Tag: Ashton Cetoute

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/24/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 47 @ Sharon, 57 – Final – Attleboro rallied to get within two possessions with just under a minute to go but the Eagles got a big stop and hit enough free throws to hold on for the win. Senior Matt Baur had his best game of the season as he poured in a game-high 24 points along with six rebounds while junior Nate Katznelson added 12 points and eight boards for the Eagles. Sharon took a seven-point lead into halftime (26-17) but a 19-point third quarter pushed the Eagles’ advantage to 45-32 going into the fourth quarter. Baur had eight points in the third while Katznelson, Ryan Brown, Jacob McLoughlin, Dante James, and Tyler Goodman (10 points, including two threes in the fourth quarter) each added a bucket to give Sharon a double-digit lead. Attleboro made it interesting int he final three minutes with a 9-0 run. Jaiden Outland (14 points) hit two free throws, Hayden Crowley got a floater to fall and followed with a three-pointer off an offensive rebound, and Outland added a tough reverse finish with 46 seconds left to make it 53-47.

King Philip, 51 @ Canton, 55 – Final – Canton had a double-digit lead going into the fourth quarter but had to hold off a late push from visiting King Philip before securing the win. Senior Matt Chafin (team-high 16 points) dropped in three three-pointers in the first half while Zaza Francoeur and Caden Mirliani each added one in the third to give the Bulldogs a 38-27 lead going into the fourth. Julius Hicks had five points in the fourth while Chafin, Jeremiah Predin (11 points), Jamaal McConnell, and Ashton Cetoute all contributed to the scoring column in the final quarter to keep Canton ahead. Tommy Martorano and Will Laplante each had 15 points to lead the way for the Warriors, who had 24 points in the fourth quarter after scoring just 27 points through the first three.

North Attleboro, 47 @ Foxboro, 63 – Final – Foxboro doubled its lead in the third quarter and then pulled away for good with its best offensive stretch in the fourth quarter. Ryan Kelley hit a pair of threes in the first half and Nolan Gordon, Andrew Finn, and Alex Penders each had one — plus eight points from Ryan Cotter — as the Warriors staked a 31-27 lead at halftime. Ryan LeClair added a triple in the third while Foxboro’s defense held North in check in the third with just eight points allowed to make it 43-35 going into the fourth. Penders finished with 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half, Sam Golub had seven of his 11, and Gordon added two more buckets on his way to a career-high 12 points. Givany Carney had five of his team-high 15 points in the second, Derek Maceda (15 points) added two buckets, and both Austin Clemente and Chase Frisoli hit threes in the second to kept North close at half.

Franklin, 46 @ Mansfield, 56 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Milford, 63 @ Stoughton, 73 – Final – Buoyed by a big third quarter, Stoughton snapped a three-game skid with a win over Milford. Sophomore Matt Greenspoon hit three of his five three-pointers in the first half and freshman Anthony Alessi dropped in two more as the Black Knights staked a 32-28 lead at half time. Greenspoon added two more threes in the third, Liam Pearl had four of his 12 points, Tagh Swierzewski sank a triple, and senior Jayden Costa-Haywood got going offensively with nine of his team-high 24 points in the third as the Black Knights won the quarter 25-12. Milford sophomore Andrew Rivera hit four threes and finished with a team-high 19 points, sophomore Luca Testa added 14 points, and freshman CJ Farrell also had four threes and finished with 12 points.

Taunton, 46 @ Oliver Ames, 43 – Final – Oliver Ames put up 30 points between the second and third quarters to take a lead into the final frame but the visiting shorthanded Tigers from Taunton limited the hosts to just seven points in the fourth and held on for the win. Junior Troy Santos scored 11 of his team-high 17 points in the second half, helping his side cut a seven-point halftime deficit (24-17) down to just three (36-33) going into the fourth. Tyson Carter (nine points) and Al Morisseau each had four points in the fourth quarter to help Taunton close it out. Jakari Innocent and Chris Volcy had six points apiece for Taunton. OA freshman Soren Lolonga tied a career-high with 21 points, including 16 in the first half. Sophomore Cole Craffey added 10 points while Nick Asiaf and Chris Elias each had a three in the third to keep OA ahead. OA had a couple of looks at the tying three in the last minute but couldn’t get a shot to fall.








Girls Basketball
Sharon, 51 @ Attleboro, 73 – Final – Lily Routhier scored a career-high in points and recorded a triple-double to power the Bombardiers to a bounce back win over Sharon. Routhier finished with 26 points, 10 steals, and 11 rebounds, allowing the Bombardiers to overcome a 35-point, 21-rebound performance from Sharon forward Jasmine Davis and stay within a game of league-leading Franklin. Davis dominated the first half, scoring 20 points and Tess Letendre (five rebounds) added seven of her nine before the break to send the Eagles into the locker room ahead 32-29. Attleboro held Sharon to 11 points in the third, nine of them from Davis, to take the lead and the hosts carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, outscoring Sharon 26-8 to earn the big win. Routhier sparked the big final quarter, knocking down a trio of three-pointers and scoring 11 points. Avery James added a pair from beyond the arc and eight points in the fourth for Attleboro. James finished with 17 points and Kayla Goldrick added 12. Vanessa Ellis and Sarah Maher also chipped in with six points apiece in the win.

Canton, 43 @ King Philip, 47 – Final – Jackie Bonner scored 13 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, allowing KP to hold off a late charge by the Bulldogs and secure a fourth straight win. Emily Sawyer also scored 18 for the Warriors, eight of them coming in the first quarter as KP took an early 9-6 lead. She added five more in the second and Bonner had three to open a 23-16 advantage at the break. The deficit stayed the same through three quarters, but Samya DaSilva sparked a Canton comeback in the fourth. She scored 10 of her game-high 21 in the final eight minutes and Mercia Kolokithas (six points) knocked down a three to chip away at the KP lead. Bonner kept the Bulldogs at bay, burying three shots from beyond the arc. Sawyer added another three points in the quarter as well and KP hung on. Maddie Paschke provided six points for the Warriors, while Canton got five points apiece from Han Hong and Erin Beatty.

Foxboro, 71 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – North Attleboro ran a triangle-and-two to try and limit Foxboro’s backcourt scoring, but sophomore center Addie Ruter continued her strong season and scored a game-high 17 points to help the Warriors secure their 10th win. Foxboro is the first of the league’s girls basketball teams to clinch a postseason berth. The Warriors continued to play their league-best defense, holding North to 11 points in the first half to build a 20-point lead going into the locker room. Despite the attentions of North’s defense, Camryn Collins finished with 16 points and Kailey Sullivan added 15. Erin Foley also got to double digits, scoring 10 for the visitors. Freshman Ella McLaughlin was North’s top scorer, knocking down four threes to finish with a dozen points.

Mansfield, 55 @ Franklin, 63 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 45 @ Milford, 47 – Final – Milford rallied in the fourth quarter, overturning a three-point deficit and pulling out a second league win of the season. Emily Croteau sparked the rally by scoring seven of her 11 points over the final eight minutes, with freshman Katelyn Kearnan chipping in with three more and Aliza Syed adding her lone basket of the night. Kearnan scored a career-high 14 to lead the Hawks, knocking down a trio of three-pointers. Brooke Ferreira scored a dozen points, six of them in the third. Katrina Varnum was Stoughton’s top scorer with 14 points and added 16 rebounds and four blocks, Kirsten McKay added 12 points in the loss, and Leah McCarty had eight points, 12 rebounds, and a pair of blocks. Varnum and McCarty combined for 10 in the second quarter, as the Black Knights outscored Milford 18-12 to take a 26-21 lead into the locker room. Kearnan and Ferreira would help the Hawks chip away at the deficit, combining for 11 points in the third to bring Milford back within three.

