CANTON, Mass. – After a mid-April matchup against the Pembroke Titans, the Canton Bulldogs knew their Division 2 South playoff matchup on Tuesday was not going to be easy.
“We played Pembroke earlier in the season and beat them 8-6,” said Canton head coach Bill Bendell. “We had some guys missing but they were good and we knew they were going to get better and they have a great coach. We knew it was going to be a dogfight when we looked at the seeding, we were like ‘Ah man, this is not going to be easy,’ there were some other matchups we would’ve preferred.”
The result for the Bulldogs on Tuesday was eerily similar to the first go around, as they pulled out an 8-7 victory in a hard-fought matchup.
The scoring came fast for Canton, as senior captain Charlie O’Connor took the opening faceoff and scored himself to give the Bulldogs a lead just eight seconds into the game.
“I wanted to set the tone for our team, make sure we had the momentum going our way,” O’Connor said. “I did what I could, ran down, they didn’t play me on the fast break and just took it to the net, shot and it went in.”
That wasn’t O’Connor’s only big play of the afternoon. After a strong defensive play by Gabe Galeotos and a clear by Brendan Albert with under a minute to go in the first half, Canton used a timeout with 29 seconds left to try and draw something up.
After the original shot was turned away, the ball laid unattended in the crease where O’Connor was able to play clean-up crew, scooping it into the net with one second remaining.
“The play right before halftime, we drew a couple things up, if they do this we’ll do this and we executed perfectly but they played really good defense, so they took away what we were trying to run,” Bendell. “Then our captain Charlie O’Connor knocked that ball in with one second left and that’s the game, that’s the game winner if you look at it that way.”
“I just brought out my inner hockey instincts almost,” said O’Connor. “Coach always says play to the whistle if the ball is on the goal line then poke it in…I poked it in and luckily, I kept my feet outside of the crease.”
The last-second goal gave the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead heading to halftime, forcing Pembroke to have to adjust during the break, which is exactly what they did.
The adjustments started with faceoff specialist Aidan Geary, who won eight draws in the second half to help bring the Titans get back into the game.
“[Geary] was really good and they made some adjustments,” Bendell said. “[Charlie] won the first one and scored and set the tone, that was huge, but after that, they really tightened that up and made it a battle. It was tough to get possessions.”
With those extra possessions, the Pembroke offense wasted little time getting back into the game.
After Mike Shaw (two goals, one assist) gave Canton a 5-2 lead, Pembroke’s Ryan Mulhern (two goals) scored in a five on five situation to pull the Titans back within two.
Canton then seemed destined to pull away yet again after a strong save from goalie Jack Connolly and a two-man advantage. However, the two-man advantage didn’t affect the Titans as Patrick Mulhern (three goals, one assist) scored with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.
The Titans then used their own man advantage with a Colin Newton goal and Michael Hendriksen added an even-strength goal just one minute later to cap a 4-0 run, which gave Pembroke their first lead of the game.
Canton then quickly answered when Kevin Albert (two goals, one assist) snuck one in just seconds after the faceoff to tie the game at 6-6 to end the third.
To start the fourth, Albert cashed in on another opportunity with 10 minutes remaining, only to have Patrick Mulhern tie the game just two minutes later. But with just over seven minutes remaining, a shot directed right to Albert who found Griffin Roach in front for what was the eventual game-winning goal.
“We’ve lost some one-goal games with these seniors so they’ve seen that,” Bendell said. “We were at D-Y a couple years ago and had them, then they beat us by a goal. We had Sandwich, it was tied late and they scored with under a minute left to beat us, so we survived and advanced just like they survived against us and advanced.”
Over the last seven minutes, the score remained 8-7 in large part due to Connolly in net. Connolly made four big saves in final minutes of regulation, including one with two seconds left that sealed the victory for the Bulldogs.
“He’s a beast, that was huge,” Bendell said. “The defense at the end of the game was clutch. You know the stick gets a little tight in those situations for some guys, but these guys thrive on that stuff. Jack doesn’t get discouraged, he might have a moment where he puts his head down for one brief moment but he’s still a sophomore, he’s a confident enough kid who plays varsity hockey, varsity football and varsity lacrosse so this is nothing new to him. He loves the spotlight and that was huge, that was clutch.”
Canton boys lacrosse (10-7) will now travel to face the No. 3 seed Sandwich on Thursday at 5:00 P.M.
“We just said to these guys, the first win of the playoffs is the hardest,” Bendell said. “We’ve done that trip before, it’s not an easy trip and they’re a good team. But now you’re playing house money, you got past the first round now we’re the lower seed technically so now the pressures on them to beat us and we’re a tough team, so we’ll see.”
Mansfield, 5 @ Braintree, 4 – Final – Braintree loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning but senior Kyle Moran limited the damage and picked up the final out to secure the win for the Hornets. Moran inherited first and second with no outs but got the first out on a sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and scored a run but Moran made a nice grab on a line drive back to the mound and an induced a fly ball to left for the final out. Mansfield scored two runs in the third, Braintree tied it with two in the fourth, but the Hornets took the lead for good with two runs in the fifth. Kevin Dow (two RBI), Chris Jenkins (run), and Mike Hargadon (two runs) had two hits apiece for Mansfield. Dow made the start and struck out 11 in six innings of work with no walks and two earned runs allowed.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Brockton, 8 – Final
Taunton, 4 @ Sharon, 6 – Final
Softball
Canton, 3 vs. Boston Latin, 8 – Final
Canton, 10 vs. Boston Latin, 5 – Final
Foxboro, 6 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – After scoring only three runs in the last three games, the Mansfield offense clicked into gear with 14 hits and 10 runs to put an end to a three-game losing streak. Foxboro took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but Mansfield answered with two in the bottom half to get right back into the game and never looked back. Kara Bendanillo, Megan Letendre, and Mady Bendanillo each had three hits, including a third-inning homer for Mady, while Caty DeMassi had two hits and Ella Verheggen, Mary Muldoon, and Kerran Holmes each had one hit apiece. Sarah Cahill earned the win with four strikeouts and scattering six hits.
Franklin, 0 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Annabelle Hebard plated the game’s only run with a sixth-inning single to lift North Attleboro to the win in a rapidly played game. Ashley Cangiano reached on an error with one out in the sixth and Bella Erti followed with a double to move runners into scoring position before Hebard provided the clutch hit. Hebard had three hits for North and Abby Gallagher and Emily Nardelli each had one. Erti tossed a two-hitter, walking just one and striking out four, and got some help in the seventh with a nice catch by Emily Pastore. Jackie Cherry and Maddy White each had a hit for Franklin while Emily Valentino allowed six hits and struck out five for the Panthers.
