Foxboro senior Mike Moses (12) drives on his defender during the second quarter of the Div. 2 Central/East quarterfinal. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – Foxboro is a team that prides itself on defense and limiting opposition chances and in Thursday night’s Div. 2 Central/East quarterfinal against Concord-Carlisle at Sam Berns Community Field the Warriors were typically stout for three quarters.
It was the one quarter where things broke down that ended up being the difference.
The visiting Patriots scored five unanswered goals in the second to break open a tie game and take control before halftime. That quarter proved decisive, as Foxboro (15-4) held Concord-Carlisle to only two goals in the second half (and none in the fourth) but could not find a way back into the game and saw the season come to a close with a 9-6 loss.
“I’m just proud of the boys and the way they battled all year,” said Foxboro coach Matt Noone after taking time to speak with each player and give each player a hug following the final huddle.
He added, “There was a time where I thought they (Concord-Carlisle) were going to separate and at the time I said to the guys, ‘we’re fighting for our lives,’ and they did. I couldn’t be prouder of them for that.”
The Warriors got off to a rough start when, three minutes in, senior Patrick Kaveny’s cross-field pass on a clear was intercepted. Foxboro was subbing players at the time and the Patriots were handed a three-on-none break that was eventually finished off for a 1-0 lead.
“We had some poor turnovers, some poor quality shots,” Noone said. “We can’t give teams like that chances. It wasn’t one thing, but we can’t give teams second chances or freebies, especially not in the playoffs.”
That lasted only a minute before sophomore Bobby Yerardi found the back of the net with an overhand shot on the run to tie it. With two minutes left in the first, the Patriots regained the lead but again Yerardi had the answer, turning the corner and ripping a shot under the bar with 42 seconds on the clock.
While the teams combined for four goals in the first 12 minutes, Concord-Carlisle came out strong in the second and scored four times in the first four minutes.
Foxboro did have a few chances offensively in the second, but not many. Louis Piccolo, Foxboro’s top scorer in the regular season, was pretty tightly marked by Henry Nelson all game but he got free with five minutes left to the break only to have his shot ricochet off the helmet of Patriots goalie Ben Kacher. Sophomore Shayne Kerrigan had a good chance four minutes later but that was also saved.
With only 21 seconds left in the half, Foxboro had a rare breakdown defensively. Robert Doherty shook a pair of markers and wound up before unleashing a rocket past Foxboro goalie Jake Addeche.
“They had some great looks,” said Noone of the second quarter struggles. “Our game plan was to force the middies into the middle so Jake could get a better look. We didn’t want to let them down the alley and we were letting them go. We talked about our game plan and started forcing them down the middle and doing a better job.”
The momentum was with the visiting team at the break and it continued in the third quarter when Alexi Hunt fired a shot past Addeche to make it six straight for the Patriots. Foxboro responded right away to stop the bleeding. Kerrigan won the face-off and Mike Collins scored with a running shot to make it 8-3.
Foxboro also went man-up following the goal and the Warriors took advantage. Brendan Tully finally got his hands free and rifled a shot into the corner to get back within four.
Two minutes later, Addeche stopped a bouncing shot and appeared ready to break up the ice but play was halted for a two-minute, locked-in penalty against the Warriors. Matt Moreau found space in the middle and scored with a bouncer to make it 9-4, but Kerrigan won the ensuing face-off and allowed the Warriors to run out the penalty. It was a momentum-builder for Foxboro and the players seemed energized when Ronnie MacLellan put in a good check to force an errant pass, raced up field in transition, drew a penalty, and forced a save out of Kacher.
The defense continued to be strong to the final whistle with Patrick Stapleton, Will Morrison, Kaveny, and MacLellan locking down the shooters and Addeche getting stronger as the game wore on.
In the fourth, Piccolo finally got going. He beat his man to the left and scored with an overhand shot for his first of the night to make it 9-5 with 8:31 left. Exactly four minutes later, he twisted and turned his marker before again finding the goal with a close finish.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, it would be as close as they would get as Kacher stopped shots from Kerrigan and Tully and several chances flew past the post.
After a Davenport division title during the regular season, Noone admitted that some of the league games were not enough of a challenge to prepare the Warriors for this level of competition. Of course, Foxboro also had not played in two weeks (Concord-Carlisle won its opening round game on Tuesday) and that lack of game sharpness was a major factor.
“It was awful, just trying to keep the boys focused and here and wanting to come to practice every day,” Noone said of the layoff. “We tried to make it fun and work on things that would make us better at the same time but yeah it was tough. That’s a lot of time.”
Noone continued, “It sucks that our last game had to end in a defeat. I love them and they battled for me and I’m so proud. They showed the Foxboro spirit and the Foxboro fight.”
2017 Record: 8-10 2017 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Kevin Koppy
After coming up just one game shy of the postseason, Attleboro is aiming to make the playoffs for the first time in program history in 2018.
The Bombardiers doubled their victory total from 2016 to 2017, going from four to eight in the win column. Attleboro returns 11 players from last year’s squad and has a total of 12 seniors on the team. Now in its fourth year, interest in the program is growing rapidly with 17 combined freshmen on either varsity or the JV roster.
There will be a lot of experience on the defensive end for Big Blue. Junior captain Trevor Koppy is back for his third year as the Bombardiers’ starting goalie. He turned away 306 shots last year with a 64% save percentage. In front of Koppy, senior captain Dan Perry is back to anchor the defensive unit which features all seniors.
“Dan is a physical defender that has excellent field awareness and leads by example,” said AHS head coach Kevin Koppy. “He’s constantly hustling and fighting hard for loose balls.”
Perry is joined by classmates Jim Nordberg and Chris Reynolds on close defense while Matt Potter will man LSM and Matt Jiminez brins an extra long pole presence to the defensive unit. Another returner is senior Kyle Henry, resuming his role as the team’s primary faceoff man. Henry had a successful 2017 season in that role and Big Blue will rely on him to spark the offense once again.
Seniors Jimmy Burke and Aidan McKenna, junior Cam Littig, and sophomore Thomas Shipman return to the midfield for Attleboro. Big Blue will have some new faces on the attack with seniors TJ Infante, Shane Joubert, and Aidan Downey leading the way. Freshman Mike Strachan and Matt Perry will also be involved in Attleboro’s attack.
2017 Record: 8-10 2017 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Bill Bendell
The Bulldogs found themselves in an unfamiliar position at the end of last season: on the outside looking in for the postseason.
Canton is looking to get back into the postseason this year after coming up just one game shy of qualifying. The Bulldogs won three straight to give themselves a chance but fell just short on the road against Abington in the final game of the season.
Using that as motivation, look for the Bulldogs to be right back in the mix this season. Leading the way will be senior captains Kevin Albert, Charlie O’Connor, and Griffin Roach. All three patrolled the midfield last season but could see time in other spots depending on how the lineup comes together.
O’Connor will step in to handle faceoffs but could miss some time early along with defensemen Brian Ghostlaw and Brendan Albert. Until Canton gets back to 100%, it will rely on senior Gabe Galeotos, junior George Kent, and sophomores Nick Mackay and Jace Emma to provide protection in front of sophomore goalie Jack Connolly. Connolly had a superb freshman season in the cage for the Bulldogs and will try to build upon that his season.
