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
Stoughton, 60 @ Franklin, 71 – Final – Franklin set the tone early with a suffocating defensive effort and junior Andrew Benoit gave the Panthers an early boost in a win over visiting Stoughton. Benoit scored five of his career-high 13 points in the opening quarter, Ben Harvey added seven of his 11 points in the frame, and Geino Scaringello (12 points) hit a pair of triples as Franklin established an early lead (20-3) after a quarter. Justin Allen scored all of his team-high 14 points in the second half while Sean O’Leary scored all 13 of his points in the second and third quarters. Elijah Connor led the Black Knights with 14 points while Obi Dike chipped in with 12 points.
Mansfield, 69 @ King Philip, 53 – Final – Mansfield had all of the answers in a win on the road at King Philip, building a lead early and withstanding a handful of rally bids from the Warriors. The Hornets connected on five three-pointers in the opening quarter, three from Eddie McCoy (20 points) and one each from Caden Colby (11 points) and JT Veiking (15 points, 5 rebounds) to race out to a 20-12 lead after a quarter. KP made runs throughout the game to get back into it but the Hornets had an answer each time, including late in the third when the hosts got within five only for the visitors to answer with a quick 6-0 burst to push the lead back to double digits. Junior Trevor Foley added 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists for Mansfield while Chris Hill had 9 points and 11 boards. Will Laplante paced KP with a team-high 20 points while Grant Kinney and Tommy McLeish each added eight points.
Oliver Ames, 37 @ Milford, 60 – Final – Milford used a huge second half to turn a six-point halftime lead into a runaway win over a shorthanded Oliver Ames squad. The Hawks led by just one (11-10) after a quarter and by six (23-17) at the halftime break. Sophomore Andrew Rivera (five rebounds) sparked the big second half on the offensive end, scoring 11 of his team-high 19 points in the third while Luca Testa, Nick Araujo, and Tyler Ballard also contributed to the scoring as the Hawks’ advantage ballooned to 40-22 going into the fourth. Milford’s offense continued its second half success in the fourth, pouring in 20 points to run away with the win. Freshman CJ Farrell had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in the win over OA, who was without its two leading scorers in Cole Craffey and Soren Lolonga.
Sharon, 56 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – Junior Jacob McLoughlin scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the opening quarter as the Eagles set the tone on both ends of the court early, and never looked back in a win over the Rocketeers. Nate Katznelson scored in each quarter and finished with 11 points while both Matt Baur and Dante James chipped in nine points each for the Eagles, who held a 30-11 lead at halftime.
Girls Basketball
Taunton, 22 @ Foxboro, 79 – Final – Foxboro earned another big league win, staying unbeaten in Hock play this season and giving itself a chance to clinch the Davenport title when it squares off against Mansfield on Friday. Addie Ruter scored 20 points to lead the way for the Warriors. Kailey Sullivan had 19, Camryn Collins added 18 points, and Ava Hill chipped in with a dozen for Foxboro.
Franklin, 65 @ Stoughton, 35 – Final – Franklin scored 26 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, rolling to a big win that restored a one-game lead over Attleboro in the division standings and clinched a playoff berth. Chloe Fales scored all of her team-high 15 points in the first half, as Franklin opened up a 44-14 lead going into the locker room. Bridget Leo added six points in the first quarter, Katie Peterson scored seven of her 10 points before the break, and Lizzie Newman added six of her 11. Mallory Santos added six points for Franklin, all in the third quarter. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with 15, including all nine of the Black Knights’ points in the third. Tat also had three steals on the night. Kirsten McKay had nine points, six of them in the fourth quarter, and Katrina Varnum pulled down nine rebounds.