Stoughton, 7 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final (10 inn.) – Stoughton’s offense came to life with a five-run 10th inning to beat Oliver Ames on the road. Gina Carafa allowed seven hits while striking out four to earn the win in the circle, and helped her own cause with a solo home run in the second and an RBI single in the 10th. Karly Estremera and Lexi Baptista each had three hits for the Knights while Taylor Levine chipped in with two. For OA, Alexis Campbell was 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, Caroline Mahoney (RBI) had two hits, and Sarah Tetrault scored a run for the Tigers. Freshman Emma Varella struck out three in a complete game effort.
Taunton, 2 @ Moses Brown, 0 – Final – Taunton scored a run in the first inning and tacked on an insurance run to beat Moses Brown, one of the top teams in Rhode Island. Freshman McKenzie McAloon had a two-out RBI single to give the visiting Tigers the lead in the first. Kelsey White, who earned the win on the mound, added an insurance run by scoring on a wild pitch in the final inning. White struck out 13 with just three hits allowed and no walks to earn her sixth win of the season. Jaime Brown (double), Liana Duarte (run), and Mackenzie Handrahan each had two hits for the Tigers while Jaylin Couto chipped in with one hit.
Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 11 vs. Abington, 2 – Final – Canton extracted some revenge from a season ago, knocking off Abington to qualify for the state tournament. The Bulldogs fell to the Green Wave in the final game last season and missed the playoffs. This year, the win qualified Canton and knocked Abington from postseason contention. After leading just 2-1 after a quarter, Canton dominated the second with seven straight goals to take a 9-1 lead into halftime. Mike Shaw led the offense with five points (goal, four assists), senior Joey Vaughan scored his third goal in the past two games, Nick Mackay and Brendan Albert anchored a great defensive effort. Sophomore Jack Connolly played another strong all-around game with 11 saves.
Franklin, 12 vs. Cohasset, 7 – Final
King Philip, 9 vs. Falmouth, 10 – Final
Mansfield, 19 @ Barnstable, 8 – Final
Taunton vs. New Bedford, 4:00
Girls Lacrosse
Canton @ Natick, 4:00
King Philip @ Bishop Feehan, 4:00
Oliver Ames, 17 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Sofia Masciarelli recorded nine points to help Oliver Ames pick up its second win over Milford this season. Masciarelli had five goals and four assists while Ella Hogan scored four goals and Olivia Piazza and Chloe Kilkelly each netted three goals.
Taunton, 4 @ New Bedford, 11 – Final
Boys Tennis
Mansfield, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Mansfield won all five matches to pick up its first win over Oliver Ames this season. Luke Nickerson (first singles) and Max Bank (second singles) each won 6-0, 6-0 while Sam Donellan earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. Sam Schirmacher and Nilay Pangrekar picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles while Dheeraj Valluru and Kai Schirmacher recorded a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles for Mansfield.
Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 2 – Final
Girls Tennis
Mansfield, 3 @ Norton, 2 – Final – Mansfield pulled within one match of qualifying for the state tournament with a win over Norton. Sarah Doyle earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles, Elizabeth Elsner picked up a 6-4, 6-1 win at second singles and the team of Tessa Garaufi and Samantha Sternbug emerged victoriously, 6-3, 6-3, at first doubles.
Taunton, 5 @ Durfee, 0 – Final – Taunton junior Jillian Pagliuca won her match at first singles for her 70th career victory, setting a new Taunton girls tennis program record. Pagliuca won 6-2, 6-1 to hit the milestone. Vanessa Rosa (6-1, 6-1) and Jocelyn Pagliuca (6-2, 6-2) rounded out singles wins for the Tigers. McKenzie Lucie and Samantha Martin won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Amanda Pugh and Brianna Fevrier didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.
Canton junior Griffin Roach scored with 1:38 remaining in the first overtime to lift the Bulldogs to a dramatic victory over Scituate. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
CANTON, Mass. – With 50 seconds left in regulation, Scituate’s goalie made his first save of the night and the Sailors, who led only once, had the opportunity to win the game. Canton LSM Brendan Albert’s stick check knocked the ball loose as the clock wound down and he managed to flick the ball backwards off the sideline to be scooped up by Matt Martin.
That defensive stand forced overtime in Monday night’s Div. 2 South showdown at World War II Veterans Memorial Field, but the Bulldogs would need another stop if they wanted to have a chance at the win. Canton held on defensively for more than two minutes before snatching possession.
Following a timeout, the Bulldogs put the ball in the stick of junior attacker Griffin Roach behind the cage with classmate Mike Shaw setting a screen to give Roach a step of space. That was all he would need. He drove towards the alley and spun back on his defender towards the goal and finished in traffic to lift Canton to an 11-10 victory.
Here is the overtime goal by Griffin Roach that handed Canton a big win over a potential playoff opponent and moves the Bulldogs closer to tourney qualification #hockomockpic.twitter.com/kTT9EJwn9w
“They’ve been shutting off Mike Shaw, so we thought lets play some two-man game with and what are they going to do?” said Canton coach Bill Bendell of the closing sequence. “There’s no one I want the ball with that’s better than Griffin Roach. It was like slo-mo, we’ve seen it so many times in practice. he bring it so high and then inside roll and buried it.”
About the defensive stand that set up the winning possession, Bendell raved, “If they don’t beat us in transition, then we’re going to be okay because 6-on-6 we’d been playing really well.”
It has been a difficult stretch of the season for the Bulldogs, who lost to division rival North Attleboro by two and Sharon by one. It was also the second straight overtime game for Canton, which lost to King Philip last time out in a game that was a mirror image of Monday night.
“We had that,” Bendell said of the KP loss. “We had possession for like three minutes in overtime and then they had it for 10 seconds and scored.”
He added, “We deserved this one. That’s why the celebration was probably a little excessive but it was all that monkey off our backs.”
Scoring was at a premium in the first half. Dan Cohen got the night started with a man-up goal off a Kevin Albert assist, ripping a shot from straightaway. Scituate scored 90 seconds later to tie it, but Canton regained the lead with six minutes left in the first. Charlie O’Connor raced straight off the bench and down the middle where he received a pass from David Allen and held it until finishing on the edge of the crease.