Junior Mike Shaw is back for his third year on attack for Canton, providing experience and leadership up front. Juniors Matt Martin and Dan Cohen, along with sophomores Chris Lavoie and David Allen will also figure into the Bulldogs’ offense this season.”
“We have a great group of kids this year with a nice blend of experienced players and new faces,” said CHS head coach Bill Bendell.
2017 Record: 11-9 2017 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East First Round Coach: Matt Noone
It’s safe to say Foxboro head coach Matt Noone is optimistic about the 2018 season.
The Warriors graduated just three players total and return their starting goalie, the entire defensive unit, and top three scorers from a season ago. Foxboro’s record was a bit deceiving based on how much talent they had, with five one-goal losses and two two-goal losses. The Warriors were dropped in the opening game of the playoffs by just one goal after holding a multi-goal lead in the second half.
With so much of the line up back, Noone is hoping to turn those close losses into wins.
“We’re going to be a better team than we were last year,” Noone said. “We have to play within our system, and do the simple things…if we do that, we will be very good and very tough to beat. If they don’t, we’ll be losing those one-goal games again.”
It all starts with defense in Foxboro with Jake Addeche returning in the cage for his third season. Addeche (185 saves) is one of the best goalies in the region and will have a very experienced defense in front of him. Senior Pat Kaveny and junior Pat Stapleton will anchor the defense, both with equipped with plenty of skill and experience, while sophomores Ronnie MacLellan and Matt Lathrop each already have a year of varsity experience under their belts.
Junior Brendan Tully (24 goals, 15 assists) will pace the Warriors in the midfield (“His lacrosse IQ is off the charts,” Noone notes). Tully can help transition Foxboro from defense to offense, and his ability to keep possession helps the Warriors control the tempo. Tully is complemented in the middle by seniors Louis Blake and Mike Collins while both Shayne Kerrigan and Bobby Yerardi will be in the mix as well.
Offensively, the Warriors look to be well-balanced with Louis Piccolo (25 goals, 13 assists) back this year along with senior Mike Moses (18 goals, 20 assists), junior Pete Conley (15 goals, 23 assists) and senior Andrew Whalen.
2017 Record: 16-5 2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round Coach: Lou Verrochi
Expectations are high for the 2018 season based on the talent the Franklin Panthers boast this year.
“We return a very good team,” said FHS head coach Lou Verrochi. “We have a very good and deep bench too, we’re looking forward to the season.”
The long list of returning talent starts with All-American and 2017 HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Eric Civetti. Civetti (Rutgers commit) has been tormenting opposing defenses since his freshman year. He scored 70 goals and notched 24 assists as a sophomore, and then netted 79 goals and 21 assists last year, totaling 194 points between the two years. The Panthers will also boast senior Zach Alexander and freshman Matt Lazzaro on attack.
The midfield will be loaded with two talented lines available. Captains Kyle McEniry (10 goals, 21 assists) and Chase Tanner (29 goals, 10 assists) will be joined by the speedy Nitin Chaudhury (24 goals, 10 assists) on the Panthers first unit while Jake Davis, Johnny O’Glishen, and Owen Palmieri give Verrochi an incredibly talented second unit.
As if the midfield wasn’t loaded enough, the Panthers have 2017 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Jacob Alexander back to dominate the faceoff X. Alexander, who is committed to play at Bryant University, has dominated at the X for the past two years and really gives the Panthers an advantage in terms of getting possession. “He’s arguably the best FOGO in Mass,” Verrochi noted.
The defense will be anchored by junior Patrick Morrison (Rutgers commit) along with Trevor Raffin, Jack McGrath and Spencer Briggs. Sean Lazzaro will be our top LSM while the Panthers have plenty of talent as SSDM with Will Harvey, Ben Kolb, and Aaron Mollo in the mix. Backstopping the team in goal will be Colorado commit and captain Connor O’Rourke (169 saves, 64% save percentage).
2017 Record: 13-9 2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinals Coach: Hal Bean
The Warriors will be looking to replicate the success they had in the 2016 season again this year.
After finishing 9-2 in league play (second in the Kelley-Rex), the Warriors had an impressive postseason run, competing with top-seeded and eventual sectional champ BC High in the D1 South Quarterfinals.
A big reason why KP has had a lot of experience over the past four years is goalie Paul Macrina. Macrina is now manning the cage at Drexel University, so there are big shoes to fill in the cage this season for KP.
King Philip also has to find replacements for the production lost by LSM Zach D’Amico, attack Tim Watson (56 goals, 28 points – second in the Hockomock League), and defenseman Connor Khung – the first two selected to the 2017 HockomockSports.com First Team and Khung apart of the Second Team.
All is not lost though as the Warriors have junior Colin DeVellis back to spearhead the attack. DeVellis was fourth overall in the Hockomock League in points last season, scoring 22 goals and notching 36 assists (58 points). Another key piece will be senior Nate Minkwitz, who can make an impact on both ends of the field. Minkwitz had 13 goals and five assists last season and will aim to improve on that. Expect LSM Wesley Bishop and midfielder Aidan Bender to factor in this season as well.
2017 Record: 12-7 2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round Coach: Tim Frias
Mansfield returns a good amount of talent from last year’s playoff squad so the Hornets will certainly be looking to book a return trip as well as compete for a Kelley-Rex title.
The Hornets return one of the most dangerous attackmen in the area in senior Hunter Ferreira. Ferreira’s combination of size, speed, and strength – as well as finishing ability – make him a must-watch for opposing defenses. Most will dedicate two defensemen his way but Ferreira still finished fifth in the league in points with 34 goals and 19 assists. Ferreira will be joined by returners Aidan Sacco and Mike Reed, giving the Hornets an experienced three-headed monster on offense.
The midfield is also loaded with experience behind returning starters Joe Cox (19 goals, 14 assists) and Danny DeGirolamo (17 goals, 15 assists). Cox, who was named to the 2017 HockomockSports.com Second Team, muscles his way through opponents, while DeGirolamo can use his speed to cause problems. Haig Megerdichian, Brett Kessler, Connor Quirk, and Brad Grant will all see time in the midfield as well.
Tommy Donnelly will anchor the defensive unit but the Hornets will have some new faces in back. Dan Plugis and Chris Copponi will both see a lot of minutes for the Hornets in front of goalie Jack Munroe, who stepped in last season and impressed in the cage.
“Our strength this year will be at the midfield with lots of legs,” said MHS head coach Tim Frias. “We should be good in transition as well.”
2017 Record: 4-13 2017 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Jacob Scordato
Milford hasn’t had a ton of success overall since it joined the Hockomock League, but new head coach Jacob Scordato is hoping to change that going forward.
Scordato takes over a team that had just four wins a year ago and is the third coach in the past three years for the program.
“Our players are focused on making our program a successful one,” Scordato said. “Boys lacrosse in the Hockomock is known for being a tough league, and Milford lacrosse is going to be making a lot of noise from here on out.”
Although the Hawks don’t have an incredibly deep roster, the optimism stems from the experience returning on offense. UMass Boston commit and senior captain Andrew Gallagher (16 goals, 7 assists) will be a key weapon up front along with junior captains Ryan Hazard (41 goals, 10 assists) and Josh Ligor.
