Tag: Brendan Tourgee

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/08/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 5 @ Attleboro, 9 – Final – Attleboro’s offense kicked into gear early in the game, scoring three in the first, two in the second, three in the third, and one more in the fourth, to bounce back with a win over Canton. Matt Harvie had a big day at the dish, with three hits, a run scored, and three RBI. Brody McKenna also drove in three and had a triple, while Peter Delpozzo had two hits (including a triple), scored twice, and drove in one. Cooper Johnson drove in a pair and Joey Castro scored a pair for the Bombardiers. Jonny Pagano picked up the win, throwing five shutout innings with three strikeouts. Canton rallied late, scoring once in the sixth and four times in the seventh, but could only cut the lead to four. Kyle Redquest and Nick Gillis each drove in one and Matt Chafin (two walks and a hit-by-pitch) reached base three times and scored twice.

Foxboro, 2 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Foxboro sophomore Tommy Watts had his best start of the season and the Warriors pushed two runs across in the top of the sixth to earn an upset win on the road over the Tigers. Watts only allowed one hit and four walks, resulting in one unearned run in the fifth inning. He also struck out a pair in five innings of work. Sean O’Leary came in in the bottom of the sixth and allowed just one hit, striking out two in two scoreless innings for the save. Jared Spencer reached and advanced to third on an error to lead off the fifth and scored the first run of the game after Jesse Chaves brought him home on a fielder’s choice. Sophomore Mike Marcucella gunned a runner out at third and Watts got a fly ball to end the inning, and Foxboro cashed in on its momentum in the top half of the sixth. Tyler Prescott led off with a base hit and moved to third on a single from O’Leary. Louis Carangelo followed with an RBI bunt single and Ben Angelini smacked a single to center and the Warriors grabbed a 2-1 lead.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Senior Ryan Gerety led off the bottom of the first inning and the Panthers never looked back in a “Senior Night” victory over the visiting Black Knights. Gerety finished 3-for-3, adding a double, a walk, and two runs while senior Jase Lyons added two hits, two runs, and an RBI in the win. Senior Derek Terlwilling went 2-for-2 with an RBI, senior Luke Sidwell had a hit and a run scored, senior Koen Bonetti added an RBI and a run scored, and senior Evan Cournoyer had a single in the win. Junior Henry Digiorgio went 3-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and a run scored. Junior Matt Miller earned the win, tossing four scoreless innings, scattering three hits and a walk, striking out five. Seniors Zach Ramaswamy, Dillon Cashin, and Eisig Chin combined for three innings in relief and five strikeouts. Hunter Malkin went 2-for-3 for Stoughton while Sean Farley tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, striking out two.

Mansfield, 9 @ King Philip, 7 – Final – Brendan Sencaj’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning put the Warriors ahead with just three outs left but Mansfield rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to stun KP. The teams went back-and-forth all game, tied 3-3 after three, KP up 5-3 after four, and then tied again 6-6 after five after the Hornets plated three runs in the inning; Sencaj led off the bottom of the sixth with a homer to make it 7-6. Mansfield loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh as Wyatt Bolduc singled and Drew Urban and Connor Curtis drew back-to-back walks. Aiden Jones brought Bolduc home with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-7. In just his second game back from injury, Mansfield senior Connor Zukowski recorded his first hit of the season to bring in two runs and hand the Hornets a 9-7 lead. KP got the tying run on base after Tommy McLeish (two hits, two runs, one RBI) led off with a single, and Sencaj (three hits, two RBI, run) had a two-out single, bringing the winning run to the plate but Matt DeShiro (2IP, 1ER, 5H,) induced a ground ball for the final out. Jake Maydak had a team-high three hits for the Hornets while Sam Martin (two RBI, run), DeShiro (home run, three RBI, run), and Bolduc each had a pair of hits. Aiden Astorino went 3-for-4 with two runs for the Warriors, and Matt Kelley (RBI, run) and Tommy Martorano (run) added two hits for KP.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Milford, 11 – Final – Milford scored in every inning except the third, and Anthony LaPierre had another strong outing on the mound to help the Hawks land a crossover win over the visiting Tigers. Keith Lee (RBI) and Joey McGee (RBI, two runs) each had a pair of hits while seven other Hawks recorded one hit: Nick Koch (RBI, two runs), Damien Carter (triple, three runs), Evan Cornelius (RBI, run), Sean McGee (RBI, run), Ian Carter (run), and Brady Butler (run). LaPierre allowed two runs (one earned) while scattering six hits and two walks, striking out seven in six innings to get the win while Tyler Caldon tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Ryan Lemay and Jack Perron each had an RBI for OA.

Sharon, 1 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – North Attleboro senior Derek Maceda shined on the mound and the Rocketeers came through with some late insurance offense to land a 7-1 victory over Sharon. Maceda gave up just a pair of hits (an RBI single in the second, and a one-out single in the third) and five walks for one run, striking out eight in six innings; Gio Martello struck out the side in the top of the seventh for a scoreless inning of relief. Offensively, Dillon Harding went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Jordan Paradis (run), Nate Kelly (two RBI), Ayden Delaney (RBI), Adam Racine (RBI), and Chris Hanewich, each had a hit. Cole Arundale and Soham Kulkarni (RBI) each had a hit for the Eagles; Zach Loomis tossed a scoreless inning in relief for the Eagles.








Softball
Attleboro @ Canton, 6:00

Taunton, 24 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton eighth-grader Bella Bourque went 4-for-5 and connected for her first career home run to lead the Tigers to a big win. Bourque also had a pair of doubles and a pair of triples in a terrific showing, driving in five runs and scoring four times. Sophomore Brooke Aldrich added a double and three RBI in the win. Sophomore Cate Larson picked up the win, striking out eight in five scoreless innings.

Franklin, 10 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – The Panthers overcame a four-run deficit as its offense roared to life late to earn a key win over Stoughton. The Black Knights pushed five runs across the plate in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1 but Franklin answered with six runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to secure a win on the road. Carly Johnson-Pellegri went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored and Sarah Boozang went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, and three runs to lead the way offensively. Reece Allen chipped in with a pair of hits and a pair of RBI in the win. Freshman Sophia Sacramone came in and just the door for the Panthers, tossing two scoreless innings in relief with no hits or walks allowed and five strikeouts. Jill Powers (run), Anna Hobbs (two hits, two runs), and Alyssa Edwards each had two RBI for the Black Knights while Julia Monaghan had two hits and a run scored.

King Philip, 15 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip pounded out 14 hits and did most of its damage between the third, fourth, and fifth innings in a win on the road at Mansfield. Libby Walsh went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs to lead the way while Charlotte Griffin (RBI, run), Maddie Paschke (RBI, run), and Taylor Regan (RBI) each had two hits. Freshman Ali Gill added a home run in the win. Jordan Bennett earned the win in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks, fanning 11 batters in five innings of work. Molly Kucharski had a triple and scored on an RBI from Jill Koppy, and Liv Madeira came home to score on a squeeze from Molly Crowley.

Milford, 14 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Milford came out of the gate swinging, plating five runs in the first and six more in the second on its way to a win on the road at Oliver Ames. Junior Camille Bonina had a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored; the junior launched a three-run homer in the first inning and added an RBI double in the second. Maeve Driscoll (one run) and Jianna Fernandes (RBI, three runs) each had two hits for the Hawks. Maddie Homer (RBI, run) and Katie Melendy (RBI, run) each had two hits for the Tigers while Caitlin Miller recorded two RBI.

North Attleboro, 13 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (5 Inn.) – Kelly Colleran was perfect through five innings, retiring 12 of the 15 batters she faced by strikeout, as North earned its second consecutive shutout. Colleran also added two hits and two runs scored. Arianna McDavitt, Grace Forman, and Maddie Bailey also had two hits apiece. Forman scored three times and Bailey drove in three. Julia Forman also had a hit and three runs scored, and Emma Hanwell and Maryellen Charette both had hits and RBI. Grace Simmons had a hit and scored a run for North.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ King Philip, 14 – Final – King Philip had four players register five or more points and James Boldy was once again solid in net as the Warriors knocked off visiting Attleboro. Donovan DeVellis’ eight points (six goals, two assists) highlighted KP’s attack while Noah Minkwitz (five goals, one assist) had six points, and both Mason Thompson (two goals, three assists) and Tommy Kilroy (five assists) had five points. Hayden Schmitz scored once, Cullen McCarthy chipped in with one helper, and Boldy finished with 13 saves and one assist in the win.

Canton, 11 @ Sharon, 9 – Final – Canton erased an early deficit to take the lead by halftime and held on throughout the second half to snap a brief two-game skid with a key 11-9 win over Davenport division rival Sharon. The Eagles led 3-2 after the first quarter but the Bulldogs bounced back in the second to stake a 7-5 advantage by the break. Michael Thomas (four goals), Jeff Chaput (four goals), and Brendan Tourgee (three goals) led the way offensively for the visitors and Pat Drury made 10 saves in net in the win.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 18 – Final – Franklin exploded for 13 goals in the second quarter and never looked back in a win over visiting Foxboro. The Panthers held a 2-0 lead after the first quarter but caught fire in the second and staked a 15-1 lead by halftime. Luke Davis scored all five of his goals in the first half and finished with eight points, Tyler Sacchetti (three assists) and Ravin Chaudhury (one assist) each netted a hat trick, and Jayden Consigli finished with one goal and three helpers. Conor Noone, Jon Sacchetti, and Tony Sulham each scored once for Foxboro.