Milford, 26 @ Oliver Ames, 66 – Final – OA scored 17 points in the second quarter to go ahead by 17 at halftime and the Tigers kept it rolling after the break, outscoring Milford 36-13 to earn the big win. The Tigers were strong defensively throughout, not allowing more than eight points in a quarter. Kaydance and Kamryn Derba combined to knock down seven three-pointers. Kaydance led OA with 13 points and Kamryn finished with 11, all in the second quarter. Sarah Hilliard added 12 points, 10 of them in the first half, and Maeve Horsman hit a pair of threes and scored eight points in the fourth. Maddie Homer scored six points for OA and also pulled down 10 rebounds from her guard position, including nine on the offensive end. Emily Croteau had eight for the Hawks, while Maeve Driscoll scored six on a pair of threes, and Katelyn Kearnan added five.
North Attleboro, 50 @ Sharon, 56 – Final – Sharon turned the game around in the third quarter, outscoring North 18-4 to grab the lead. After a nearly even fourth quarter, the Eagles walked away with their second straight victory. Jasmine Davis led the Sharon comeback, scoring 18 of her game-high 30 points in the second half and making clutch free throws down the stretch. North took a 15-13 lead after one quarter and extended the lead to 34-27 at halftime. Sam Faria led the way for the Rocketeers, knocking down five threes and scoring 17 points (all in the first half). Katie Corsetti did her best fronting Davis to make her work for her points and Ava McKeon added 13 points for North. Bailey Garte helped out Sharon’s offense with eight points and Carmen Leonardi had a strong game defensively on the perimeter.
Boys Hockey
Franklin, 4 vs. Archbishop Williams, 3 – Final (OT) – Franklin sophomore Vinnie Pasquarosa celebrated his birthday in style, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to hand the Panthers a big non-league win over Archbishop Williams. Pasquarosa gained possession at the blue line, skated around a defenseman and deposited his shot into the back of the net with just over a minute to go in the extra period for the win. The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the third when Ben Jarosz scored on the power play but the Bishops scored twice with under six minutes to go to jump in front. Jarosz fired a shot from the blue line with just seconds to go to tie the game. Dylan McEvoy also had a goal for Franklin while Colby Wagner made 27 saves in the win.
Swimming
Mansfield @ Seekonk, 3:45
Gymnastics
Canton @ Oliver Ames, 8:00 (@ Spectrum)
Franklin junior Dylan McEvoy takes a shot in the second period against Canton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
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.
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.
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.
2021-2022 Record: 0-15-0 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Gary Warren
Last season is not one to remember for Attleboro. The Bombardiers finished winless and had only eight goals in 18 games. New head coach Gary Warren will hope to find more firepower in front of goal and more depth with three forward lines and three defensive pairings as Attleboro tries to get back into the mix for a tournament berth.
Seniors Owen Parker and Colin Flynn will be the leaders on the top line with eighth grader Bryan Capone getting his first taste of varsity hockey. Sophomore Nathan Conroy will center the second line with senior Mike Lachance and junior Nick Fernandes on the wings. Eighth-grader Andrew Bessette will center the third line for the Bombardiers, joining up with sophomores Austin Bessette and Jack Moran.
Defensively, Attleboro will also lean on youth. Sophomores Alex Jarousky and Brody Shaw will partner on one line, eighth graders Beckett Stone and Cam Harrison will be a second partnership, and sophomore Lucas Devonis teaming up with senior Luke Logan. Junior Bradley Lehtonen and freshman Joey Santos will also see time on the blue line this season. After graduating four-year starter Nick Piazza, Attleboro will turn to junior Julien Horton and eighth grader Jacob Westwater between the pipes.
“Our success this season will hinge on good senior leadership, along with our younger players building confidence in their game,” Warren said. “We are a young, inexperienced team that hopefully will get better game after game.”
2021-2022 Record: 22-3-1 (D2 State Finalists) 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Coach: Brian Shuman
Only one team has ever won the Davenport division boys hockey title and, despite graduating 14 seniors off last year’s roster, Canton looks well-positioned to extend that run for another winter. After reaching the Div. 2 state title game for the third straight season, the Bulldogs will be incorporating a lot of new faces and young players (five freshmen and three sophomores) into this year’s roster to try and stay among the top teams in the state.