Scordato also expects junior newcomer Brendan White, who has had successful football and basketball seasons so far this school year, to make a big impact on offense for Milford. Defensively, Milford will rely on senior captain and midfielder Chase Blanchette.
2017 Record: 16-3 2017 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East Quarterfinals Coach: Kevin Young
North Attleboro graduated a lot of talent from last year’s squad, so it’s no surprise head coach Kevin Young believes this season will be a big challenge for his young squad.
Although he expects it to be a challenge, the Rocketeers have built a strong program and will likely be in the mix for the division title with Foxboro. Big Red will be anchored by defenseman and captain Tom Lockavitch (Roger Williams commit) and senior LSM Max Fontes. Both Lockavitch and Fontes had tremendous junior seasons and were both honored by HockomockSports.com (first and second teams, respectively). Sophomores Brett Labonte and Will Yeomans will round out a strong defensive unit.
One of the biggest tasks will be filling the void left in goal with Hock MVP and long-time starter Dan MacDonald now graduated. The Rocketeers have three goalies in the mix with Young noting all are working hard to claim the starting spot. Junior Jack Puccio and sophomores Nate D’Amico and Jake McNeany will all be in the mix.
Captain Tommy Lindstrom (Springfield commit) will pace the offense with the help of sophomores Jack Connolly and Andy DeMattio. Faceoff specialist Jason McNeany (Cocker College commit) is also back and will be a key piece of the offense. Nick Ward, Damien Curtis, and Dan Conroy should carry the transition in the midfield with help from Ryan Rajotte and Matt McSweeney.
2017 Record: 8-10 2017 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Ben Devlin
Oliver Ames nearly made it two straight years in the postseason but came up just one game shy of qualifying in 2017. So the goal is simple for the Tigers in 2018: get back to the tournament.
The Tigers return their top six scorers from last season, and now with a year more experience under their belts, should be ready to take on some of the top defenses in the league.
Assistant coach Ben Devlin takes over the reigns of the program, and the familiarity should help make for a smooth transition. Senior captains Eric LeBlanc (30 goals, 13 assists) and Owen Gallagher will spearhead the attack while senior captain Jack Lang will make an impact on both ends of the field while also handling faceoff duties. Junior Colin Bourne and sophomores Sam Stevens and Shane Kilkelly give the Tigers varsity experience in the midfield. Sophomore Frankie Ireland and freshman Remi Creighton will also figure into the mix on offense.
Devlin will have holes to fill on the defensive end but its excited about the skill that the Tigers have. Shane Murphy, Cullen Gallagher, and Matt Saba will be relied upon to carry the defensive unit while Rory Madden will handle LSM duties after missing last season. Nick Gillis will take over for Sean Cosgrove in net after impressing at the JV level.
“We are a couple years into rebuilding this program, which is difficult while playing in such a tough conference against some of the best players and coaches in the state,” Devlin said. “We’re young and inexperienced, but talented on defense. All I can ask is for my kids to play to their capabilities. If we do that I think we can win enough games this season to reach our goal.”
2017 Record: 7-11 2017 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Jon Shocket
New head coach Jon Shocket is excited and optimistic that the 2018 season will be a successful one on the lacrosse field for the Sharon Eagles.
Shocket believes the Eagles have the lacrosse IQ and skill to get back to the postseason after missing out on qualification by two wins. A big reason for the optimism is the senior class.
“I have a really good senior group,” Shocket said. “If everyone buys into the system and trusts the process, this should be a fun season. This year, we have to make better decisions and move the ball around. It’s about working as a team instead of as individuals.”
The Eagles have experience at all positions on the field, starting with returning goalie Johnny Greenberg. Greenberg enters his third year as the starting goalie and will have good size in front of him. Both Sam Spencer and Coleman Loftus stand at 6’2 and look to be key pieces in the Eagles’ defensive unit.
In the midfield, Jimmy Fitzhenry, Chase Waxman, and Spencer Hall give the Eagles a well-balanced and experienced group. The three provide a combination of speed, strength, and skill that will help Sharon transition from defense to offense. Junior Matt Callan will handle faceoff duties while freshman LSM Tyler Freidman will be in the mix as well.
Senior Brett Litner brings a strong shot to the offense and will be tough to stop on the inside. Classmate Kadin Nestler gives the Eagles speed on the outside and makes the move from midfield to attack this year. Freshman Drew Litner rounds out the Eagles’ attacking unit.
2017 Record: 4-12 2017 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Pat Healey
After winning four games in its inaugural season at the varsity level, Stoughton boys lacrosse is hoping to continue heading in the right direction this spring.
The Knights picked up wins over Milford twice, Taunton, and Norton and will look to be in competition with those squads again this year. Leading the blue collar group will be captains Justin Ly, Sean Doherty, and Danny Nakhili. Ly is a three-sport athlete that is willing to do the dirty work, Nakhili provides a lot of leadership in the midfield and uses his speed to give the offense a boost, and Doherty will handle the faceoff duties and provide an offensive punch.
Twins Nate and Alex Wilson bring skill to the long poles, Marty Barrett and Josh Cohen will be key pieces on defense, and Charlie Morgan, Luke Bainton, and Mike Tracey will all be in the mix offensively.
“I’m hoping for more wins,” said SHS head coach Pat Healey said in an interview with Stoughton Media Access. “Last year we got four under our belt which is great for a first-year program. We brought up a lot of freshmen this year from the youth program. But baby steps, this is a tough league so we’ll do as best as we can.
Now in its third year as a varsity program, Taunton is aiming to progress day by day to continue to build the program.
The Tigers went without a win last season but bring seven starters back with another year of success on their belts. Junior goalie Ryan Williams returns in cage to give the Tigers a familiar face on the defensive end. Williams has been manning the cage for Taunton since the team moved to a varsity schedule.
In front of Williams will be junior Justin Demoga, a captain, that handles close defense. Head coach Brendan Chambers noted Demoga is great with positioning, takes a great approach, and is willing to learn and improve every day. Chambers noted Demoga will be tasked with menacing opponents’ best attack throughout the season.
In the midfield, junior captain Dylan Nichols provides leadership and experience for the Tigers. Nichols has the speed to make an impact on both ends of the field and Chambers is hoping for some offensive production out of the junior. Nichols will be joined by senior Chris Kanabayashi who will contribute to the offense with his hard shot.
Junior Noah Kuczewski is making the jump from JV to varsity and will be one of the Tigers’ main pieces on attack. Chambers is also relying on junior captain Joel Delgado, who put a lot of time in during the offseason to improve, to be an important part of the offense.
“Our goal this year is to continue to build on what we did last year,” Chambers said. “We want to increase our lacrosse IQ and try to be more competitive in all our games. Ideally, we’ll win a couple games and get better every day.”