Mansfield, 13 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Mansfield’s defensive group came through with a solid performance to hold OA to just five goals and maintain the Hornets’ lead at the top of the Davenport division. Nolan Bordieri, Thomas Gormley, Ben Hoopis, Liam Barry, and James DeGirolamo all had strong games for the Mansfield D. The attack was balanced for the Hornets with Tommy Smith (two assists) and Drew Sacco (one assist) each scoring hat tricks. Freshman Andrew DeGirolamo had six points (two goals and four assists), while classmate Tommy Vallett and senior Grady Sullivan each scored twice. Cody Gordon added a goal and Nico Smith had three assists and a strong game on face-offs. Ryan DeGirolamo had 14 saves in the win.

Taunton, 3 @ Milford, 15 – Final – Milford dominated the second half to pull away from visiting Taunton for a 15-3 win. The Tigers kept it close in the first half and trailing just 6-3 at the break but it was all Scarlet Hawks in the second half. Jacob Ligor and Eric Farrell led the way for the hosts with five goals apiece.




Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 16 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine goals by halftime and pitched a second half shutout in a win on the road. Emily Campbell made three saves for the shutout while Lauren Obara had a terrific game defensively, grabbing five ground balls. Makenzie McDevitt had seven points to lead the way, Nikki McDonald recorded five points, and Alyssa Legere, Sammy Cloutier, Abby MacDonald, and Kelly Holmes all added three points in the win. Addison Papagolos scored for the Bombardiers on an assist from Makenah Stokes.

Sharon, 5 @ Canton, 17 – Final – Buoyed by nine different goal scorers, Canton rolled to a big win at home over Davenport division foe Sharon. Emily McCabe led the charge offensively for the Bulldogs, finding the back of the net five times along with two assists. Sally Hoban and Nora Giannacopoulos each had a hat trick in the win, Devan Spinale chipped in with a pair of goals and Ashley Balunas made seven saves in net. Sharon freshman goalie Emily Coenen made eight saves, including her 100th of the season.

Franklin, 16 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final – Ava Adams scored four times and Caitlyn Zajac made nine saves to help the Hornets pull out the division win. Lola Varricchione scored a hat trick, while Ella Palanza and Brooke Butler each scored twice and dished out an assist. Rose Maher and Stella Moore each had a goal and an assist, Tessa Johnson found the back of the net once, and Keira Fitzpatrick dished out one helper for the Hornets.

Milford, 12 @ Taunton, 6 – Final – Locked in a one-goal game at halftime, Milford dominated the second half to record its third straight road win with a 12-6 decision over Taunton. A back-and-forth first half saw the Scarlet Hawks take a tight 5-4 advantage into halftime but the visitors went on to score five consecutive goals to start the second half and never looked back. Sophomore TJ Downing netted a career-high five goals to lead the charge offensively for Milford while Carley Haley added three goals and three assists, Emily Croteau chipped in with a hat trick and two assists, and Erin Michelson finished with three points (one goal, two assists). Alexa Landry, Jordan Douglas, and Yas Martinez each added an assist while Caitlyn Bangert turned away six shots in the second half. Raquel Azevedo paced Taunton with a hat trick, and Caroline Vallarelli, Talia O’Leary, and Maddi Szala (three assists) each had one goal. Mel Jesus had a big game in net with 21 saves.

Stoughton, 11 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – For Stoughton, Morgan Groppi led the charge with nine goals and two draw controls. Amanda Reid (four draw controls) and Casey Groppi (three draw controls) each added a goal for the Black Knights, Nicole Reid had one assist and three draw controls, and Jordan Coleman made three saves in net.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Behind a pair of straight-set victories in doubles action and one in singles play, Attleboro returned home from Canton with a 3-2 decision. Tyler Rocchio only lost one game in an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles for the Bombardiers. The first doubles team of Brady Rosen and Luke Hinton secured a 6-4, 6-4 win while Clay Tyler and Noam Cook earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles for Attleboro. Canton junior Max Kupferman earned yet another impressive win at first singles (6-1, 6-1) while Justin Ngan prevailed in a tough third singles match (7-6 (1), 6-2).

Taunton, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro took super tiebreaker wins at second singles and first doubles to complete a 5-0 sweep at home over visiting Taunton. Raj Jetty (6-0, 6-1), Luca Meyer, (4-6, 6-0, 12-10), and Ryan Fossella (6-2, 6-1) earned the singles sweep for the Warriors while the teams of Hajji Glover and Evan Paluzzi (2-6, 6-4, 11-9) and Vizruth Chavalam and Greg Simone (6-2, 6-1) won at first and second doubles, respectively.

Franklin, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

King Philip, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield took two wins from singles and prevailed in three sets at first doubles to edge visiting King Philip, 3-2. Neema Khosravani only dropped two games in a 6-1, 6-1 victory at first singles while Nikhil Nain rallied from a one-set deficit to take a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles for the Hornets. The team of Jacob Weiner and Josh Weiner emerged victorious in a well-played, tight contest at first doubles (6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-3) to clinch the win. KP picked up wins from Arjun Kollu at third singles (6-1, 6-4) and the team of Leo Manning and Ashrith Epuri (5-7, 6-4, 6-3).

Milford, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final

North Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon took all five matches in straight sets, defending home court against the visiting Rocketeers. Junior Matthew Lally shined at second singles, winning in straight sets without dropping a game (6-0, 6-0) while sophomores Jacob Slavsky (7-5, 6-0) and Alex Budovalcev (6-1, 6-3) took wins at first and third singles, respectively. The Eagles also swept doubles action with the first doubles team of Sava Kassev and Hyojae Park taking a 7-5, 6-1 win, and the second doubles pairing of Kevin Li and Joel Zwicker landing a 6-0, 6-1 decision.

Girls Tennis
Canton, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Canton’s Camila Cutter and Olivia Durham both overcame one-set deficits and emerged victorious in three sets to help the Bulldogs grab a close win on the road at Attleboro. Cutter dropped the first set 1-6 but rallied back to win two in a row to get the first singles victory (1-6, 6-3, 6-0) while Durham dropped the first set in a tiebreaker but bounced back to win two in a row (6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1) at second singles. Canton’s first win came from the first doubles tandem of Kelli Woodworth and Grace Powers (6-2, 6-2). Attleboro’s Aarna Sodhani secured a 6-1, 7-5 win at third singles and the Bombardiers all-sophomore second doubles team of Julia Leonardo and Katie Lortos took a 7-6 (4), 6-1 win decision.

Foxboro, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Foxboro’s Hailey Kornbluth rolled at first singles and the Warriors swept doubles action to take a 3-2 verdict over host Taunton. Kornbluth didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at first singles, the first doubles team of Audrey Paolino and Analise Tia emerged in a three-set thriller (6-4, 4-6, 6-3), and Sydney Lebow and Katelyn Dineen rallied from a one-set deficit for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win at second doubles. Taunton juniors Ava Alves (6-4, 6-1) and Morgan Smith (6-1, 7-5) took wins at second and third singles, respectively.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin won in straight sets at third singles and first doubles and took two more wins in three sets to secure a win over the visiting Black Knight. Brooke Taylor didn’t lose a game in the first set and went on to win 6-0, 6-4 at third singles, and the sophomore tandem of Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen didn’t drop a single game in a 6-0, 6-0 blanking at first doubles. Junior Chloe Essam overcame a one-set deficit at second singles to earn a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 win while seniors Allison Bagley and Kelsey Maguire emerged from the second doubles match with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win. Stoughton junior Ally Lada added another impressive win, taking a 6-4, 7-5 win at first singles.

Mansfield, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – KP won at first and second singles and swept the doubles to earn its third straight victory and remain in the hunt for the league title. Ahunna James (6-1, 6-0) and Shea Mellman (6-0, 6-0) made quick work of the first two singles matches, dropping just one game between them. Carlie Burns and Priya Riar took the win at first doubles 6-4, 7-6, while Lauren Casper and Jaelyn Dang took second doubles 6-4, 6-4. Jillian Hanley grabbed the lone point for the Hornets with a 6-0, 7-6 win at third singles.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Hannah Farber and Stella Zachos each won in singles action and the Tigers swept both doubles matches in a road win at Milford. Farber only dropped two games in a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles and Zachos added a 6-3, 6-0 win at third singles for OA. The team of Ava Barth and Emily Beaulieu prevailed in a competitive first doubles match (6-4, 6-3), and OA’s second doubles pairing of Marina Mierzwinski and Ella Mierzwinski overcame a tiebreaker loss in the first set for a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 10-7 win. Milford’s Kaylee Whitney rallied for a 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 win at second singles.