The Sailors tied it again three minutes into the second, but Roach scored his first of the night with a drive to the cage from the right side, spinning past his marker and flicking a shot over the goalie. Scituate hit the post and Canton missed a chance off a turnover when Kevin Albert’s pass sailed over Shaw’s stick.
Cohen opened the scoring in the second half to build a two-goal lead, but Scituate answered back with three straight goals to take its first and only lead of the night at 5-4. Sophomore Jack Connolly made a big save and outlet pass to Cohen for a transition goal that tied the game and stole back momentum. Connolly finished the game with 16 saves.
“He’s a monster,” said Bendell. “I thought he played out of his mind. That’s one of the reasons the zone can be so effective is he takes up a lot of the cage, he’s athletic, he makes clears very well and now we’re going the other way.”
Cohen added an assist on a man-up situation a minute later with a perfect skip pass to Shaw on the left wing and the attacker patiently picked the near post corner to make it 6-5. Nick MacKay forced a turnover at midfield with a minute left in the third and ran around in the offensive half trying to use up the rest of the clock, but then the long pole dodged past his tired marker and scored with three seconds left in the third.
Bendell said of Scituate, “They never went away. At one point we had a two-goal lead near the end and I thought okay this is going to be it. They kept coming.”
The teams traded goals to start the fourth quarter, with Cohen scoring his fourth of the night. Scituate then scored two in a row to even the score at 8-8. Allen struck the post with a rocket of a shot, but the carom went right to a teammate, Kevin Albert, who found the back of the net with a lefty shot on the run.
Again, Scituate tied the game and had the chance at the lead but Connolly made one of his four fourth quarter saves. Albert was again the player to step up and put the Bulldogs in front with a similar effort to his first goal.
“When things were stalling is when Kevin said, I need to make a play and he scored a couple of big goals,” said Bendell.
Things got nervy at the end, especially with the way things had been going in close games in recent weeks, but the Bulldogs were able to pull out a much-needed win. Bendell said, “In my head, I was thinking that I just hope our guys believe because we were close against North Attleboro, close against Sharon. We had those games in hand and let them slip away, so we needed this. This is karma.”
It was also a win over a potential playoff opponent. Bendell added, “We needed a resume win this year. Not to take anything away from the teams we’ve beaten but we didn’t have that marquee win. This is a good team that we beat. We can build on this.”
Canton (4-5, 6-6) will be back home on Wednesday against Taunton, now needing two wins in the final four games to seal a tournament berth.
Baseball
Attleboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield got off to a strong start with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, extended the lead with three runs in the fifth inning and tacked on one more in the sixth in a win over Attleboro. Tyler Dalton went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored to lead the Hornets’ offense while Cullin Anastasia was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Kevin Dow struck out nine in five innings of work, allowing four hits and just two walks with no runs against to earn the win. Alvaro Espinel was 1-for-3 with an RBI while Matt Callahan (hit) scored Attleboro’s run.
Stoughton, 6 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Stoughton plated four runs with two outs in the top of the third to build a lead it never let go of. Robbie Seaman had a two-run single and Evan Gibb (2-for-4) followed with a two-run double for the Black Knights. George Currier went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Ruben Gonzalez had another strong day, getting the win on the mound (5 IP, 1 ER, 3 hits, 5 K) and went 3-for-3 with a walk.
Canton, 1 @ Milford, 11 – Final – Milford senior Aidan Wilde had three hits, the second one being the 100th of his career, to lead the Hawks to a big win over Canton. Wilde notched the milestone in the bottom of the fourth inning with a single into left field. Sophomore Luke Rosa earned his first career win, striking out three with just one run allowed in five innings of work.
Franklin, 3 @ Taunton, 6 – Final – Taunton took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring three runs on five hits but Franklin tied the game with three runs off two hits in the top of the fifth. The Tigers responded right away with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Tyler Medeiros got it done at the plate and on the mound for the Tigers. Offensively, he had two hits and an RBI. And on the mound, he earned the win, allowing just three hits while striking out 10 in a complete game effort. Jacob Crawford added two hits and two runs and Griffin Tomaszycki had a hit, two RBI, and a run scored for the Tigers.
Oliver Ames, 5 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames and King Philip each scored two runs in the first inning but the Tigers were able to beat the Warriors the rest of the way. OA tacked on two more runs in the top of the third, KP cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the third, but the Tigers added the insurance run in the sixth inning. Michael Friel (hit) reached bases three times, stole two bases, scored a run, had an RBI, and played outstanding defense at second base to pace OA to the win. Matt Muir (RBI, double) and Jack Erlich (run) each had two hits for the Tigers. OA’s Tom Parker earned the win with six innings of relief work, not allowing an earned run.
Sharon, 2 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro junior Ryan Warren roped a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning to break open a tie game and help the Rocketeers beat upset-minded Sharon. Zach DeMattio got things started with a walk, and pinch runner Billy Drummond took second on a sac bunt from Jeff Gale (2-for-2, two runs). After Cohen reached on a drop third strike, Drummond advanced to third, and Cohen stole second. That’s when Warren delivered. Sharon held a 2-0 lead after an inning but North tied things in the third on DeMattio’s two-out, two-run single. Peter Cohen pitched 5.1 innings of relief to earn the way for the Rocketeers.
Softball
Mansfield, 3 @ Attleboro, 15 – Final (6 inn.) – Attleboro exploded for 20 hits on the day, getting the game started on the right foot with seven runs in the first inning. Each Bombardier in the lineup had at least one hit led by MacKenzie Killough, who went 3-for-5 with two home runs. Freshman catcher Lora Woyton added a three-run home run, freshman Autumn O’Connell had three hits, Ashley Macia (two doubles) went 3-for-3 and Jordyn Lako was 4-for-5 for the Bombardiers. Jenna Gittle struck out five in six innings of work for Attleboro.
Canton, 1 @ Milford, 13 – Final (6 inn.) – Milford senior Kelley Reichert struck out 10 in a six-inning performance and Emily Piergustavo (3-for-4, four RBI) and Emily Hartman each belted a two-run home run as the Hawks won big at home. Kate Irwin (two runs), Jess Tomaso (double, two RBI), Antonia Bonina (two runs, RBI), and Maddy Bonvino (double, RBI) each had two hits on the day for Milford.
Stoughton, 3 @ Foxboro, 10 – Final – Foxboro avenged a loss from earlier in the season to the Black Knights with a big win on its home field on Wednesday afternoon. Lexi Buckner went 3-for-4, including two doubles and a home run, and finished with six RBI to pace Foxboro’s offense. Morgan Sylvestre went 3-for-4, Kelli McCarthy added two hits and two RBI, and Hannah Davis knocked a run in Emma Rohan scattered five hits, walked one and struck out seven for Foxboro.