Baseball
Oliver Ames, 8 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final – It was a back and forth battle between the Tigers and Bombardiers, with Oliver Ames prevailing behind three runs in the seventh inning. The Tigers grabbed the lead with three runs in the top of the first but Attleboro cut into the deficit with a pair of runs in the bottom half. Attleboro took a 4-3 lead in the fourth but OA grabbed a 5-4 advantage in the top of the fifth. The Bombardiers tied the game 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth and took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Oliver Ames took advantage of 10 walks on the day. Junior Matt Muir (2-for-5) drove in a pair of runs and the Tigers added an insurance run on a wild pitch to go up 8-6 in the top of the seventh. Cam Johnson was 2-for-3 with two RBI for OA while Alden Newman had a standout day behind the plate and went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Sophomore Chris Pearsons (RBI) picked up the win, coming on in relief in the sixth and didn’t give up a hit. Attleboro junior Jon Candiales (3-for-3) reached base four times and had an RBI double while sophomore Troy Van Vliet recorded a pair of hits for the Bombardiers.
Sharon, 3 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton struck for a pair of runs in the third and then again in the fourth, holding off a Sharon rally late to pick up its first win of the season. A trio of sophomores stepped up to lead the Bulldogs. Matt Pigeon had a two-run single to pace the offense. Paul Corcoran earned the win, tossing five scoreless innings while classmate Rob Sullivan earned the two-inning save. Sharon’s Spencer Singer had a three-run double in the sixth to bring the Eagles within one.
Foxboro, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Milford senior Alex Macek had another strong outing on the mound for the Scarlet Hawks, going the distance without giving up an earned run. He scattered eight hits and struck out seven to earn the win. Offensively, he went 1-2 with a run scored. Milford scored all three runs in the third inning, junior Aidan Wilde going 2-for-3 with an RBI triple and Anthony Arcudi hitting 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Scarlet Hawks. Foxboro tacked on single runs in the sixth and in the seventh. Steve McLaughlin struck out five and allowed six hits in a complete game effort for the Warriors. Colin Thoener was 2-for-4 for Foxboro.
Franklin, 6 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Franklin’s offense picked right where it left off from Wednesday’s walk-off win over Walpole. The Panthers pounced for three runs in both the first and second innings to take a 6-0 lead. Mansfield tacked on single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. Franklin junior Jason Ulrickson was impressive on the mound, giving up just one earned run on seven hits and just one walk in a complete game effort. Ulrickson also struck out five and had two RBI and a run scored on the offensive end. Jake Lyons (two runs) and Tyler Gomes (RBI) each went 2-for-4 for Franklin while Ryan Hodgkins (1-for-2) had an RBI and two runs, Bryan Woelfel had a two RBI single and Cam Lupien was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Mansfield’s Matt Farragher had an RBI single for the Hornets.
Taunton, 6 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – Taunton overcame a four run deficit, scoring runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to earn a key division win over King Philip. The Warriors plated a pair of runs in the second and the fourth innings. The Tigers cut the deficit in half with two in the fifth and took the lead with three runs in the top of the sixth. Taunton added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. With the game tied 4-4, Taunton senior Billy Emerson (1-for-2, two RBI) knocked in the go-ahead run with a single. Taunton sophomore Jack Moynihan (2-for-4, run) earned the win, striking out two with four runs allowed in six innings of work. Senior Danny Keogh got the save with a scoreless seventh inning. Tyler Medeiros and Jacob Crawford each went 2-for-4 with an RBI while David Schofield went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. King Philip’s Kyle Guenthner was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Chris Wing went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Wing also struck out three in 5.2 innings of work, allowing three earned runs.
Stoughton, 7 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Stoughton’s Luke Johnson got the offense going early and Ryan Sullivan had a solid outing on the mound as the Black Knights battled the Rocketeers for the top spot in the Davenport. Johnson (3-for-4) connected for a two-out two RBI single in the top of the first to put Stoughton ahead. Evan Gibb had two hits, Ruben Gonzalez hit a solo home run and Jack Connelly knocked a two-run shot over the fence. Sullivan allowed just one earned run in six innings of work, walking two, allowing four hits and striking out five. Gibb pitched a scoreless, no-hit seventh inning with two strikeouts.
Softball
Attleboro, 10 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Attleboro scored early and often, needed each run to take down the Tigers at Parkview Elementary. Big Blue pushed across five runs in the top of the first and added two more in the second to take a 7-1 lead. OA responded with four runs in the bottom of the second to cut Attleboro’s lead to 7-5. The Bombardiers never relinquished the lead and took a 10-8 decision. McKenzie Bergdoll went the distance in the circle for Attleboro, striking out seven and went 3-for-4 at the plate. Lead off hitter Jordyn Lako went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Julya Woyton hit 3-for-4 with a three-run triple with the bases loaded in the first inning. AHS coach Mark Homer said Kayla Battisti made several stops at third base, helping to thwart OA’s comeback attempts. Oliver Ames’ Victoria Ziner was perfect at the plate (4-for-4, three singles, double) with three runs scored for the Tigers. Lexie Campbell (1-for-3) and Katie Abreu (3-for-4, double) had two RBI each. Rachel Han and Caroline Mahoney also each knocked in a run for OA.
Canton, 4 @ Sharon, 9 – Final – Senior Sam Marglous provided the offense to help the Eagles pick up a second win of the season. Marglous went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Alli Small, Rebecca Clayman, and Clara Cook each had hits and Sharon coach Deb Parker added that Small also played a strong defensive game at shortstop.
Milford, 16 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final (6 inn.) – Milford and Foxboro traded runs in the third inning to make it 2-2 but Milford’s offense came to life, scoring three runs in the fourth and then exploding for 11 runs in the sixth. Emily Piergustavo (3-for-5, HR, two runs, four RBI) and Jess Tomaso (3-for-5, HR, double, three runs, three RBI) connected on back-to-back home runs to pace the Hawks’ offense. Kaitlyn DeCapua went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, Emily Hartman was 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, a double and two runs and Shannon Cormier was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Mansfield, 5 @ Franklin, 4 – Final (9 inn.) – Mady Bendanillo scored the game-winning run for Mansfield in the top of the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly by Mackenzie Burke. Bendanillo slid in just ahead of the tag to give the Hornets the lead. Franklin put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but Sarah Cahill got the final two outs to earn the complete game win. Mansfield took a two-run lead in the top of the seventh. Megan Letendre reached on an error and Bendanillo was hit by a pitch, followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Marissa Staffer and Kerran Holmes. Franklin rallied with two in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Kim Moulton (pinch hit) and Rachel Cousineau (3-for-4) had back to back singles. Olivia Haba tagged up for third and scored on an overthrow. Olivia DiGiacomo singled to score Cousineau.
King Philip, 3 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Taunton took the lead with a run in the bottom of the first, but King Philip responded with three in the top of the second and that was enough to pull out the win in a pivotal Kelley-Rex division game. Jess Bonner drove in one run and Elise Pereira had an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch, while Jenn Hutnyan allowed only one run on four hits to pick up the win for the Warriors. Courtney Fisher allowed two earned runs on three hits for the Tigers and Taunton coach Dave Lewry praised eighth grader Hannah Aldrich for a strong game defensively at shortstop. Aldrich had eight assists and three put-outs. MacKenzie Handrahan drove in the lone Taunton run.
North Attleboro, 14 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro freshman dazzled on the mound, striking out a career-high 14 batters, allowed just one hit and walked just two batters to help the Rocketeers blank Stoughton. Liz Morehouse paced Big Red’s offense, going 3-for-5 with five RBI. Olivia Capobianco and Andrea Miceli each had a pair of hits while Erti and Ashley Cangiano each scored a pair of runs.
Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 13 vs. Milton, 0 – Final – The Bulldogs picked up their fourth straight win, blanking Milton in a non-league clash at Canton High. Eight different players scored at least one goal, led by sophomore Mike Shaw’s four assists and one goal. CHS head coach Bill Bendell said his side got great defense from their poles: Michael Pigeon, Brendan Albert, Nick Mackay, Gabe Galeotos, Brian Ghostlaw, Jona Sutton, Michael Yong and Brian Albert. Freshman Jack Connolly (three quarters) and senior CJ Martin combined for the shutout in net.
Foxboro, 5 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Foxboro and Mansfield were tied after the first quarter (1-1) and tied at halftime (3-3). But Foxboro outscored the Hornets 2-1 in the third quarter and pitched a shutout in the fourth to edge Mansfield in the semifinals of the Chowda Cup. Andrew Whalen netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the third quarter. Bobby Yerardi, Brendan Tully and Sam Blake each scored once for Foxboro, who received 10 saves in net from goalie Jake Addeche. Foxboro head coach Matt Noone said Mike Collins and Lou Blake had strong games defensively for the Warriors. For Mansfield, Joe Cox had one goal and two assists while Cullen Murphy, Brett Kessler and Aidan Sacco each scored once. Sean Peters made 16 saves in net in front of a strong defensive effort led by Grant Milas and Josh London. Foxboro will play Catholic Memorial in the finals of the Chowda Cup on Saturday at Braintree.
Franklin, 10 vs. Walpole, 11 – Final (OT) – Franklin rallied from a 8-5 deficit at halftime to take a 9-8 lead in the second half. After Franklin was whistled for an interference call, the Rebels tied the game with 1:27 to go. Walpole netted the game-winner with 38 seconds left in overtime. Eric Civetti had four goals and four assist, Chase Tanner had four goals and Kyle McEniry had one goal and one assist. Connor O’Rourke made 17 saves in net for the Panthers while sophomore Jacob Alexander won 18 face offs.
King Philip, 7 vs. Medway, 13 – Final
Milford, 11 vs. ASMA, 3 – Final
Sharon, 5 @ Holliston, 11 – Final
Stoughton, 3 vs. Norton, 8 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ Sharon, 17 – Final
Oliver Ames, 13 @ Pembroke, 14 – Final – Oliver Ames nearly overcame an eight goal deficit but fell just short on the road at Pembroke. The Titans jumped out to a 9-1 lead and held a 10-4 advantage at halftime. The Tigers won the second half 9-4 but came up just shy of tying the game. Liv Piazza scored five goals, Chloe Kilkelly scored four goals, Kendall Clifford and Sofia Masciarelli each had two goals for the Tigers.
Mansfield 16, vs. Holliston, 6 – Final – Maire Foley led the way for the Hornets with five goals and Ann Maher added a hat trick. Mansfield also got two goals apiece from Lauren Whitman, Kathryn Garvin, and Mairead Dunn and 10 saves from Hannah Sternburg.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Attleboro’s second doubles team of Hans Estrada and Luis Sandoval won in three sets, giving the Bombardiers the decisive third win to beat Oliver Ames. Estrada and Sandoval picked up a 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 win while Shawn Gordon won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles and Jared Cooper won 6-4, 6-4 at third singles. Oliver Ames’ Nick Cavanaugh 6-3, 6-0 at second singles and Greg Mueller and Michael Souza won 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 at first doubles.
Canton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon dropped just one game in singles player and just two in doubles to get the sweep against Canton. Junior Andre Olivei won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, sophomore Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles and freshman Alberto Olivei won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The team of seniors Alex Romantz and Sammy Kirshenbaum won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles and the team of juniors Ashwin Sreevatsa and Artie Chinnappan won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles for Sharon.
Milford @ Foxboro, 3:45
Mansfield, 2 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin relied on its depth to pick up a win over Mansfield in a Kelley-Rex showdown. While Mansfield won at first and second singles, the Panthers claimed wins at third singles and both doubles matches. Freshman Rohan Herur won 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-2 at third singles, James Johnstone and Derek Wu won 6-2, 6-3 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg clinched the match with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles. Mansfield’s Benny Lin won 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 at first singles and Luke Nickerson won 6-3, 6-4 at second singles.
King Philip, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – King Philip won all five matches in straight sets, dropping a total of six games on the road at Taunton. Cole Ginter won 6-0, 6-3 at first singles, Blake Ginter won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles and Marco DiStefano won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. Ryan Gemelli and Sam Collela won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Aidan Ignatius and Sean Desrochers won 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – North Attleboro picked up wins at first and second singles as well as first and second doubles to beat Stoughton. Zac Pfeffer won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and Barsomo Nuay won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles for Big Red. Daniel Zhang and Ben Pfeffer won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Brendan Hurd and Keigan Beaugh won 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles. Stoughton’s Erik Anderson won 7-5, 6-2 at third singles.
Girls Tennis
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames picked up a win on the road at Attleboro, winning all five matches in straight sets. Sarah Leger won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles, Mandi Miller won 6-2, 6-0 at second singles and Maura Kiernan won 6-0, 6-3 at third singles. The team of Tori Wyman and Kristin Bloumbas won 7-5, 6-1 at first doubles and Emily Yu and Ana Serjak won 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles for the Tigers.
Sharon, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Sharon picked up the win on the road, notching two wins at singles and two wins at doubles. Nupur Shukla won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and Rithika Neti won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles. The team of Sydney Gordon and Lauren Glass won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles and Sachi Bhasin and Makalia Cheung won 6-3, 6-3 at second doubles for the Eagles. Sharon forfeited the match at third singles.
Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – The Warriors went on the road and picked up an impressive win, dropping a total of five games between the five matches. Sophia Prinos won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Lexi Nelson won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles and Julia Muise picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at third sinlges. Kayla Prag and Olivia Dantona won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles and the team of Jacey Nicklas and Kendall Milender won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles for Foxboro.
Franklin, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield picked up a big division win against the visiting Panthers of Franklin, winning at second and third singles as well as first doubles. Junior Sarah Doyle won 6-3, 1-0 at second singles and sophomore Elizabeth Elsner won 6-1, 6-4 at third singles. The team of senior Chloe Peters and sophomore Tessa Garufi earned the third win for the Hornets, winning 6-2, 6-0 at first doubles. Franklin’s Hannah Sweeney won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles and the team of Jillian McCaugh and Hailey Stier won 0-6, 6-4, 6-1 at second doubles.
Baseball
Attleboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 14 – Final – Stoughton’s offense exploded for 20 hits with seven players registering at least two hits for the Black Knights. Ruben Gonzalez went 4-for-5 with a triple, three runs and two RBI, Pat Hagerty was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, three runs and two RBI and Jack Connelly was 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI. Luke Johnson (double, triple, 3 RBI), Ryan Sullivan and Nick Hardy each had two hits. Justin Hutchinson (3-for-3, 2 RBI) earned the win on the mound, tossing 4.1 innings with four earned runs. The senior struck out 10, including six straight, and scattered three hits.