Sharon, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – In a great battle from all five matches, Sharon edged out North Attleboro on the road with a 3-2 verdict. The Eagles swept doubles with Abby Vilk and Jenny Sand taking a 7-6, 6-0 win at first doubles and the team of Sophia Oh and Olivia Landstein securing a 6-4, 7-5 victory at second doubles. Navya Shukla earned Sharon’s lone singles win, emerging with a 7-5, 6-4 win in a competitive second singles match. North Attleboro junior Lauren Hunt bounced back from dropping the first set to take first singles in a super tiebreaker (6-7 (5), 6-1, 10-8) and Grace Noreck picked up a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at third singles for North.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Bellingham, 6:00

Milford @ Nipmuc, 5:00

Taunton, 1 @ North Quincy, 3 – Final – Taunton kept the match alive with a win in the third set but dropped a close fourth set to fall 3-1 on the road at North Quincy (22-25, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25). Matt Freitas continued to play well at the net (16 kills, two aces) while Bradley Hylander was once again strong defensively for the Tigers with 15 digs. Daniel Freitas notched 19 assists, Ty Ekstrom had 12 assists, Antonios Dimakis chipped in with five kills and five blocks, and Al Morisseau added three kills and six blocks for Taunton.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/06/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 14 @ Norwell, 11 – Final – The Bulldogs scored in double digits for the third straight game to start the season and picked up their third win. Canton’s offense was on fire from the start, as the visitors scored five in the first and went into the bottom of the fifth leading 12-1. Norwell made it interesting with three in the fifth and then six runs in the sixth. The Clippers added a seventh run in the final inning but Canton had done enough to improve to 3-0. Owen Lane was 0-for-2 in the leadoff spot, but he drew three walks and scored three runs. Lane also pitched the first four innings and allowed just one earned run. Matt Chafin was 2-for-2 with a walk and four runs scored. Jack Digirolamo was 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI. Hayden Rose also drove in four runs, while Nick (two RBI) and Andrew Gillis (two runs) each had two hits. Digirolamo closed out the game, throwing the final 1-1/3 innings, striking out three and allowing one run.

Mansfield, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 9 – Final

Softball
Canton, 10 @ Rockland, 3 – Final – Shaelyn Murphy went the distance, striking out 13 batters to win her second game in as many days. Murphy also helped herself with two hits and two RBI. Olivia Mackwell powered the Canton offense with four hits and four RBI. Kailyn Durham had three hits and made a great defensive play in center. Jess Wright and Chloe Guerschuny added two hits apiece for the Bulldogs.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames overcame a two-goal deficit midway through the fourth quarter to pull out a win against visiting Attleboro. Ryan Jaco scored the game-winning goal with 30 seconds left to cap the comeback and complete a hat trick. Jason Zalis, Landon Grothe, Liam Dunlap and Lawrence Dear all played well on defense for the Tigers while Noah Isleib recorded 12 saves in net.

Canton, 5 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game – Mansfield junior Tommy Smith and freshman Nico Smith each scored four goals to lead the Hornets to a win over Davenport rival Canton. Both Tommy Smith and Nico Smith, along with Drew Sacco (two goals), scored early to give Mansfield a three-goal lead and the Hornets never relinquished that advantage. Cody Gordon added two goals an an assist, Andrew DeGirolamo had a goal and two assists, and Grady Sullivan had one goal and one assist. Senior Jeff Chaput and freshman Ethan Keleher each scored twice for Canton, AJ Thomas scored once, and Brendan Tourgee had three assists. Ryan DeGirolamo made 12 saves in net for Mansfield while Thomas Gormley had a strong game defensively. Canton’s Pat Drury had nine saves.

Foxboro, 18 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Foxboro won for the second straight game to start the season. Michael McCabe had a goal and an assist in the win, while Michael DeBarros, Josiah Lewis, and Evan Vieira also found the back of the net for the Warriors, each recording their first varsity points. Freshman Cam Deleskey added two goals in the win.

North Attleboro, 8 @ King Philip, 11 – Final – King Philip raced out to a three-goal lead in the first quarter and stayed ahead of the visiting Rocketeers the rest of the way for an 11-8 win. Donovan DeVellis led the offensive charge for the hosts with a team-high seven points, scoring a hat trick and adding four assists for the Warriors, who held a 7-5 advantage at half. Hayden Schmitz also had a hat trick for KP and added two assists, Noah Minkwitz notched a pair of goals and a pair of helpers while Mason Thompson (two assists), Alex Viscusi, and Aiden McCarthy each scored once. Henry LeClair added an assist while senior goalie James Boldy had a strong game in net, turning away a handful of point blank chances from North.

Milford, 1 @ Sharon, 14 – Final








Girls Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 13 @ Attleboro, 11 – Final – The Tigers erased a six-goal halftime deficit to stun the Bombardiers on the road. Attleboro had a terrific first half as Addy Papagolos’ six draw controls led the Bombardiers to a 9-3 lead at the break. OA opened the second half with four straight goals to get back into it and used that momentum, outscoring the hots 6-1 down the stretch. Catie Wilson and Erin Cottam paced OA with four goals apiece while Leanna Hudson added three and Kayla Magit had two goals and four assists. Attleboro’s Bella Cavallini and Amelia Collins each had three goals, Molly Moore found the back of the net twice, and Papagolos, Makenah Stokes, and Gigi Sprovieri each had one. Jordan Mooney chipped in with a pair of assists for Attleboro.

Mansfield, 6 @ Canton, 13 – Final – Emily McCabe scored six times and dished out three assists to lead Canton to an important division win over Mansfield. McCabe scored the 100th goal of her career in the win. Ella Yeaton added a hat trick and Devan Spinale had two goals and two assists for the Bulldogs, who got eight saves from goalie Ashley Balunas. Canton led by two at halftime but turned it on in the second half with a 6-1 run. Mansfield got goals from Tessa Johnson, Lola Varricchione, Maeve Anastasia, Rose Maher (two assists), Ella Palanza, and Stella Moore. Caitlyn Zajac made 10 saves to keep the Hornets in it.

Taunton, 1 @ Foxboro, 19 – Final – Seven different players found the back of the net for the Warriors, who wrapped up a perfect 3-0 opening week of the season. Paige Curran sparked Foxboro’s attack with five goals an three assists and Cate Noone added four tallies and a pair of helpers. Mya Waryas had a hat trick and two assists, while Val Beigel, Mary Collins (three assists), and Grace Riley (two assists) each scored twice. Addie Riley added a goal for Foxboro. Audrey Campbell made three stops and Sofia Lucente had one save to get the win.

Franklin, 19 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Fifteen Panthers scored on Thursday, as the perennial Hock power took on the first-year program. Vera Hansen, Maeve Grasso, Norah MacCallum, Raena Crandall, Erin Peterson, Ella Griffin, Morgan Lovell, Abby O’Rourke, and Juliana Owen all scored their first career goals for the Panthers. Ella Mahoney and Maise Streeseman both played well in goal to secure the win.

King Philip, 17 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – King Philip secured its third win of the young season, this time with a big win over North Attleboro on the road. Makenzie McDevitt (two assists), Abby MacDonald (assist), and Nikki McDonald (assist) paced the offense with four goals apiece while Sammy Cloutier added a goal and three helpers. Sierra King had a great defensive effort for KP with three caused turnovers and three ground balls while Kelly Holmes had a strong game in the midfield, commanding the draw.

Sharon, 9 @ Milford, 16 – Final – Buoyed by a big start, Milford earned its first win of the season with a 16-9 decision against visiting Sharon. The Scarlet Hawks raced out to an 8-0 lead and never looked back. The Eagles did make a game of it by going on a 4-1 run to cut the deficit to 9-4 but a three-goal spurt from the hosts just before halftime restored the big lead. Sophomore TJ Downing had a team-high four goals to pace the offense, sophomore Yasmin Martinez added three goals, and sophomore Alexa Landry notched one goal and two assists. Seniors Jordan Douglas (three goals, two assists), Carly Haley (two goals, two assists), Emily Croteau (one goal, two assists), and Ava Lebel (one goal) all played well for Milford. Caitlyn Banger made five saves in the win, Erin Michelson chipped in with a goal and an assist and senior Cailyn Paccico chipped in with one assist. Milford’s Bailey Garte had a team-high four goals while Keira Lydeard finished with a hat trick and one assist.




Boys Tennis
King Philip, 0 @ Xaverian, 5 – Final

North Attleboro vs. Dartmouth – Postponed.

Sharon, 1 vs. Brookline, 4 – Final – Junior Alex Budovalcev was the lone winner for the Eagles, rally from a one-set deficit to win in a third-set super tiebreaker, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.

Taunton, 5 vs. Durfee, 0 – Final – Taunton won all five matches in straight sets to take down visiting Durfee. Mike Kimmer had the closest match of the day, prevailing from a hard-fought first single match with a 6-4, 7-5 win. Martin Frankimet added a 6-3, 6-0 win at second singles and Heitor Sens completed the singles sweep with a 6-3, 6-3 decision. The team of Collin Lofgren and Derek Desseault only dropped two games, winning 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles while Kenny Dias paired with Rowan Kimmer to secure a 6-2, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Milford, 3 vs. Whitinsville Christian, 2 – Final – Milford swept both doubles matches and added one more win in singles action to break into the win column with a 3-2 decision over Whitinsville Christine. The team of Ava Merrill and Lily Bogonis secured the win for the Hawks, prevailing victorious in a three-set thriller at first doubles (6-3, 3-6, 6-2). Milford’s second doubles team of Audrey Brannigan and Paige Caldon earned a 6-1, 6-2 win while Kaylee Whitney earned a 6-3, 6-0 win at second singles.

North Attleboro @ Dartmouth – Postponed.