Oliver Ames, 63 @ Taunton, 32 – Final – OA continued its strong recent form, winning its fourth straight game. The visitors turned the game on its head right from the start, outscoring Taunton 19-3 in the first to build a big lead that it would carry to the final whistle. Kamryn Derba, Kaydance Derba, and Sarah Hilliard combined for 17 of those 19 in the first. Taunton rallied in the second to cut the deficit to 11, as Chelsea Bousquet and Lexi Haywood scored 11 points together in the quarter. OA put the game out of reach with a 17-6 third. The same trio again stepped up for the visitors, combining for 13 in the frame. Kamryn Derba finished with a game-high 16 points, while her older sister added 13 points, including a trio of triples. Hilliard also finished in double digits with 10 points. Bousquet led Taunton with eight, Haywood scored seven, and Tarynn Campbell added six.

Swimming
Franklin @ King Philip, 7:00
Sharon @ Mansfield, 7:00

Fourth Quarter Surge Boosts Bulldogs Past Oliver Ames

Canton boys basketball Matt Chafin
Canton senior Matt Chafin goes up for a layup against Oliver Ames’ Ari Spiliakos in the second half on Friday night. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Canton’s Julius Hicks hadn’t attempted a field goal all game, but when the Bulldogs needed him in crunch time, the senior captain delivered.

Hicks hit all three of his attempts from the floor in the fourth, including a pair of big three-pointers, to help Canton capture a 48-39 win on the road over Oliver Ames.

There was little separation throughout the first three quarters, and points were at a premium with the sides even at half (21-21) and again after three quarters of play (29-29). After scoring just eight points in the third quarter, Canton erupted for an 8-0 run to start the fourth in less than two minutes.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Sophomore Anthony Dilietizia drained a three off of the opening inbounds pass and a steal from senior Matt Chafin resulted in a pair of free throws for the senior captain. Another OA turnover, their third straight to start the final period, Chafin (15 points, 4 assists) penetrated the lane and dished it out to Hicks (10 points) for a triple to make it 37-29 just 1:46 into the fourth.

“I thought we executed a little bit better offensively, we played with more structure and more purpose,” said Canton head coach Eric MacKinnon. “We made sure to call something out every time. And defensively we got some deflections and got some steals and we converted. We really emphasized really getting organized and running something with a purpose.”

Oliver Ames sophomore Cole Craffey (17 points, five rebounds, three assists) hit back with a traditional three-point play to cut the deficit to five, but after some empty trips from both sides, Hicks took a pass from Zaza Francoeur (7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) and hit a three from straightaway.

“He was ready,” MacKinnon said of Hicks. “He looked exhausted out there but he made them when it mattered. Like any high school team, when you make a couple of shots, it gets you a little more excited on the other end.

“I think they missed some shots they normally make but I thought when we got the steals and deflections, we made the right play instead of forcing something. It was good that when we built that lead, we kept it and didn’t let it go.

Caden Mirliani finished a tough layup through contact to give Canton the first double-digit lead of the game at 42-32, and even when OA answered, the Bulldogs broke the press and a long possession finished with a layup from Hicks.

“The start of the fourth quarter was the difference,” said Oliver Ames head coach Oliver Vil. “They hit a big three, we missed one, and that’s kind of been the story for us the last couple of games with these little runs and we don’t stop the bleeding when we should.

“We started to play hero ball a little bit, and that’s something you get when you’re a young team. Defensively we’ve done well, we were second in the league in points against. We’re just hurting a little bit on the offensive end, and hopefully, that comes with more experience.”

The first three quarters featured back-and-forth runs from both sides. Francoeur hit a three to open the game and converted his own miss as Canton jumped out to a 6-0 lead but the Tigers came alive and closed with a 13-0 run, including a pair of three-pointers from senior Chris Elias (9 points).

A layup from Ashton Cetoute and consecutive threes from Chafin gave Canton the lead to start the second with an 8-0 run, and a bucket from Lucas Massih kept the Bulldogs ahead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

OA freshman Soren Lolonga (13 points, 7 rebounds) and Craffey combined for the final seven points to pull the Tigers level at the half, 21-21.

Lolonga was OA’s lone scorer in the third quarter, accounting for all eight of the Tigers’ points. Jamaal McConnell had success attacking the basket and had a late assist in the third to Mirliani, but Lolonga tied the game at 29-29 with a late free throw.

Canton boys basketball (4-2 Hockomock, 6-3 overall) hits the road on Tuesday with a visit to Franklin while Oliver Ames (1-5, 3-6) visits North Attleboro.

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars

Below are the official 2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Hockomock League MVP

Casey Milliken, Oliver Ames

Hockomock League All Stars

Alex Vecchioli, Attleboro
Lucas Marques, Attleboro
Toby Smith, Attleboro
Jake McCabe, Canton
Carson Eagles, Canton
Ryan Cotter, Foxboro
Rex Cinelli, Franklin
Trey Lovell, Franklin
Will Kryzak, Franklin
Noah Cain, Franklin
Matt Crago, King Philip
Derek McGrath, Mansfield
Grady Sullivan, Mansfield
Nick Ribeiro, Milford
Eduardo Santana, Milford
Kaua Pereira, Milford
Zach Smahi, North Attleboro
Carson Dameron, North Attleboro
Casey Milliken, Oliver Ames
Hector Bucio, Oliver Ames
Luke Churchill, Oliver Ames
Andrew Martins, Oliver Ames
Rhys Davis, Sharon
Adam Eastman, Sharon
Matheus Groberio, Stoughton
Javonte Fernandes, Taunton

Honorable Mentions
Esvin Morales, Attleboro
Ashton Cetoute, Canton
Marco Pacini, Foxboro
Will Klawson, Franklin
Dermott Amorim, King Philip
Aiden Steele, Mansfield
Arthur Tome, Milford
Givani Carney, North Attleboro
Ryan Linhares, Oliver Ames
Matt Baur, Sharon
Kyle Grant, Stoughton
Riley Rebello, Taunton

Below are the official 2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. 2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars

Eagles Finish Strong After Canton Comeback Bid

Sharon boys basketball Nate Katznelson Zaza Francoeur
Canton’s Zaza Francoeur (3) attempts to block a shot from Sharon’s Nate Katznelson (32) in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 SHARON, Mass. – It might have been second game jitters, or maybe it was the nearly 90-minute delay that pushed tipoff back, but neither Canton nor Sharon could quite get into a rhythm on Friday night.

That was until crunch time.

The visiting Bulldogs used an 8-0 run — the biggest run from either team in the entire game — to surge ahead with just under three minutes to go, only for the host Eagles to answer and secure a 57-52 win.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

A pair of lengthy subvarsity games pushed the start time back over an hour, and both teams struggled to string baskets together as defense ruled the first three quarters.

“We got a little complacent and at times, we got a little selfish, and our offense stopped moving, we stopped sharing the ball and it became difficult to score,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “I think [Canton’s run] did kind of wake us up. We had some real effort from guys on the bench that kept everyone involved. Then we were able to get some big plays down the stretch from some big players.”

