Boys Basketball Division 2
#19 Oliver Ames, 71 @ #14 Longmeadow, 74 – Final
Boys Hockey Division 1
#19 Franklin, 6 @ #14 Wellesley, 2 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Dylan Marchand scored a hat trick, helping the Panthers jump out to a 5-0 lead that it would never relinquish, booking a spot in the Round of 16 and a rematch with Hingham. Domenic Lampasona opened the scoring for Franklin after nearly seven minutes and Marchand added a pair of goals in the next two minutes to break the game open. Marchand completed his hat trick a minute into the second and then Ryan Sicchio pounced on a rebound for a power play goal to make it 5-0. Wellesley would get on the board before the end of the period, jumping on a rebound after a pair of stellar saves by Cole Pouliot-Porter. Franklin cleared off a major penalty, but late in the third (again after a couple of Pouliot-Porter saves) Wellesley would add a second. Only seconds later, Ben Jarosz found an empty net to seal the victory.
Division 3
#31 Stoughton, 1 @ #2 Scituate, 9 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Coming off its first playoff win in 16 years, Stoughton wasn’t able to pull an upset over the No. 2 seed in the Round of 32. Scituate took eight minutes to break the deadlock and added a second goal just 22 seconds later. Two minutes later, the Sailors popped in two more goals just six seconds apart to break the game open. Colin Alessi has the best chance for the Black Knights in the first period, forcing a blocker save from the left wing circle. In the second, on a power play, Stoughton got on the board when Sean Farley picked the top corner, but the Sailors answered back to make it 6-1 heading to the third. Scituate would add three more in the final period, although Colby Strunk hit the bar for Stoughton. Chris Andrade made 39 saves in the loss.
Boys Basketball
Mansfield @ Bridgewater-Raynham – Postponed to Wednesday, 2/2 at 6:30.
Girls Basketball
Stoughton, 30 @ Brookline, 62 – Final – Stoughton dropped a contest on the road at Brookline on Monday evening. Evie Lam led the offense for the Black Knights with 11 points while Alyssa Edwards hauled in seven rebounds.
Milford, 71 vs. Burncoat, 59 – Final – Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored a career-high 40 points, including 24 in the second half, to lead the Hawks to a big non-league win. Pacini buried seven threes, went 11-for-13 from the free throw line, and scored in double digits in three of the four quarters to set a new career mark. Erin Michelson added eight points for the Hawks, all in the first half, and Brooke Ferreira and Jess Douglas chipped in with six points apiece. Milford jumped out to a 23-9 lead after the first quarter and carried that advantage for the rest of the night.
Boys Hockey
Franklin, 6 vs. Weymouth, 1 – Final – Franklin scored twice in the first, once in the second, and three times in the third to win its opening round matchup of the Ed Burns Hockey Classic with Weymouth, avenging its loss to the Wildcats from earlier this season. Ben Jarosz scored a hat trick for the Panthers, scoring once in each period while Logan Marchand, Ben Paterson, and Christian Shabbick each had one goal. Sophomore Cole Pouliot-Porter made 20 saves in the win. Ryan Sicchio, Anthony Lampasona, and Shabbick each had a pair of assists in the win.
Canton, 4 vs. Burlington, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Eamon Kelly scored twice and Brendan Tourgee had a goal and two assists, as Canton dominated its first round game in the Ed Burns Hockey Classic. Kelly opened the scoring just 28 seconds into the game, as he followed up Tourgee’s initial shot and then lifted the rebound high to the clove side from close range. Six minutes into the second period, Kelly doubled the lead. He took a pass from Tourgee in the right wing circle, dragged it past a stick check and then roofed his shot from a tight angle. Tourgee sealed the win with 6:59 left to play, finding space inside the left wing circle and picking the far corner. Billy Delello tacked on a fourth inside the final minute, as he was in the right place to finish off a chance created by fellow senior Michael Leonetti. Freshman Colin Davis made 12 saves to record the shutout, as Canton outshot Burlington 34-12. The Bulldogs will take on Natick in the next round on Sunday.
Foxboro, 5 vs. Norton, 2 – Final – Foxboro scored four goals between the first two periods and tacked on one more in the third for a win over Norton. Derek Axon scored twice for the Warriors while Steven Bridges, Ben Ricketts, and Tom Marcucella each lit the lamp once in the win. Alex Coviello and Ricketts each recorded a pair of assists and Sullivan Keneally, Henry Diamond, and Bridges each had one helper. Sophomore Trevor Marder earned the win in between the pipes for Foxboro.
Mansfield, 2 @ Bishop Feehan, 8 – Final
North Attleboro, 1 vs. Silver Lake, 4 – Final
Stoughton, 3 @ Southeastern, 1 – Final – Chris Andrade shined between the pipes and Colin Alessi accounted for all three goals to lead the Black Knights to a win over Southeastern. Alessi scored a hat trick while Andrade turned in 25 saves in the win.
Taunton, 3 vs. Apponequet, 2 – Final (OT) – Colton Scheralis scored with five seconds left in overtime to give Taunton its second win over Apponequet in the past week. After skating to a 2-2 tie in regulation, the Tigers looked destined for a tie until Scheralis lit the lamp just before the buzzer to give Taunton the two points. Loran Corcoran and Evan Pereira also scored for Taunton while Conner Goranson, Connor McGrath, and Nathan Fernandes each had an assist. Freshman Cam Tomaszycki recorded 23 saves to get the win in net.
Boys Basketball
Oliver Ames, 66 @ Southeastern, 67 – Final – Oliver Ames led after each of the first three quarters but Southeastern scored the go-ahead bucket with just over two seconds to play to steal the win from the Tigers. Junior Zach Tagliamonte scored a team-high 25 points for the second straight game to pace the Tigers. Jake Grimaldi chipped in with 17 points and Drew Baxter had 10 for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 72 @ Weymouth, 61 – Final – Deadlocked after three quarters, Stoughton poured in 24 points and get some key stops to secure a win on the road at Weymouth. Freshman Matt Greenspoon hit a big three and added another field goal in the fourth quarter to spark the Black Knights, finishing with 11 points (all in the second half). Senior Connor Andrews scored nine of his team-high 24 points in the final frame and junior Rayan Sablon had 11 of his 19 points in the last frame to help Stoughton get the win.
Girls Basketball
Sharon, 46 @ East Bridgewater, 63 – Final – Jasmine Davis scored 27 points and added 20 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Eagles fell on the road in a non-league game. Rachael Hager chipped in with 12 points for the second straight day.
Stoughton, 35 @ Canton, 60 – Final – Fay Gallery led the way for the Bulldogs with 23 points, including four three-pointers, as Canton extended its win streak to five games. The Bulldogs held a three-point lead after one and extended it to 10 by halftime. The Black Knights stayed within 13 heading to the fourth, but Canton outscored the visitors 19-7 over the final eight minutes to pull away for a big win. Kiara Cerruti scored 14 and Sydney Gallery added seven for Canton. Kate Bulger scored 13 for the Black Knights, including six in the first, and Vanessa Phelimond and Raina Tat each scored six.
Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Troy Carlisle scored a pair of goals and assisted on two other, helping North sweep the season series against Attleboro. Carlisle opened the scoring with a breakaway goal four minutes into the game and then picked up an assist about four minutes later when he set up Jack Dluhy in the slot. Attleboro goalie Nick Piazza made a pad stop but Joe Quinn knocked in the rebound. North hit the post twice in the first and Attleboro had a shot cleared off the line. Carlisle got his second when he stole the puck in the attacking zone and found the top corner. Nick Longa made it 4-0, assisted by Nik Kojoian and Mark Ayvazyan. North then got two more 39 seconds apart to lead 6-0 after two. Quinn scored his second off a Dluhy assist and Brody Gaulin was credited with a tip of Austin Comery’s shot from the point. Kojoian got his second assist early in the third when Anthony Westcott’s shot from the point went in off the bar. Gaulin added a 4-on-4 goal with 8:37 to play, assisted by Brady Sarro. Attleboro got on the board in the final 90 seconds, as Sean Marshall went the length of the ice on the power play and buried his shot in the top corner past North goalie Nate Kelly (eight saves). Piazza finished with 46 saves in the loss.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Canton, 7 – Final
Foxboro, 1 @ King Philip, 6 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – King Philip sophomore Brad Guden scored a hat trick to lead the Warriors to a league win over Foxboro at the Foxboro Sports Center. King Philip scored twice in the first, three times in the second, and tacked on one more in the third to get the win. Guden set up KP’s first goal, carrying possession into the offensive zone before teeing up classmate Sam Naggar for a one-timer from the blue line that found its way through. Less than two minutes later, John Campbell used a nice move in front to beat the goalie, assists going to Sean Crowther and Kevin Birenbaum. Foxboro cut the deficit in half with 8:08 to play in the first as senior Ben Ricketts intercepted a clearance attempt and fired a wrister that was partially stopped but trickled over the line. Guden lit the lamp twice in the second, first firing a low wrister from the blue line that found the back of the net, and then minutes later, had another low shot take a fortunate deflection off a Foxboro skate and into the back of the net. Crowther came flying down the left side before roofing a shot with less than two minutes to go to make it 5-1 after two periods. Guden completed the hat trick in the third, finishing off a pass from Crowther for a 6-1 edge. Senior Josh Marcoux made 33 saves in net for Foxboro.