Taunton, 2 @ Durfee, 3 – Final

Boys Volleyball
King Philip vs. Bellingham, 4:45

Milford, 3 @ Lincoln-Sudbury, 2 – Final

Taunton, 3 vs. Quincy, 0 – Final – Taunton improved to 3-0 to start the season, landing a sweep over visiting Quincy (25-22, 25-18, 25-17). The Tigers’ two setters both continued to play well as Ty Ekstrom dished out eight assists and have four digs while Daniel Freitas had 14 assists and three digs. Matt Freitas and Antonios Dimakis each had five kills, Owen Kelley and Josh Duncan both had four kills, and Bradley Hylander continued to anchor the defense with nine digs and a strong serve receive.

2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview
North Attleboro and Mansfield are looking to return to the playoffs this spring. Read full team-by-team breakdowns of the Hockomock League boys lacrosse teams. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

2022 Record: 6-11
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Kevin Patton
Attleboro took a step in the right direction last season as it improved its win total and had one of its best offensive seasons in its program’s young history. Head coach Kevin Patton is hoping the upward trajectory continues this season.

2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

After a big increase in offensive production, expectations remain high for a similar output as the Bombardiers have its top two scorers back from a year ago in seniors Carter Shelton and Cole McKenna. Shelton will return to the attack after finishing inside the top 10 in the Hockomock League in points, tying for ninth with 47 goals and tying for eighth best in the league with 37 assists. A lot of those assists went to McKenna, an end-to-end midfielder that really sets the tone on both ends. McKenna had 25 goals and 12 assists a year ago. Senior Jack DiLiddo and sophomore Nathan Conroy are also back in the mix in the attack, giving the Bombardiers an experienced group up front.

As the Bombardiers strive to make the state tournament, another positive is the experience on the defensive end. Junior Harry Wheaton is back in the net for the third straight year and is among the most experienced goalies in the league after turning away 237 shots last year. He has a veteran group in front of him as well led by senior Bobby Sawyer, juniors John Wheaton and Ethan Lyons, and sophomore Matt Silva — all returning varsity players. Meanwhile, McKenna will be joined in the midfield by fellow returners and classmates Spencer Sherck and Patrick McAvoy. Junior Tyler Graney and freshman Landon Vieira will also be in the mix for meaningful minutes in the midfield.

“With a solid returning core with varsity experience, we will be relying on these guys to provide leadership and hard work to help us achieve our goals,” Patton said.

Canton

2022 Record: 5-12
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: Tommy Galvin
Former Canton standout Tommy Galvin, who was the interim coach during the 2021 season when the Bulldogs won a share of their third-ever Davenport division title, takes over as head coach this season and will be looking to get his squad back into content for the league crown.

There isn’t much experience on this year’s squad so Galvin will be leaning heavily on the handful of veterans he does have on the squad. The offense will face the task of replacing the production of last year’s leading scorer Sam Carlino, who had over 150 points between the past two seasons. Senior Jeff Chaput will lead the charge offensively as one of the few returners in the attack, coming off a season with 21 goals and 17 assists. Junior Brendan Tourgee anchors the midfield unit and had a terrific sophomore campaign, adding to the offense with 22 goals and 26 assists. Freshmen Ethan Keleher and Michael Thomas could make an immediate impact right away.

There are only a handful of seniors on the team so there is plenty of opportunity for new faces to step in and find a spot in the lineup. Galvin will be looking to find the right combination of players in order to find the recipe for success this season. Defensively, junior Colin Blake is back in the mix and will be a leader on that end of the field. Galvin believes the Bulldogs have a smart and tough defensive core that will play in front of a competitive group of goalies.

“I am very excited to begin my head coaching career with this group of kids,” Galvin said. “They come to practice every day ready to learn and always give 100%. We have some new faces but also a lot of two and three-year starters who we will lean on, especially at the start of the season. I expect to be competitive in every game and am looking forward to the season starting this week.”







2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

Foxboro

2022 Record: 14-7
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Quarterfinal
Coach: Matt Noone
Foxboro has always been in the picture in the Davenport division title hunt, having won four in the past six seasons, and with nine returners back it looks like the Warriors will be in the mix once again this year.

There’s no doubt that the Warriors will have one of the best attacks in the division, and in the entire league, with the talent they have back up front. Senior Conor Noone has been scoring goals and making plays for the Warriors since his sophomore season, finding the back of the net 23 times during the regular season last year and added a team-high 31 assists. Sophomore Jon Sacchetti is coming off an impressive freshman season and will look to take the next step this spring, and sophomore Aidan Waller rounds out the Warriors’ attack group. Senior Finn Stapleton is another seasoned veteran and his presence on both ends will be vital for Foxboro’s success this year.

Stapleton will be joined in the midfield by a trio of talented juniors in Ryan Cotter, Luis Sulham, and Ian Foley — all multi-sport athletes that can get up and down the field and make plays on both ends. Sophomore Ian Williamson and freshmen Cam Delesky and Michael McCabe will provide depth in the midfield. Defensively, it starts in the cage with junior Adam Addeche, who begins his third campaign as the starting goalie. He will have a familiar face out in front with junior Jack Sullivan returning to anchor the defensive unit while sophomores Jaiden Jean and James Dee Gaffney will look to fill out the defense.

Franklin

2022 Record: 15-6
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Quarterfinal (Kelley-Rex champion)
Coach: Lou Verrochi
Every spring, Hockomock teams start the new season hoping this will be the year that Franklin loosens its grip on the Kelley-Rex division and each time the Panthers return with the talent to not only win state titles but to compete with the best programs in the state. In fact, longtime coach Lou Verrochi believes this might be as good a team as he has ever had.

Franklin’s attack will be among the best in the state. Senior Luke Davis is already a two-time All-American, senior Jayden Consigli was an All-American last year, and senior Tyler Sacchetti joined his attacking partners by recording more than 100 points in 2022. All three are Div. I commits. The Panthers have loads of depth in the midfield with senior Ravin Chaudhury providing box-to-box work and classmate John Walshe a standout defensive midfielder. Juniors Eddie O’Brien, Ryan Grasso, and Drew Hansen can all jump into the attack and produce, while seniors Chris Drake and Brian Leonard will provide cover in the defensive half.

The defense has more experience this season. Senior Ben Harvey will be the anchor of a strong group of poles. Senior Braeden Leonard has battled injuries but is finally healthy and ready to step into a big role and sophomore Drew McCarthy will be the third starter. Senior Connor Sullivan and sophomore Flynn Baker will split time between LSM and close defense. Junior Matt Corvi and senior Mike Galvin give Franklin two strong shot-stoppers in goal and senior Justin Alexander is one of the best FOGOs in the state.

“We also have many players waiting in the wings that can really play,” Verrochi said. “I’m very excited for this season.”




2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

King Philip

2022 Record: 13-5
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: Hal Bean
King Philip has been chasing Franklin at the top of the Kelley-Rex division since the team shared the title in 2014. The Warriors are hoping to finally unseat the Panthers this spring but also to put together a tournament run after last season’s postseason came to an abrupt end at the hands of rival Mansfield. After graduating 16 seniors from last year’s roster, KP will have to quickly incorporate a lot of new faces to make that title challenge.

The attack will be led by junior Donovan DeVellis. He scored 30 goals last year and was second on the team in scoring. This spring, he’ll lead the line. Also helping out in attack will be Pat Weiblen, Justin Kosh, Aiden McCarthy, and freshman Mason Thompson. Senior Alex Viscusi and Noah Minkwitz will take charge of an athletic midfield. They will be joined by Hayden Schmitz, Cullen McCarthy, Brandon Berdos, Thomas Kilroy, Henry Leclair, Nick Longobardi, and Jake Booth.

Defense has been a consistent strength for the Warriors. They allowed a league-low 122 goals in 18 games last season. Senior goalie James Boldy will be the leader of the defensive unit and will have a lot of depth in front of him. Juniors Tyler Douglas and Jack Berthiaume will be helped out by freshman defenseman Brodie McDonald, whose potential makes him one to watch. The defense will also see contributions from Luke Stehley, Averi Dangelo, Drew Bowen, Jackson Fornash, and backup goalie Finn Cunningham.

The King Philip boys varsity lacrosse team finds ourselves in familiar territory playing in competitive games against teams in and out of the Hockomock League and working towards improving previous years’ standings,” said KP coach Hal Bean. “This year’s captains James Boldy, Alex Viscusi, and Donovan DeVellis are great individuals and a joy to coach. I am very fortunate to have them leading this program.”

Mansfield

2022 Record: 8-12
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen
Coach: Tim Frias
Mansfield’s defense came up strong in the closing stretch of the 2022 season, holding three of its final five opponents to five goals or fewer, including rival King Philip in the opening round of the playoffs. The Hornets have an experienced group at both ends of the field hoping to carry that momentum into the new year and put together a title challenge in their first year in the Davenport.

Up top, the Hornets return a talented group of attackers. Senior Drew Sacco will be the leader of that group, but he will have plenty of help from juniors Tommy Smith and Will Riley. Freshman Andrew DeGirolamo will give Mansfield a strong four-man rotation hoping to set the ton near the opposition cage. The midfield will be led by seniors Aiden Steele, Cody Gordon, Grady Sullivan, and junior Andrew Burnham, all of whom are strong two-way players. Juniors Sam Oliveira, Logan Pereira, and Ben Grella and freshmen Nico Smith, Tommy Vallett, and Donovan Minton will give Mansfield enviable strength in numbers.

The defense will also have a lot of depth this season. Senior Liam Barry, juniors Nolan Bordieri and James DeGirolamo, and sophomore Thomas Gormley will lock things down at close defense. Senior Stephen Mullert, junior Dylan Sansone, and freshmen Ben Hoopis and KJ Mahoney will provide extra help at LSM. Senior goalie Ryan DeGirolamo will be back in the cage this season to give the Hornets extra leadership in defense.

