By HockomockSports.com Staff
Players are listed alphabetically
Lily Brown, Junior – King Philip
KP has a lot of turnover from the 2019 team, so there will be a lot of opportunities for players to take on bigger roles this spring. Brown is one of the players that has the potential for a breakout season. The junior midfielder is the team’s top returning scorer after notching 11 goals and six assists as a freshman. Her quickness, vision, and creativity around the goal forces defenses to react and leaves openings for her teammates. KP has already scored 33 goals in the opening two games so the Warriors have the potential to put up big numbers. After four goals against North Attleboro, Brown has settled right into her role as one of the primary playmakers and has KP thinking about the possibility of dethroning Franklin from its perch atop the Kelley-Rex.
Kaitlyn Carney, Sophomore – Franklin
After two seasons as a standout for the field hockey team, Carney will finally get the chance to show off her skills for the Panthers on the lacrosse field. Coming into a dominant program and an already loaded roster, Carney will bring an aggressive mindset and a physical presence to the Franklin midfield. Already drawing national attention for her club play, Carney gets the chance to showcase those skills for Franklin this spring and continue the program’s dominance in the Hockomock, as it looks to bring home another Kelley-Rex title and keep its long unbeaten run intact.
Jenna Goldstein, Senior – Sharon
Goldstein continues a run of talented midfielders for the Eagles and the Colby College-commit is back for her senior season looking to keep Sharon’s recent success in the Davenport division going. She scored 60 goals in 2019 and added six assists to help Sharon tie for second in the division and make another tournament appearance. A strong, all-around performer in midfield, Goldstein will have extra responsibility this season as it will be her first without 2019’s leading scorer Emma Eberhardt. The offense will run through Goldstein this year and her talent will go a long way to determining how the season goes for the Eagles.
Katie Jones, Senior – Franklin
Between injuries and then a pandemic, Jones has yet to really have a chance to show what she is capable of in the Franklin attack. She has made several appearances, including a four-goal performance against Concord-Carlisle in the 2018 Div. 1 East final as a freshman, but the UConn-commit will be hoping her senior season can be her best. With the size, athleticism, and ability to find open spaces in the defense, Jones is a weapon around the cage that the Panthers will look to exploit. Surrounded by playmakers, Jones should have plenty of scoring chances this spring to try and keep Franklin’s remarkable unbeaten run in the league going for another season and retain the Kelley-Rex title.
Allie McCabe, Junior – Canton
A three-sport standout, McCabe may only have one season of Canton lacrosse under her belt but she is more than prepared for competing at the varsity level, one of the reasons that she has been named a captain as a junior. A leader on the field, McCabe is a solid midfielder with loads of energy and an aggressive mindset. She will be a key to slowing down the opposition in transition and using her size and stick skills to open up scoring chances for herself and her teammates. McCabe’s experience, along with the other returning players, has Canton confident that it can compete with the top teams in the Davenport division and make a move up the standings from 2019’s fourth-place finish.
Emma Pereira, Senior- Oliver Ames
Another three-sport standout, including league MVP this past hockey season, Pereira is a player who can dominate the midfield with her physicality, athleticism, and aggression. In 2019, she scored 17 goals and recorded 17 assists and will be the top returning scorer for the Tigers, who will be returning to the Davenport division this spring and hoping to move up the standings to challenge the usual contenders, Foxboro, North Attleboro, and Sharon. Having Pereira in the midfield and relying on her experience will be a good way for the Tigers to start.
Melissa Shanteler, Senior – Mansfield
Mansfield will get its first chance to play under former Foxboro coach Brittany Sherry and with a lot of turnover from the 2019 team, the Hornets will lean on their seniors to set the tone. Shanteler will be that leader for Mansfield’s defensive unit. Aggressive, especially around the cage, with quick hands, and good reading of the game, Shanteler makes big interceptions and chases down a lot of ground balls. Her energy will be important to get the Hornets into the transition game and spark their attack. Mansfield is always looking to pose a challenge to Franklin’s dominance in the Kelley-Rex and Shanteler will be one of the players that the Hornets hope will keep them in the league title mix this spring.
Alana Tavares, Senior – Taunton
Tavares has had a remarkable career for the Tigers and the reigning Hockomock League MVP and HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year returns for her senior season already with more than 200 goals to her name. A quick, skillful midfielder, the Marist College-commit did everything for Taunton in 2019, scoring 95 goals and dishing out 13 assists as a sophomore. That accounted for more than half of the Tigers’ 189 goals as a team. She also had 97 draw controls and grabbed 66 ground balls, showing off her all-around game that helped Taunton get within one win of a playoff spot in 2019.
Lilly Vey, Senior- Foxboro
Vey stepped into an experienced team two years ago and emerged as a dynamic scorer, adding another important piece to Foxboro’s run to the Div. 2 East title. With a quick first step, the ability to find seams in the defense, and an eye for a pass, Vey tied for second on the Warriors with 38 goals and was third on the team with 12 assists in 2019. It’s been a couple of years and there is a new coaching staff at Foxboro, but Vey has the potential to be the centerpiece of another Davenport division-winning squad this spring.
Siobhan Weir, Senior – North Attleboro
Since moving back to the Davenport division, North Attleboro has consistently been in a battle with Sharon for the second spot behind Foxboro in the league standings. The Rocketeers will have a new coach and a lot of new faces this season but Weir is one of several players returning from 2019 with varsity experience who will be counted on to keep the team playing at the same level. The senior midfielder is the team’s top returning scorer with 17 goals and six assists as a sophomore, but it’s also her leadership, athleticism, and ability to impact the game on both ends of the field that will be critical for North to once again challenge the top teams in the division.