Taunton, 6 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Taunton pushed across three runs in the first inning, added another in the second, and put the game out of reach with a pair in the fourth inning on the road at Franklin. Tigers freshman Kelsey White won her fourth game of the season, allowing just one run on seven hits with eight strikeouts (and no walks). Offensively, Alexa White and Liana Duarte (RBI) each had two hits while Jaime Brown (RBI) reached four times with three walks and a triple. Kya Enos, Hanna Aldrich, and McKenzie McAloon each knocked in a run for the Tigers. Franklin scored in the sixth inning when Ally Shea doubled and courtesy runner Molly Collins came around to score on a single from Tara Hartnett. Emily Valentino struck out four while Gabby Colace played a great game defensively for FHS.
King Philip, 13 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – King Philip scored eight runs in the top of the third to create separation against the Tigers and never looked back. Destiny Goyco, Lilliana Rolfe, and Faith Turinese each collected three hits for the Warriors while Nicole Carter and Meghan Gorman each pitched in with two apiece. Turinese earned the win, allowing one run in seven innings of work. For OA, Katie Mills was 1-for-3 with a run scored. Mills was knocked in by Katie Abreu (2-for-3); Sarah Tetrault and Lexie Campbell also each had a hit for the Tigers.
North Attleboro, 14 @ Sharon, 2 – Final (5 Inn.) – Olivia DesRoches pitched five innings and struck out four to pick up the win for the Rocketeers. Abby Gallagher had four hits and drove in a pair of runs for the North offense, which also got two hits apiece from Olivia Capobianco, Bella Erti (including a two-run homer), and Andrea Miceli. Stephanie Inglese hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Emily Pastore made a “highlight-reel grab” for North in the win.
Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ Milford, 8 – Final – Milford scored four goals in each the second and third quarters, taking a shutout into the final frame against visiting Attleboro. Freshman Evan Hazard turned aside 15 shots while Andrew Gallagher and Ryan Hazard each scored three goals apiece for the Hawks.
Canton, 7 @ King Philip, 8 – Final (OT) – Canton junior Mike Shaw scored in the final minute of the game to tie it and send it to overtime but the Warriors prevailed with the win. KP was able to hold off Canton’s extra-man opportunity to begin the overtime period before netting the winner. Canton sophomore Jack Connolly played great in goal with 12 saves while Dan Cohen (two goals) was one of six Bulldogs to score.
Foxboro, 7 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final
Oliver Ames, 4 @ Franklin, 17 – Final – Senior Johnny O’Glishen scored a pair of goals and added an assist to help the Panthers pick up a big win on Senior Night. Sophomore Ben Greco added a pair of goals, while sophomore Luc Sweeney and junior Patrick Morrison each had one goal and one assist each. Eric LeBlanc scored three goals for Oliver Ames.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Sharon, 7 – Final – Sharon limited North Attleboro to just one goal in the first half, building a 4-1 advantage that it never let go of. The Rocketeers got within two late in the fourth quarter but the Eagles secured the win with a seventh goal with three minutes to go. A big reason for Sharon’s big defensive game was goalie Jonathan Greenberg, who turned away 18 shots in the in. Offensively, Chase Waxman had three goals for the Eagles, Kadin Nestler added two, and Spencer Hall and Dan Lilienfield each scored once. Senior Brett Litner collected four assists for the Eagles.
Stoughton, 7 @ Taunton, 5 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Milford, 6 @ Attleboro, 12 – Final – Kyra Lyons paced the Bombardiers with seven goals and Kim White scored her first varsity goal in the win. Attleboro also got goals from Hannah Aspinwall, Emily Patton, Sydney DiLiddo, and Rylee Fontes. Head coach Kevin Patton called it a “total team effort.”
King Philip, 16 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Seven different players scored goals for the Warriors in another big league win. Olivia Tormey and Caroline Klim each scored four goals for KP and Dana Truini scored twice and assisted on three other goals. Alli Meehan, Lauren Anderson, and Emma Izydorczak each scored once in the win, while Caroline Watson made eight saves in the KP goal. Leah McClellan and Maggie Connolly each scored twice for the Bulldogs and Kaitlyn Goyetch scored once. Connolly also had an assist. Vicki Revanche made 13 saves in the loss.
Mansfield, 5 @ Foxboro, 20 – Final
Franklin, 17 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Franklin senior Nicole Houlihan and freshman Elizabeth Wilson each accounted for four points apiece as the Panthers rolled to a win on the road. Houlihan had two goals and two assists, Wilson finished with one goal and three assists, and sophomore Erin Walsh chipped in with three goals and three assists. FHS coach Kristin Igoe-Guarino said Annie Walsh and Hailey Toolin both played well in the midfield for the Panthers. Chloe Kilkelly scored twice for Oliver Ames while Olivia Piazza recorded three assists.
Sharon, 9 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Maeve Barbera scored the game-winning goal, her second of the afternoon, for Sharon with 15 seconds left in the game to split the season series against North. Sharon coach Shara Ginthwain called this a “huge win” for the Eagles and said that the game was “very close and competitive the whole time.” She added that the Eagles defense created turnovers in big moments and that the transition was “really great.” Sabrina Robbins scored three goals and Emma Eberhardt had four goals and an assist. Jenna Goldstein had an assist and Rose Wald made five saves in the win. Mackenzie Rosenberg scored six goals in defeat for the Rocketeers.
Boys Tennis
Mansfield, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield went on . the road and picked up a sweep over Attleboro, winning all five matches in straight sets. Luke Nickerson didn’t lose a game at first singles, Luke Devine won 6-3, 6-1 at second singles, and Peter Lally emerged with a 6-3, 7-5 decision at third singles. The team of Sam Cavicchi and Nilay Pangrekar won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles, and Sam Schirmacher and Sam Donellan won by the same score at second doubles for the Hornets.
Milford, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton picked up a pair of wins in singles and two more victories in doubles to beat visiting Milford. Dillon Anderson won 7-6, 6-0 at second singles and freshman Minh Duong took a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles for the Bulldogs. The team of Charlie Malloy and Aidas Jakubenas won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles and Justin Luk and Ethan Nguyen prevailed 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles for Canton. Milford’s BrenO’Shaughnessyessy rallied from a one-set deficit to win 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.
