katie Widrow is one of the leaders on the forward line and she will be joined up front by sophomore Morgan Lessa and a pair of newcomers to keep an eye on: junior Taylor Kim and sophomore Samantha Sherman.
On defense, senior Jordan Lyons and sophomore Haley Nelson will be the returning players to watch, keeping things organized on the blue line. Behind the defense, junior goalie Brianna Buckley will be between the posts to try and keep the opposition out. Stoughton coach Rich Grasso called Buckley the team’s “show stopper” and she is looking to build off a solid year of experience in goal.
“The team has one goal in mind and that is to make the tournament,” said Grasso. “This is a huge task being in the Hockomock League playing against powerhouse teams…We are small in numbers but talented. Looking forward to proving we belong in that league.”
Canton senior forward Maggie Malloy (27) is one of the players to watch as the Hockomock Leagues second season of girls hockey kicks off. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
The Black Knights are coming off the best season in the young program’s history, having won four games last winter and Buckley was one of the reasons for the team’s success, backstopping the defense and at times doing everything she could to keep Stoughton in games. While not one of the biggest goalies around, Buckley plays much larger (like she is 6-foot-3, according to head coach Rich Grasso) and she is able to cover a lot of ground with her quickness. She is also an aggressive goalie, challenging shooters, and athletic enough to pull off the tough saves. Stoughton has added a co-op with Sharon for this season and the program is continuing to grow. With Buckley in net, the Black Knights have a great building block to try and carry over the momentum from last season and take it to another level this year.
Connor is one of the top defensive players in the Hockomock League, but it is her versatility that really sets her apart. Connor was KP’s top goal scorer last season with 12 and was second on the Warriors (and tied for sixth in the league) with 22 points. Not only is she able to stop the opponents in one zone, but she can carry the puck the length of the ice and create a scoring chance on the other end. A tenacious player, who brings a ton of energy to the ice, Connor is also a talented skater and has the stick skills of a forward. With Connor returning at the blue line, and giving a boost to the Warriors experienced forward line, KP will be expecting to challenge Canton for the league title.
Fitzpatrick was one of the main reasons that the Bulldogs won the inaugural Hockomock League title and reached a second straight Div. 2 title game at the TD Garden. She was tied for the team lead with 23 points and was the team leader with 14 goals on the season. Fitzpatrick has great skill on the puck and with her strength is tough to move off it as she carries into the attacking zone. She also has a great shot on the move and can score from different areas of the ice. Her partnership with Maggie Malloy heading into the state tournament last year was a huge boost for the Bulldogs and she is already off to a great start with a pair of goals in the season-opening win against Sandwich on Saturday. Canton will be hoping to make a third straight run to the Garden and if the Bulldogs are going to get there again Fitzpatrick’s goals are going to be a critical piece.
Gorman, who is also a star on the softball field, led the Warriors and was second in the Hockomock League in scoring last season. She finished with 24 points (eight goals and 16 assists) and she was one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers. Gorman has speed all over the ice and the vision to set up her teammates in great positions. She is strong on the puck and willing to chase it down into the corners to create scoring chances and her energy and aggressiveness sparks the rest of the team. KP was very close to a spot in the Div. 2 quarterfinal, losing by a single goal to Archies, and the Warriors will have their sights set on more this winter. Gorman is the focal point of the forward line and her experience and skills will be a big boost to KP this season.
Malloy was the spark plug behind Canton’s tournament run last winter, scoring six goals and recording two assists in three playoff games and scoring the game-winner in all three to push the Bulldogs back to the TD Garden for the Div. 2 state title game for a second straight season. Malloy is one of the most tenacious forwards in the league, willing to chase down any puck into the corners, and with the strength to come out of any physical battle with the puck on her stick. A strong skater, an accomplished finisher, and a tough competitor in the face-off circle, Malloy brings a lot to the table and was one of the league’s leading scorers with 23 points in the regular season. Having already shown her capability of coming up big in the big moments, Malloy will once again be a focal point for the league’s top attack as the Bulldogs try to make it two league titles in two seasons.
While a lot of the attention is paid to the Canton forwards, the Bulldogs defense was critical to making a run to back-to-back state title games. Canton brings back an experienced crew of solid defensemen, but McClellan brings something a little different to the blue line group with her seemingly endless desire to get the puck forward quickly and try to create offense in transition. A three-zone player, McClellan has the speed to turn opposing attacks into offensive opportunities for the Bulldogs and the stick skills to weave her way through the neutral zone. Not just an attacking player, McClellan is also strong in the defensive zone and reads the play well to force the opposition to the outside. Scoring goals is a lot of fun, but defense is a key to success. Of course, if you can do both then it’s the perfect combination and the Bulldogs have the best of both worlds. McClellan is part of that balance with her skill set and she will be a major part of Canton’s attempt at defending its league title.