Franklin, 7 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Franklin scored three goals in each the first and second periods on its way to a league win on the road over Taunton. Christian Shabbick scored a hat trick for the Panhters, scoring with eight minutes left in the first (on an assist from Ben Paterson) to make it 3-0, again less then two minutes into the second (from Anthony Lampasona) to make it 4-0, and then completed the hat trick (on another assist from Paterson) to push the lead to 6-0. Dylan Marchand added a pair of goals, Ryan Sicchio scored on the power play in the first period, and Paterson lit the lamp once and had a total of three assists. Freshman Jack O’Connor made 16 saves for the win. Taunton sophomore Conner Goranson scored off of an assist from senior Nathan Fernandes in the third period. Freshman Cam Tomaszycki made 46 saves in net for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 7 @ Cardinal Spellman, 2 – Final – Stoughton’s Sean Farley scored a pair of goals to help the Black Knights pick up their second win over Cardinal Spellman this month. Ryan Summers, Joe McNulty, Cooper Card, Colin Alessi and Charlie Caputo each added one goal for Stoughton.
Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 @ Medway/Ashland, 1 – Final – Audrey Koen scored a pair of goals to lead Canton to a third straight win and its fifth win in the last six games.
Franklin, 0 @ Medfield, 1 – Final (OT)
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 @ Westwood, 2 – Final
King Philip, 9 @ Dedham, 0 – Final
Stoughton/Sharon, 2 vs. West/East Bridgewater, 7 – Final
Wrestling
Canton, 12 @ North Attleboro, 69 – Final
Sharon, 62 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final – Ashmith Yeruva, Vehnil Rangaraman, Adam Landstein, Cam Birnbaum, Nick Varvak, Kyle Samuels, Aaron Cashton, Phil Varvak, Cormac Horlbogen, Ethan Siao, and Ron Loebl each won for the Eagles, who clinched at least a share of the Davenport division title with the victory.
Mansfield, 21 @ Franklin, 49 – Final
Milford @ King Philip, 6:00
Oliver Ames, 78 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – Senior Gio Juste, juniors Ryan Widdop, Kyle Hardie, and Victor Romeiro, and freshman Rory Gallagher-Lambert each earned a pinfall win for the Tigers.
Taunton, 72 @ Keefe Tech, 9 – Final – Ryan Jones (113), Christian Balmain (152), John Mandeville (160), Peter Ye (195), and Logan Frank (220) all won by pin to help Taunton secure a win on the road over Keefe Tech.
Boys Swimming
North Attleboro @ Canton, 5:15
King Philip, 29 @ Taunton, 43 – Final
Girls Swimming
North Attleboro @ Canton, 5:15
King Philip, 63 @ Taunton, 17 – Final
Boys Basketball
Sharon, 76 @ Oliver Ames, 61 – Final – Sharon scored 22 points in the opening quarter to build a double-digit lead that it never relinquished for its first win over Oliver Ames since 2016. Senior Will Hippler, junior Matt Baur, and sophomores Nate Katznelson and Jacob McLaughlin all connected from three-point range in the opening eight minutes as the Eagles shot nearly 60% from the field to establish a 22-11 lead. Katzneslon, McLaughlin and junior Jack Bates each added a three in the second for the Eagles, who hit seven of their 12 threes in the first half. Baur finished with a team-high 16 points and five rebounds to lead the way for Sharon, who held a 37-25 lead at half and a 55-35 lead going into the fourth quarter. Katznelson added 15 points and eight rebounds, McLaughlin finished with 13 points and five assists, and senior John Baez had eight points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Zach Tagliamonte led OA with a game-high 17 points and five rebounds while senior Drew Baxter and freshman Cole Craffey each had 10 points.
Boys Hockey
Mansfield, 4 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield exploded for four goals in the second period to skate away with a league win over Attleboro. Senior Dillon Benoit scored a pair of goals for the second straight game, senior Ryan Doherty added one, and freshman Matt Tourigney scored his first career goal. The Hornets went a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, improving to 9-for-9 on the kill in league games this year.
Canton, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Canton sophomore Brian Middleton scored the game-winning goal with just over three minutes left in the third period to help the Bulldogs avenge its loss to Franklin from earlier this season, this one in league action.
North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 2 – Final
Taunton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Sophomore Andrew Livingstone scored twice and junior Brandon Burke recorded 30 saves to help Oliver Ames edge out Taunton. Junior Noah Isleib scored his first career goal while sophomore Jack Corey scored once. Junior Sean McCarthy recorded two assists while junior Jack Perron, sophomores Matt Lawson and Jake Cunningham, and freshman Patrick DeLoughrey each had one assist.
Stoughton vs. Cardinal Spellman, 0 – Final – Four different players lit the lamp as Stoughton skated to a shutout win over Cardinal Spellman. Aidan Obrock, Joe McNulty, Colin Alessi and Sean Farley each scored once for the Black Knights while Chris Andrade posted the shutout in goal.
Girls Hockey
Canton, 0 vs. Norwood, 3 – Final
Franklin, 2 vs. Dedham, 1 – Final – Franklin picked up its second win over Dedham in the past two weeks, this time with a 2-1 decision in regulation. Julia Flynn and Shaw Downing (from Maggie McCaffrey) scored for the Panthers while Izzy Brown had a great game in net to earn the win.
Stoughton/Sharon, 2 vs. Old Rochester, 8 – Final – Molly Corvino and Zoe Bangs each scored for the Black Knights while Ava Buckley registered an assist on each goal but Stoughton fell to Old Rochester.
Wrestling
Canton, 24 @ Silver Lake, 51 – Final – All four of Canton’s wins on the day were by pinfall, each earning six points but the Bulldogs fell on the road to Silver Lake. Yurii Leskiv (113, 2:14), Max Kupferman (126, 0:34), Cillian Collins (182, 1:52), and Ruairi Ritson (195, 4:28) each won for Canton.
Panther Invitational (Foxboro, King Philip), 10:00 (@ Whitman-Hanson) – King Philip had five finalists and two individual champions to take first place in the Panther Invitational held at Whitman-Hanson. The Warriors had a total of 140.5 points while second place Milton had 131 points. Foxboro had 47 points. Hunter Hastings won all three of his matches by pinfall, including the 195-pound championship with a fall in 1:52 in the championship round. After a bye in the first round, heavyweight Dan Nineve won the semifinal by pin in 1:37 and then took the championship with a pin in 3:24. Sam Debaggis (126), Colby Cloutier (152), and William Conniff (170) each finished second for the Warriors while Lodan Wells (120) took third and Michael Gorman (145) took fourth. Foxboro’s Maxwell Kornbluth (160) and Ryan Addeche (170) finished third while Adam Addeche (120) and Sebastian Zerpa Aguilar (285) finished fourth.
Norton Quad (Mansfield, Taunton) – Taunton senior captain Christian Balmain became just the second wrestler in program history to reach 100 wins and the Tigers went 3-0 on the day at the Norton Quad, beating the host Lancers (50-24), Mansfield (61-15), and Quabbin (72-12). Balmain, who wrestles at 152, earned a forfeit win, a major decision (12-4) over Norton, and a pinfall in 1:20 against Mansfield. Michael Leskoski (106), Xavier Sandoval (138), Ethan Harris (182), Avery Justa (195) also went 3-0 on the day while Ryan Jones (113), Brandon Mendes (126), Anthony Vieira (132), Ben Mandeville (145), John Mandeville (160), Charlie Rabel (170), Peter Ye (220), and Robert Tran (285) each won twice.
St. John’s Prep Super Quad (North Attleboro) – North Attleboro picked up three wins on the day, pinning down victories over Bridgewater-Raynham (42-36), Marblehead/Swampscott (55-24), and Beverly (51-24). Three Rocketeers won all three of their matches with Braxton Ferro (132) and Christopher Galligan (138) each grabbing three pinfalls and Jaad Ismail (170) had two pins and one decision. Tanner Ferguson (120), Tyler Tobias (126), Masen Oyola (145), Benjamin Lodi (160), Greg Berthiaume (182), Austin Dean (195), and Keysun Wise (285) each won twice for North.
Sharon Quad (Sharon) – Sharon picked up three wins at home, beating Belmont (57-24), Concord-Carlisle (48-27), and Catholic Memorial (54-18). Vehnil Rangaraman, Adam Landstein, Cam Birnbaum, Nick Varvak, Aaron Cashton, Philip Varvak, and Cormac Horlbogen all went undefeated for the Eagles on the day.
Girls Basketball
Sharon, 29 vs. East Bridgewater, 50 – Final – Sharon sophomore Jasmine Davis had a double-double for the second straight night, finishing with 23 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.
Boys Hockey
Attleboro @ King Philip, 8:00
Franklin, 3 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Mansfield, 8 – Final – After trading goals in the opening period, Mansfield struck four times in the middle period, including two shorthanded tallies, to skate away with a big win over OA. Dillon Benoit scored twice for the Hornets, who went 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, while Kyle Oakley, Ryan Doherty, and Will Cameron each scored once. Sophomore Andrew Livingstone scored for OA off an assist from junior Sean McCarthy.
Stoughton, 12 @ Wareham, 1 – Final – Stoughton junior Sean Farley scored a hat trick to lead the way offensively for the Black Knights on the road at Gallo. Aidan Obrock and Cooper Lehmann each added two goals while Colin Alessi, Colby Strunk, Charlie Caputo, Joe McNulty and Anthony DaSousa scored once.