A bucket down low from Sharon junior Jaden Segal put the Eagles ahead 47-40 just before the midway point of the fourth quarter. Canton responded with its best offensive stretch of the game as Jamaal McConnell (16 points, four rebounds, two blocks) hit a free throw and senior Caden Mirliani scored a bucket in transition and followed with a pull-up three-pointer to get the Bulldogs within one.

Matt Chafin (eight points) came up with a steal and Julius Hicks found Zaza Francoeur (7 points, five rebounds, four steals, three blocks) cutting to the basket for two and Canton’s first lead, 48-47, since McConnell’s opening bucket to start the game.

After a timeout, Sharon junior Jacob McLoughlin (8 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds) slipped a pass to a cutting Dante James (eight points), and the senior finished his baseline take to put the hosts back in front. An illegal screen gave Sharon the ball back but McConnell came up with a huge block at the rim. Canton had another empty trip, launching three three-pointers but were off the mark each time.

A pair of free throws from James extended Sharon’s lead to 51-48 but Hicks found Chafin and he drained his first and only three-point attempt to make it 51-51 with 1:30 left.

Sharon drew up a baseline inbounds play but the Bulldogs defended it well. Without any teammates open, McLoughlin alertly tossed the ball off a Canton player’s back, got back inbounds, and laid it up for two and a 53-51 lead.

“We’re not trying to make a habit of throwing off the other team’s back but we have two high IQ point guards,” Ferguson. Sharon senior Jack Bates (five assists, two steals) did the same thing to end a quarter against Taunton. “We’re trying to draw up a play, we were looking for Nate and they defended it really well. Jacob made a real heads-up play to get a bucket.”

The Eagles’ ball pressure led to a backcourt on Canton’s next possession, and after drawing up another play in a timeout, James looped in a pass to Nate Katznelson (22 points, 12 rebounds) in the post and he finished at the rim to make it 55-51 with 20 seconds left. Sharon continuously made an effort to get the ball down low, only attempting nine three-pointers all game and making just one.

“All day in practice yesterday we were working on feeding Nate in the post,” Ferguson said. “We thought we had a size advantage there and we could use that. He has been tremendous this year, his physicality is so much better. With Matt [Baur] out (illness) and Jacob not having his best night, we had to rely on Nate. And Dante made a great play in the end too, so relying on those guys with the varsity experience is key right now.”

McConnell sank a free throw to make it a one-possession game but McLoughlin sank two from the line to ice the win.

“I thought their ball pressure really bothered us and prevented us from getting into anything,” said second-year Canton head coach Eric MacKinnon. “We’d draw up a play and couldn’t get to it. Their ball pressure was really good but part of it is on us too. We’re too free-flowing at times. They got a lot of deflections and I thought they were the tougher team.

“During that run, that was the one point it kind of felt like things were going good but we never really got any runs, and didn’t have another one to extend [the lead]. Katznelson is a different type of player to guard and we were struggling a bit with that.”

Katznelson got off to a strong start, helping the hosts establish a lead that they carried throughout the second and third quarters. He started the game off with a traditional three-point play on a feed from McLoughlin and then scored 10 of Sharon’s final 14 points — the Eagles also got buckets from Zach Wise and Ryan Brown in the stretch.

He finished with 13 points and four rebounds in the opening quarter to help the Eagles take a 19-11 lead after eight minutes.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Hicks made a pair of threes in the second quarter and the Bulldogs also got buckets from Ashton Cetoute and Francoeur as they got the deficit down to four, 30-26, at halftime.

“We have to learn from this and grow from these situations, and we will if we do the right things in practice,” MacKinnon said. “I’m hoping we’ll look back and say we got better from it, even though it was a loss. We have to be tougher with the ball, some of our inexperience showed tonight.”

Sharon boys basketball (1-1 Hockomock, 1-1 overall) is on the road at Milford on Tuesday while Canton (1-1, 1-1) travels to Taunton.

Quick Start, Strong Finish Paces Canton Past Nashoba

Canton boys soccer Jake McCabe
Canton senior Jake McCabe shoots and scores a key insurance goal in the 59th minute against Nashoba. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 CANTON, Mass. — Buoyed by a blistering start, a strong defensive effort, and a key insurance goal midway through the second half, the Canton boys soccer team opened tournament play with a win over Nashoba.

The 14th-seeded Bulldogs, who made a historic run to the Division 2 final last year, started this year’s playoff run in grand fashion. Canton scored just over two minutes in and doubled its advantage 10 minutes later. Senior Jake McCabe sealed the deal with a goal in the 59th minute for a 3-1 win over the 19th-seeded Wolves.

Just moments after the opening whistle, Canton was on the attack. Just seconds into the third minute of the game, McCabe found space down the left flank and hit a low service that found its way to the back post. The clearance from the defender went back into the area where senior Drew Garrett took a touch to control and quickly deposited a shot from in close into the back of the net for an instant lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Bulldogs kept the pressure on and had two good chances in the following minutes. A deflected pass slipped behind the defense that sophomore Owen Morrissey latched onto but the Nashoba keeper was well off his line and closed down the angle.

But six minutes later, Morrissey had his goal with a tap in just inches out from the goal line. A set play on a corner kick saw McCabe drive a low, hard service through the six-yard box and a dummy at the near post from Carson Eagles froze the defense. The ball made it all the way through to the far post where Morrissey tapped it in for a 2-0 lead in the 13th minute.

“It was a tremendous start,” said longtime Canton head coach Danny Erickson. “Drew [stepping up and getting that goal for us early really loosened up our team I think. And we put in a new corner kick at practice yesterday and we saw it was there, the boys executed it awesome to get the second one. That put us in a really good place against a really good team. I thought [Nashoba] was excellent, that was a great high school soccer game. Hats off to Nashoba, they were an exceptionally organized team.”

Meanwhile, in-between Canton’s strong start and insurance tally, the Bulldogs’ defense took center stage in withstanding high, and at times, constant pressure from the visitors.

Although Nashoba cashed in once in the 34th minute, the back four of Matt DeVito, Liam Shea, Ashton Cetoute, and Chris Hamilton — with the help of defensive midfielder Caden Mirliani — didn’t let the Wolves capitalize on that momentum, and denied the visitors time and time again in the second half.

Nashoba took control of the game for the final 15 minutes of the first half. Constant and consistent long balls into the area had to be dealt with by Shea and Cetoute, and junior goalie Nick Ruggeri was up to the task on at least a half dozen good Nashoba chances in the first half.

The visitors cut the deficit in half in the 34th minute after a corner kick went uncleared and Lucas Messier was first to pounce on the loose ball in a scrum in front.

“We were fortunate to get into halftime at 2-1, they were all over us late in the first half,” Erickson said.”Nicky made some great saves for us late in the half. But I thought our second half was really convincing. They were on the ball a ton but they were going to be, they are very organized and a talented group. I just thought we made things difficult for them, and in doing that, we’re pretty dangerous on the counter, especially with Jake.”

The Wolves came out of halftime with a lot of energy and again launched balls forward to put the Canton defense under pressure. But it seemed as though each time the visitors were denied by Canton’s back line, the balance in the game evened out again.

Nashoba earned a throw in deep in the attacking third but it was Eagles that was able to get the first touch to the bouncing ball, deflecting it around a Nashoba player. He then tracked it down, won the battle, quickly looked up the field, and launched a ball into space.