Stoughton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Stoughton freshman Waseem Sablon picked up a win in straight sets at first singles but the Black Knights fell on the road to the Warriors. Sablon won his match 6-3, 6-1.
Franklin, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Franklin took a pair of wins from singles play and swept doubles in straight sets to get a win on the road at Taunton. Freshman Liam Marr won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles and senior Tyler DiPalma prevailed 7-5, 6-2 at third singles. The team of Tony Calderone and Derek Wu won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles while Saketh Saripalli and Shournik Sompally lost just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles for the Panthers.
King Philip, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – King Philip’s Max Goreham and Riley Outlaw recorded their first career wins, taking a 6-0, 6-4 victory at second doubles in the Warriors sweep of OA. Jake Mager and Zak Ryan added a 6-2, 6-0 win at first doubles, Nick Putney (first singles) and Jack Cannon (second singles) didn’t lose a game, and Nick Ihley won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles for KP.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – The Hornets swept doubles play and picked up two more wins in singles action, winning all four matches in straight sets against the visiting Bombardiers. Senior Sarah Doyle won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and junior Elizabeth Elsner notched a 6-2, 6-2 win at second singles for the Hornets. The team of Tessa Garufi and Hannah Podolske won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles while Samantha Sternburg and Aryana Khosravani won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles for Mansfield. Attleboro’s Anna Nelson won 6-4, 6-3 at third singles.
Canton, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Canton freshman Natalie Keppler emerged with a third set breaker to get the win, helping the Bulldogs finish off the sweep on the road. Keppler won 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 to get the win, classmate Rachel Kupferman won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles, and Sarah Hernandez won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles for Canton. The team of Stelina Michaelidis and Caitlin Matthews earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles while Anjali Mandal and Jamie Cree teamed up to win 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Foxboro’s three singles players combined to drop just three games total in a clean sweep over Stoughton. Sophia Prinos didn’t drop a game at first singles, Pamela Nelson won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles, and Kayla Prag earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. Julia Muise and Sarah Prag paired together for a 6-2, 6-4 victory at first doubles while Olivia Dantona and Kendall Milender dropped just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles.
Taunton, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Taunton won all five of its matches in straights, going on the road to get a sweep at Franklin. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Vanessa Rosa took a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca earned a 6-1, 6-2 decision at third singles. McKenzie Lucie and Samantha Martin notched a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles while Amanda Pugh and Brianna Fevrier teamed together for a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Oliver Ames, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – After dropping a first set tiebreak, Oliver Ames’ second doubles team of Olivia Groebe and Rachel Stryke rallied to win two straight sets and clinch the winning point for the Tigers. Groebe and Stryke won 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 while OA’s first doubles team of Kristin Bloumbas and Emily Yu also recorded a comeback win, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Sophomore Maura Kiernan also won in three set for OA, taking a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 decision at third singles. KP’s Erin Regnier won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles and Meghan Sepich prevailed 6-3, 6-0 at second singles.
Sharon, 5 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Sharon won all five matches in straight sets to earn a sweep of North Attleboro on the road. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Lulu Yuan earned a 6-0, 6-3 decision at second singles, and EmilyWen prevailed 6-3, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Katie Merport and Sachi Bhasin notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles while Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein continued their strong season with a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Baseball
King Philip @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/22 at 3:45.
Softball
Oliver Ames @ King Philip – Postponed to a time and date to be determined.
Sharon @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Saturday, 4/21 at 11:00AM
Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 3 @ Natick, 10 – Final – Canton trailed by just two (4-2) at halftime but were done in by penalties in the second half. Mike Shaw, Charlie O’Connor, and Dan Cohen each scored for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 10 vs. Scituate, 4 – Final – After a back-and-forth first half that saw Foxboro take a one-goal lead (5-4), the Warriors pitched a shutout in the second half to beat Scituate and advance to the finals of the Chowda Cup to take on Catholic Memorial. Bobby Yerardi had three goals for Foxboro while Brendan Tully and Louis Piccolo each scored twice. Jake Addeche made seven saves in net.
Franklin, 13 vs. Lexington, 5 – Final – Franklin turned a close game into a comfortable win with a dominating fourth quarter. The Panthers led by just two goals, 6-4, after three quarters but scored six unanswered goals during the final frame to get the victory. Head coach Lou Verrochi said Jacob Alexander was unbelievable at the faceoff X, winning 19-of-22 attempts. Jake Davis and Eric Civetti recorded hat tricks and added an assist, Chase Tanner netted three goals, and Nitin Chaudhury chipped in with two tallies. Connor O’Rourke made seven saves in the win.
Mansfield, 6 vs. Falmouth, 8 – Final
Milford vs. Bellingham – Postponed to a time and date to be determined.
Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 13 vs. Medfield, 4 – Final
Mansfield vs. Natick – Postponed to a time and date to be determined.
North Attleboro vs. Walpole – Postponed to a time and date to be determined.
Boys Tennis
Oliver Ames @ King Philip – Postponed to a time and date to be determined.
Sharon @ North Attleboro – Postponed to a time and date to be determined.
Girls Tennis
King Philip @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Tuesday, 4/24 at 3:45.
North Attleboro @ Sharon – Postponed to a time and date to be determined.
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Brockton, 1 – Final – Juniors Joao Boaventura, Josh Orellana, and Zach Browne all notched double-digit kills as the Hawks defended home court against the Boxers with a 3-1 (25-13, 13-25, 25-23, 25-23) win. Boaventura had a team-high 14 kills, 15 digs, and two blocks while Orellana added 13 kills and Browne finished with 10 kills.
Canton’s David Allen (44) fires a shot between OA defenders in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
CANTON, Mass. – In the opening game of the season for both teams, Canton held off a second half push from Oliver Ames to record a 12-6 win on Thursday afternoon.
The Bulldogs built a four-goal advantage over the first 24 minutes of action, taking a comfortably 7-3 lead into halftime. But Oliver Ames came out with renewed energy in the second half, scoring a pair of goals in the third while blanking Canton’s offense to make it a two-goal game (7-5) heading into the final frame.
But Canton responded well, scoring its first of four straight goals less than two minutes into the fourth to fend off the Tigers’ comeback effort.
“[OA] came out ready to go in the second half,” said Canton head coach Bill Bendell. “It’s the first game, which is part of it, but OA came out with grit in the second half and was ready to go. They took it to us in the third. Then we woke up a bit in the fourth, realized the game wasn’t over and went on to finish it. I’m really happy to come away with the win. We made our share of mistakes so we still have plenty to work on too.”