Taunton vs. Somerset-Berkley, 8:00
Girls Hockey
Stoughton/Sharon vs. West/East Bridgewater, 8:10
Wrestling
Canton @ Oliver Ames, 7:00
Foxboro @ North Attleboro, 7:00
Mansfield, 15 @ King Philip, 63 – Final
Milford @ Taunton, 7:00
Sharon, 60 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final
Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 52 @ Attleboro, 64 – Final – Attleboro established an early lead and never let it slip away to knock off rival North Attleboro. Sophomore Neo Franco hit a pair of threes in the first and Evan Houle (17 points) added five to give the hosts a 17-12 lead. The lead grew from there with senior Colin Morais adding seven second quarter points to give the Bombardiers a 29-20 halftime edge. Attleboro, who was without junior forward Trevor White, had its best offensive quarter in the third, scoring 23 points with contributions from Joe Francois-Annevil (seven of his 11 points), Jake Struminski (six of his eight points), and Alvin Harrison (half of his eight points). Brody Rosenberg led the Rocketeers with 15 points while Givany Carney chipped in with 12 points.
Canton, 45 @ Milford, 30 – Final – Canton delivered first year coach Eric MacKinnon his first career win, limiting the Hawks to 12 points in the second half for the win. The Bulldogs built a six-point lead after a quarter and kept the Hawks at a distance the rest of the way. Conor Hunter hit a pair of threes in the second quarter as the visitors carried a 23-18 lead into halftime. Canton had its biggest offensive quarter of the game, nearly doubling their lead going into the final quarter (36-27). Hunter finished with 13 points while Matt Chafin added 12 points in the win.
Foxboro, 26 @ Mansfield, 66 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Mansfield built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a big win over visiting Foxboro. The Hornets were clicking on all cylinders on the offensive end, getting 11 players into the scoring column. Senior Matt Hyland scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed five rebounds while junior Chris had a strong showing with 15 points and seven rebounds. Mansfield helped force 18 turnovers from the Warriors, who couldn’t get it going on offensively. Mansfield led 34-11 at halftime.
Stoughton, 72 @ King Philip, 64 – Final (OT) – King Philip battled back throughout the game, forcing overtime but couldn’t keep pace with the visiting Black Knights in the extra period. Stoughton built a double-digit lead (22-12) after a quarter with six players factoring into the scoring. The Knights kept the lead all the way to the fourth, but King Philip cut into it each quarter. Stoughton took a 38-30 lead into halftime but was held to just six points in the third as KP surged back to make it a one-possession game (44-41). The teams battled back-and-forth in the final quarter before Stoughton’s last second shot was off the mark. In overtime, Connor Andrews (game-high 22 points), Jayden Costa Heyward (12 points), Liam Pearl (nine points) and Cashmere Mathurin (six points) all scored to help the Knights outscore the Warriors, 11-3. Freshman Matt Greenspoon added 10 points in the win. Danny Clancy led King Philip with 16 points while Braeden Sottile added 15 points.
Oliver Ames, 48 @ Franklin 64 – Final – Franklin saw its 22-point halftime lead shrink to single digits going into the fourth quarter, but the Panthers bounced back and closed out strong to get a win over visiting Oliver Ames. Franklin built a 37-15 lead by the break behind a balanced scoring attack and strong defense. Franklin hit half of its 12 three-pointers in the second quarter alone, two apiece from Geino Scaringello and Justin Allen (team-high 12 points) and one each from Andrew O’Neil and Hansy Jacques, to take a commanding lead. OA came roaring back in the third as Zach Tagliamonte scored 10 of his team-high 14 points in the third and Dan Reilly had nine of his 12 points to make it 46-37 going into the fourth. Ben Harvey had half of his eight points in the fourth, Henry Digiorgio scored five of his seven, and Allen added another three to pull away.
Sharon, 71 @ Taunton, 89 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos caught fire early and never cooled off, dropping a career-high 41 points to lead the Tigers to a win over visiting Sharon. Santos hit four threes on his way to 20 points in the first quarter as Taunton jumped out ahead 28-12 after a quarter. Faisal Mass (14 points) and Matt Small (nine points) scored six points and five points, respectively, in the second for a 46-25 advantage at the break. Santos picked it back up in the second with 14 points, keeping the hosts ahead throughout. Tyson Carter scored all eight of his points in the third and Troy Santos added all seven of his to give Taunton a 68-47 lead going into the fourth. Sharon junior Matt Baur scored a team-high 26 points, hitting on six three-pointers. Sam Cohen added four threes for 12 points as the Eagles finished with 15 three-pointers made.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 41 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – Attleboro knocked down its outside shots and played solid defense to pull out a first win for head coach Bri Bracken. The game was tied at 9-9 after one quarter but Attleboro was able to build a six-point lead by halftime and extended it to 11 in the second half. North continues to struggle at times to find consistency on offense, but got eight points from Ava McKeon, who was back after missing a game with injury, and seven points apiece from freshmen Sam Sweeney and Maryellen Charette.
Milford, 17 @ Canton, 71 – Final – Canton got off to a great start and broke the game away in the second quarter to earn its first win of the season. Kiara Cerruti scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the opening half, including 10 in the second quarter. Fay Gallery scored 17 points and added nine before halftime, as the Bulldogs ran out to a 36-9 lead. Sydney Gallery chipped in with 13 points and Han Hong added nine. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored four points for Milford, which also got three points apiece from Jess Douglas, Jill Araujo, and Khatrina Leger.
Mansfield, 43 @ Foxboro, 56 – Final – Foxboro got big nights from a pair of freshmen to earn its second straight win and hand Mansfield its first loss of the season. Kailey Sullivan set a new career-high with 16 points, 11 in the second half, and Ava Hill set a career mark with 14 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. The Warriors broke the game open in the second, extending a one-point lead out to a dozen by halftime. After Foxboro won the third quarter 14-11, Mansfield battled to win a fourth quarter shootout 19-17. Kara Santos was the top scorer for the Hornets with 13 and Abby Wager added 11 points, all in the second half and eight in the fourth quarter alone. Olivia Salisbury had five points, all in the final eight minutes. Foxboro was able to get clutch rebounding from Andrea Slattery and Lauren Miley down the stretch to keep a big lead. Camryn Collins scored nine points and Erin Foley scored eight points to go along with her aggressive defending.
King Philip, 65 @ Stoughton, 41 – Final – Stoughton kept it close in the first half behind a strong defensive effort but the visiting Warriors put together a big run in the third to turn a 6-point lead at half (30-24) into a double-digit advantage (47-30) going into the fourth. Seniors Makaiyah Singleton Rivera and Jess Maddalena combined for 16 points for the Black Knights.
Taunton @ Sharon – Postponed to TBD.
Boys Hockey
Franklin, 6 vs. St. John’s Shrewsbury, 3 – Final – Franklin saw its three-goal lead evaporate in a three-minute span in the second period but the Panthers bounced back with a big third period, scoring three more times to get the win over St. John’s Shrewsbury. Adam Quinn (from Ben Jarosz and Ben Paterson) and Ryan Sicchio (from Logan Marchand) scored for a 2-0 lead at the midway point of the first, and Paterson (from Dylan Marchand and Quinn) scored just over two minutes into the second to make it 3-0. SJS scored three times within the next four minutes to tie the contest 3-3 through two periods. In the third, Quinn got his second of the day (from Paterson and Sicchio) at the midway point of the third and Dom Lampasona (from Anthony Lampasona) added a key insurance goal less than a minute later. Anthony Lampasona tacked on a key empty net goal (margin of victory) in the final seconds on an assist from Christian Shabbick. Cole Porter made 31 saves in net for the Panthers.
King Philip, 1 vs. Medway, 4 – Final
Stoughton, 7 vs. Bellingham, 2 – Final – Stoughton broke into the win column in a big way, knocking off visiting Bellingham, 7-2. Charlie Caputo led the offense with three goals while Colin Alessi added a pair of goals. Brendan Twohig and Aidan Obrock scored a goal each while Anthony Hern recorded the win in net.
Girls Hockey
King Philip, 2 @ Wayland/Weston, 1 – Final (OT)
Sharon, 3 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Canton got off to a strong start offensively and held off a late rally attempt from Sharon to get the win and stay unbeaten on the year. The Bulldogs pushed across two runs in the first inning and tacked on single runs in the second and third to establish a 4-0 lead. Sharon rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth to make it a one-run game but Canton gave itself some breathing room with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Cam Sanchez (RBI), Matt Chafin (two runs), and Steven Burbank (RBI, run) each recorded two hits for the hosts, who had 10 hits as a team. Andrew Middleton picked up his third win of the season, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks, striking out eight in six innings of work. Andrew Butler recorded the save with a scoreless inning in relief. Sharon’s Colby Lentell drove in two runs for the Eagles while Justin Brown and Daniel Zagoren each had one RBI.
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Foxboro, 7 – Final – Foxboro took advantage of free bases and aggressive base running to jump out to an early lead and held on the rest of the way. The Warriors drew four walks in the opening inning and had five stolen bases, resulting in a 6-1 lead after an inning of action. Oliver Ames was able to close the gap with two in the third and one more in the fourth, but Foxboro scored an important insurance run in the sixth inning. Tom Marcucella (run, two RBI) and Sean Yoest (run, RBI) each had two hits for the Warriors while Sean O’Leary (run), Liam Mulkern, and Mike O’Toole each drove in a run. Cam Prescott got the win on the mound, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks, striking out five in five innings of work. Senior Sebastian Ortiz closed it out, allowing one run on two hits and two walks, striking out a pair in two innings. Oliver Ames’ Jaden Ricci went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored while Patrick Finnerty and Nate Fulford each drove in a pair of runs for OA.