Mansfield, 15 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Mansfield scored in each of the first five innings, including six in the third inning to break the game open. The Hornets connected for 15 hits and reached base on 11 walks. Senior Matt Farragher led the way from the nine hole, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored, Anthony DeGirolamo went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, Max Boen was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored and Zach Peterson had a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored. Nolan Dousa tossed a complete game shutout to earn the win, striking out six while allowing just three hits and one walk.
Foxboro, 1 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Senior Kyle Guenthner initiated a game-ending 4-3 double play as the Warriors hung on for a 2-1 win over Foxboro. Foxboro loaded the bases in the seventh but Guenthner’s double play helped KP survive. Will Weir wen 2-3 with three stolen bases, scoring both of King Philip’s runs. First, Weir had a two-out single in the first inning, stole both second and third and then scored on an error. Weir scored again in the sixth, connecting on another two-out second, stealing second and then scoring on a single from Ben Furfari. Foxboro had tied the game in the fourth when AJ Bubencik singled, stole second and scored on two passed balls. Sophomore Jack Webster got his first career win, tossing two scoreless innings in relief with just two hits allowed. Junior Jackson Sheibler went 4.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one run and junior Jeremy Rhines got the save with a scoreless seventh inning.
Franklin @ Milford – Postponed to Thursday, 4/13 at 3:45.
Taunton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro seized the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth but Taunton responded, grabbing two runs in the top of the sixth to edge the Rocketeers. The Tigers cashed in on three walks and two hit batters to pushed across the tying and winning run. Taunton’s David Schofield earned the walk to draw in the game-winning run in the top of the sixth. Joe Manchester (1-for-3, run) and Jack Moynihan also had an RBI for Taunton, while Matt Machado had two hits. Moynihan tossed four scoreless innings while striking out five. Danny Keogh earned the win, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings with one strikeout. North Attleboro’s Nate Pearce (3-for-4, double, triple, RBI) allowed just one run in five innings of work. Zach DeMattio added two hits, an RBI and a run and Nick Crawley added a pair of hits for the Rocketeers.
Sharon, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames got its offense going early, scoring in the first inning for the second straight game and then adding four more runs in the third inning. Junior Mitch Goulet had a pair of hits in the win for the Tigers.
Softball
Attleboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – McKenzie Bergdoll made an impact both in the circle and at the plate, leading the Bombardiers to a walk-off win over Stoughton. Bergdoll tossed a complete game, scattering six hits while striking out nine. Attleboro was the home team despite the change of venue, giving them the opportunity to bat last. In the bottom of the seventh, Bergdoll connected for a double, driving in MacKenzie Killough (2-for-4) for the winning run. AHS head coach Mark Homer said Jordyn Lako and Ashley Macia had strong games defensively for the Bombardiers.
Canton, 7 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final – Megan Letendre pitched a complete game for the Hornets allowing six hits and striking out six batters. She also went 1-for-3 with an RBI at the plate. Kara Bendanillo went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and Kerran Holmes went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs for Mansfield. Caty DeMassi had three hits and Hayley McGowan had two for the Hornets. Lillian Carrington and Samantha Keefe each hit a home run for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro @ King Philip, 3:45
Milford @ Franklin – Postponed to Thursday, 4/13 at 3:45.
North Attleboro, 1 @ Taunton, 8 – Final – Courtney Fisher picked up the win with a complete game, allowing only one run on six hits, while striking out four. MacKenzie Handrahan powered the offense, going 3-for-3 with three RBI, and Kya Enos chipped in with two hits and two RBI and Katie Van Zandt hit a homer for Taunton. North Attleboro junior Amelia Murphy was 2-for-3 with a double.
Sharon @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Boys Lacrosse
Mansfield, 12 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Mansfield raced out to a 6-2 lead and kept that pace up in the second half to earn the win over Attleboro. Mansfield junior Hunter Ferreira had his way, scoring eight goals while notching an assist as well. Midfield Joe Cox was a top distributor, recording five assists while finding the back of the net once. Cullen Murphy and Danny DeGirolamo each scored once and had two assists and Sam O’Connell scored once. Sean Powers made nine saves in net for the Hornets.
Stoughton @ Canton – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Foxboro goalie Jake Addeche turned away 11 shuts and Pat Stapleton had a strong game on defense with five groundballs as the Warriors blanked Oliver Ames. Foxboro scored three goals in each half, led by Trey Guerini’s two goals and one assist. Sophomore Pete Conley scored once and had two assists while Brendan Tully, Mike Collins and Sam Blake each scored once in the win.
North Attleboro, 6 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Franklin held a 3-2 lead at half, extended it to 7-3 early in the fourth quarter and then held off North Attleboro’s late charge of three straight goals. Franklin goalie Connor O’Rourke had 10 saves and came up big in the final minute as the Panthers held on to their one goal lead. Chase Tanner scored twice and had one assist to lead the Panthers, Kyle McEinry and Packie Watson each scored once and had an assist, Sam Arsenault had a pair of assists and Nitin Chaudhury and Jake Davis each scored once. North Attleboro’s Dan MacDonald made 15 saves to keep the Rocketeers in the contest while both Jack Dakin and Zach McGowan scored twice and had one assist. Tommy Lindstrom added a goal and an assist and Nick Moore also found the back of the net for Big Red.
Sharon, 6 @ King Philip, 14 – Final – The Warriors opened the season with a win as senior Tim Watson accounted for eight points and classmate Paul Macrina made 13 saves in goal. Watson scored five goals and had three assists while sophomore Colin DeVellis scored twice and had three assists. John DeLuca scored twice and had one assist and Zach D’Amico had one goal, one assist and 11 groundballs for the Warriors.
Milford, 9 @ Taunton, 3 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 19 – Final
Canton, 1 @ Braintree, 14 – Final
Foxboro, 16 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames goalie Ari Waldorf made 19 saves for the Tigers while head coach Abby Tepper said Sydney Hedrick had a strong game on defense.
North Attleboro, 7 @ Franklin, 13 – Final – North Attleboro took a 4-3 lead into the halftime break but Franklin’s offense came to life with 10 second half goals. Seven different Panthers found the back of the net, led by senior Kendall Reardon’s four goals. Annie Walsh, Erin Walsh and Kelsey MacCallum each scored two goals for Franklin. Freshman Gianna Cameron made nine saves in net while head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino said freshman Alex Field played well defensively and on the draw.
King Philip, 13 @ Sharon, 7 – Final – King Philip raced out to a 8-2 lead at halftime and never looked back to open the season with a win over Sharon. Katie Crowther, Meg Wagner and Caroline Klim each scored a pair of goals in the for the Warriors while Alli Meehan, Angela Vellante, Dana Truini, Victoria Tormey and MacKenzie Mazur each scored once. Caroline Watson made 13 saves in net for KP.
Taunton, 12 @ Milford, 11 – Final (OT) – Taunton won its second game in a row to start the season thanks to a game-winning overtime goal by eighth grader Alana Tavares, her sixth of the game and 11th in the first two games of her varsity career. Delaney Powell chipped in with three goals for the Tigers and Lorna Li made 12 saves. Emily Hayley had three goals for the Hawks, while Jordyn Lombardo, Taylor Dube, and Jill Burley each had two.