While there are several new players that will be getting time this year, Canton does return its top two scorers from last year. Senior AJ Thomas had a great playoff run to help the Bulldogs get back to the TD Garden and junior Brendan Tourgee was a standout as a sophomore with his combination of stick skills and strength. Juniors Pat Drury, Colin Blake, and Brian Middleton also saw plenty of ice time as sophomores and came through with some big goals during the season, while senior Jack Digirolamo adds some physicality in the attacking zone.
Canton always gets attention for its scoring punch, but its strength on the blue line has been one of the main reasons for its sustained success. Senior Leo Owens will start the season on the sidelines with an injury, so other players are going to need to step in while he gets healthy. Senior James Young and junior Matt Anderson, who scored the overtime winner in the season opener, will get plenty of ice time. Sophomore Colin Davis should provide the defense with plenty of confidence after a stellar rookie campaign between the pipes. He looked unflappable during Canton’s run to the final and senior Carson Eagles is a more than dependable backup in goal.
“As always, strong team defense and the depth to play four lines and six defense pairs will determine whether or not we can make a run for the league title and/or the playoffs this year,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman.
2021-2022 Record: 10-11-0 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32 Coach: Eric Galanti
Foxboro has a new head coach this season but it’s a familiar face as Eric Galanti steps in after five years on the bench as an assistant coach for the program. After graduating nine seniors from last year that accounted for a lot of production and ice time, the Warriors are looking for some new names to step up.
Albeit young, Foxboro has a strong core of returners from last year’s squad that had 10 wins and scored 70 goals. Senior Henry Diamond, who plays on the right wing, spearheads a relatively young forward group that includes returners Connor Hayers (left wing) and Luigi Muttart (left wing), both juniors, as well as sophomores Ryan Wood, Dan Jacobs — both centers — and, Finlay Campbell. Senior Jake DeMaino and sophomores Brendan LaCroix, Will Groves, and Connor Reardon bolster the offense. Freshman Michael Ruo and Owen McAuliffe are looking to make an impact right away.
Defense and goaltending will be a strength for Galanti and the Warriors this season. Senior Alex Coviello is a seasoned veteran that will anchor the blue line for Foxboro, joined by junior Tommy Devlin and a handful of sophomores who already have varsity experience including Tom Watts, Evan Paluzzi, Leo Campbell, and Connor Reardon. In net, Galanti has some veteran options with senior Peter Souaiden and junior Trevor Marder as options.
“We have a solid defense and great net minding that will allow a sophomore-heavy team to work toward an offense to match,” Galanti said.
2021-2022 Record: 14-9-0 (Kelley-Rex division champions) 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Sweet 16 Coach: Chris Spillane
A very familiar face has made his return to the bench for Franklin this season, as longtime coach Chris Spillane, who stepped away in 2019, is back in charge of the program. The Panthers have won 11 straight league titles and been a fixture in the Div. 1 state tournament and they boast a strong attacking lineup this season that will be looking to continue its control of the Kelley-Rex division.
Up front, Franklin will be boosted by the return of seniors Ben Jarosz and Ryan Sicchio, who combined for 15 goals and 23 assists last year. Classmate Tommy Balducci will join them on the top line. Last year’s sophomore class was prolific in front of goal and, with a year of valuable experience, looks ready to be even more dynamic this season. Juniors Anthony Lampasona (six goals and 13 assists) and Ben Paterson (10 goals and 14 assists) will lead the way along with classmates Dylan McEvoy and Dan Daley. Sophomore Carter Balducci is a newcomer to look out for in attack.
Four players return on the blue line to give Franklin solid experience in the defensive zone. Seniors Liam O’Rielly, Aiden Kuykendall, and Lucas Sheehan will be joined by junior Dylan Marchand, who had an impressive sophomore season in defense. Sophomore Vinnie Pasquarosa should also see time on the back end. Goalie depth will be a strength for the Panthers this year, with sophomore Jack O’Connor returning, sophomore Joe Torraco making the jump from JV, and junior Colby Wagner coming back to the program after playing last year with the Northeast Generals.