King Philip, 0 @ Franklin, 10 – Final (5 inn.) – For the fourth time in just five games, Franklin’s offense put up double-digit runs and the Panthers recorded their second straight shutout, this time a 10-0 decision over King Philip. Sophomore Alfred Mucciarone tossed five shutout innings for the win, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out six. Offensively, Ryan Gerety had a pair of hits including a double, scoring twice while Jake Fitzgibbons added an RBI on two hits. Ben Jarosz had three hits on the day with a run scored and an RBI, Nate Cooke scored once and had an RBI, and Henry DiGiorgio had a hit, a walk, and scored twice.
Mansfield, 2 @ Taunton, 8 – Final – Taunton had a strong day at the plate, scoring in five of the seven innings to knock off visiting Mansfield for a key division win. The Tigers plated two runs in the first inning and added two more in each the third and fourth, tacking on single runs in the fifth and sixth. Ty Cali set the tone for the Tigers’ offense, scoring three runs on two hits (including a triple) and driving in one run from the leadoff spot. Ryan MacDougall, Danny MacDougall (two runs), and Bretton Heggs each added a hit and an RBI while Dawson Bryce drove in a pair of runs and scored once. On the mound, Conor Quinlan got the win, allowing just one unearned run on five hits and one walk, recording six strikeouts in five innings. Evan Cali pitched two innings in relief, allowing one run with one strikeout.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 7 – Final – Stoughton senior Brady Conlin got it done both at the plate and on the mound as Stoughton rallied for an important division win over rival North Attleboro. North Attleboro’s Gavin Wells had a two-out two-run single in the top of the fifth inning to put the Rocketeers up 4-1 but Stoughton answered with a big sixth inning to take their first lead, an advantage they wouldn’t relinquish. Conlin tossed a complete game, striking out five with two walks. Conlin also had a solo home run to left in the bottom of the fourth that got Stoughton on the board. In the sixth, Colin Alessi singled in the tying run while Kyle Doolin drove in two more with a double.
Softball
Milford, 0 @ Attleboro, 12 – Final – Attleboro senior Lora Woyton fired a two-hitter to earn her second win of the season in the circle, leading the Bombardiers past visiting Milford. Woyton struck out eight in five innings of work and helped her own cause offensively, going 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs scored.The Bombardiers used strong team defense behind Woyton to limit the Hawks’ chances. Hailey Perry and Natalie Mansur each had two hits and scored a run while Kayla Goldrick added two hits for Attleboro, who had everyone in the lineup score.
Foxboro, 7 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – For Oliver Ames, Taylor Lake had an RBI single that scored Mollie Crabtree while Grace Simone, who had two hits on the day, had a two-run double that scored Maddie Homer and Emma Varella. Katie Melendy pitched a complete game, striking out four for OA.
Franklin, 5 @ King Philip, 8 – Final – After Franklin took the lead in the top of the first inning, King Philip tied the game in the bottom half and then built a lead with runs in the third, fifth, and sixth innings to knock off the visiting Panthers. Tied 2-2 through an inning, KP took the lead with a run in the third, extended their advantage with two in the fifth, and added three more in the sixth. Franklin rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh but KP shut the door to stay unbeaten. Charlotte Raymond had a big day for KP, going 3-for-3 at the plate, including a two-run home run. She finished with three RBI and three runs scored, reaching a fourth time after being hit by a pitch. Paige Berdos added two hits, a run, and an RBI while sophomore Sarah Cullen blasted a two-run home run.
Sharon, 4 @ Canton, 7 – Final – Gillian Gordon earned her first career win and gave Canton its first win of the season. Gordon struck out six over seven innings of work. Taylor Reynolds was 3-for-3 with three doubles and a pair of RBI, while Ellie Bohane and Liz Bickett both went 3-for-4 for the Bulldogs. Olivia Mackwell started the scoring for Canton by driving in a pair in the fourth.
Taunton, 12 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Taunton held Mansfield to two hits to earn its fourth shutout in five games this season. It was scoreless until the third inning when Taunton scored five times to take control. The Tigers added seven runs in the top of the fifth to grab the win. Taunton leadoff hitter Angie Lynch set the tone with three hits and two runs while Hannah Aldrich drove in for runs on three hits, including a home run. Skylar Rheaume, McKenzie McAloon, Kelsey White, and Tayah DaCosta each drove in a run for the Tigers. Freshman Sam Lincoln earned the win in the circle, allowing just two hits in a five-inning complete game effort, striking out 10. Jillian Koppy and Molly Kucharski had Mansfield’s only hits.
Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 12 – Final – North got its fourth straight solid start, as Kelly Colleran struck out 12 and allowed only two hits and two walks to earn the shutout. The Rocketeers haven’t allowed more than one run in a game since giving up 11 in the season opener. Colleran helped her own cause with a pair of hits, including a solo homer. Emily Nardelli led the North offense with three hits, including a double and a three-run homer, and drove in four. Zoey McDonough and Shaelyn Burns both had two hits and two RBI and Mandi Hanewich had a couple of nice catches in the outfield.
Boys Lacrosse
Foxboro, 19 @ Attleboro, 8 – Final
North Attleboro, 4 @ Franklin, 20 – Final – Franklin moved to 4-0 on the season with a big win over visiting North Attleboro. Matt Lazzaro led the offensive charge with three goals and two helpers while sophomores Jayden Consigli and Luke Davis each recorded four goals apiece. Jack Maguire made six saves in net for the win.
Sharon, 12 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – Ben Shocket won 19-of-25 faceoffs and six different Eagles found the back of the net in a win on the road over Mansfield. Brady Daylor led the way offensively for the visitors with five goals, Drew Litner and Kobe Jacobson each scored twice, and Bobby Burns, Connor McLoughlin, and Shocket each scored once in the win. Adam Rabb had a strong showing in net with 17 saves.
Oliver Ames @ King Philip, 3:45
Stoughton, 4 @ Milford, 8 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 18 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game – Foxboro used a balanced scoring attack and a dominant day on the draw to earn the road win. Mya Waryas (two assists) and Lilly Vey (one assist) were the top scorers with three goals apiece. Ella Waryas (two assists), Mary Collins, Kate Collins, Val Beigel, and Paige Curran each scored two goals, as the Warriors worked the ball around and made sure everyone got a touch. Dylan Rappoli had a goal and three assists and Grace Riley added one goal for Foxboro. Hannah Webster scored for Attleboro in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout and Maggie Porreca made five saves in goal.
Canton, 8 @ Taunton, 17 – Final – Taunton senior Alana Tavares had 10 draw controls and scored nine goals to help the Tigers defend their home turf against visiting Canton. Tasia Lajoie added four controls and six goals in the win while Rosemary McGrath had three draw controls and three assists in the win. Senior Tori DaRosa and junior Sarah Clark each netted one goal, freshman Cali Melo added an assist, and junior Emily Gannon added 13 saves in the win.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Franklin, 20 – Final – Kenzie Baker did it all for the Panthers with five draw controls, two goals, and two assists as Franklin rolled to a win at home. Stella Regan added four draw controls and three goals, Katie Jones chipped in with three goals and an assist, and Payten Crandall (two ground balls) played well defensively.
Sharon, 7 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final
Boys Tennis
Milford @ Attleboro, 3:45
Sharon, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Sharon took a pair of wins in both singles and doubles play to earn a key win on the road over division rival Canton. Mehul Bhattacharyya (6-1, 6-1) won at first singles for the Eagles while Max Chen earned a 6-1, 6-4 win at third singles. The team of Matthew Lally and Rithvik Neti emerged with a 6-3, 6-1 victory at first doubles while the Eagles’ second doubles pairing of Mitch Weiss and Alex Budovalcio secured a 6-0, 6-0 decision at second doubles. Canton freshman Max Kupferman earned a 6-4, 6-4 win in a well-played second singles matchup.
Foxboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Foxboro won all three singles matches in straight sets and emerged with victories in both doubles matches to earn a win over Oliver Ames. Junior Garrett Spillane picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win at first singles, senior Justin Neale won 6-1, 7-5 at second singles, and senior Jason Kandula picked up a 6-1, 6-2 victory at third singles. Foxboro’s first doubles pairing of junior Bo Canfield and freshman Justin Kandula won 6-3, 6-2 while junior Guillermo Marroquin and freshman Visruth Shavalam teamed up for a 6-7, 7-5, 10-6 win at second doubles.
Franklin @ King Philip, 3:45
Taunton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final
Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Attleboro went on the road and picked up a pair of wins from both singles and doubles action to take down host Milford. Ella Lynch Bartek (6-0, 6-2) and Lauren Anthony (6-0, 6-0) each picked up wins at first and second singles, respectively, for the Bombardiers. The team of Rachel Rainey and Saharla Yusuf picked up a 6-1, 6-1 decision at first doubles while Attleboro’s second doubles team of freshmen Maddie Fulscado and Kyra Johnson won 6-0, 6-1. For Milford, Lavinia Mocenni battled back for a 2-6, 6-0, 10-5 win at third singles.