Boys Tennis
Stoughton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro’s Shawn Gordon and Abdul Khatib each won three set thrillers to help the Bombardiers edge Stoughton and pick up their first win of the season. Shawn Gordon won 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 at first singles and Khatib won 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. The team of Eli Araujo and Ryan Gordon picked up a 6-0, 6-4 win at second doubles. Stoughton’s Tony Jordan won 6-1, 6-3 at second singles and the team of Jon Podesta and Erik Anderson won 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 at first doubles.
Canton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final
Foxboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Foxboro’s Andre Jabari won the deciding match, winning in a three-set thriller at second singles to help the Warriors edge King Philip. Jabari dropped the first set 6-7 (7-9) but battled back to win the next two 6-3, 6-3 to earn Foxboro the win. Foxboro swept doubles play for its other two points. The team Shawn McNamara and Matt Tierney won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles and Brandon Wasserman and Ben Dorman won 6-4, 6-2 at second doubles. King Philip’s Cole Ginter won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles and Blake Ginter won 6-3, 6-3 at third singles.
Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin picked up a sweep, winning all five matches in straight sets to beat Milford. Rahul Herur won 6-3, 6-4 at first singles, Eli Brooks won 6-3, 6-0 at second singles and Rohan Herur won 6-3, 6-2 at third singles. The team of James Johnston and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-3 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg paired together for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.
North Attleboro, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro etched its first tally into the win column for 2017 with a sweep on the road at Taunton. Senior Zac Pfeffer won 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 at first singles, senior Dan Zhang won 6-4, 6-2 at second singles and junior Alex Rinaldi won at third singles without dropping game, 6-0, 6-0. Junior Ben Pfeffer and senior Andrew Harris won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and senior Mayank Wadekar and sophomore Vikram Senthilakumaran won 6-3, 6-1 at second doubles.
Sharon, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final
Girls Tennis
Attleboro @ Stoughton, 3:45
Mansfield, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – The Hornets of Mansfield took care of singles play, winning all three in straight sets and also grabbed a win in doubles to beat Canton. Paulina Martin won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Sarah Doyle took second singles 6-1, 6-0 and Elizabeth Elsner won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles. Mansfield’s fourth win came from the team of Chloe Peters and Tessa Garufi, notching a 6-0, 6-1 victory at first doubles. Canton’s Jenna Paynter and Stelina Michaelidis won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.
King Philip, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro swept singles play to edge King Philip on Wednesday afternoon. Sophia Prinos won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Lexi Nelson didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at second singles and Julia Muise won 7-5, 6-1 at third singles to clinch the win for the Warriors. King Philip’s Corrine Palumbo and Carly Adams won 6-4, 6-1 at first doubles and the team of Lucy Barnard and Caitlin Gonser won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.
Franklin, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Franklin won in straight sets at first and second singles and then used three-set win at second doubles to edge the Scarlet Hawks. Senior Hannah Sweeney didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and classmate Anja Deric won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles. The team of senior Julia Hogan and junior Jillian McLaughlin won the deciding point with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 decision at second doubles. Milford’s Caitlin Cafarella won 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) at third singles and the team of seniors Victoria Beyer and Daniella Arojo won 6-2, 6-4 at first doubles.
Taunton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro had to claw back at both first singles and first doubles to claim a win over North Attleboro in a rematch of last season’s epic playoff showdown. North’s Emily Chiasson dropped the first set 0-6 but rallied back to win the next two, 6-4, 6-1. The team of Gabby Duva and Azka Siddiq fell behind after losing the first set 2-6, but won a huge tiebreaker 10-8 to win the second set 7-6 and then took the third 6-3. Jordan Willis won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and the team of Katie Demontigny and Hana Hershey won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles for Big Red. Taunton’s Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-2 at third singles for the Tigers.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sophomore Nupur Shukla and freshman Emily Zhang won in straight sets, at first and second singles respectively, without dropping a game as the Eagles picked up the win. The team of juniors Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and sophomore Sachi Bhasin and Sydney Gordon won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles. Oliver Ames freshman Maura Kiernan made her varsity debut with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win at third singles.
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 0 vs. St. John’s Prep, 3 – Final
Taunton, 3 @ North Quincy, 0 – Final – Taunton picked up its third straight sweep and second in a row on the road with a 25-14, 25-21, 25-21 win over North Quincy. The Tigers used a balanced attack with Lens Esquil leading the way with 12 kills and three blocks. Malik Charles added six kills and one block, David Fusiecki had six kills and four aces and Collin Hunter had five kills and two blocks.
2016 Record: 4-13 2016 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Kevin Koppy
Now in its fourth year at the varsity level, Attleboro boys lacrosse is looking to take the next step in the 2017 season. First year head coach Kevin Koppy made it clear what the goal is for Big Blue: the postseason.
Koppy has plenty of experience at the youth level so he’s very familiar with a lot of the players on the team.
“With the experience and leadership of this team, I fully expect us to make the playoffs this year which would be a first for this relatively young program,” Koppy said. “If the kids work hard and play as a team we have enough talent to make this happen.”
Offensively, seniors Seth Lombardy and Zach Viau, along with junior Alex Banner, will see a lot of time. They’ll be bolstered by the midfield help of seniors Andrew Milliken, Sam Carrado and Jay Mota and sophomore Zach Thomas in the midfield. Juniors Kyle Henry and Aidan McKenna will man the face off X while Jim Nordberg and Chris Reynolds will be long stick midfielders.
Defensively, four year starter and captain Tyler Koppy will anchor the backline alongside juniors Dan Perry and Matt Potter. Sophomore Trevor Koppy returns as the starting goalie again this season.
2016 Record: 11-8 2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals Coach: Bill Bendell
The Bulldogs will rely on its athleticism, and be bolstered by depth this season, having more players in the program this season than in the last couple of years.
Canton looks to have one of its most athletic squads from top-to-bottom in recent years and will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title after winning it twice in the past four seasons.
Offensively, the Bulldogs lost one of the top scorers in the league and in program history in Ben O’Neill, but the good news is that four of the team’s six top point producers from a year ago are back: Ryan Lodge, Joe Mulkay, Dan Dillon and Mike Shaw, all of which reached double figures in points.
Michael Pigeon has been one of the top LSMs in the league the last two years and will be a key piece for Canton defensively this season. Canton will rely on experience to fill the positions around him. The starting goalie spot is up for grabs between Dylan Cunningham, CJ Martin and Jack Connolly.
“The Davenport division is wide open again this year so we know every game is going to matter…we can’t wait to get going,” said head coach Bill Bendell.
The Davenport division looks like it will be wide open this year, but Foxboro could have a slight advantage because of the experience they return this season.
On offense, junior Andrew Whalen is a three year starter and junior Louis Piccolo led the team in scoring a team ago. Junior Mike Moses and sophomore Pete Conley will also factor into the attack or could see time in the midfield. Seniors Trey Guerini and Colin Spinney not only bring a wealth of experience to the midfield, but they have a lot of talent. Sophomore Brendan Tully will relocate to the midfield this season while junior Sam Blake, Lou Blake and Mike Collins will all factor in the midfield as well.