“Offensively we will run three lines who all have the ability to score goals,” Spillane said. “The Panthers’ success will depend on our team defense, and how quickly we can understand our defensive systems.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-9-3 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Toby Carlow
King Philip is two years removed from taking a share of the Kelley-Rex division title (joining only the 2011 Mansfield team to win at least a piece of the division crown) and last year the Warriors showed off their potential by giving eventual state champion St. John’s Prep a battle in the opening round of the playoffs. Former Medfield coach Toby Carlow, who won a state title with those Warriors in 2016, take over this season with the intention of elevating these Warriors into one of the state’s top programs.
Carlow will be introducing new systems on both ends of the ice, relying on team speed and structure in the defensive zone to get back into the tournament. One challenge for KP will be replacing standout Brad Guden, who moved to Tabor Academy this season. In the defensive zone, junior Cam Lehan-Allen along with senior Sam Naggar will need to step up to provide leadership at the blue line. Senior Kyle Abbott will help out at the back, as he returns in goal after allowing fewer than two goals per game as a junior.
In addition to Guden, who had 17 points from defense last year, KP also graduated its three top goal scorers from last season, so the forward line will need new faces to step up and consistently find the back of the net. Senior James Boldy is the team’s top returning scorer with seven goals and 10 assists and junior Max Robison adds speed on the wing. Juniors Nate Gartska and Rowan Boulger also saw time as sophomores and provide depth in the forward lines.
“Our goal this year is to establish ourselves as a good solid team in Division 1,” Carlow said. “It’s time for King Philip to step into the upper level of Massachusetts hockey.”
2021-2022 Record: 7-12-1 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32 Coach: Mark O’Brien
Mansfield has a lot of turnover to contend with this season, as the Hornets open their first season of Davenport division play. Former assistant Mark O’Brien has taken over as head coach and he takes over a team that will lean on underclassmen to try and find the attacking threat to keep the Hornets in the league title mix and to stay in the tournament mix.
After graduating its top six forwards from last season, Mansfield will be hoping that a host of freshmen and sophomores can step up to the challenge of leading the line this winter. Seniors Cody Gordon, Connor Davey, and Brendan Flynn will provide much-needed leadership in the attacking zone. Sophomores Brendan Vokey, Matthew Tourigney, Matthew Cromack, and Kevin O’Brien and freshmen James Warren, Matt Kelly, Matthew Rabinovich, Liam Wells, and Cody Silva give the Hornets a lot of depth up front but also a lot of untested talent.
The blue line is a very different story. Mansfield’s defense should be a strength this season. Seniors Ryan DeGirolamo and Patrick Gormley return to anchor that end of the ice along with junior Will Cameron and sophomore Declan Foley. Sophomore Thomas Gormley is a newcomer to watch for the Hornets in defense. Freshman Aidan Shea and sophomore Luke McGuire are versatile players who could see time at forward or defense. In goal, Mansfield will have plenty of experience to call upon with senior Chris O’Brien and junior Josh Hussey.
“We have a tremendous group this season and they are committed to the team concept and giving their best effort for each other,” said O’Brien. “We are excited about our talented younger players and confident that our strong nucleus of upperclassmen will lead the way with a focus on team defense.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-11-1 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Sweet 16 Coach: Kyle Heagney
North Attleboro head coach Kyle Heagney begins his second year in charge of the Rocketeers and they are looking to improve on last year’s 10-win season as they join the Kelley-Rex division for the second time in program history.
The Big Red will have to look for some new players to step up as they try to fill the void left by the graduation of a talented senior group, including Nik Kojoian, who led the Hockomock League in scoring with 11 goals and 24 assists last season, and Nick Longa, who was second in the league with 17 goals and tied for fifth overall in points with 26 points. The good news is that Heagney and the Rocketeers have one of the top returning forwards in the league in Mark Ayvazyan, who produced 13 goals and 12 assists in the regular season last year.
North will also look for seniors Brody Gaulin and Jack Dluhy to take on increased roles after netting five goals and two assists last season as well as junior Kaden Burns, who had five goals and one helper last season. Junior Kyle Gruber is back between the pipes after impressing last season.