Canton, 2 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Sharon swept both doubles matches and grabbed one more victory at third singles to fend off an upset bid from visiting Canton. The team of Anjali Jha and Ritu Sreeram battled to a hard-fought 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) win at first doubles while Sharon’s second doubles team of Sophia Oh and Sasha Fein emerged with a 6-4, 6-1 victory. Sophomore Allie Aguilar was impressive in Sharon’s third win, recording a 6-0, 6-0 decision at third singles. Canton’s Rachel Kupferman notched a 6-2, 6-4 win at first singles while Laura Correal recorded a 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 win at second singles.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro didn’t drop a single game in any of its three singles matches and added one more win in doubles play to secure a victory over visiting Oliver Ames. Athena Li (first), Pam Nelson (second) and Sarah Prag (third) each won 6-0, 6-0 to sweep the singles matches. The team of Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa added a 6-0, 6-2 decision at first double for Foxboro’s fourth point. OA’s second doubles team of Lizzie MacAdam and Elizabeth O’Brien picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win.
King Philip @ Franklin, 3:45
Mansfield, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Mansfield went on the road and earned a win over Taunton by sweeping doubles play and adding a pair of straight-set decisions in singles play. The team of Sarah Harrington and Alexis O’Keefe battled for a 7-5, 5-7, 10-6 win at first doubles while ALly McDavitt and Caroline Guravage took care of business with a 6-1, 6-4 win at second doubles. Mansfield senior Alex Burnham won 6-3, 6-4 at first singles and junior Kate Martin earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles. Taunton’s Kayla Parrett notched a 6-3, 6-4 win at second singles.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Stoughton picked up its third straight win, this time defending home court with a victory over visiting division rival North Attleboro. Stoughton’s second doubles team of Nadia Prokopiuk and Stefani Reznikow continued their impressive campaign, clinching the winning point with a 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 win. Allie Lada moved up to first singles and picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win for the Black Knights while. The first doubles team of Emily Pham-Nguyen and Emilia Lada added a 6-2, 7-5 win at first doubles. North Attleboro’s Haley Strom (7-5, 6-3) and Lauren Hunt (6-1, 6-0) won at second and third singles, respectively.
Boys Outdoor Track
Attleboro @ King Philip, 3:45
Girls Outdoor Track
Attleboro, 59 @ King Philip, 77 – Final – Attleboro’s Cassondra Stuger won a pair of events but King Philip was able to earn the overall team win on Monday. Stuger won both the 400M (61.6) and the 200M (26.6) for the Bombardiers, who also got first-place finishes from Diana Blouin (1 Mile, 5:37.6), Kelly Neuendorf (2 Mile, 12:16.0), Elayna Marinelli (javelin, 78-7), Samantha Fregault (discus, 72-1), and Kamsi Igbobi (shot put, 34-5).
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 vs. Barnstable, 1 – Final – Taunton won its fourth straight match to open the season, this time a 3-1 decision (25-17, 25-16, 20-25, 25-14) over visiting Barnstable. Daniel Medina set the offense in motion with 34 assists, adding two kills in while Tyler Stewart had an impressive showing with 19 kills, five blocks, and 13 digs in the win. Travis Nunes played well defensively and in serve receive for the Tigers, Mattia Casagrande added six kills and seven aces, and Jakob Thorpe chipped in seven kills and four aces.
Milford vs. Bellingham, 6:00
Wrestling
Oliver Ames @ Foxboro, 4:30
King Philip, 25 @ Franklin, 51 – Final
Milford, 45 @ Stoughton, 10 – Final
Taunton senior Danny MacDougall, pictured here as a sophomore in 2019, is one of the few returners for the defending D1 State Champs. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2019 Record: 14-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final Coach: Steve Dunlea
Two years ago, Attleboro made a run to the Div. 1 South final, only to run into league rival and eventual state champ Taunton. While the Bombardiers only return three players with varsity experience, Attleboro will be looking to replicate some of that momentum and challenge the top teams for the Kelley-Rex division title this spring.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Senior catcher Bailey Camacho caught half the innings during his sophomore season and will be the starter this spring, as well as an important presence in the lineup. Seniors Jake Gorman and Matt McMahon will both be part of the rotation and play corner infield spots when they’re not on the mound building off the experience they got two years ago. Senior Cam Foster adds speed at short and will be the closer, while juniors Billy Saltmarsh and Cian Kelleher, and sophomores Dillon James and Danny Johnson are part of what should be a deep staff for the Bombardiers. Speed should also be a strength for Attleboro, including outfielders Ben Hochwarter, Nate George, Hayden Hegarty, and Packer Sackett, and middle infielders Owen Taber and Evan Houle. Junior Christian Dame is a versatile player who can step in at multiple positions.
“We’re excited to get our players out there to see what we can accomplish,” said Attleboro coach Steve Dunlea. “Our guys have worked very hard during the off-season and have come a long way in the past few years. We are particularly proud of our senior leadership. It’s been a tough year and we are so grateful to the MIAA and ADs for making this season happen for our seniors.”
2019 Record: 6-14 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton had a great start to the 2019 season under then first-year head coach Ben Shuffain, including an impressive win over Wellesley. But almost all of the Bulldogs’ wins came in the first half of the season. Now Canton will look to start strong and continue that throughout the year as they look to challenge for the Davenport division title.
The Bulldogs are one of the teams that have a good number of players that played back in 2019 so there is a lot of optimism surrounding the experience on the roster this season. Canton has four starters back for this year’s campaign: shortstop/right-handed pitcher Steve Burbank, outfielder Cam Sanchez, catcher/outfielder Sawyer Julier-Albert, and right-handed pitcher Nate Hewit. Both Burbank (0.328) and Julier-Albert (0.395) were among the league leaders in batting average as sophomores so they will be key pieces for the offense this year. Shuffain will also look for contributions from outfielders Andy Butler and Zach Peters, infielder Nico Bonanno, and utility option Matt Quan — all four could also see time pitching.
Burbank will also see time on the mound and Hewit will be an important piece of the pitching staff this year. Junior Andrew Middleton, who tossed a perfect game in the season-opener, will obviously be a major part of the rotation as well, giving the Bulldogs solid depth. Behind the pitching staff, there will be a lot of players who have experience at the varsity level so Shuffain hopes mistakes will be at a minimum.
“We are lucky to have a good number of players who have varsity experience from 2018 and 2019,” Shuffain said. “They have been preparing for 18 months for this season and this group has tremendous leadership and a ton of talent. I am excited to see what they can do on the field.”
For the 2021 season, it all starts with pitching for the Foxboro Warriors. The 2019 squad graduated six players, and there were nine juniors on that team that missed out on their senior season a year ago. That means Foxboro has four players coming back for this spring, and almost all picked up a lot of valuable experience the last time out.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Seniors Cam Prescott and Sean Yoest will headline the Warriors’ rotation, bringing a lot of experience to the staff. Prescott logged over 26 innings as a sophomore, allowing just four walks with a 1.86 ERA. Yoest had a lot of success at the plate as a sophomore and will be looking to replicate that on the mound this year. Sophomore Sean O’Leary will likely be a key piece on the mound when fully healthy and the Warriors will look to seniors Dylan Quinn, Mike O’Toole, Ryan Jacobs, and Sebastian Ortiz, as well as juniors Liam Mulkern and Tom Marcucella to provide pitching depth.
Yoest will patrol the outfield when he’s not on the mound and will be a key piece offensively after hitting 0.346 as a sophomore with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI. Yoest will be joined in the outfield by junior Jack Watts, a three-sport athlete who has excelled in golf and hockey, and sophomore Kenny Mello. Marcucella will also see time in the outfield while senior Griffin Morse is a solid depth piece that can play all three spots in the outfield.
Prescott will see time at either third or shortstop when he’s not pitching. Beyond Prescott, the Warriors will have some inexperience around the infield with freshman Tyler Prescott (second base) and sophomore Ryan LeClair (shortstop) impressing early on. Mulkern and O’Toole will provide the infield with some senior leadership from first while Marcucella and Ortiz providing depth. Mulkern will also be an option behind the plate while junior Mike LaVita will step into the starting role at catcher.
“We are excited for the opportunity to get back on the field and compete every day,” head coach Derek Suess said. “Having our top two arms still here is comforting, but we will need contributions from many different guys. We have a good mix of seniors and underclassmen who have bought in to our vision for the season.”
2019 Record: 22-3 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Zach Brown
While Franklin won’t be able to make it three straight appearances in the Super 8 with the tournament not happening this year (and possibly for a couple of years), there is something the Panthers can do: defend their Kelley-Rex division title.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Panthers were nearly perfect in league action during the 2019 season (15-1) and will be one of the favorites for the title again this year. But it will be almost an entirely new cast of players doing so. Franklin had 10 seniors on that team plus another seven juniors that graduated last year, meaning just a handful of players from the roster are back. Of that group, just one starter is back in senior Jake Fitzgibbons, who played second base at the time.
Now Fitzgibbons moves behind the plate and will be in charge of handling a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. Having him behind the plate should make it easier for the likes of junior Jacob Jette and sophomore Alfred Mucciarone, who figure to be two of the key components of Franklin’s rotation this season. And when needed, Fitzgibbons will switch out from behind the plate and take the mound himself.
Seniors Nate Cooke and CJ Jette serve as captains alongside Fitzgibbons and will provide leadership both on and off the field. Cooke is slated to start at first base and will bring a big bat to the lineup while Jette will see time both in the outfield and at designated hitter. Seniors Luc Boudreau (outfielder) and Nick Quinn (right-handed pitcher) have impressed early on as well.