Canton started the contest strong, scoring the opening goal less than a minute in when junior Griffin Roach charged up the middle and ripped a shot into the back of the net just 55 seconds in.
The Bulldogs kept their foot on the pedal as junior Mike Shaw took advantage of an OA turnover and scored from in close after a nice shot fake, Roach took a handoff from classmate Matt Martin, changed direction to get past a defenseman and rifled one in, and Ryan Sullivan took a feed from Shaw before firing a low shot, giving Canton a 4-0 lead eight minutes into the game.
Oliver Ames picked up some momentum before the end of the quarter by getting on the board. Sophomore Shane Kilkelly dodged past a defender, faked a shot to draw the attention of two others and then slipped a pass right in front to classmate Hunter Costello for a goal in tight.
The Tigers capitalized on that momentum to begin the second quarter, cutting the deficit to two when senior Owen Gallagher used his speed to wrap around the goal and a bounce shot to make it 4-2 just 32 seconds into the frame.
Canton sophomore David Allen extended the advantage back to three when he scored from a tight angle with 6:40 to go in the first half, only for Kilkelly to answer just over 30 seconds later. Kilkelly backed his way towards goal and used a nice spin move to create space for his shot.
Roach had the answer for Canton, scoring back-to-back goals in under a three-minute space. Just a minute after Kilkelly’s strike, Roach rushed up the middle and fired a bounce shot that snuck just under the bar. The junior cashed in again up the middle, whipping a hard shot to make it 7-3 heading into halftime.
“He’s a stud,” Bendell said of Roach. “He’s a junior captain for us, he can go left or right hand, he gets back and plays defense. He’s just an all-around great player, he’s the hardest worker on the team…exactly what you want from a captain.”
OA got off to a strong start in the second half when senior Jack Lang put the Tigers on the board 38 seconds in, making it 7-4. That goal seemed to set the tone for the period as OA controlled for the majority of the 12 minutes.
But it wasn’t until the final two minutes that OA cashed in again. Sophomore Frankie Ireland made a nice hustle play at midfield to gain possession and then came sprinting into the zone. He found Costello in the middle, who instantly returned the pass on a give-and-go and Ireland tucked his shot from in close just under the bar at a tight angle it to make it 7-5.
“In the third quarter we started executing our offense,” said OA first-year head coach Ben Devlin. “We controlled the ball a little bit more, we worked it around, and we were running our offense the way its supposed to be run. In the fourth, we started to press a little. We were chasing the score. I think the kids thought the deficit was a little bit more than it was so they started to force a little bit. We started playing aggressive and they were able to beat it at times.
“Bill [Bendell]’s a smart coach, we know his offense can kill a lot of clock so we had to press. It all came down to execution…when we won ground balls, won faceoffs and ran our offense, we were right in the game.”
Canton put an end to that momentum early in the fourth. Albert found Shaw cutting through traffic in front less than two minutes in to make it 8-5.
“We were better when we moved the ball and moved around,” Bendell said. “We did a ton of standing around on offense. We tried changing formations…the guy with the ball would end up just standing, or maybe he was moving but then everyone else was watching. I think that’s early stuff, but we talked about moving off the ball a little bit more in the second half. It got better as the game went on, and then in the fourth, they had to press us and that made us move more.
Roach (with 8:14 left), Albert (7:43) and sophomore James Murphy (5:49) scored in succession during the fourth to pull away from the Tigers. Costello added his second, again on an assist from Kilkelly with 2:35 left.
Albert completed his hat trick with just over a minute left to cap the scoring.
“Our guys were really amped up for the game, they knew they had a chance to win it,” Devlin said. “We knew if we executed, we could win. I was encouraged by our scrimmages, I thought we looked really good. But we just didn’t put it on the field today and execute at our best.”
Bendell also noted he felt that freshman TJ McCabe’s performance at the faceoff X was a big factor in helping the Bulldogs earn the win. Canton senior Charlie O’Connor, the team’s normal FOGO specialist, is out hurt and Bendell said McCabe filled in admirably.
“One of the things I thought we did well today was on faceoffs,” Bendell said. “With Charlie out hurt, TJ took them and he competed on every single one and that really gave us a chance.”
Oliver Ames (0-1, 0-1) will try to bounce back on Friday when it hosts Foxboro.
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.”
Mansfield senior Hunter Ferreira (3) will be one of the players to watch when the new Hockomock League boys lacrosse season kicks off. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
In a league that has been very deep at goalie for the past several seasons, Foxboro senior goalie Jake Addeche has emerged as one of the standout performers between the pipes and helped the Warriors hold teams to the third fewest goals scored in the league last season, including a pair of shutouts. The Hofstra University-commit is an athletic shot-stopper who makes saves even when it seems like he might be out of position. With quick hands and fearlessness in the face of attackers on the edge of the crease, Addeche made 185 saves last spring, which was among the best in the league. He is also solid in distribution and more than willing to carry the ball upfield if he can’t find an open teammate. With Addeche behind a solid defensive unit, Foxboro will be hoping to return to the top of the Davenport standings.
He may not score many goals or rack up many assists, but Franklin junior FOGO Jacob Alexander can dominate games and the reigning HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year has even been inserted in the MVP conversation for the edge he gives the Panthers at the face-off ‘X’. Alexander won 330-of-387 draws that he took last year, which is a remarkable 85 percent success rate. That means countless extra possessions for the potent Franklin attack and one of the reasons for Franklin winning a fifth straight league title. While not the biggest FOGO in the state, the Bryant University-commit uses his speed and technique to give Franklin a giant edge every game.
Reigning HockomockSports.com Player of the Year and league MVP Eric Civetti returns for his senior season to once again lead the attack for Franklin, which is setting its sights on a sixth straight Kelley-Rex division title and a deep tournament run. As a junior, Civetti led the league in points for the second straight season with 79 goals and 21 assists. He had 20 more goals than the second-best player in the league. He has already compiled 280 points in three years on varsity. The Rutgers University-commit has the combination of strength to battle along the crease, a powerful shot from distance, and the vision to get his teammates involved in the attack. He has also shown the ability to score against the top teams, as his four goals against Xaverian in the tournament showed.