McCabe tracked the ball down and quickly went forward. He went right at the defender, faked a shot to cut past the last man, and rifled a left-footed blast past the keeper to make it 3-1 in the 59th minute.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“They came out on the front foot in the second half but I just thought out back four, the whole bend don’t break, kind of like the Patriots giving up field goals and not touchdowns, it was a little like that,” Erickson said. “We weren’t getting the ball back quickly but we didn’t give them much. We gave them very little in the second half because our backs were really solid.

“When you play a team like North Attleboro, they have a lot of guys behind the ball and can be hard to score against. [Nashoba] was an attacking team that can be very dangerous but leaving that space for Jake, that’s something teams have to respect. And when you leave it, he can make you pay.”

After the insurance goal, Canton once again found itself with control of the game and the Wolves were unable to really test Ruggeri over the final 20 minutes.

Canton boys soccer (9-6-4) advances to the Round of 16 and will play the winner of #3 Bedford and #30 Silver Lake, who play on Monday.

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview
Taunton and Attleboro will be looking to challenge Milford atop the Kelley-Rex division. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

Attleboro

2021 Record: 9-8-3
Coach: Peter Pereira
While last year’s record doesn’t jump off the page, it was a good season for the Bombardiers and a step in the right direction for the program.

There were a lot of varsity debuts a year ago, and a lot of new faces in the lineup for longtime head coach Peter Pereira. This year is the opposite as many of those players are back and looking to make a serious challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title. Highlighting a deep and talented group of returners is a trio of HockomockSports Second XI selections from a year ago: senior forward Esvin Morales, junior goalie Tyler Rocchio, and junior midfielder and last year’s HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Alex Vecchioli.

That trio gives the Bombardiers a top player in most key spots on the pitch. Vecchioli will be flanked by some familiar faces as senior Lucas Marques, junior Billy Badger, and junior Luke Hagopian are all back in the mix after starting last season. Juniors Kyle Neuendorf and Richard Ferreira provide key depth off the bench for the midfield unit. Up front, senior Steve Etienne will complement Morales at striker with juniors Nick Ticas and Clay Tyler able to provide energy off the bench.

Attleboro did graduate one of the best center backs in the league in Cash Stuger so there will be a hole to fill there but Pereira has a solid trio of experienced seniors in Jake Stomfors, Toby Smith, and Ian Miller to rely on defensively. Juniors Zack Diffenderfer and Joshua Codella are also in the mix for minutes in the back four.

“It is a hard-working group and I believe we have the potential to win some big games,” Pereira said.

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

Canton

2021 Record: 14-5-4 (D2 State Finalist)
Coach: Danny Erickson
The Canton boys soccer team made history last year with its run to the Division 2 state final and while it will be a big ask to replicate such a special run, the Bulldogs have plenty of key pieces to at least challenge for a division title and have a go at another big run.

Canton lost the majority of its lineup from a year ago after graduating seven of the 11, but with a large, talented senior class, Hall of Fame coach Danny Erickson always has his squads ready to compete. The biggest piece back to the puzzle is senior striker Jake McCabe, a 2021 HockomockSports Best XI selection that tied for the league-lead in goals during the regular season a year ago with 13 goals.

Having 13 seniors on the squad will give the Bulldogs a boost, including veteran players like Caden Mirliani, Ashton Cetoute, Carson Eagles, and Brian Shea. Junior Zaza Francoeur picked up some valuable minutes a year ago and will be a key piece in the attack this year.

“We will certainly need to reinvent how we play after losing so many weapons but we have a great group,” said Erickson. “Lots of guys competing hard for the opportunity to contribute. That should help us compete in the always-tough league.”

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

Foxboro

2021 Record: 9-9-1
Coach: Dan Ambrosio
Foxboro has a strong core of returners back from last year’s squad that qualified for the postseason and will be looking to incorporate some young players to challenge for the Davenport division crown.

The Warriors will need to get the new players up to speed quickly because the injury bug has already hit, taking seniors Jorge Sanchez-Garcia (All Hock honorable mention last year) and starting defender Ian Foley for the season. Head coach Dan Ambrosio will lean heavily on his senior captains, striker Alex Penders and defender Marco Pacini. Penders, a standout on the hardwood for Foxboro’s basketball team, isn’t your typical striker but standing at 6’5, he’s a nightmare for opposing defenders and a dream for teammates serving the ball into the area.

Pacini is a seasoned veteran as a four-year member of the varsity team and will be the anchor of the back line. Sophomore Ryan Cotter will take over in net behind Pacini and the back line. The strength of the squad could be in the middle with a trio of juniors: John Hollis, Ryan Flaherty, and Pradyu Gubbala. All three are returners from a year ago and will be key pieces in not only helping the back line but orchestrating and organizing the attack.

“The strength of the attack lies in the ability to counter quickly, while defensive organization is a strength when without the ball,” Ambrosio said.







2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

franklin

2021 Record: 11-5-4
Head Coach: Fran Bositis
Franklin will be looking to replicate its success from last year after the Panthers came just three points shy of the division title and earned a win in the state tournament.

The Panthers didn’t graduate a huge senior class but they did lose some key pieces like HockomockSports Best XI selection Terry O’Neill in midfield and Second XI selection Aidan Griffith on defense. But there is plenty of talent back all over the pitch for the Franklin, who will certainly be in the mix for the Kelley-Rex crown this year. Franklin’s four captains are spread throughout the field with Best XI selection Rex Cinelli back at center back, Will Kryzak up front, Trey Lovell in the middle of the pitch, and Griffin Tolonen in net.

Cinelli is coming off a very strong sophomore campaign and will join forces with Will Klawson to anchor the back line, which has impressed so far this preseason. Lovell will partner with Noah Cain at center mid to help the Panthers transition from the back, and orchestrate the offense. Juniors Hansy Jacques and Andrew O’Neill will provide depth alongside Kryzak up front. Michael Fernandez Martin, Garrett Scagliarini, and Matt Honekamp are new names to keep an eye on.

“It’s still early but our athletes are working hard and I know that we are all excited for the upcoming season,” said Hall of Fame head coach Fran Bositis. “We are looking forward to the challenge of competing in the Hockomock League.”

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

King Philip

2021 Record: 3-13-2
Coach: Mike O’Neill
After battling through an injury-plagued 2021 season, the King Philip boys soccer team is aiming to be in the mix for the Kelley-Rex division title this year.

The Warriors boast a strong group of seniors that will be the heart and soul of the squad but will be looking to integrate some young and new faces in order to challenge in a very talented Kelley-Rex division. After scoring just 20 goals last year, the Warriors are hoping offense will be a strength this year behind a deep mix of creative and quick wing players. Senior Matt Crago returns after a terrific junior season (four goals, two assists) and will be a go-to option in the midfield and out wide. He’ll be joined by junior wing Will Bowen and junior wing Dermott Amorim.

Up top, KP will look to junior Tommy Lomuscio to find the back of the net. As a sophomore, he scored five goals and had nine assists – factoring in on just under half of the Warriors’ offense production. Senior goalie Connor O’Reilly made some huge saves a year ago and is back in net this year. Senior Tom Meader will anchor the back line at center back while senior Oliver Blackburn and sophomore Sayan Panda will lend some help to the defense from the center mid spot.