“As always the cornerstone of our program is pitching and defense,” said head coach Zach Brown. “We believe we have the right mix of athletes and arms to compete daily this season. Offensively, we believe that our line-up can be pretty athletic. Obviously, we are all in the same boat missing last season so it will be an exciting season to get back out onto the field. I know the players and our coaching staff are really excited for the games to start up.”
2019 Record: 8-12 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jeff Plympton
There will be a lot of new faces on the mound, in the field, in the batter’s box, and even on the bench for the King Philip Warriors this season. Looking back at the 2019 season, only one name is back in action for the Warriors this season. And on top of that, there’s a new coach in the dugout in Jeff Plympton.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Both Conor Cooke and Jack Silveria saw plenty of action during their sophomore seasons but Silveria will miss his senior campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That means that Plympton and the rest of the Warriors will lean heavily on Cooke, a three-year starter who will guide KP from behind the plate. Cooke, who is committed to play at Brown University, is a rock behind the plate and that will be important as KP deploys a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. That rotation will feature junior Nick Viscusi and sophomore Rudy Gately, with seniors Jack Mullen, Grayden Lawrence, Harry Brown, and Jake Burns all providing depth.
Cooke will be a key part of the offense as well, slated to hit from the clean up spot. Viscusi will set the tone from the leadoff spot and can cause some damage on the base paths with his speed. Junior Shawn Lagere will start at shortstop and bat third in the lineup, providing the Warriors with some power while Gately will see time at third when he isn’t on the mound. Seniors Ethan Hurwitz and Mikey Malatesta provide outfield depth and Plympton has 10 juniors on the roster to help fill out the lineup.
“Looking forward to getting the season going and watching the team play together,” Plympton said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had high school baseball and most of our guys, like many teams, are new to the varsity level. We have some good talent on our team. Plenty of good throwing arms to get us through the new pitching restrictions. The infield is solid with very dependable fielders around the diamond. The outfield is fast and does a great job tracking fly balls. I believe defense will be our best strength this season. The players have been putting in a lot of hard work during practices.”
2019 Record: 18-7 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Chris Hall
Joe Breen had a very successful run at the helm of the Hornets, and his successor is one that the program is very familiar with. Chris Hall, who served as Breen’s assistant, takes over and is aiming to continue the success that Mansfield has had in recent seasons.
Coming off one of their best seasons in program history that culminated in a second straight Super 8 appearance, the Hornets will try to rebuild their lineup with a strong core of seniors. Eric Sullivan will move into the starting role behind the plate and will be a vocal leader both on and off the field for the Hornets. Three-sport athlete Jack Colby is slated to take over at first base, Luke Urban looks to take over at second base, Ben Mintz can slot into a variety of roles, including in the field or on the mound, and Greg Coyle, the lone returner from the 2019 team, will be an option on the mound for the Hornets. Juniors Jared Fraone and Liam Anastasia will help round out the lineup.
Coyle will be joined by juniors Aaron Blinn, Anthony Sacchetti, and Jimmy Gilleran on the Hornets’ staff. That group brings a lot of baseball experience and a range of knowledge, and Hall is hoping all of that will translate to the varsity level. Mintz, Colby Geddis, and Brayden Purtell will look to provide additional innings in relief.
“With two years off due to COVID-19, and few players having varsity experience, I expected tryouts to be exciting,” Hall said. “Our players knew they had to come in and earn everything to gain a spot in the starting lineup. There continues to be daily position battles daily and it pushes players to improve. The talent we have in the program is consistent from top to bottom. The team brings energy and enthusiasm to everything they do and it truly makes the atmosphere on the field second to none. We cannot wait to get out on the field and compete against some of the best competition in the Hockomock League.”
2019 Record: 11-11 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal Coach: Alex Dion
Milford will be the new kids on the block this season in their first year apart of the Kelley-Rex division, which features two teams that went to the Super 8 last time out and another that won the D1 State title.
The Hawks are going to rely on their pitching as they compete for the division title. Senior right-hander Mario Lee and classmate Wes Solomon, another righty, both picked up valuable experience as sophomores during the 2019 season and will anchor the Milford pitching rotation. Lee, who is committed to playing both football and baseball at Wesleyan, pitched in 10 games out of the bullpen in 2019 while Solomon appeared in five games with a 2.33 ERA.
Sophomore Evan Cornelius is a “big, physical kid” according to head coach Alex Dion, and he will round out the Hawks’ rotation this season. When he isn’t on the mound, Cornelius will be behind the plate and the same goes for Solomon, who could also see him in the middle infield. Lee will also be in the lineup when he’s not on the mound, playing at either first or third. Senior Carter Scudo burst onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting 0.352, and will be the catalyst to the offense this year, batting in the leadoff spot. He will anchor the outfield defense from center field.
“I’m excited to start our 2021 season,” Dion said. “It has been great to get back out on Fino Field for the first time since 2019. I have a good group of young men this year with players from all four classes making the varsity roster. This is a great league with quality teams, players, and coaches throughout. We will go out and compete to the best of our ability on a daily basis. I am optimistic about what this group has to offer this year and in the future.”
2019 Record: 11-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Mike Hart
North Attleboro head coach Mike Hart has the best arm in the Hockomock League in senior Dennis Colleran and the 2019 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Jared Penta as the catalyst for the offense so the Rocketeers will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title this season.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Colleran, who is committed to pitch at Northeastern, has been a member of the Rocketeers since his freshman year, making his first appearance in North’s D2 South Semifinal win over Dartmouth back in 2018. He logged 37.1 innings as a sophomore, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.63 ERA during the 2019 season. Since then, Colleran has honed his skills on the club scene and is poised to lead the Rocketeers this year. Senior Joe Hartnett and junior Danny Curran look to fill out the rotation while the Rocketeers have plenty of depth pieces including Tyler Bannon, Dan Pedro, Derek Maceda, and Aidan Weir.
Penta will hit from the leadoff spot and set the tone for the offense. Weir and classmate Justin Vecchiarelli will anchor the infield Maceda, a sophomore, could be poised for a breakout season at shortstop. Curran will also see time in the outfield when he isn’t pitching while senior Evan Vigorito, and juniors Brody Rosenberg, and Gavin Wells will be in the outfield mix. Bannon and Nik Kojoian will be options behind the dish for the Rocketeers.
“Just like other teams in the league, we are curious how our players will make the jump to varsity baseball,” Hart said. “We will do our best to be fundamentally sound and keep things simple. Our pitching staff has a handful of competitive guys who are looking for an opportunity to help the team. The boys are excited about the season and hope we can bring a consistent approach to all our opportunities this year.”
2019 Record: 12-13 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Joe Abarr
After reaching the D2 South Sectional Final in 2018, the Tigers fielded basically an entirely new squad during the 2019 campaign. Two years later, Oliver Ames looks to be in the same boat as there minimal varsity experience on the roaster.
Senior Nate Fulford is one of the few players that did see varsity action two years ago, emerging as a go-to option offensively as a pinch-hitter as a sophomore. Now Fulford will be a key piece in the lineup each game, manning third base and bringing a big bat to the heart of the lineup. Senior Jadon Ricci will take over at shortstop and is slated to hit near the top of the lineup.
Junior Jack Richardson was a part of the Tigers’ varsity squad as a freshman and is now in position to anchor the rotation. He’ll be in the lineup even when he’s not on the mound, patrolling the always tricky outfield at Frothingham Park for the Tigers. When it comes to new faces on the squad this year, junior Jake Waxman brings a big bat to the lineup and can bring some pop to the offense; he will start at first base defensively. Junior Joe Cicchetti has impressed early on in tryouts and the preseason both offensively and defensively, and he is slated to start in center for the Tigers.
“We should have a solid lineup,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “We have depth at most positions and decent options on the mound. With so little practice time prior to the first game, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, but we have a great group of guys that are really looking to compete this year.”
2019 Record: 2-18 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The last time the Eagles hit the field, they had one of the youngest teams in the Hockomock League. Now that means there is a lot of returning players back in the dugout this year and Sharon should be one of the most experienced groups in terms of baseball played.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Sharon has a new head coach in alum Andrew Poliferno, who is no stranger to the program after coaching at each level over the past few seasons. Poliferno takes over for Kee Arguimbau, who had been with the program as a coach for nearly 20 years including the last four as head coach. Poliferno has 10 seniors at his disposal this year including two of the most experienced players in JD Rittenberg and Justin Brown, who both started as sophomores in 2019. Playing at second and short, respectively, the Eagles will have solid defense up the middle of the field. Sharon expects strong defense to come with the experience it has.
Junior Dylan Labbe pitched some innings as a freshman so the Eagles will lean on him as one of the anchors of the pitching staff. Senior Justin Nault and junior Ryan Baker will also see time on the mound while freshman Luke Meixel is slated to be a part of the starting rotation right away. Offensively, Rittenberg and Brown will lead the way once again. Baker and classmate Nate Yaffe should slot into the lineup in their first year on varsity, playing third and outfield, respectively. Poliferno is also looking for contributions from Damien Bonner and Daniel Zagoren offensively.
“After a missed season, it’s wonderful to see our players back out on the field,” Poliferno said. “Despite the year off, I was impressed with the growth and progress our players made since they last played high school baseball. It was clear to me we have a program of players who work hard during the off-season and I look forward to seeing their hard work translate to wins this season.”