The Panthers had a strong season in 2017-18 and Paterson’s return is a major reason why confidence is high that Franklin can put together another run at the postseason and also put together a challenge for the league title. One of the most skilled forwards in the league, Paterson has the rare ability to pick up the puck in the defensive zone and carry it through the opposition to create a scoring chance on the opposite end. She also showed the patience and confidence in possession to bring the puck backwards if it will open up space. Paterson led the league with 18 goals and 25 points in the regular season last winter and she was able to create scoring chances for a talented group of underclassmen forwards. If the Panthers are going to push Canton in the league this season (after handing the Bulldogs their only league loss last year), Paterson’s leadership and scoring will be key.
The Panthers have the potential to be one of the teams to watch out for in the league this season and a lot of that comes from the talented group of young forwards who stepped in an provided immediate contributions last year. Quinn was one of those rookies who stepped in an instantly proved that she belonged at that level, scoring 16 points on five goals and 11 assists, with her speed, tenacity, and ability to finish. Along with classmates Amanda Lewandowski (forward) and Libby Carter (defense), the freshmen combined for 16 goals altogether and helped the Panthers score 69 goals as a team, which was second best in the Hock. Quinn has the potential to pair up with Regan Paterson and provide one of the top scoring groups in the league again this year.
One of the top returning defensemen in the league, Reager is a four-year varsity player and the leader of the Mansfield/Oliver Ames back line. The Foxboro senior is strong in the defensive zone and reads the play well to cover for teammates and be in the right spots when called upon. She also doesn’t shy away from the physical play, whether battling for a puck in the corner or trying to move forwards out of the crease. As MOA keeps trying to build and challenge for the top spot in the Hock, as well as get back into the state tournament, having a strong defensive unit will be a key for the Warriors. Reager gives MOA a tough presence at the blue line and sets the standard for the rest of the defensive pairings. The Warriors only gave up 31 goals last year, which is third best in the league and only nine more than league champ Canton, so Reager and her teammates will be looking to keep things solid in the back again and keep the program’s upward momentum.
While Reager and the defense (see above) will be a key to Mansfield/Oliver Ames making a run this season, Shanteler has a big role to play as well, in trying to fill the skates of graduated forward Cat Luciano, who was the team’s leading scorer last year. Shanteler had a strong winter with nine goals and six assists, good for second best on the team, and the Warriors will be counting on her to fire in the goals this year to keep the program heading in the right direction. A speedy forward with strong skill on the puck, who can carry it through the neutral zone and find scoring opportunities for herself or her teammates, Shanteler has the ability to find little seams in the opposing defense. MOA has aspirations of making a push at the top of the Hockomock League and Shanteler is one of the reasons why the Warriors are confident that a tournament run is on the horizon.
Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 2 vs. Martha’s Vineyard, 1 – Final – Ryan Morry and Sam Larkin each scored once as the Bombardiers skated to a season-opening win over visiting Martha’s Vineyard.
Foxboro, 6 @ Norton, 0 – Final – Foxboro opened its season in style, scoring three goals in the second period en route to a 6-0 win over Norton. Kirk Leach (two goals, assist), Ronnie MacLellan (two goals, two assists), and Brendan Tully (goal, two assists) all had multi-point games for the Warriors while junior Espen Reager played well in goal to record the shutout.
Mansfield, 9 vs. Newton North, 0 – Final – Mansfield scored three goals in the first period and never looked back in a season-opening win over Newton North. The Hornets scored three more in the second period, and added three goals in the final period. Jack Garland and Coleman O’Brien each scored a pair of goals and had an assist to pace the Hornet offense. Jake Lund (goal, two assists), Kevin Belanger (two assists), Matt Copponi (goal, two assists), Ben Ierardo (goal, assist) and Joe Troiano (goal, assist) each had multi-point games for Mansfield.
Oliver Ames, 6 @ Medway, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames outshot the Mustangs 23-9 and opened the season with a 6-1 decision. Seniors Colin Bourne and Cullen Gallagher each scored a pair of goals and had an assist while Max Ward and James Beatty each scored once and added a helper. Owen Connor earned the win in net for the Tigers.
Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 @ Sandwich, 2 – Final – Canton opened the season with a win on the road at Sandwich. Lauren Fitzpatrick paced the offense with a pair of goals while Maggie Malloy and Ellie Rae Roberts each scored once for the Bulldogs.
King Philip, 1 @ Ursuline Academy, 1 – Final – King Philip freshman Sydney O’Shea scored her first career goal as the Warriors skated to a 1-1 tie with Ursuline Academy.