“I think the Hock is wide open this year, which is just another way of saying that there is a tremendous amount of parity,” said KP head coach Mike O’Neill. “Any win is a good win in the Hockomock League. We have strengths in our captains and our senior leadership. In order to be really competitive, we will need our younger players to contribute right away.”

Hockomock League Boys Soccer

Mansfield

2021 Record: 8-5-4
Coach: Steve Sheridan
Mansfield is looking to make a big splash in its first season competing in the Davenport division and enter the season as an instant contender.

The Hornets join the Davenport in a challenging year with Oliver Ames looking to make it three straight Davenport titles (four overall), a Canton squad fresh off of a state finals appearance, a revitalized Stoughton squad, a very skillful Sharon team, and a competitive Foxboro group. Despite losing 14 seniors from last year’s squad that went 8-5-4, Mansfield has a solid core intact for a big year.

It starts with captains Aidan Steele, Grady Sullivan, and Dan Checkoway – all three are seasoned veterans and know what it takes to compete in the Hock. Steele plays up top as a target forward while Sullivan and Checkoway patrol the midfield, along with the talented Connor Palinski. Junior Lucas DeSousa and sophomore Tyler Znoj have impressed early on in the midfield while sophomore Cooper Austin is in the mix up front.

Head coach Steve Sheridan is turning to senior Liam Doyle, who missed all of last year with an injury, to take over in net. Senior Derek McGrath will anchor the back line in front of Doyle while sophomore Matthew Sullivan has had a strong camp in the back as well.

“We don’t have as much varsity experience as I’d like, but we have a good bunch of kids that hopefully click sooner rather than later,” Sheridan said.




2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

Milford

2021 Record: 12-4-3
Coach: Antonio Pinto
The defending Kelley-Rex champions might have some inexperience and youth in some spots in the lineup, but the Scarlet Hawks return a strong core of players ready to defend their title.

Milford has won four straight division titles, two in the Davenport and now two straight in the Kelley-Rex, and will be looking to make it five straight with another banner this year. Returning HockomockSports Best XI selection Nick Ribero is such a steady presence in the midfield and does a great job spreading the ball and finding open teammates. He will have a lot of options with Arthur Tome (seven goals, nine assists), Eduardo Santana (nine goals, five assists), and John Borges (two goals, eight assists), all back this season.

After losing Best XI selection Chris Tocci (center back) and Kevin Gomes (goalie), the Hawks will have some inexperience in their own final third. The Scarlet Hawks will turn to junior Nate Dinis to anchor the back line after he played some key minutes a season ago.

“We have a very young squad going into the season, but a tight group of kids who are together 24/7, a very family-like team here at Milford this season,” said Milford head coach Antonio Pinto. “Offensively we will have to figure out ways to score goals. Defensively we are very young and inexperienced but have a tight group of kids that will help each other out.”

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

North Attleboro

2021 Record: 8-8-2
Coach: Mike Lacasse
An untimely departure from the girls’ program at North forced a bit of a shakeup in the coaching ranks as Geoff Burgess moves over to the girls and Mike Lacasse, who has coached the JV team for a number of years, moves up to take over varsity.

Lacasse and the Rocketeers will look to make some noise in a very talented Kelley-Rex division, and look to get back to the state tournament. The strength of the squad will be in the midfield as the Big Red has some familiar faces back in key spots. Senior Carson Dameron is back for his third year as a starter and will be joined by classmates Zach Smahi and Griffin Rodden. Juniors Kaden Burns and Quinn Conley will patrol the flanks while sophomore Patrick Etienvre could be poised for a breakout campaign after some impressive minutes as a freshman.

Defensively, North Attleboro has the challenge of replacing one of the better keepers in the league in David Floyd as well as HockomockSports Second XI selection Brody Rosenberg at center back. Seniors Jack Regan (outside back) and Sam Bush will try to solidify the backline with junior Owen Goeller in position to start in net. Up front, the Rocketeers will turn to senior Givany Carney, a powerful striker, and junior Bryce Newth, to produce some goals.

“We have a good mix of young talent and experience in some key positions,” Lacasse said. “I am excited to see what this team can accomplish this season, as they look to continue the progress they had toward the end of last year.”

2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer Preview

Oliver Ames

2021 Record: 13-4-2
Coach: John Barata
For most programs, losing the league MVP plus the league’s top goal scorer would be a massive hurdle to get over. But this isn’t something new for Oliver Ames, who has won three straight division titles and eight overall since the 2011 season. While graduation will certainly hurt, the returners and new arrivals have OA right back in the mix for another title.

Despite the loss of Mathias Taylor (MVP) and Clide Neau (tied for a league-high 13 goals), the Tigers have plenty to be excited about, starting with sophomore Casey Milliken, who finished atop the points leaderboard during the regular season a year ago and earned HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year honorable mention.

On top of that, Joey Carney is back in the mix in the midfield looking to capitalize on a solid sophomore campaign (four goals, two assists), and sophomore Andrew Martins will see an increased role after impressing as a freshman. And like always for OA, they will lean heavily on the captains: senior Hector Bucio, who had a breakout year with seven goals and three assists, and senior Jake Williams. Sophomores Luke Churchill has also impressed so far this preseason.

“OA is excited to compete in the Hockomock League,” said OA head coach John Barata. “We are working to get into the tournament this season. We want to grow as a team and have a lot of fun.”




Hockomock League Boys Soccer

Sharon

2021 Record: 6-9-3
Coach: Scott Nathan
Sharon battled its way through injury after injury last season, showing glimpses at times (wins over league champs Milford and Oliver Ames, finishing on a four-game unbeaten streak) but missed out on a spot in the state tournament.

With a host of talent returning this year, the Eagles are serious contenders to challenge for the division title in what is shaping up to be one of the deepest years in the Davenport. The Eagles look to have a strong defensive group this year anchored by HockomockSports Second XI selection Rhys Davis at center back. He’ll be joined by seniors Tyler Goodman, Brandon Mauricio, and Tony Yang to not only give the Eagles a veteran backline but one with skill and pace. Senior Matt Baur is back with the program and returns to his starting spot in net.

The Eagles also have some key pieces back in the midfield and up front. Senior captain Adam Eastman will be looking to build on his nine-goal season from last year, which was tied for fifth most in the Hock. Seniors Rishi Shetty, Malachi Diaz, and Miguel Vasconcelos provide depth up front. Cam Birnbaum and Kevin Lu are also returning players from last year’s squad that could see valuable minutes.

“The Hock is among the strongest leagues in the state,” said head coach Scott Nathan. “We look forward to getting the chance to play against so many quality teams. The boys can’t wait to get started!”

Hockomock League Boys Soccer

Stoughton

2021 Record: 0-17-1
Coach: Ruben Teixeira
Stoughton struggled through a difficult schedule last season but there is a bit of a buzz about the Black Knights entering this season.

First year head coach Ruben Teixeira, who has coached both at the high school and collegiate level, had a great turnout for tryouts and the Black Knights will be looking to bounce out of the bottom of the standings and make a serious run at the Davenport division title.

Stoughton has a good amount of returning players from a year ago, including a lot of young players that were getting their first varsity experience. Teixeira will look to his seniors to guide the way, especially early on. Senior Joao Marotti sets the tone with his hard work and will be a factor both defensively and offensively for Stoughton. His versatility will provide Teixeira with some flexibility in the midfield. Another senior to keep an eye on is Matheus Groberio, a new addition to the program that has a lot of experience and knowledge of the game. He could be an instant impact player for Stoughton this season.