Milford

2022 Record: 1-15
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Austin Costa
Milford coach Austin Costa, who has played for the Portuguese national team, is excited that the Hawks could be poised for a step forward as a program this spring. With all but one starter returning from last season, more than 20 underclassmen adding depth to the roster, and enough players in the program to have a JV team for the first time in seven years, Milford has the depth to make a mark.

The attack will be loaded with experience, as all three starters are back. Senior Jacob Ligor is the team’s top scorer and the AIC commit will again be counted on to lead the line alongside classmate Eric Farrell. Sophomore Jayden Martins could be poised for a breakout season. The midfield is loaded with young talent including freshman Henry Baldic, who will also try to be a contributor on face-offs. Freshmen Jason Stokes and Ricky Nashawaty and sophomores Anthony Maietta, Robbie DeGasperis, and Matthew Lioce will all be contributors this season.

Senior Nick Casilli is the leader of the defensive unit and senior goalie Alex McGuire will help keep things organized at the back. Junior Oliver McKee is a newcomer that will add strength in defense and freshman Dylan Burns is expected to have an instant impact with his speed. Freshman Ethan Charczenko will be a defensive midfielder who should see immediate playing time.

Costa said, “I think this is going to be another great step for Milford in our goal of growing the lacrosse program and competing in the Hockomock. With a great balance of senior leadership and talented underclassmen, I cannot think of a better group to reset the expectations and reach new goals for Milford lacrosse. The excitement, the numbers, and the energy are back for Milford lacrosse.”




2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

North Attleboro

2022 Record: 18-3
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Quarterfinal (Davenport champion)
Coach: Ryan Izzo
North Attleboro won 18 games and the Davenport division title in 2022, but the Rocketeers graduated 12 seniors and will have a new coaching staff this season. Former Walpole, UMass, and MLL standout Ryan Izzo takes over after a couple of seasons coaching Norton and he inherits a young roster that will be looking to gain valuable experience.

Senior goalie JT Gallagher is back in the cage this season and will be an important leader for the defensive unit. Classmate Julian House and junior Connor Rajotte return on close defense and will be counted on to mark some of the opposition’s best attackers. Senior Jack Regan will be the leader of an attacking group that graduated a lot of production from last year. Sophomore Brady Backner is the team’s top returning scorer but has an injury to start the season.

“Young squad with great senior leadership,” Izzo said about his roster. “Will be a good test this year in regards to understanding the speed at this level and the skill set from those really well-rounded teams. We will look to compete at a high-level day in and day out. With a lot of first-year players on the squad, we may be inexperienced on paper, but what’s lacking in skill, will be made up with toughness and outworking our opponents. Looking forward to a great season for North.”

Oliver Ames

2022 Record: 7-11
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Ben Devlin
Even after graduating a 50-goal scorer, Oliver Ames has plenty of scoring punch back from last year’s team. Defensively, the Tigers will have only one returning starter so will be counting on several new faces to step into bigger roles this spring and have instant impacts as they try to get into the playoff mix.

Senior Ben Reardon is coming off a 55-goal, 29-assist season and will be the leader of the attacking group, while junior Alex McAndrew and sophomore Shawn Teehan will join him up front. Teehan stepped into a starting role by the end of his freshman season. Junior Ryan Jaco provided 23 goals from midfield last year and he’ll be joined by his twin brother Evan, who is moving forward from his defensive midfield role. Senior Jake Manthous will handle face-offs and get more time on offense this season, while senior Victor Romeiro and junior Owen Bourne will both see playing time.

The defense will be relatively inexperienced, but junior Landon Grothe is a three-year starter. Senior Jason Zalis saw plenty of action as a sophomore but missed his junior season and junior Liam Dunlap, sophomore Bryce Deibel, and freshman Lawrence Dear will compete to be the third pole. Junior Jack Corey takes over at LSM after being converted from attack. Senior Noah Isleib, a St. Michael’s commit, is back for his third year as the starting goalie and he will be backed up by junior Ethan St. Jean.

“We continue to try to rebuild and compete in a very difficult Hockomock League,” said OA coach Ben Devlin. “We look for several returning, younger players to pick up some of that lost production. We are hoping that our defense is improved over last year with some increased depth and experience from several key players. As always, our toughest games are within the league. Every Hock team is talented and well-coached, but our goal as always is to try to win enough games to make the tourney.”

Sharon

2022 Record: 9-10
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: Jon Shocket
Sharon continues to build experience with a relatively young roster. The Eagles have only one senior on the roster this season, but they will still be looking to get back into the state tournament and stay in the mix in the Davenport division.

The defense will continue to learn on the job. Sophomores Ben Goldberg and Zack Berstein will be back at the poles with classmate Matt Powers in the cage. On the other end of the field, the attack features junior Sam Rothbaum and Jake Kaufman with newcomer Dylan Cummings getting the chance to contribute right away.

The midfield will be athletic and is probably the team’s most experienced group. Ryan Brown will give the team energy on both ends of the field and Ronan Widland will be back at LSM. Gabe Korn and Jordan Weisman will add depth and production in the midfield.

“We will have some growing to do,” said Sharon coach Jon Shocket. “We have only one senior on the squad so this year and next will be super exciting!”

2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

Taunton

2022 Record: n/a
2022 Finish: n/a
Coach: Brendan Chambers
Taunton is playing varsity boys lacrosse for the first time since 2018, but the Tigers are hoping that the experience and cohesiveness of the roster will carry the team through the season. Although it hasn’t been at the varsity level, many of the seniors have been playing together since eighth grade and the Tigers have a host of underclassmen that could step in and play big roles.

The defense will be led by senior Ethan Fitzsimmons, whose game IQ will be crucial against some of the top attackers in the Hock. Senior Jake Leonard will also play close defense. Freshman Riley Mellin will be in the mix on defense as sophomore Landen Rodrigues works his way back from an injury. Freshman Oren Cullins will be in the cage after a strong JV season that saw him go 10-4 and allow five goals per game. Senior Dylan McCaughey will be at LSM.

Offensively, the Tigers will be relying on three seniors. Last year’s leading scorer Israel Cruz has a nose for goal and will be the focal point of the attack. Thomas Murphy and Colton Scheralis will also get the chance up top and bring different facets in front of goal. Senior Tommy Selfridge is dropping back from attack into the midfield to balance the lineup and initiate the offense from the top of the cage. Seniors Colt Kennedy and Connor McGrath are capable dodgers and add more experience to the top midfield line. Eighth-grader Jameson Vallarelli has made a positive impression in the preseason and also looks ready to make an immediate impact.

“With a senior-heavy, determined squad, many of whom have been playing together since eighth grade, we are looking to fit the pieces together to have a competitive season in the Hock,” said Taunton coach Brendan Chambers.

2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

Canton Rallies Again, Wins D2 State Championship

Canton boys hockey
Canton boys hockey captains Leo Owens, Brendan Tourgee, and AJ Thomas celebrate with the Division 2 state championship trophy after beating Hopkinton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


BOSTON, Mass. – It was a frustrating first 28 minutes for Canton (22-4) in Saturday’s Div. 2 state title game at the TD Garden. The Bulldogs had more than 20 shots on target, including some gilt-edged scoring opportunities, saw pucks hit the side-netting, bounce up on top of the net, shots go over the bar or just wide, and watched Hopkinton goalie Jack Lang come through with several huge saves.

There were moments when Canton could have been forgiven for thinking, it’s just not our night. Head coach Brian Shuman admitted that he was starting to get concerned as the clock ticked on without his team finding the back of the net.

“I was the first person to overreact on the bench when we missed the net,” Shuman said after the game. “Credit to our players, they stayed calm, cool, and collected and didn’t take on the persona of their coach, which was a good thing.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Shuman shouldn’t have worried. For the second game in a row, the Bulldogs rallied from a goal down, showing the resilience of state champions. With two goals in a little over a minute at the end of the second period and a pair of goals from seniors in the final three minutes of the game, Canton skated away with a 4-1 victory and its third state title in the past five seasons.

“Seeing everyone out there, before we were like we’re not going to let what happened last year happen again and we came together, just had a quick talk,” said senior forward AJ Thomas. “After they scored the first one, we were down a little but we weren’t going to let it go. We came together in the locker room and came out in the second and put it to them. I’m happy to win it for everyone back home.”

Shuman added, “We’ve been in close games all year long. We’re just used to playing in tight games and credit to our guys, they’re saying the same things they were in the last round, ‘We’re fine, stay with it, we’re fine,’ and that’s not coming from the coaches. That’s coming from them.”

Canton was the favorite coming into the final. The No. 8 seed Hillers were playing in only their second state title game (and first in D2), while the Bulldogs are the perennial powers who have reached the final for four straight years (excluding the 2021 season that had no tournament).

It was the underdogs that would take the early advantage. A slap shot from Vasi Zolotarev hit a couple bodies in front of Canton goalie Colin Davis (14 saves). The puck landed at the skates of Hopkinton star Pavit Mehra and he rifled it past the goalie from close range to put the Hillers in front. It was his 40th goal of the season and fifth in the last two rounds.

A few minutes later, the Hillers nearly made it two. Catching Canton in a change, Ryan Teitel got free in the left wing circle and tested Davis, who was able to stay tall and make the save.