King Philip junior attacker Colin DeVellis has been a strong offensive threat for the Warriors in each of his two seasons on varsity and emerged last year as one of the top scorers in the league working with then senior Tim Watson. DeVellis scored 24 goals and finished the season with 37 assists, which was second best in the league. Using his speed to cause havoc in opposing defenses, DeVellis became the point guard for the KP attack, showing off the ability to create his own shot but also the vision to find cutting teammates and create scoring chances for others. DeVellis will have to take on even more responsibility this season as KP tries to unseat Franklin in the league standings.
Mansfield senior Hunter Ferreira was a dominant force in the midfield last season for the Hornets, leading the team in goals with 34 and finishing second on the team with 19 assists. His 53 points was fifth best in the Hockomock and he helped Mansfield make a return to the state tournament. Much as he does on the gridiron, Ferreira uses his size and speed to create openings to get a shot off and there are few defenders in the league that can out-physical him near the crease. He has proven to be a top finisher and the combination of Ferreira and Joe Cox (who is returning from an injury) will give the Hornets a dynamic duo in midfield that teams will struggle to match-up with.
Although Milford only won once in the league last season, the Hawks boasted one of the Hockomock’s top goal scorers. Junior midfielder Ryan Hazard scored 41 goals during his sophomore season, which was third-best in the league. He also added 10 assists, meaning he was involved in more than half of his team’s 95 goals on the season. Milford will be hoping for similar production again this spring, as the Hawks try to climb up the league standings. Hazard’s combination of skill and speed made him a threat to even the top defenses and he will try to connect with classmate Nick Lurie and senior Andrew Gallagher to make the Hawks attack even more potent this year.
Oliver Ames senior forward Eric LeBlanc is coming off a season in which he finished in the top 10 in goals scored in the league and his scoring touch will be counted on by OA this spring as it tries to make a run at a state tournament spot. LeBlanc scored 30 goals last year, good for eighth in the league, and also added 13 assists in an all-star caliber season. LeBlanc is a dynamic playmaker who uses his speed to create looks for himself and his teammates and he will once again be the focal point for the Tigers this season under first-year head coach Ben Devlin.
North Attleboro had one of the stingiest defenses in the state last season and one of the reasons for the Rocketeers’ ability to lock down opposing attacks was the play of senior Tom Lockavitch. North allowed a league-low 77 goals last season and only 4.05 goals per game, which was the second best total in the state. Lockavitch, who was on the HockomockSports.com First Team last spring, provides good reading of the game and solid stick-work to battle some of the top attackers in the league. With Lockavitch back in the defense again this season, North will try to build on last year’s Davenport division title, which was the first league title in program history.
Canton junior attacker Mike Shaw may not be the biggest forward that opposing defenses have to face this season, but he is among the quickest and he has shown the ability in his two varsity seasons to be able to withstand the physical play and score goals for the Bulldogs. Shaw was second on the team with 21 goals and 40 points and had a team-high 19 assists, many times playing from behind the opponent’s goal to pick out open teammates. Although many of the defenders he faces will have a size advantage, Shaw has the vision to pick out the right pass and create scoring opportunities, while also demonstrating a range of finishes when he gets space. With Shaw picking up some of the scoring load, Canton will look to challenge again for the league title.
Defense has been the key to the success for Foxboro under head coach Matt Noone and junior Pat Stapleton has stepped in to become one of the Warriors top defensive players in his two years on the varsity. Stapleton was a HockomockSports.com Second Team selection last year after helping Foxboro finish the season with the third fewest goals allowed in the league, including a pair of shutouts and three other league opponents held to three or fewer goals. Stapleton is a solid one-on-one defender, has the quickness to make plays across the defensive zone, and the ability to carry the ball up into the midfield when needed. His partnership with classmate Brendan Tully is a formidable back line that Foxboro will lean on again this spring as it attempts to get back on top in the Davenport division.
Baseball
Attleboro @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Canton @ Sharon – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Milford @ Foxboro – Postponed to Thursday, 5/25 at 3:45.
Mansfield @ Franklin – Postponed to Thursday, 5/18 at 7:00.
King Philip @ Taunton – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
North Attleboro @ Stoughton – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Softball
Oliver Ames @ Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Sharon @ Canton – Postponed to Wednesday, 5/24 at 3:45.
Foxboro @ Milford – Postponed to Friday, 5/19 at 4:00.
Franklin @ Mansfield – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Taunton @ King Philip – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Stoughton @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/23 at 3:45.
Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 11 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – North Attleboro outscored Attleboro 7-0 in the second half to pick up a non-league win. Tommy Lindstrom orchestrated the offensive attack, registering five assists while Zach McGowan scored twice and added two helpers. Paul Yeomans (two goals, one assist) finish with three points while Jason McNeany (goal, assist), Colin Young (two goals) and Jack Dakin (two goals) each had two points. Owen Costello and Zac Doucette each scored once and Brett Labonte and Hunter Sarro each had an assist.
Canton, 5 vs. Braintree, 3 – Final – Canton outscored the visitors 4-1 in the second half to pick up a win on senior night and keep its postseason hopes alive. Senior Dan Dillon led the charge, notching three assists and scoring the game-winning goal with just over three minutes left to play. Senior Ryan Lodge and sophomore Mike Shaw each netted a pair of goals to round up Canton’s attack. Freshman Jack Connolly made 11 saves in net while CHS coach Bill Bendell praised the work of junior Charlie O’Connor at the face off X and the defensive work of senior Michael Pigeon.
Foxboro, 8 vs. Westwood, 9 – Final (OT)
Franklin, 11 @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 12 – Final (2OT) – St. John’s rattled off a 5-0 run in the second half to create an 11-7 cushion but the Panthers answered, scoring four straight goals over the final 5:45, capped with a goal from freshman Jake Davis with just seven seconds left to send the game into overtime. The Panthers won the face off at the beginning of each overtime period but couldn’t covert and the Pioneers netted the winner with 1:02 to go in the second overtime. Eric Civetti led Franklin’s offense with seven goals and one assist, Packie Watson scored twice and had one helper and Nitin Chaudhury scored once. Sam Arsenault, Jack Platner and Kyle McEniry had had one assist while Jacob Alexander won 19 face offs.
King Philip vs. Bishop Feehan, 6:00
Milford, 8 @ AMSA, 4 – Final
Oliver Ames, 9 @ Pembroke, 8 – Final– Oliver Ames freshman Shane Kikelly and junior Owen Gallagher each recorded a hat trick to pace the Tigers’ offense. Senior Liam Brown, junior Eric LeBlanc and freshman Sam Stevens rounded out the scoring with a goal apiece.