2021-2022 Record: 6-11-1 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jimmy Tierney
Oliver Ames begins a new chapter in program history as they welcome a familiar face as new head coach in Jimmy Tierney, a former player and assistant coach. Tierney was the inaugural HockomockSports Goalie of the Year in 2013 and was a two-team First Team selection during his stellar career with the Tigers.
Now Tierney will look to guide this year’s team back to the success they experienced during his playing days when they reached the South sectional semifinals and finals during his sophomore and junior years. The Tigers have nearly their entire roster back from last year after graduating just two seniors, including senior center Sean McCarthy, who was second on the team with 10 goals and nine assists, and junior Andrew Livingstone, who earned HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors after leading OA with 12 goals and eight assists. The offense will have plenty of depth with seniors Matt Lawson (15 points), Jack Corey (15 points), Daniel Paul, and Jack Perron, who is a team captain for the second year along with McCarthy.
Sophomore Patrick DeLoughrey and freshman Brenden Teehan will look to make an immediate impact on the offensive end. Along the blue line, junior Sean Kearns (three goals, 11 assists) will look to build upon a solid campaign last year when he earned honorable mention for league all star. He’ll be joined by classmates Landon Grothe and Andy Poulos in the defensive group. The Tigers have experience in the net with senior Brandon Burke back between the pipes after playing in 17 games last year.
“Our biggest strength this season will be the team-first mentality our players have,” Tierney said. “The players care a lot about each other and will do what it takes to put the team first. This along with the hard work they are putting in is what will make us successful.”
2021-2022 Record: 11-11-2 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32 Coach: Dan Mark
The Stoughton/Brockton co-op team is coming off its most successful season together, and the Black Knights’ best campaign in over a decade after winning 11 games, including a preliminary game in the Division 3 state tournament.
The Black Knights won’t be competing in the Hockomock League again this season as they team up with the Boxers to try and replicate the success from last year. In order to do so, they’ll blend a mix of veteran and younger players as they navigate through their schedule, which will feature games against Hockomock League teams Attleboro, Foxboro, Oliver Ames, and Taunton. Offensively, Stoughton/Brockton returns a strong core led by last year’s leading scorer senior Charlie Caputo, who netted 13 goals along with 14 helpers. Senior Sean Farley added a team-high 16 goals as well as nine assists, while junior Colby Strunk is coming off a 21-point season as a sophomore.
Defensively, longtime head coach Dan Mark will turn to junior Ryan Summers to anchor a relatively inexperienced group. Summers had five goals and seven assists but the Knights lost three defensemen to graduation. In net, juniors Sean McGowan and Dmytro Yakovenko are battling for the starting job.
2021-2022 Record: 7-10-4 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Kris Metea
Taunton comes into the new season with definitely the youngest roster in the league and one of the youngest rosters in program history. Head coach Kris Metea has 35 players in the system this season and 26 of them are sophomores or younger. There is plenty of energy on the ice and plenty of potential, but there may be some growing pains for players getting their first taste of varsity action.
There are a few seniors on the team to provide the Tigers with much-needed experience and leadership. One of those seniors is Colton Scheralis, who will move up from the blue line to the attack at the start of the season. He recorded 13 points as a defenseman last year and should be able to bring his creativity and stick skills to the forward line. Senior Connor McGrath will also give Taunton a scoring punch, after his 13-goal, 13-assist junior campaign. Junior Conner Goranson scored 14 points last year as a sophomore and will be on the top line.
Experience is in short supply in the defensive zone, especially with Scheralis moving forward at the start. Sophomores Travis Cashman and Jon McGrath both saw time as freshmen and will look to build on that first season on the blue line. Sophomore Cam Tomaszycki is back in goal for the Tigers. He was a standout as a freshman, allowing a little more than three goals per game and saving nearly 90 percent of the shots he faced.
“We have a great group of players,” Metea said. “They are excited to go to the rink every day. They love each other and are willing to fight for one another. They make going to the rink a pleasure every day for our coaching staff.”