2019 Record: 14-9 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Mike Armour
Like most schools, Stoughton has a limited number of players with varsity experience on the roster this season. It will be baptism by fire for a lot of new faces as head coach Mike Armour will look to get the most out of his lineup to try and compete for the Davenport division title.
The players that do have any varsity experience will be key, especially early on in the season as the rest of the Black Knights get used to the varsity level. Senior Brady Conlin will anchor the Stoughton staff on the mound this year and also hit in the heart of the lineup. Conlin has experience both pitching and at the plate and could be one of the most dangerous all-around players in the league. Senior captain Kyle Doolin will anchor the infield and is an option to pitch as well. He is slated to hit near the top of the lineup and could also see time behind the plate defensively.
Jake Queeney, another senior captain, will patrol center field for the Black Knights and hit from the leadoff spot. Queeney’s speed has been on display on both the basketball court and football field, so his legs could cause some damage on the base paths. Senior captain Brandon Mantilla-Mercado will take care of the pitching staff this year as the starting catcher and will bring some power to the plate offensively. Junior infielder Anthony Tilton has impressed early and figures to be a top bat in the lineup, juniors Jonah Ly and James Price will both see innings in the infield and on the mound, and junior Brad Franey is slated to take over at second. Seniors Joe McNulty, Colby Andrews, Andrew Scardina, and junior Colin Alessi provide lineup depth. Freshmen Hunter Malkin and Ben Zola will likely make an immediate impact for Stoughton.
“The kids are excited to play baseball,” Armour said. “They have brought a positive attitude and willingness to work to practice, which is all I can ask for as a coach. We are excited to get a little bit better every day, and put ourselves in a position to win some ballgames this season.”
2019 Record: 21-7 2019 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship Coach: Blair Bourque
It seems like just yesterday the Tigers were celebrating their Division 1 State Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell. Yet at the same time, it somehow also feels like a lifetime ago.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Tigers are one of the teams that will “what if” when it comes to the 2019 season, as they were set to have eight starters back to try and defend their first-ever state championship. Now for the 2021 season, there is just one Tiger starter back from that regular season. That is senior pitcher/infielder Danny MacDougall, who will anchor the pitching staff and also return to his shortstop position. Ty Cali, who took over for MacDougall after an injury sidelined him for the postseason, is also back to give Taunton a solid 1-2 punch up the middle of the field. Cali can also slide over and play short when MacDougall, who is committed to playing at the University of Hartford next year, is on the mound.
Sophomore Ryan MacDougall is set to finally make his varsity debut this year. A verbal commit to the University of Dayton, Ryan MacDougall was on the playoff roster for the state championship team as an eighth-grader. Not only does he bring a big bat and power to the lineup, head coach Blair Bourque described his plate discipline as “well beyond his years.” If the Tigers want to compete at a high level, Bourque noted the importance of senior pitchers Conor Quinlan, Bretton Heggs, and Matthew Ferrara. In total, Taunton boasts a dozen seniors on the roster.
“My expectation for this season is for us to compete as a team and individually every day as best we can, but ultimately, I will be grateful I get to spend time on the field with my players,” Bourque said. “It is always about the relationships formed with your players throughout the course of a year, you don’t always appreciate how good you have it until it’s gone. Losing last season really made me appreciate my role as the head coach for the Taunton High baseball program.”
Boys Basketball
Canton, 32 @ Oliver Ames, 34 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Trey Buggs pulled down an offensive rebound and converted a layup all in one motion just before time expired to give the Tigers a win at home over visiting Canton. Canton junior Lanse Dorcelus tied the game at 32-32 with a pair of free throws with 12 seconds to play. OA’s first attempt at the game-winner from three-point range was short of the rim but Buggs crashed hard, catching the shot and putting it up and in off the glass for the win. Drew Baxter scored nine of his team-high 13 points in the third quarter for the Tigers, who turned a 19-15 halftime deficit into a 28-25 lead going into the fourth. Ryan Connerney scored a team-high 10 points for the Bulldogs.
Sharon, 53 @ North Attleboro, 59 – Final – North Attleboro raced out to an early lead and held onto it the rest of the way in a win on the road over Sharon. A 9-0 start helped the Rocketeers create the separation it needed for the rest of the way. North’s Casey Poirier hit a pair of threes in the opening quarter as the Big Red claimed a 12-9 lead after one, and senior George Ladd scored 12 of his team-high 18 points by the end of the second quarter for a 22-19 advantage at halftime. Six Rocketeers scored in the third quarter, including threes from Poirier and Brody Rosenberg (10 points). Gavin Wells scored all nine of his points in the fourth to help North seal the win. Sophomore Matt Baur paced the Eagles with 16 points and eight rebounds, senior Matt Baskin added 14 points, and senior Kiran Chandrasekaran chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds.
Boys Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Foxboro, 7 – Final – Foxboro jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a win over Oliver Ames. OA freshman Matt Lawson scored for the Tigers while senior Ross Carroll played well. Freshman Nolan Gemmiti made 38 saves in net for OA.
Mansfield, 5 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – Mansfield senior Cam Hussey and junior Ryan Doherty each scored their first career goals to help the Hornets notch a win over North Attleboro. Hussey finished with two goals for the Hornets.
Taunton, 2 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Stoughton rallied for the tying goal with the goalie pulled and under a minute to play to earn a tie with Taunton. With 25 seconds to go, Colin Alessi buried the rebound off a shot from Charlie Caputo to make it 2-2. Ryan Flannery scored the first goal for Stoughton/Brockton. Jason Frates had a strong game in net for the Tigers.
Girls Hockey
King Philip, 1 @ St. Mary’s (Lynn), 7 – Final – Freshman Kelly Holmes scored the lone goal of the game for the Warriors with Ally Donovan and Jen Daniels recording assists.
Gymnastics
Franklin, 144.30 @ King Philip, 132.10 – Final
Taunton @ Sharon, 6:15
2019-2020 Record: 5-14-1 2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Greg Chamberlain
Attleboro struggled down the stretch last season, losing nine of its final 11 games (five of those losses by two goals or fewer) and narrowly missing out on a postseason berth. Former Canton assistant Greg Chamberlain has taken over this season with the goal of making the Bombardiers competitive in the Kelley-Rex division.
Goalie will be a position of strength this year, as Attleboro has three players that can step in between the pipes. Junior Nick Piazza will be the starter after a breakout sophomore year where he made nearly 500 saves. Junior Michael DuTremble and freshman Julien Horton are the other goalies on the roster. In front of Piazza, Attleboro has three solid pairings. Senior Owen Dryjowicz moved from forward to defense late last season and looked comfortable on the blue line. Junior Sean Marshall and senior Zack Pierce are also returning defenders that the Bombardiers are counting on.
Offensively, the Bombardiers will miss the scoring of Ryan Morry, who led the team with 21 points, but with several returning players Attleboro has the potential to put together solid forward lines. Senior Aidan Dryjowicz is the team’s top returning scorer with nine goals and classmate Jake Ward, junior Nate Parker, and freshman winger Dane Holskie have the potential to contribute to the attack this season.
“I think the key to this season,” said Chamberlain, “is that everyone needs to pull their weight. If you look around the league teams that win have three or four lines that they can roll out every night. That is going to be the name of the game for us. Keeping it simple and do your job.”
2019-2020 Record: 21-1-3 2019-2020 Finish: Div. 2 State Co-Champion Coach: Brian Shuman
Although Canton didn’t get the chance to go to the TD Garden to face Lincoln-Sudbury and try to avenge its only loss of the past two seasons, the Bulldogs brought home a second straight Div. 2 state championship. Even for a program with the sustained success of Canton, last year’s senior class had a uniquely impressive record and that class’ graduation leaves a lot of holes that new faces will need to step into.
Last year’s top scorers, Johnny Hagan and Chris Lavoie, combined for 37 goals and 68 points, so it will be tough to reproduce that output. Senior Dylan Coyne will be hoping to make up some of that scoring punch and the Bulldogs will hope junior Eamon Kelly can return from an injury and get back to the form he showed last year.
While the defense was also hit hard by graduation, Canton returns a pair of defensemen that saw considerable time on the blue line last season. Junior Sean Connolly and sophomore Vincent Sica both jumped right into the lineup and looked comfortable competing at the top level, but this year they will also be experienced veterans and leaders in that group. Senior Liam Polles will get the chance to jump in goal this year.
Canton coach Brian Shuman said, “I can say that after the first two weeks, things are certainly different in many ways, but I am confident that we will adapt and adjust like most teams our league to give our players a much-needed physical outlet and important connection to a team.”
2019-2020 Record: 12-5-5 2019-2020 Finish: Reached Div. 3 South Semifinal Coach: Mark Cedorchuk
Foxboro has grown by leaps and bounds in recent seasons. Each of the past three years have seen the Warriors set a new standard for the best season in program history, culminating in last winter’s 12 wins and run to the Div. 3 South semifinal.
Depth at the forward line will be a strength this season and Foxboro should be capable of scoring plenty of goals. Senior forward Kirk Leach was second in the Hock last year with 20 goals and he leads an experienced group. Junior Jack Watts had 13 goals and 14 assists last year and is another big, physical forward. Senior Brady Daly will look to add to his nine points from last season and junior Eoin Reager can play multiple positions, including forward, and added 14 points as a sophomore.