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 4 @ Medfield/Norton, 3 – Final
Wrestling
Xaverian Quad (Canton) – Canton went 0-2-1 on the day at the Xaverian quad. The Bulldogs opened the day with a loss to the hosts (43-27) but bounced back to earn a tie with Burlington. Natalie Keppler earned a pin in her first varsity match to help the Dogs tie, 39-39. In the final match of the day, Canton was edged by Tyngsboro (40-39).
Danvers Quad (Foxboro), 9:30 – Foxboro picked up two wins in a super quad meet at Danvers but also suffered two setbacks to open the season. The Warriors picked up wins over Danvers (57-19) and Lowell (54-24) but lost to Shawsheen (46-25) and Chelmsford (49-28). Tommy Gallagher, Billy McNeil, and Tom Cullen went 4-0 on the day for Foxboro.
Mount Hope Tournament (Franklin, Stoughton) – At the annual Sharon Lombardo Holiday Tournament, Franklin took home the championship and Stoughton was fourth overall. Franklin placed first with 211.5 points with four champions and five finalists. Stoughton had two finalists and had 118.5 points. Franklin’s Jake Carlucci (113, dec. 8-7), Jordan Carlucci (132, pin 0:34), Ken Sauer (138, dec. 5-3), and Dominic Sackley (170, pin 3:09) won individual titles while Drew DiFilippo (106), Adam Colella (160), Caleb MacLean (160), Dylan Nawn (182), and Ben Jacoby (195) each finished second. Stoughton’s Thomas Ratcliff (170) and Carlvin Laguerre (285) each had second place finishes.
St. John’s (Shrewsbury) Quad (King Philip) – King Philip picked up two wins in its first action of the 2018-2018 season. The Warriors beat host St. John’s Shrewsbury (58-17) and Quabbin (48-24) but suffered a setback to Vermont’s Essex (45-27).
Lincoln-Sudbury Quad (Mansfield) – Mansfield opened the season in style, picking up three wins at the LS quad. The Hornets took down Brookline (51-29), Leominster (45-6), and Lincoln-Sudbury (60-23) to move to 3-0. Max Farley, Antonios Sevastos, Stefan Steyn, Will Stratton, CJ Glaropoulos, George Glaropoulos, and Jayden Curley each went undefeated on the day for the Hornets.
Milford Quad (Milford), 9:00
North Attleboro Quad (North Attleboro) – North Attleboro began the 2018-2019 campaign with three wins at its first quad meet of the season. The Rocketeers opened the day with a win over Burrillville (54-24), rolled over Whitman-Hanson (60-12) in the middle match, and closed with a win over East Providence (42-36). Ethan Smith, Montreal Jackson, and John Kummer each had three wins apiece while Mateusz Kudra earned a pair of wins for the Rocketeers.
Devin Ness Tournament (Oliver Ames) – Oliver Ames hosted its annual Devin Ness tournament to kick off the season and took ninth place with one champion. The Tigers earned 93.5 points and had a third, fourth, and fifth place wrestler. Dean Pacini was champion of the 195 bracket and earned the tournament’s outstanding wrestler award. Billy Tat took third at 170, Remi Creighton was fourth at 113, and Andrew Fraser earned fifth at 182.
Sharon Quad (Sharon) – Sharon started the season with a pair of wins, knocking off Pembroke and Walpole. The Eagles opened the day with a 54-12 win over the Titans and then grabbed its second win with a 46-27 decision over the Rebels. Sharon freshman Adam Landstein and Aaron Cashton each went 2-0, while Ben Shocket and David Hirshorn each went 1-0 for the Eagles.
Watertown Quad (Taunton) – Taunton opened the season by going 1-2 at the Watertown quad. The Tigers suffered setbacks to the hosts (48-36) and Norwood (60-21) but notched its first win over Carver (39-24). Candido Santos went 3-0 for the Tigers with a pair of pins, Devin Wilson went 2-0 with one pin, and Tyler Lima was 2-1 with a pin. Woudanly Danger was 1-0 with a pin.