Hockomock League Boys Soccer

Taunton

2021 Record: 5-10-3
Coach: Taylor Whitters
Taunton had an excellent start last year, winning four straight to open the season but the momentum came to a halt and the Tigers finished at 5-10-3 and on the outside looking in for the postseason.

With nearly its entire squad back in the mix this season, the Tigers will be looking to replicate that start and then carry it even further and challenge for the Kelley-Rex title. Taunton was young last season as the lineup featured mostly juniors and sophomores, but now the Tigers are one of the most experienced groups and will be looking to use their speed to challenge the rest of the Hock.

Riley Ribello was a 2021 HockomockSports Best XI selection on defense but he’s shown he can play at center mid or move up top and be a dangerous attack, and it’s likely that’s where we’ll see him this season. The Tigers also have Quincy Jones-Sylvia back at center back while Josh Letourneau, Ian Robicheau, and Jonathan Trinh all saw time at outside back and will provide key defensive depth this year.

Conal Scully proved to be a top attacking option last year with the ability to score from a variety of spots on the pitch. Aidden Fitting plays with a ton of pace on the outside and the Taunton midfield will get another speedy player in Javonte Fernandes, who is back on the field after playing goalie last season. Vinicius Lira Lima and Az-Anael St. Marc provide attack depth for the Tigers.

“We have a lot of individual talent, however, it is our unmatched team chemistry and synchronicity on the pitch that will undoubtedly make this our year in the Hock,” said Taunton head coach Taylor Whitters.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ Mansfield, 64 – Final – Propelled by a strong first quarter (21 points) and a pivotal third quarter (18-4), Mansfield held off a strong fourth quarter from Attleboro to finish league play with a win. Matt Hyland got the Hornets off to a strong start with half of his team-high 16 points in the opening eight minutes and five other Mansfield players got into the scoring column, including threes from Andrew Slaney (12 points) and Chris Hill (12 points) for an early 21-13 lead. Colin Morais (17 points), Jaiden Outland, Neo Franco, and Jake Struminski each hit a three in the second but Dante James had one for Mansfield and Anthony Sacchetti had six points to help the Hornets ahead at the break (39-30). Hyland had another eight points in the third and Slaney added a pair of triples while the Hornets held the Bombardiers to just four points to break the game wide open, taking a 57-34 lead into the fourth. Attleboro made a late push with Morais, Outland, and Franco hitting fourth quarter threes to get the deficit down to single digits.

Foxboro, 51 @ Canton, 47 – Final – Canton continually cut into Foxboro’s lead throughout the game, eventually pulling even with the Warriors but it was senior Dylan Gordon who converted the go-ahead layup and then sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds to ice the win. Junior Alex Penders (12 points), Ryan LeClair (seven points), and Sam Golub (six points) helped Foxboro build leads after the first (12-5) and second quarters (22-18). Lanse Dorcelus hit on three of his four threes in the second and both Matt Chafin and Nate Mei added one each to close the gap by halftime. Chafin and Ashton Cetoute hit from downtown in the third as the Bulldogs made it 36-36 going into the fourth. Gordon finished with 15 of his 17 points in the second half, his lone field goal of the fourth being the go-ahead bucket followed by two free throws. Cam Barreira, fresh off his best shooting performance of the season in a win at Stoughton, came through with a pair of clutch threes in the fourth.

Franklin, 75 @ King Philip, 50 – Final – Franklin’s offense roared to life in the opening half, putting up 21 points in the opening quarter and then 25 more in the second on its way to a big win over King Philip. Sophomore Andrew O’Neil hit five three-pointers, three in the first half, to spark the Panthers’ offense. O’Neill finished with a team-high 21 points while senior Sean Vinson scored all 19 of his points in the first half. King Philip cut into the deficit by winning the third quarter (16-9) with senior Braeden Sottile dropping half of his team-high 20 points in the quarter. But Franklin’s offense got back on track with 22 points in the fourth, with O’Neill adding two more threes and both Evan DaSilva and Caden Sullivan connecting from downtown.

Milford, 48 @ Taunton, 68 – Final – Taunton only led by two possessions going into the fourth quarter (49-43) but the Tigers took care of business in the final eight minutes, running away with a win to clinch the Kelley-Rex division title outright for the first team in program history. Senior Trent Santos hit four of his six three-pointers after halftime and finished with a game-high 26 points to lead the charge. Faisal Mass added 15 points in the win. Milford freshman Andrew Rivera hit a trio of threes and finished with a team-best 23 points.

North Attleboro, 46 @ Oliver Ames, 63 – Final – North Attleboro came out of the gates with 16 points in the first quarter and only trailed by two possessions at halftime but a switch to zone defense from Oliver Ames stalled the Rocketeers’ offense and the Tigers pulled away to finish their regular season with a win. OA held a 30-24 lead at halftime and then got a balanced scoring attack in the third to double its lead from six to 12, carrying a 44-32 lead into the fourth. Drew Baxter had four of his 10 points in the third, MJ Jean Baptiste and Zach Tagliamonte (10 points) each had three, and Dan Reily and Jake Grimaldi each chipped in with a bucket. CJ Williams finished with a team-high 11 points for OA, who had 10 players factor into the scoring. Brody Rosenberg hit a trio of threes to lead North with 13 points, Gavin Wells also had a three trifectas for 11 points and Casey Poirier scored 10 first half points for the Big Red.

Sharon, 65 @ Stoughton, 61 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.










Girls Basketball
Mansfield, 52 @ Attleboro, 58 – Final – Lindsey Perry scored a game-high 16 points, including 12 in the second half, to help the Bombardiers pull out a win and sweep the season series against the Hornets. Mansfield scored 18 in the first, including eight from Anna Darlington, to take a five-point lead after one, but Attleboro stormed back with a 15-8 second to take a two-point lead into the locker room. Vanessa Ellis, Rylie Camacho, and Meghan Gordon combined for 13 in the quarter. Perry and Gordon combined for 13 points in the third, as the Bombardiers extended the lead to six after three, which they were able to hold onto over the final eight minutes. Perry scored six points in the fourth, including 4-of-6 from the free throw line. Gordon finished with 11 points and Ellis and Camacho each scored 10. Abby Wager led the Hornets with 15, including nine points in the third quarter alone, while Darlington finished with 10. Olivia Salisbury chipped in with eight points for the Hornets.

Canton, 44 @ Foxboro, 49 – Final – Seven Warriors were on the score sheet as they held off Canton to sweep the season series with the bulldogs. Kailey Sullivan was the top scorer for the home team with 14 point and Erin Foley added 11. Ava Hill went 6-for-6 from the line to help Foxboro seal the win.

King Philip, 24 @ Franklin, 49 – Final – KP led 10-8 after the first quarter but Franklin held the Warriors to only 14 points over the final 24 minutes to finish the league campaign unbeaten for the third straight season. The Panthers took the second quarter 11-2 and outscored KP 30-12 in the second half for their 42nd straight league win. Olivia Quinn led the way for the Panthers with 13 points, including nine in the second quarter, and went 6-for-6 from the line. Stefany Padula hit a pair of threes and scored eight points, Brigid Earley had seven, and Katie Peterson added six points for Franklin. Liv Lafond was KP’s leading scorer with eight points, Leah Santoro had six, and Emily Sawyer and Jordan Bennett each scored four points in the loss.