Canton grew into the game. Thomas forced Lang into a save from the left wing, Jack Digirolamo weaved through the Hopkinton defense and put a backhand shot on target, James Young got a shot on net from the point, Jeffrey Chaput teed up Thomas for a chance in the slot that went high and wide, then set up Brendan Tourgee in almost the same spot for another shot off target.

The Bulldogs outshot Hopkinton 14-5 in the first. For all that pressure, it was the Hillers that again came closest to finding twine. Drew Morse sent in a shot from the point that Davis knocked down. Mehra was again in the right spot to get to the rebound, but, at full stretch, Davis managed to get a toe to the shot to keep it out.

In the second, Canton kept the chances coming (outshooting Hopkinton 12-2 in the period). Griffin Hughes fed Brian Middleton in front but his tip was kept out by Lang (31 saves) who then made a stunning, diving, glove save to deny Colin Blake, who had steamed in to knock the rebound into what looked like an open net.

Chaput chipped a puck up the boards for Tourgee to test the goalie from the right wing circle. Then it was Travis Thomas with a quick wraparound effort that Lang kept out. Mehra would get Hopkinton’s best chance of the second when he pounced on a mistake in the neutral zone to fire a shot on Davis. Michael Thomas added a chance from the slot, but again Lang was able to get a pad on it.

Finally, with 1:48 left in the second, Canton was able to find the back of the net, letting off a celebration that was at least in part a sigh of relief. Fittingly, after all those great chances, it was a scruffy goal to tie things up. Young’s shot from the left point was saved by Lang. The loose puck landed right on the stick of Tourgee who smashed his shot off the post, back off his skate, and then across the line.

After waiting so long to get the first, the Bulldogs needed only a minute before netting a second. Digirolamo used his big frame to power off the left wing boards towards goal. The puck was poked out to Middleton, who whipped a shot past Lang to put Canton in front.

“I think it was a little relief, definitely felt like there was a little less tension in the locker room, but these guys, the way that they approach every game, every period, is shift-by-shift,” Shuman said. “That’s the approach they took in the third. We don’t want to get too high or too low.”

The third period wasn’t as frenetic as the first two, as Canton tried to limit the stretch passes that Hopkinton looked so dangerous on and the Hillers tried to get Mehra into space to create. Dylan Mansur got the puck in front to Danny White to force a pad stop from Davis and Mehra made a great play to get the puck past the defense to Joe Scardino, but again the Canton goalie was equal to it.

For a defensive unit that graduated some important pieces, Canton’s pairings of Young, Hughes, Matt Anderson, Leo Owens, Jack Lauro, and Teddy Shuman, and with Davis in net, allowed only two goals in five playoff games this year.

“Colin Davis has been fantastic,” Shuman said. “We graduated arguably some of the best defensemen we’ve ever seen in this program, and for these guys to step up, some guys who were watching in the stands [last year] playing huge minutes, I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

With less than three minutes to play, Canton doubled its lead. AJ Thomas slipped a pass to Chaput as he raced into the left wing circle and his fellow senior roofed his shot over Lang to make it 3-1. It was Chaput’s fifth goal in five playoff games.

“We just sit back and think about who we’re doing this for,” Thomas said about his team’s resiliency. He noted the inspiration that the Bulldogs have gotten from Kieran Whall, a Canton three-year-old battling leukemia. “For everyone out there, who came tonight, it’s amazing, we’re doing it for them. We just look back and see who we’re doing it for and go out and do it.”

The Hillers pulled Lang and desperately tried to find a goal that would get them back into the game, but with 25.9 on the clock, just as he did against Duxbury in the semifinal, Thomas found the empty netter that sealed the win and the state title.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It’s crazy,” Young explained. “It feels so good. I’m speechless. Last Canton High game, you got to win.”

Asked about his program’s consistency, Shuman replied, “These guys, they put a lot of pressure on themselves. They’ve been in the stands watching some kids who are older than them on the ice raising the trophy and that’s their dream.”

“I think last year we felt that pressure and played well, just came up short. This year, I thought the players’ mental approach coming into this game was just outstanding. They were really having some fun this week.”

Thomas Nets Twice to Lead Canton to Another D2 Final

Canton boys Hockey
AJ Thomas scores the game-winning goal in the third period, leading Canton back from a goal down to beat Duxbury and return to the D2 state title game. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – With the clock running down under a minute to play in Saturday afternoon’s semifinal at the Gallo Ice Arena, Duxbury was pressing hard to try and find the tying goal. The puck bounced out to the blue line and Canton senior forward AJ Thomas was able to get a stick on it, use his body to shield it from a couple of Duxbury players, and break forward into the neutral zone.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Under pressure, Thomas veered towards the near boards and then flicked a shot towards an empty Duxbury goal. When the puck crossed the line, the Canton bench exploded in both relief and joy. Thomas had just sealed a come-from-behind 3-1 victory and booked Canton’s fourth straight appearance at the TD Garden to play for the Div. 2 state title.

“It doesn’t get old,” said senior forward Jeffrey Chaput after the game. With the Canton girls getting ready to take the ice as he was speaking, Chaput added, “It’s really tradition. It’s just Canton hockey, we’re used to being at the Garden. As you see the girls going on right now, this is a town of hockey.”

Canton coach Brian Shuman said, “It’s all about this group. They’re playing their best hockey at the right time and I can’t even begin to say how proud I am of them. We have a tremendous amount of respect for [Duxbury] and knew we had to come out and play well and I’m just so happy for our guys because they really earned this opportunity.”

Scoring chances were limited in a first period that felt like both teams were probing to see how the other was going to attack. Connor O’Connell had a shot from the left wing circle that forced Canton goalie Colin Davis (15 saves) into an early stop and Brendan Tourgee quickly tested Duxbury goalie Sam Mazanec (31 saves) on the other end.

Davis was called on to make a tough blocker save on Tucker O’Neill’s shot through traffic from the right point and then again he came up with a nice pad stop on Aiden Harrington, after the forward picked off an outlet pass in the slot.

Canton defenseman Matt Anderson fired a shot from the right point that Thomas got a stick to on the edge of the crease, but it went just over the bar. Chaput had one final chance in the closing seconds of the first and his shot from a tough angle was covered up at the near post.

Things picked up considerably for Canton in the second. The Bulldogs would outshoot Duxbury 14-3 in the period.

Chaput got things started with a perfect cross-ice pass to Anderson racing down the right wing, but the shot from the face-off dot went high. A couple minutes later, Chaput again started the play in his own zone, chipping it up the boards to Tourgee, who fed it to Thomas for a backhand effort that Mazanec saved.

Five minutes into the period, Jack Digirolamo thought he had put Canton in front. A flurry of chances, including a shot from the point by Leo Owens, had the Dragons on their heels and Digirolamo pounced on a loose puck on the edge of the crease, but the refs judged Mazanec to have gloved the shot before it crossed the line.

Colin Blake teed up Digirolamo for another chance a few minutes later and Mazanec again stayed with the play to make a point-blank stop.

All that dominance didn’t end with the opening goal and Duxbury stunned the Bulldogs by grabbing the lead with 4:53 left in the period. Wick Ross pinched in from the point and fired a wrister that went off the top of Davis’ glove and snuck over the line.

“I think this is a tribute to the players on the bench,” Shuman said, “as soon as the goal went in they said, ‘We’re fine, we’re fine, we’re fine.’ That wasn’t the coaches, that was all them, and that just goes to show you how much this team has grown over the course of the year.”

Duxbury had two players go to the box with 13 seconds left in the second, which meant that Canton had a perfect opportunity to try and get back into the game in the third. The Bulldogs wouldn’t waste that chance.

A minute into the third, with Canton camped out in the Duxbury zone, Thomas collected the puck on the left wing side of the goal and slipped a perfect pass across the crease to Chaput, who buried the chance, before racing down to the other end of the ice to celebrate with the Canton fans.

Chaput explained, “I was just thinking between periods, ‘We need one, we need one, we need one.’ After I saw the puck go in, I thought of all the hard work this whole team, not just me, the freshmen, the kids who don’t play, the managers, the coaches, everyone does a tremendous amount of work.”

The game stayed tied at 1-1 for more than nine minutes and the tension grew, as every shot on either goal was cheered like it could be the winner. With 4:36 to play, Tourgee took a hit in the neutral zone. The puck skipped free and Thomas sped between a pair of Duxbury players to get in all alone on Mazanec. He patiently picked his spot and put the Bulldogs in front.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am for him,” Shuman said of Thomas. “He’s someone that takes pride in the little things, wants to do the little things well, and for him to make that play at the end was fitting because I feel like he’s had an unheralded season so far. For everyone to see what he does for us is just great.”

Canton tried to add a third with James Young setting up Thomas for a shot through a crowd that was gloved. On the other end, Duxbury was sending everyone at goal in an effort to keep its title hopes alive. Sean Hanniffy had a good tip in front that went inches wide of the post and Davis stuck out a right pad to keep another chance out.

Thomas stepped up again in the final minute to secure the two-goal cushion, letting the Bulldogs breathe a little easier and get ready to once again skate on the biggest stage.

Asked about a fourth consecutive trip to the final, Shuman said, “We’re so lucky to have a group of players that when new guys come in they feel an obligation and a responsibility to carry on this tradition. I feel like the luckiest coach in the world getting to coach all these guys.”