Defensively, it all starts with goalie Jake Addeche, one of the top netminders in the league and the area. Pat Kaveny is a two year starter, as is senior Padraig Farmer and will provide plenty of experience to the back line. Sophomore Pat Stapleton and freshman Ronnie MacLellan will also factor in defensively for the Warriors.
The Panthers are going to be young compared to past years, and compared to other teams in the league, but what they lack in age, they more than make up in skill.
There aren’t much better in the offensive end than junior Eric Civetti, and he’s only been in the league for two years. Already committed to Rutgers, Civetti will be one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. Senior captain Sam Arsenault will also be a top option in the offensive end while midfielders Packie Watson, a senior and Nitin Chaudhury, a sophomore, will also be viable options.
Defensively, the Panthers have a second Rutgers commit in sophomore Patrick Morrison. Senior Wyatt Arsenault will give the backline some experience while senior Jack Platner will be the team’s LSM. Junior Connor O’Rourke is back in the cage after a breakout sophomore year.
“We are young as compared to past years, but I feel we’ll be very competitive,” said head coach Lou Verrochi. “We’re very fortunate to have a strong youth program and many boys playing club lacrosse which provides us with talented players every year.”
The Warriors had another strong season in 2016 and will be looking to do the same in 2017.
King Philip was strong in league play, posting a 7-3 record and will try to carry that success over to its non league schedule, which include games against Bishop Feehan, Newton North, Hopkinton, Westwood and more.
Paul Macrina has been one of the top goalies in the league over the past couple of seasons and is now ready for his senior year.
Replacing leading scorer Sam Agricola will certainly be a tough test, as well as replacing the production of Harry Fallon. But Tim Watson (27 goals, 21 assists) brings a lot of experience back to the offensive end for the Warriors.
2016 Record: 15-4 2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round Coach: Tim Frias
Coming off one of the program’s best seasons in recent history, the Hornets will be looking to replicate that success in 2017.
The challenge will be replacing some of the top talent that graduated, including midfielders Billy Grant and Connor Finerty, and defenseman Josh Schafer.
The good news is that the Hornets return two of the top talents in the league with Sean Powers back in goal and Hunter Ferreira back patrolling the midfield. Joe Cox and Danny DeGirolamo will flank Ferreira in the midfield with Aidan Sacco, Brett Kessler and Brad Grant factoring in as well.
Offensively, seniors Cullen Murphy, Sam O’Connell and Jon Reed will be one of the most experienced units in the league. On defense, Grant Milas, Mike Zampine, Josh London and Tommy Donnelly will hold court in front of Powers.
“We are going to go out there this season and try to improve on the aspects we were weak on last season and just try to compete in every contest,” said head coach Tim Frias.
The Hawks are hoping for a turnaround season after going without a win a season ago. First year head coach Doug Gallant has taken over at the helm and is looking to make Milford a participant in the Davenport race.
The heart of the lineup could be in the midfield, with junior Andrew Gallagher bringing experience to the table and sophomores Ryan Hazard and Josh Ligor, as well as freshman Dan Farrell, providing the Hawks with skill and speed.
In the attacking end, Gallant will look to senior Alex Wood and sophomore Ryan Pearl, both with varsity experience, to pace the offense. LSM Nick Lurie and defenseman Harrison Bliss will be key pieces on defense in front of goalie Drew Mirisola.
“We have a great group of kids who are very eager to be successful,” said Gallant. “The reception from the players has been outstanding and they have bought in to my system.”
2016 Record: 8-10 2016 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Kevin Young
After just missing out on the postseason a year ago, North Attleboro returns a lot of key pieces and will not only make a push for the playoffs, but should be in the mix for the Davenport crown.
The entire attacking corps is back this season Zach McGowan, Owen Costello and Colin Young all back again this season. Tim Lindstrom, who missed last season with an injury, will also be a key piece offensively for the Rocketeers.
Jack Dakin, the team’s leading scorer a season ago, will be a team leader from his midfield position while Nick Ward, Hunter Sarro, Nick Moore and Jason McNeany will all get minutes in the midfield as well. Poles David James, Zach Doucette and Tom Lockovitch, along with LSM Max Fontes, bring a combination of speed and size for the Rocketeers.
Dan McDonald is back for another year in goal and will be like a coach on the field for North Attleboro.
“He’s very solid in net and a great team leader,” head coach Kevin Young said of MacDonald. “Dan is that rare player that is like having a coach on the field. I think Dan is as good a goalie as you’ll see playing anywhere in Massachusetts this year.”
2016 Record: 10-10 2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals Coach: Chris Digiacomo
The Tigers not only made the playoffs a season ago, but won their first ever postseason game as a program. Oliver Ames will face new challenges this season with the switch to the Kelley-Rex division.
While the Tigers face the task of going head to head with some of the top teams in the league, Oliver Ames will rely on team chemistry to try and get back to the postseason.
Offensively, juniors Owen Gallagher and Eric LeBlanc are back as two of the team’s top point producers. They’ll be helped by midfielders Liam Brown, a senior captain, and Jack Lang, a junior. Defensively, senior captain Phil Saba and senior Max Howe are two experienced players that will man the space in front of senior goalie Sean Cosgrove.
“The boys have worked very hard, and bought into our program,” said head coach Chris Digiacomo. “We play in an extremely tough league, but the boys are excited to get started.”
2016 Record: 9-10 2016 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East First Round Coach: Peter DeSisto
Sharon just made it into the postseason a year ago, punching its ticket on the last game of the season with a win over North Attleboro.
This season, the Eagles are expecting to qualify for the state tournament again because of the experience they have returning for the 2017 season.
Josh Rotman, who registered 35 goals a season ago, is one of the top midfielders in the league and will be relied upon to lead the Eagles this season. Spencer Hall and Chase Waxman are also back and should make an impact on both ends of the field. Jack Lesser has the ability to get forward and play as an attack or can drop into a midfield role.
“We have a lot of guys with experience at this level returning, so we have set our expectations high,” said head coach Pete DeSisto.
2016 Record: N/A 2016 Finish: N/A Coach: Pat Healey
The Black Knights are the new kids on the block, entering their first year at the varsity level after playing at the JV level the last couple of seasons.
Combining the JV experience and a budding youth program, Stoughton won’t be starting from scratch. However, the Black Knights are ready for what could be a roller coaster ride of a season.
Leading the way for the Black Knights are captains Dave Cellucci, Ryan Pierri, Harry Leal and Matt St. Clair. Leal will anchor the team from the cage, Pierre is the leader of the team’s poles and Cellucci and St. Clair are standout members of the Black Knights’ midfield.
“The team knows we’re going to be getting our share of bumps and bruises,” said head coach Pat Healey. “And winning here in the Hock is no easy chore. But it wouldn’t be much of a challenge if it was easy.
After getting its feet wet last season, Taunton is looking to improve now in its second year at the varsity level.
Sophomore goalie Ryan Williams was a bright spot for the Tigers a season ago and now, with a year under his belt, will an important part of the Tigers’ defense this season. Senior captain Mason Baacke and sophomore LSM Dylan Nichols will be key pieces in front of Williams.
Offensively, Shawn Campbell will try to ignite Taunton from the face off X while senior captain Andrew Wellington, who had a solid season a year ago, will be a vital piece in the midfield for first year head coach Brendan Chambers.