Taunton, 37 @ Milford, 54 – Final – Without the league’s leading scorer, Kameron St. Pierre, Taunton struggled offensively early and the Hawks took advantage to pull out a win in their final league game of the season, splitting the seasons series. Milford jumped ahead 14-3 after the first and extended the lead to 14 by halftime. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored eight of her game-high 15 points in the first half for Milford. Taunton took the third quarter to slice into the Milford lead, but then the Hawks exploded for 24 points in the fourth, led by Brooke Ferreira’s nine, to seal the win. Ferreira finished with 12 and Jill Araujo added a dozen as well. Cali Melo led Taunton with 10 points and Jillian Doherty added nine, all 19 of their combined points coming in the second half. Lex Haywood chipped in with five.

Oliver Ames, 78 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – OA closed out the league campaign with a big road win. The Tigers jumped out to a big lead early in the game and seemed to have an answer for every defensive switch that North threw at them. Senior Caroline Peper exploded for a game-high 24 points and the Tigers got a big boost on the offense end with 12 points apiece from a trio of sophomores: Jasmyn Cooper, Sarah Hilliard, and Kaydance Derba. Summer Doherty scored 11 of her team-high 12 points for North and Maryellen Charette added nine.

Stoughton, 44 @ Sharon, 53 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/11/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Taunton, 52 @ Attleboro, 48 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos sank a pair of free throws with 4.9 seconds left to ice the win for the Tigers. Santos scored eight of his 16 points in the final frame, hitting of half of his four three-point field goals to lead the Tigers, who trailed 14-9 after a quarter but held the hosts to two points in the second quarter to seize a 20-16 edge at the break. A three-pointer from Attleboro’s Evan Houle put the Bombardiers up 41-38 with four minutes to go but Taunton sophomore Cyrus Morrisette finished a tough take to the rim, Tristan Herry (14 points) drew an offensive foul, and a layup from from Faisal Mass put the Tigers ahead 42-41. Colin Morais (20 points) hit two free throws as Attleboro jumped ahead again but a tough floater in the lane from Herry gave Taunton the lead again, this time for good. Santos added a three with 90 seconds to go to pad Taunton’s lead. Evan Houle added 14 points for the Bombardiers, hitting four three-pointers in the second half.

North Attleboro, 38 @ Canton, 59 – Final – Canton connected on eight of its 10 three-pointers in the first half, racing out to a big lead that it never relinquished in a win over North. Nate Mei (13 points) had two of his triples in the first eight minutes and Lanse Dorcelus scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half as Canton established double-digit leads at the end of the first quarter (21-10) and at halftime (38-15). Matt Chafin and Ashton Cetoute added third quarter triples to help the Bulldogs keep a large lead (51-26) going into the final quarter. Brody Rosenberg and Givany Carney each had 12 points for the Rocketeers.

Sharon, 64 @ Foxboro, 60 – Final – Locked in a close contest the entire way for the second straight game, Sharon emerged with a hard-fought victory on the road over Foxboro. The Eagles’ largest lead of the second half peaked at nine less than a minute into the second half, but it was closer than that the rest of the way. In fact, a 10-0 burst from the Warriors quickly erased that and the teams stayed within two possessions the rest of the way. Sharon carried a 53-51 lead into the fourth quarter and got five points from Matt Baur (16 points), four from Jacob McLoughlin (nine points) and a bucket from John Baez (nine points) to hold on for the win. Dylan Gordon (16 points) banked in a three with just under four minutes to to cut the deficit to one, 59-58 but a strong take from McLoughlin a minute later pushed it back to three. Alex Penders (16 points) cleaned up his own miss with 2:30 to go to one again cut it to one. McLoughlin hit a floater with under a minute to go and Baur added a free throw and the Eagles ended the game without giving up a point over the final two minutes. Donyae Pierre had a big first half for the Eagles, scoring all 12 of his points then to help the Eagles establish a 38-32 halftime lead.

King Philip, 63 @ Milford, 65 – Final – Milford senior Justin Luchini grabbed an offensive rebound and kissed it off the backboard with 1.6 seconds left to give the Scarlet Hawks the win over King Philip. Milford missed on its first layup attempt but Luchini (19 points) poked the rebound free and put it back up and in for the winner. Milford held a 42-29 lead at halftime before King Philip came storming back. Senior Paul Roberts added 14 points, freshman Andrew Rivera added nine points, and junior Wyatt Zagami chipped in with eight points for Milford.

Mansfield, 56 @ Franklin, 55 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 46 @ Oliver Ames, 42 – Final – Anchored by senior guard Josh Rivera, Stoughton had one of its best defensive performances to secure a road win at OA and its first season sweep of the Tigers since the 2010-2011 season. Defense was the story for both teams from the get go, with OA taking an 8-7 lead after one and Stoughton carrying a 17-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Black Knights got the offense going, closing the third on a run capped by a three from junior Rayan Sablon (career-high 26 points) at the buzzer. Sablon went on to score 10 points in the fourth for Stoughton, who pushed the lead to as much as nine before a couple of threes from OA’s Zach Tagliamonte (10 points). Rivera capped it with three free throws down the stretch. CJ Williams added a team-high 12 points for the Tigers.










Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 81 @ Taunton, 47 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Attleboro’s offense was clicking on all cylinders on Friday night, as the Bombardiers scored at least 19 points in each quarter to pull out the road win. Meghan Gordon scored 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Attleboro, which also got 12 points and 14 rebounds off the bench from freshman Vanessa Ellis. Taunton started well on senior night, as Olivia Gannon scored all eight of her points and Abby Souza scored four of her nine in the first quarter, but Gordon was also on fire from the opening tip, matching Taunton’s total with 14 points in the first eight minutes. Attleboro extended its lead in the second with Gordon scoring seven and the Bombardiers knocking down three triples. Kameron St. Pierre (team-high 16 points) kept the Tigers close by knocking down four from deep and racking up 12 points. Attleboro stormed out of the break with a 22-point third quarter to break the game open. Gordon added another seven, while Lindsey Perry scored six and Lily Routhier added four. Kayla Goldrick scored nine points and dished out eight assists for the Bombardiers, while Routhier, Perry, and Avery Vieira had eight points apiece. Cali Melo had four points, three steals, and three assists and Jillian Doherty had four points for the Tigers.

Canton, 71 @ North Attleboro, 41 – Final – Kiara Cerruti scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to the road win. In the process, Cerruti became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,068 points, surpassing the 1,057 points of Eileen Morneau. The game was tied at 7-7 after one, but then Canton went on a run, outscoring North 21-5 in the second to take control. Both teams found a rhythm on offense in the third, as they combined for 36 points, but a 24-12 fourth quarter put the game away for the Bulldogs. Fay Gallery added 13 points, five rebounds, and seven assists and Erin Beatty had eight points and six boards for Canton. Maia Mahoney added six points and Han Hong had four assists in the win. Summer Doherty was North’s top scorer, finishing with 15 points (all in the second half) and Taylor McMath had seven.

Foxboro, 72 @ Sharon, 52 – Final – Foxboro bounced back with a big win on the road and clinched its place in the state tournament. The Warriors were led by its underclassman backcourt, as freshman Kailey Sullivan scored a career-high 26 points and sophomore Camryn Collins finished with 24. Jasmine Davis scored 19 points to lead the Eagles and Rachael Hager added 17.