Canton (21-4) will face the winner of No. 4 Walpole and No. 8 Hopkinton at the TD Garden next Sunday, at a time to be determined.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Canton Blanks Newburyport For Spot In D2 Final Four

Canton boys hockey
Canton junior Brian Middleton takes a shot in the first period against Newburyport. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. — Ever since Canton and Newburyport faced off in back-to-back state championship games in 2009 and 2010, the two storied programs have played one another during the regular season.

For the first time since then, the two squads squared off again in the postseason. And similar to how this year’s regular season meeting went, Canton emerged with a shutout win.

Junior Colin Blake and senior Jeff Chaput scored second period goals and the third-seeded Bulldogs notched a 2-0 win over the sixth-seeded Clippers to book a spot in the Division 2 Final Four for the second straight season.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It felt almost workmanlike,” said Canton head coach Brian Shuman about his team’s performance. “We have so much respect for [Newburyport], me and Paul Yameen go way back, we’ve played each other since meeting in the finals. There’s a tremendous amount of respect that these two programs have for each other. I can’t say enough about their program, they play a tough hard-nosed, blue-collar type of hockey and you can’t help but appreciate it as a coach. It was a good hockey game.”

The Bulldogs earned a 2-0 win on the road in mid-January over the Clippers and have had Newburyport’s number lately, going 6-0-2 since the start of the 2015 season.

The familiarity was apparent from the opening faceoff as the Clippers made things difficult for the Bulldogs. Newburyport was clogging both passing and shooting lanes and their forecheck was doing just enough to disrupt Canton’s rhythm working out of their own zone.

Scoring chances were at a premium early with a mix of blocked shots, deflected passes, and a lot of neutral zone battles. As the period went on, the teams worked to find opportunities and the best chance for both sides came inside the final five minutes.

For Canton, it was junior Brian Middleton that unleashed a low shot through some traffic that was turned aside by Newburyport goalie Jameson Brooks with a pad save and the big rebound ended up just outside the reach of the stick of Jack Digirolamo. Seconds later, the Clippers had their best chance when Kane Brennan got an open shot off but Canton goalie Colin Davis gobbled it up.

The Clippers went on the power play for the final 48 seconds of the opening period but a clearance from Chaput followed by good offensive zone pressure from James Young and Blake kept the game scoreless at the horn.

After killing 72 seconds of power play to start the second period, Canton really tilted the ice in its favor with heavy pressure. Newburyport was unable to sustain any offensive zone time and managed just one shot on goal in the frame.

Canton went on its first power play just over three minutes into the period and needed just over a minute to take advantage. Junior Brendan Tourgee gained the zone with a creative self pass off the boards, skated behind the net, and dished a pass out to the blue line to junior Matt Anderson. Anderson stepped into a big shot and Blake, positioned right in front of the goal, got his stick on it with a great redirect to beat Brooks for a 1-0 lead with 10:46 to go in the second period.

Another Canton power play was canceled out with a slash but Newburyport couldn’t muster anything up with their 68 seconds on the man advantage.

The Bulldogs grabbed a second goal before the end of the period as Tourgee teed up senior Leo Owens for a blast from the blue line. Brooks made the initial stop but Chaput was in the right spot and lifted a backhand past the goalie to make it 2-0 with 1:50 left in the second period.

“Strangely enough, I think you try and forget the first meeting,” Shuman said. “That first game was not a 3-0 game, it could have gone either way. In both games, we got a couple of bounces and they didn’t. That’s what always happens when we play them, I don’t think there’s been a game we’ve played them with the winning team more than three goals. It’s always tight checking, a tight defensive game. You can see it on the kid’s faces, they are just working, working, working and when you’re working that hard, it can be hard to have room left for that euphoria, that emotion.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Canton continued to quell any and every Newburyport foray into the offensive zone. Davis came up with one of the biggest stops of the game with 6:35 left, denying Brennan on a point-blank chance. Beyond that, Canton’s defense did a great job limiting further opportunities.

“The defense was outstanding,” Shuman said. “It’s similar to how we played last game against Wilmington, really limiting shots and getting the puck out of our zone quickly. Sometimes the best defense is to bring the puck up well and we really did that well in the second. We tensed up a little bit in the third and had some turnovers, but Colin was there to back us and bail us out.”

Canton’s three-game shutout streak so far in the playoffs will face a major test in the Division 2 Final Four against #2 Duxbury. The Dragons have outscored opponents 22-0 so far in three playoff games. The time, date, and location for that matchup are still to be announced.

Canton Shuts Out Medford to Reach Sweet Sixteen

Canton Boys Hockey
Canton players celebrate after Brian Middleton (10) scored a shorthanded goal in the third period to seal a 3-0 win over Medford. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


CANTON, Mass. – Sometimes, especially during the early rounds of the tournament, a team needs to find its footing, overcome some postseason jitters, and grind out a result. It may not be the prettiest win, but at this stage of the season all that matters is finding a way to advance to the next round.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

On Thursday night at the Metropolis Rink, Canton wasn’t at its free-flowing best, but the Bulldogs had enough to hold off an upset bid from No. 30 seed Medford. Canton got a pair of goals in the second period and tacked on a shorthanded tally in the third to pull out the 3-0 win and reach the Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen.

“A lot of teams, if you look at the past few nights, sort of struggle in these early-round games, especially teams that put pressure on themselves and these guys certainly did,” explained Canton coach Brian Shuman. “I give Medford credit. They’re a good team and they really played us hard and played us well.”

The Bulldogs wasted no time taking the initiative, outshooting the Mustangs 13-5 in the first, but Canton was struggling to create clear-cut chances and get bodies in front of Medford goalie John Nocella (34 saves).

Matt Anderson had a good early shot from the point that was kicked aside and Kevin LaBellee charged down the rebound only to have that gloved. James Young created a scoring chance with a nice outlet pass up the boards to Jeffrey Chaput, but the shot was kicked away and AJ Thomas was unable to connect on the rebound.

Medford nearly sprung a surprise when it got behind the Canton defense, but Griffin Hughes raced back and made a key intervention to prevent a breakaway. Jack Digirolamo came close with a shot from the slot that was blockered over the bar, but the Mustangs had the best chance of the period when Tyler Taddia forced a save out of Colin Davis and Louis Pucillo appeared to hit the post as he sent the rebound back through the crease.

Brendan Tourgee made a nice play with the puck in the defensive zone to get into open ice and then weaved his way through traffic before putting a backhand shot on target from close range with just 25 seconds left in the first.

Canton was in need of a spark and Digirolamo provided a lift with a big hit along the blue line, which seemed to give the bench much-needed energy.

“Digi this year for us, when we needed a goal, needed a big play, or in this game needed a physical presence, he provided it,” Shuman said. “Whatever we needed, he gave us, and this game we needed someone to match their physicality and he sure did.”

While the shot total was just about the same as the first, Canton looked much more fluid offensively in the second and puck movement was a key reason why.

Shuman said, “A lot of times in a playoff game, especially the first one, people are trying to be the hero early and score two goals with one shot. I thought the second period we moved the puck a lot better. Sometimes when the nerves kick in, your first instinct is to throw it at the net, so hopefully we got that nervousness out of the way and be better in the next game.”

Digirolamo teed up Colin Blake right on the edge of the crease, but his tip was saved. Less than a minute later, Canton got its breakthrough. Teddy Shuman’s shot from the point was blocked in front, but Travis Thomas managed to scoop the loose puck up and over the stretching goalie to make it 1-0.

With 6:40 left in the period, AJ Thomas showed great patience against the near side boards, holding the puck and waiting for space to make a pass. Finally, a crease opened up and he was able to pick out Chaput in front for a tip that made it 2-0.

Canton’s passing was creating a lot of good looks. Tourgee set up Thomas for a chance that was saved and the duo combined again with Tourgee having his tip turned aside. Thomas also had a shot that caromed off the end boards right to Young, who was pinching in and forced another save.

It looked like the Bulldogs were going to cruise to victory, but the Mustangs came out for the third intent on getting back into the game. After compiling nine shots through the first two periods, Medford put 12 shots on Davis in the third.

Carsten Mangan took advantage of a turnover and fired a shot from the right wing that Davis fought off, DJ McDonough had a shot that deflected in front and clipped the post, and Devon Page had a bid from the slot that Davis got his pad onto. He finished with 21 saves to record the shutout.

The game was effectively put away with 7:46 to go. On the penalty kill, Brian Middleton made a play at the blue line, broke free, and buried his breakaway opportunity to give the Bulldogs a three-goal cushion.

“Colin played well, made some big saves,” Shuman said. “Sadly that’s been a theme this year, the dreaded two-goal lead. It’s a cliche but sometimes cliches turn into reality. We need to find ways to bear down and get that third, such a crucial goal in a game, especially when you’re on a team and pressuring them.”

Canton (18-4-0) will take on No. 19 Wilmington, which beat No. 14 Masconomet, on Saturday night at the Canton Ice House.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/15/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Oliver Ames, 57 @ Abington, 69 – Final

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 0 @ Stoughton/Brockton, 6 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – A three-goal outburst in the second period helped Stoughton/Brockton skate to a win over former league rival Attleboro. Junior Colby Strunk scored his first goal of the game in the first to put the hosts up 1-0 after a period, and his second goal of the game came shorthanded to push the lead to 2-0. Seniors Sean Farley and Charlie Caputo also scored in the middle period to extend Stoughton/Brockton’s lead to 4-0 going into the third. Juniors Brendan Twohig and David Monaghan each lit the lamp in the third, and junior Dmytro Yakovenko recorded the shutout in net. Eighth grader Jacob Westwater played well in net for the Bombardiers.