Sharon vs. Holliston, 3:45
Taunton, 2 @ Norton, 14 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 17 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Erin Holley paced the Rocketeers, who had 11 different goal scorers in the win, with four goals and a pair of assists. North also got five assists from Katie Lindstrom, a goal and three draw controls from Julia Noreck and two goals and two assists from Camille Pizarro.
Franklin, 8 vs. Westwood, 7 – Final – Franklin freshman goalie Gianna Cameron made 15 saves and FHS head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino had high praise for her defensive unit, anchored by Dana Lewandowski and Grace McDermott. The win marked the Panthers’ first ever win over Westwood, the defending D1 state champions. Caroline Lounsbury led the offense with three goals, Erin Walsh netted two goals and Annie Walsh recorded a goal and an assist. Jordan Jette had two helpers and Kendall Reardon and Kelsey MacCallum both found the back of the net once.
Taunton, 14 @ Norton, 6 – Final – Taunton eighth grader Alana Tavares scored a team-high eight goals and assisted on three others to pace the Tigers to a win on the road. Kayla Phillips netted a hat trick, Abbey Kingman scored twice and Annie Tate (two assists) found the back of the net once. Lorni Li turned away 12 shots in goal for the Tigers.
Boys Tennis
Sharon, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Sharon won all five matches in straight sets, losing a total of just seven games on the road. Griffin Fein won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Fred Bondar notched a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles and Andre Olivei recorded a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Alex Romantz and Alberto Olivei won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Sammy Kirshenbaum and Max Brody prevailed 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles.
Oliver Ames @ Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Foxboro @ Milford – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Franklin @ Mansfield – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Taunton @ King Philip – Postponed to Wednesday, 5/24 at 3:45.
Stoughton @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Girls Tennis
Canton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon dropped just one game in total among three singles matches to beat Canton. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Emily Zhang captured a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles and Lulu Yuan won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Sydney Gordon and Lauren Glass won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Sachi Bhasin and Akhila Sanadi won 7-6, 7-0 at second doubles.
Attleboro @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Milford @ Foxboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/23 at 3:45.
Mansfield @ Franklin – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
King Philip @ Taunton – Postponed to Wednesday, 5/24 at 3:45.
North Attleboro @ Stoughton – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 @ Xaverian, 0 – Final
Taunton, 3 vs. Barnstable, 2 – Final
Baseball
Attleboro @ Taunton – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/2 at 3:45
Mansfield @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Thursday, 4/27 at 3:45
Milford @ Sharon – Postponed to Thursday, 4/27 at 3:45 at Milford HS.
Softball
Taunton @ Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/2 at 3:45
Oliver Ames @ Mansfield – Postponed to Thursday, 4/27 at 3:45
Sharon @ Milford – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/2 at 3:45
Boys Lacrosse
Taunton, 1 @ Attleboro, 22 – Final
North Attleboro, 9 @ Canton, 7 – Final – North Attleboro senior Owen Costello broke a tie game with less than three minutes to play in the fourth quarter and Big Red tacked on a final goal in the final seconds to edge Canton in a Davenport showdown. North jumped out to a 4-0 lead but Canton fought back to cut it to 5-3 at half. Goals from Matt Martin and Ryan Lodge in the third quarter tied the game for the Bulldogs. North Attleboro took a 7-6 lead into the final quarter. Canton tied it up before the Rocketeers scored the final two goals. Colin Young led Big Red with three goals, Zach McGowan had two goals and an assist and Tommy Lindstrom scored once and had three assists. Jack Dakin, Jason McNeany and Costello each scored once. Dan MacDonald made 12 saves for the Rocketeers. For Canton, Dan Dillon scored twice and had three assists, Martin (two goals) and Lodge (one goal, one assist) had had two points, Kevin Albert scored once and had one assist and Griffin Roach notched two helpers. Mike Shaw (goal) and Charlie O’Connor (assist) each had a point while freshman Jack Connolly made 13 saves.
Milford, 3 @ Foxboro, 19 – Final
Franklin, 15 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Franklin sophomore Jacob Alexander dominated at the face off X, Connor O’Rourke and the Panthers defense pitched a shutout in the second half and four different players scored at least twice in the Panthers’ big win. Alexander won 16 of 17 face off attempts while O’Rourke made seven saves. The Panthers defense had a lock down effort in keeping Mansfield to its lowest output of the year. Eric Civetti had five goals and one assist, Packie Watson had two goals and two assists, Chase Tanner scored twice and had one helper and Nitin Chaudhury found the back of the net twice.
King Philip @ Stoughton – Postponed to Thursday, 4/27 at 3:45
Sharon, 10 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 9 @ Taunton, 12 – Final – Delaney Powell scored five goals, as Taunton wins the Kelley-Rex battle with Attleboro. Alana Tavares followed up a 13-goal game on Monday with a hat trick and Abbey Kingman added three as well for the Tigers. The Bombardiers were led by Kyra Lyons’s four goals and Mish Logie added three in the loss.
North Attleboro, 16 @ Canton, 6 – Final – Kenzie Rosenberg paced the Rocketeers to a big Davenport victory with seven goals, while Katie Lindstrom had a hat trick and Emily Schromm had five draw controls for North.
Foxboro, 15 @ Milford, 4 – Final
Mansfield, 4 @ Franklin, 15 – Final – Eight different players found the back of the net as Franklin bounced back from its first loss of the season with a key division win. Jordan Jette had two goals and two assists, Kelsey MacCallum netted a hat trick and Nicole Houlihan scored twice for the Panthers. Head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino praised the defensive work of Grace MacCallum, who forced three turnovers and had five draw controls.
Sharon, 18 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final
Boys Tennis
Taunton @ Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/2 at 3:45
Canton @ Stoughton – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Oliver Ames @ Mansfield – Postponed to Thursday, 4/27 at 3:45
Sharon @ Milford – Postponed to Saturday, 4/29 at 9:00AM
Girls Tennis
Attleboro @ Taunton – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/2 at 3:45
Stoughton @ Canton – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Mansfield @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Thursday, 4/27 at 3:45
Milford @ Sharon – Postponed to Saturday, 4/29 at 9:00AM
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 vs. Brockton, 1 – Final – After splitting the first two games, Taunton pulled out two straight wins to knock off Brockton (25-22, 13-25, 25-19, 25-22). Lens Esquil had 13 kills and a block while Lance law had 18 digs, 10 kills, three blocks and an ace. “Lance played well all-around,” head coach Toby Chaperon said. Chaperon added that Gage Kingman (16 digs) played well in the back row for the Tigers.