Franklin, 65 @ Mansfield, 34 – Final

Milford, 29 @ King Philip, 35 – Final – The Warriors outscored Milford 11-5 in the fourth quarter to pull out a defensive struggle. The first quarter was a struggle for both teams on the offensive end and finished 5-4. In the second, KP found the range to score 13 points and extend the lead to eight at the break. Maddie Paschke and Leah Santoro each scored four points in the quarter to help KP build its lead. Both would finish with six on the night. The Hawks stormed back in the third, coming out of halftime with a 14-6 quarter to tie things up heading to the fourth. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored six of her game-high 11 points in the third and Emily Croteau added all four of her points in the frame. KP got baskets from five different players in the fourth and held Milford to two made baskets to seal the win. Emily Sawyer led the way for the Warriors with eight points and Julia Marsden added five. Jill Araujo scored five for the Hawks and Khatrina Leger chipped in with four.

Oliver Ames, 70 @ Stoughton, 27 – Final – Oliver Ames built a double-digit lead by halftime and never looked back in a win on the road at Stoughton. Caroline Peper and Jasmyn Cooper each scored 15 points for the Tigers, who led 31-15 at the halftime break. Anna Murphy chipped in with 10 points for the visitors. Senior Kate Bulger led all scorers for Stoughton with 11 points and sophomore Alyssa Edwards grabbed eight boards.

Boys Hockey
Mansfield, 2 @ Canton, 7 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 0 – Final – Audrey Koen scored a pair of goals and Carolyn Durand made 19 saves to earn the shutout, as Canton picked up a big non-league win. It is the fifth straight win for the Bulldogs. Tess Khoury scored one and had a pair of assists, while Payton McDonough had a goal and assist. Allie McCabe had two helpers in the win.

Canton Upends Top Seed to Reach First State Final

Canton boys soccer
Canton senior Charlie McKinney wheels away in celebration after scoring the winning penalty to knock off top seed East Longmeadown in the state semifinal. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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MARLBORO, Mass. – As Canton junior Jake McCabe, who scored the lone goal for the Bulldogs in regulation and nearly won the game in extra time when his curling effort hit the post, walked back towards his team after seeing his penalty kick saved, shirt pulled up to cover his face, head coach Danny Erickson came to meet him halfway and told him emphatically not to worry because his teammates were going to pick him up.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Just seconds later, keeper Giovanni Ruggeri got down low to his right to instantly even things back up in the penalty shootout. After Zach Dowling fired a shot into the bottom left corner, Ruggeri, who had taken a knock to his leg in the final minutes of extra time and was limping going into PKs, lunged to his left and palmed away another penalty to put Canton on the brink.

Senior Charlie McKinney took the long walk for the fifth round, knowing that his kick could end Wednesday night’s Div. 2 state semifinal at Assabet Valley High’s Aztec Field and send the Bulldogs to their first title game in program history. He stepped up, finding the back of the net low to his left, and wheeled around in celebration after sealing Canton’s 1-1 (4-2 on PKs) victory over the top seed East Longmeadow.

Erickson said, “That’s what has to happen in those things, you’ve got to take care of your teammate. Jake took a good penalty and the kid made a great save and then Gio answered right away. You can’t say enough good things about them.”

“We’ve been practicing every day,” Ruggeri said after the game. “We though this day might come and it finally did and all of us showed up. It was a complete team effort. It was a great 100 minutes and it came down to pens. We stuck together as a team and it’s just a great team win overall.”

The Bulldogs came into the playoffs as the No. 21 seed and have logged nearly 600 miles through the first four rounds of the tournament. It was a long shot to even get this far and now Canton will get its first taste of the final.

“That game could’ve gone either way,” Erickson said. “We both had inches that made the difference. We just missed, they just missed, just a heck of a great game and a great team that we just faced. We played awesome and they represented Canton very well today. They never quit.”

Canton had the game’s first good chance when McKinney’s cross from the right wing gave Erik Valdovinos a chance to put Spartans keeper Ben Girioux under pressure. Three minutes later, the Spartans missed a chance on one end and on the other Valdovinos took a pass from Jacob Crugnale in the right channel and curled a shot just past the top far corner.

After Sonny Mazza teed up Ryan Brunelle for a gilt-edge chance in the 12th minute that the junior put just wide of the open net, the game settled down for a while.

Inside the final two minutes of the half, McCabe broke the deadlock. A long ball out of the back by Dowling was allowed to bounce. McCabe read it and was able to shrug aside the challenge from the East Longmeadow defender. Racing towards the box, he took an extra touch out to his right to get a better angle and then drilled a shot inside the far post to make it 1-0. It is his third straight game with a goal.

The lead only lasted five minutes after the break. Ruggeri made an easy save on a header off a free kick but then Sonny Mazza was able to get free down the left side of the box and played a perfect low cross to Luke Mazza for a tap in at the back post.

Rather than let their heads drop, Canton came charging back again. Caden Mirliani, Dylan Baird, and Brian Shea were shielding the back line well and getting the ball forward quickly. A ball over the top allowed Crugnale to run in behind the Spartans back line, but he missed the net when one-on-one with the keeper.

McCabe came close to restoring the lead in the 65th minute. His 25-yard free kick appeared to beat the keeper in the bottom corner but not the post, ricocheting out for a goal kick. Crugnale followed that with his own shot off the post just a minute later after a quick break freed him up on the left.

“They’re a driven group of guys,” Erickson explained. “A lot of teams would’ve come out in the second half and seen that goal go in and collapsed against the No. 1 seed. I thought the next 10 minutes after that goal, when we settled ourselves again, was the difference in the game. I think if we had conceded in that craziness, then it would’ve been a different result but we dealt with the hard times.”

There were chances on both ends of the field. East Longmeadow was finding spaces in front of the Canton back line and playing angled balls out to the wingers, who were slipping behind the wingbacks and getting runs into the box.

Brunelle missed the net with a couple of great chances. Ruggeri was forced into a great save, preventing Luke Mazza from finding the top corner. With seven minutes to go, Ryan Morneau smacked the post for the top seed.

Despite all the action in front of both goals, the game went to extra time. Four minutes in, McCabe nearly put the game to bed in spectacular fashion. He cut in from the left wing and drilled a shot from 20 yards that bent away from the keeper and seemed destined for the top corner only to hit the post for the second time. The rebound fell to Crugnale in the box but Enzo Mazza was able to block.

A beautiful cross to Colin Evans saw the East Longmeadow midfielder head just wide from close range and Valdovinos had another chance in the second extra time period when his run down the right got him into the box but he shot wide. Brunelle still had time for one more chance, slipping it past the slide of Ruggeri but Ashton Cetoute was on hand to clear it off the line.

In the end, only penalties could separate the teams and only through penalties could Canton keep its remarkable playoff run alive right to the final day.

“This was something these guys really wanted to accomplish,” Erickson said. “They’ve really been a team all year, they’ve worked together all year, they’ve gotten better all year.”

Ruggeri summed it up, “It feels fantastic, making history over here!”

Canton (14-4-4) will take on No. 6 seed West Springfield in the title game, after the Terriers, who beat Oliver Ames by a goal in the Round of 16, beat Longmeadow in penalties in the other semifinal. The game will be at Leominster High’s Doyle Field at 1:30 on Saturday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.