Canton, 5 @ Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final – Five different Bulldogs scored on the road to help Canton shake off a resilient Bishop Feehan squad. Brendan Tourgee put the visitors ahead five minutes into the game and AJ Thomas doubled the advantage later in the opening period. After the Shamrocks cut the deficit in half, senior James Young buried one to restore the two-goal lead. Feehan once again got back within a goal but freshman Michael Thomas and senior Jack Digirolamo scored back-to-back goals just over a minute apart to ice the win.

Taunton, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Taunton had four players find the back of the net as they avenged a loss to Foxboro from earlier this season and handed head coach Kris Metea his 100th career win. Eighth grader Breighdyn Simmons had a goal and an assist while eighth grader Jamie Valarelli, junior Owen Hathaway, and senior Dylan McCaughey each scored once. Seniors Connor McGrath and Colton Scheralis, along with sophomore Travis Cashman, each recorded a pair of assists, and sophomore Cam Tomaszycki made 25 saves in the win.

Franklin, 3 @ Falmouth, 0 – Final – Franklin took the lead less than five minutes in and then added two more inside the final seven minutes of action to secure a shutout win on the road. Anthony Lampasona lit the lamp off of a feed from Liam O’Rielly at 11:49 of the opening period. After a scoreless second, Dan Daley hooked up with Logan Marchand to double Franklin’s advantage at 6:52 of the third. Ryan Sicchio tacked on an insurance goal with just under two minutes to play. Colby Wagner made 15 saves in net for the shutout.

Mansfield, 5 @ Shrewsbury, 9 – Final – Connor Davey and Thomas Gormley each scored twice for the Hornets but Mansfield suffered a setback on the road against Shrewsbury. Brendan Vokey also had a goal for Mansfield.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Norton, 2 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 1 @ Sandwich, 1 – Final
Stoughton/Sharon, 1 vs. Cambridge, 6 – Final
Hockomock Stars, 7 vs. Ursuline Academy, 6 – Final

Wagner, Franklin Blank Canton In Hock Showdown

Franklin boys hockey Dylan McEvoy
Franklin junior Dylan McEvoy takes a shot in the second period against Canton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 
FRANKLIN, Mass. – On paper, it’s just one of eight league games on the schedule, but there’s no hiding the significance of when Canton and Franklin meet on the ice.

The Bulldogs have won the Davenport every single year since the league split into two divisions and the Panthers have had a hand in all but one — a combined 23 division titles over the past 12 seasons.

Both squads are the favorites to win their respective division again this year and are the top two ranked teams in the league, meaning bragging rights were on the line at Pirelli Veteran’s Arena on Saturday night in front of a packed crowd.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin junior goalie Colby Wagner was terrific in net from the opening puck drop, turning in a 38-save shutout performance to lead the Panthers to a 2-0 win.

The Panthers scored once in the first period and added on a key insurance goal late in the third period, with both goals coming in similar fashion thanks in part to Franklin’s speed.

“It’s one of eight [league games] but it’s a good one,” said Franklin head coach Chris Spillane. “It’s just fun to play teams like this, and you know every year it doesn’t matter who’s up or who’s down, when it’s Franklin-Canton, both teams show up to play. And we get to play them again in a non-league game and it will be the same exact thing, the same exact atmosphere in their building.

“It was a gritty win. Our goaltender [Wagner] kept us in this game tonight, he made some key saves. We struggled breaking the puck out, that’s typically our strongest going from defense to offense, we can fly but credit to [Canton], they took time and space away. It was just one of those typical Franklin-Canton games, it was gritty and there’s no space for anyone.”

It didn’t take long for the scoring chances to start as Canton sophomore goalie Colin Davis (31 saves) was forced into making a terrific save just seconds into the contest as senior Aidan Kuykendall found senior Ryan Sicchio streaking into the offensive zone all alone for a chance in close 15 seconds in. And seconds later, Davis denied Anthony Lampasona after a pass from Ben Paterson in a 2-on-1 situation.

Canton got its early chances too as the Bulldogs went on the power play just 63 seconds into the game. Junior Matt Anderson had a blast from the blueline handled by Wagner, and junior Colin Blake had a bid in close that was turned aside.

That set the tone for the next 40-plus minutes as the Panthers and Bulldogs went up-and-done the ice, back and forth with chances on goal. Franklin had four power plays and Canton had two man-advantage chances throughout the contest but neither team cashed in with its special teams.

The first breakout came right at the midway point of the opening period. Paterson won a faceoff in his own defensive zone to junior Logan Marchand, who chipped one up the left boards that eluded the glove of a Canton defenseman at the blue line. Lampasona raced down and got to the puck first in the offensive zone and centered to a wide-open Dan Daley and he roofed his shot just under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead with 7:47 left in the opening stanza.

“Danny Daley, he’s a player to be reckoned with,” Spillane said. “He’s fast and can shoot the puck, his center [Ben Paterson] and [Anthony] Lampasona are both good at getting him the puck. It’s a nice all-junior line to have as our second line.”

Canton nearly responded a minute later when junior Brendan Tourgee dropped a pass out front for Blake, but his deflection on net was denied by Wagner’s shoulder. The Bulldogs had another big chance with just under two minutes to play as junior Brian Middleton won a battle at the blueline and raced in on a breakaway but his backhand bid was turned away by a pad stop from Wagner.

Davis made a nice stop early in the second after Franklin’s Paterson and Daley played a little catch, the former ripping a shot that was turned aside. Canton countered with a nice tip off the stick of sophomore Travis Thomas but Wagner stood tall.

“He’s very comfortable in the net, his rebound control is really good,” Spillane said of Wagner. “They were pressuring the crease and he never got rattled. He’s our number one right now for sure, but we have two other good options too in Jack O’Connor and Joe Torraco.”

While there were chances in all three periods for both teams, both defensive groups played well to limit how many genuine scoring chances there were. Kuykendall paired with senior Liam O’Rielly while Marchand was matched up with Vinnie Pasquarosa. For Canton, senior James Young paired with classmate Griffin Hughes, freshman Teddy Shuman worked with Anderson, and senior Jack Lauro played alongside freshman Graidy Carr.

Canton did have a powerplay five minutes into the second but Sicchio had a big clear, Ben Jarosz interrupted a pass to clear the zone, and Dylan McEvoy won a key faceoff and cleared the puck himself.

The third featured more of the same with chances from both sides, including an early power play for the Panthers that Canton killed off, including a key clearance from Young.

Jack Digirolamo muscled his way into space for a shot that was tipped by AJ Thomas, only for Wagner to get a stick to it. Tourgee found space shortly after but his bomb of a shot was wide of the net.

“We had a lot of one-and-dones and I think a lot of that was the product of missing the net on some key chances, and that started their break out,” said Canton head coach Brian Shuman. “And I think we were a little intimidated by their speed, guys backing off the line and just not able to win the races to pucks. That was preventing us from getting some good in-zone time.”

Franklin tacked on a key insurance goal with just over three minutes to go in the game. The puck bounced out from behind the Franklin net, and Daley was the first to it. He beat a pinching defenseman, slapping the puck off the boards and up the ice.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Sophomore Carter Balducci raced onto it and centered to his brother, senior Tommy Balducci and he found the back of the net to make it 2-0 with 3:04 to play.

“They have so much speed, they’ll disrupt any team they are playing against,” Shuman said. “That’s the fastest team we’ve seen all year, probably the fastest we will see all year. They can go three lines of speed, and they certainly look a lot faster in person than they do on LiveBarn. They’re a good team and any mistake that we made, they made us pay. Whether it was a bad pinch or a guy slightly out of position…our goaltender played well though and made some big stops.”

Franklin boys hockey (2-0-0 Hockomock, 6-1-0 overall) will head to Foxboro to take on the Warriors on Wednesday at 6:30 while Canton (1-1-0, 6-1-0) returns home to Ponky to take on Oliver Ames.

2022 Hockomock League Golf All Stars

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

Hockomock League MVP

Jake Gaskin, North Attleboro

Hockomock League All Stars

Leo Lombardo, Attleboro
Huck McCready, Canton
Patrick Callahan, Foxboro
Tyler O’Brien, Franklin
Jack Hagerty, Franklin
CJ Steele, Franklin
Ethan Sullivan, King Philip
Cameron Hasenfus, King Philip
Gavin Croke, King Philip
Evan Regan, King Philip
Nate McClean, Mansfield
Drew Urban, Mansfield
Anthony LaPierre, Milford
Nate Lawrence, Milford
Jake Gaskin, North Attleboro
Tyson Laviano, North Attleboro
Sean Kearns, Oliver Ames
David Rogers, Oliver Ames
Michael McGinnis, Oliver Ames
James Spoto, Sharon

Honorable Mentions
Carter Shelton, Attleboro
Brendan Tourgee, Canton
Zac Georgantas, Foxboro
Brendan Collins, Franklin
Jason Silva, King Philip
Cody Nieratko, Mansfield
Jacob Hipolito, Milford
Dillon Harding, North Attleboro
Daniel Paul, Oliver Ames
Dylan Cummings, Sharon
Paul Medeiros, Stoughton
Logan Letourneau, Taunton

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