Below are the official 2018 Hockomock League Field Hockey All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Hockomock League MVP
Allison Meehan, King Philip
Hockomock League All Stars
Sydney DiLiddo, Attleboro
Anna Beck, Attleboro
Maggie Malloy, Canton
Kaitlyn Goyetch, Canton
Maria Femia, Canton
Meg Curran, Foxboro
Sophia DiCenso, Foxboro
Lily Daly, Foxboro
Julia Carangelo, Foxboro
Jaime Notarangelo, Foxboro
Cassi Ronan, Franklin
Emily Valentino, Franklin
Maeve Ledwith, Franklin
Allison Meehan, King Philip
Kate Lindmark, King Philip
Samantha Robison, King Philip
Maggie Danehy, Mansfield
Alicia Hottleman, Mansfield
Paige Reisman, Milford
Abby Calistra, North Attleboro
Emily Han, Oliver Ames
Hannah Stryke, Oliver Ames
Allison Small, Sharon
Allie Howe, Stoughton
Emma Sheehan, Taunton
Alana Tavares, Taunton
Honorable Mentions:
Alexis Compton, Attleboro
Katie Trerice, Canton
Molly Murphy, Foxboro
Christina Luccini, Franklin
Meg MacDonald, King Philip
Kelly Doherty, Mansfield
Olyvia Whyte, Milford
Julia Feid, North Attleboro
Maggie Woods, Oliver Ames
Rebecca Clayman, Sharon
Jeanna Girolamo, Stoughton
Lauren Torres, Taunton
Football – Non-Playoffs
Oliver Ames, 12 @ Norwood, 28 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (N) Solomon Klarou 5-yard rush, Jay Wladkowski XP good.
2nd Quarter: (N) Marc Murphy 51-yard pass to J. Wladkowski, J. Wladkowski XP good; (OA) Nathan Cabral 29-yard rush, 2pt rush failed.
3rd Quarter: (OA) Cam Perron 1-yard rush, 2pt pass failed.
4th Quarter: (N) M. Murphy 32-yard pass to J. Wladkowski, J. Wladkowski XP good; (N) Jason Denehy 12-yard pass to Tim Denehy, J. Wladkowski XP good.
D2 South
#3 Milford, 3 vs. #14 Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – Milford scored a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes while keeper Josh Orellana made a key save to preserve a one-goal lead and the Hawks went on to pick up the win. Jordan Borges’ left-footed strike from 35-yards out just over two minutes into the game set the tone for the Hawks. Joao Vitor Neiva netted his first goal just minutes later, finishing off a service from Tiago Carvalho at the back post. Feehan scored in the 14th minute to get within one and Orellana made a terrific kick stop in the final minutes of the first half to preserve the lead. Neiva notched his second goal of the game in the 72nd minute to secure the victory. Milford will host the winner of #6 Oliver Ames and #11 Walpole on Tuesday at 6:00 at Milford High.
#8 North Attleboro, 0 vs. #9 Weymouth, 2 – Final – Weymouth scored once in each half to pick up the win, putting an end to an impressive Rocketeer season. Sam Hawkins, Emma Gaulin, Kayla Pasquel, Ashlyn Gaulin, and Hayley Ferrin all played well for North Attleboro, which finishes the season at 12-3-4.
#11 Franklin @ #6 Hingham – Postponed to Sunday, 11/4 at 6:30.
#13 Oliver Ames, 0 @ #4 Bridgewater-Raynham, 2 – Final
Field Hockey D1 South
#3 King Philip, 3 vs. #14 Norwood, 1 – Final – Norwood scored with 15 minutes left to cut the King Philip advantage to just one goal but Claire Lawler scored her second goal of the game to give the Warriors some breathing room. King Philip built a 2-0 lead behind goals from Lawler and Nicole Connor. “It was a huge team effort, both offensively and defensively,” said KP co-head coach Kim Meehan. The Warriors advance to the D1 South Quarterfinals to take on #11 Barnstable (13-5-2) on Monday at 3:45 at home.
#7 Canton, 2 vs. #10 Duxbury, 1 – Final (OT) – Canton senior Katie Trerice scored on a penalty stroke six minutes into the overtime period to lift the Bulldogs to a win. Maggie Malloy opened the scoring in the first half, a lead that the Bulldogs took into the second half. Duxbury tied the game with just under 10 minutes to play and Canton defended back-to-back corners with no time left in regulation to force overtime. With the win, Canton advances to play #2 Somerset-Berkley (18-1-0) in the D1 South Quarterfinals on Monday at 6:00 at Somerset-Berkley High School.
#13 Franklin, 3 @ #4 Notre Dame Academy, 1 – Final – Franklin goalie Christina Luccini had a terrific game in net, making nine saves, and the Panthers scored a pair of second half goals to earn the upset on the road. Cassi Ronan gave the Panthers the lead with just under four mintues left in the first half but Notre Dame Academy answered less than two minutes later to tie the game 1-1 at half. Ashley Reutlinger put Franklin ahead midway through the second half with an unassisted tally, and Ronan added an insurance goal on a penalty stroke with just over five minutes to play. Franklin advances to the D1 South Quarterfinals to play #5 Plymouth North (16-3-0) on Monday at 4:00 at Plymouth North High School.