The Warriors will obviously miss former Hock MVP Espen Raeger, who was one of the league’s top goalies. Senior Jack Spinney was the backup goalie last year and could step in between the pipes after seeing a few minutes of action as a junior. Junior Dylan Pothier and sophomore Alex Coviello are two of the returning defensemen from last year’s team and both played big roles in the team’s strong performance in the postseason. Eoin Reager can also play in the back line.
“We have a lot of forwards returning, so the depth is there,” said Foxboro coach Mark Cedorchuk. “We also have a lot of skilled defenseman holding the blue line. Looking forward to the season, even though it will look and feel a lot different, I’m just happy for our guys get to play.”
2019-2020 Record: 11-8-4 2019-2020 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Semifinal Coach: Anthony Sarno
Head coach Anthony Sarno can’t help but wonder what could have been for this season. Franklin had a strong group of returners back from last year’s squad and Sarno had a schedule filled with top teams from around the state ready to see how his Panthers stacked up to the elite talent. But now Franklin will focus on its 10-game Hockomock schedule with a chance to prove it’s the top team in the league.
Franklin will rely on its senior class to lead the way. The Panthers will be very solid in the back, starting with senior goalie Jack Paterson. After serving in a backup capacity previously, Paterson steps into the starting role but is getting pushed in practice by classmate Gary Mandia. Along the blue line, Franklin has plenty of familiar names with the likes of Joe LeBlanc (nine points), Will Sheehan, Justin Abely, and Pat Dolan — all four are seniors with a good amount of varsity experience.
Offensively, the Panthers have a good variety of attacking options led by last year’s HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Dylan Marchand (13 points). Sarno is carrying 20 players and plans to use them all, rolling four lines offensively. JT Dwyer and Declan Lovett are both senior centers and have been strong in the face off circle so far. Sophomore Ben Jarosz should see an expanded role after getting some time last year. Franklin will look to expand on its puck possession after making the switch from a dump-and-chase team.
“We were looking forward to playing against some of the best teams in the state but we’re going to make the most of this opportunity,” Sarno said. “We’re going to give it our all each game. We’ve going to practice as hard as we play in games, the energy the kids have brought has been contagious. We’re treating every game like a playoff game, that’s the type of energy we want to bring to each game.”
2019-2020 Record: 10-6-5 2019-2020 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Paul Carlow
King Philip pushed Franklin to the final week of the regular season in its quest to win a first league title since 2013 (and end the nine-year reign for the Panthers in the Kelley-Rex). The Warriors did get back into the postseason, although again Franklin stood in the way in the preliminary round, and will return 13 players to make another run at that elusive league championship.
Experience on both ends of the ice will be the strength for KP this season, with eight seniors and eight juniors on the roster, including a pair of four-year players. Senior forward Conor Cooke and senior defenseman Rocco Bianculli have been critical players for each of the past three seasons. Bianculli is not only a leader at the blue line, but also one of the league’s top offensive defenders. KP returns three of its top four scorers from last year. In addition to Bianculli, senior Aidan Boulger and junior Nolan Feyler provide the scoring punch on the forward line and are a good mix with Cooke’s physical presence up front. Seniors Paul McDonald and Justin Yatsuhashi add speed and depth.
Defensively, senior David Lawler will join Bianculli on the blue line. More of a defensive-minded player, Lawler adds solidity in his own zone and is counted on to make the right plays under pressure. Seniors Shea Cunningham and Geoff Bowes are also returning defensemen that couple size and experience around their own net. Sophomore Kyle Abbott will take over between the pipes
“As always we are looking to build on last year and compete for the league title,” said KP coach Paul Carlow. “Our team this season has some good experience. We also have some real skill and speed in the younger group.”
2019-2020 Record: 7-8-6 2019-2020 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Mike Balzarini
The Hornets aren’t focusing on how many games are on the schedule but focusing on taking it one game at a game instead. Mansfield brings back a lot of players that picked up varsity experience last season during the team’s postseason run.
Replacing three-year starter Sean McCafferty in goal won’t be easy but head coach Mike Balzarini has praised the work of Chris Hormann, who will be taking over in between the pipes. Balzarini said Hormann learned a lot last season in his backup role, is coming off a stellar fall season and has looked strong so far in practice this year. Captain Jake Quirk will anchor the blue line unit for the Hornets and will be joined by some familiar faces. Senior Joseph Gormley will bring a lot of experience to the defensive group and will be joined by sophomore Patrick Gormley as well as Ben Levine and James Hughes.
Senior captain Cam Page will spearhead the attack for the Hornets this season. Mansfield lost most of its point production to graduation so there will be plenty of opportunities for new faces to take advantage of. Mark DiDiralamo, Kyle Oakley, Dillon Benoit, Ryan Doherty, and Liam Anastasia are all in the mix for the top six for Mansfield.
“It’s a shortened season but we have looked good thus far in practice and in our scrimmage,” Balzarini said. “We’re looking to push the pace this year and play a faster-paced game.”
2019-2020 Record: 7-8-6 2019-2020 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Preliminary Round Coach: Ben McManama
On the ice, it’s been business as usual for the Red Rocketeers, who have a strong returning core ready to make a run at dethroning Canton atop the Davenport division. The biggest challenges for head coach Ben McManama and his squad so far have been adapting to all of the changes off of the ice.
Expectations are high for the Big Red with some familiar names at each position. The most returners come from the offense where the Rocketeers have a handful of forwards back, giving McManama the flexibility to run at least three lines. Senior captain Tyler Sarro will be a leader on and off the ice and will be joined by his brother Brady as the wings on the top line. Nik Kojoian is back after missing almost all of last season and will center the top line. McManama notes his second and third lines are interchangeable, more “2A” and “2B” rather than second and third lines. Juniors Sam Clarke and Nick Longa and sophomores Mark Ayvazyan and Joe Quinn will all be in the mix.
The Rocketeers will have a lot of spots to fill along the blue line after graduating a strong corps of defensemen from last winter. Senior Charlie Connolly and junior Austin Comery are the veterans in the group, entering this season with the most experience. McManama has tabbed junior Anthony Westcott as another option along the blue line while the final spot is up for grabs. Senior James Burtch will take over in net for the Rocketeers while freshman Kyle Gruber is pushing for time.
“The big thing for us this year is being a system team,” McManama said. “We have to be disciplined with our system. We’re really harping on sticking to our system and what we do, and we have to be really disciplined and do our jobs. That’s how we’re going to generate goals and it’s going to be how we stop shots too, it works on both ends. We’ve had great practices, it’s been fun getting the kids back.”
2019-2020 Record: 6-13-2 2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Mike Zucarelli
Oliver Ames finished 2019-20 with six wins, but also had four losses by a single goal (all four to teams in the playoffs), so the Tigers were closer to earning a postseason berth under first-year coach Mike Zuccarelli than the final record may indicate. This season, the Tigers return to the Davenport division for the first time since 2016 and with only six returning players there will be opportunities for new faces to step in and contribute right away.
Seniors Ross Carroll and Matt Nigro will provide leadership in the forward line and much-needed experience for a young group. Sophomores Sean McCarthy and Jack Perron both saw action last year and their development will be important for the Tigers to get consistent production from the forward lines.
Defensively, senior Kevin Tremblay and junior Elliot Cohen both grew into bigger roles last year and will be expected to lead the blue line corps this season. Sophomore Brandon Burke will take over in net after backing up Owen Connor last winter. Zuccarelli is also counting on a strong freshman group to come in and provide an instant impact and is excited about the potential for the program going forward.
“Patience and resilience are going to be two major themes this year as we have already experienced,” said Zucarelli. “Our goal is to grow as a team and tackle each challenge we are presented together both on and off the ice. I am confident with our senior leadership, outstanding assistant coaches, and the support we receive from the OA community that we will have a season to remember.”
2019-2020 Record: 4-16-1 2019-2020 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Dan Mark
After an up-and-down first year in a co-op with Brockton, the Black Knights are aiming for an improved 2021 season. After a year away, Stoughton is back in Hockomock League competition and will be vying for the Davenport title.
With just four players gone to graduation, longtime head coach Dan Mark has a veteran squad at his disposal for the upcoming 10-game schedule plus a small postseason planned. The foundation of the team starts between the pipes as the Black Knights have two goalies back with experience. Sophomore Chris Andrade will compete with senior Ryan Spano for the starting job in net.
In front of goal, Mark is leaning on a trio of juniors plus one senior to get the job done. Senior Kenny Young will be joined along the blue line by Josh Greenspoon, Anthony Hern, and Steven Westerlund — all returners from a season ago. Offensively, the Black Knights will turn three-year starters in junior Colin Alessi and Joe McNulty to anchor the offense. They’ll be joined by seniors Kyle Cruickshank, Cade O’Connell, Mike Andrade, and Ryan Flannery to bolster the attack.
“We have a veteran team blended with some younger players and are looking to improve on last year’s record,” Mark said.
2019-2020 Record: 10-11-3 2019-2020 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Kris Metea
Taunton is returning a plethora of players from last year’s varsity squad that had double-digit wins and made a trip to the postseason. Now, the Tigers are just hoping to play a complete — albeit shortened — season.
The Tigers got a couple of days on the ice before the school district paused all athletic activities over the winter break. Head coach Kris Metea and his 18 returning players are hoping to resume practice on Monday and get their season back on track. While the break will certainly be a setback for the Tigers, having such an experienced squad will help when Taunton does get back on the ice. Leading the way will be a pair of defensemen: senior captain and Hockomock League All Star Brady Nichols and junior Jack DeMoura, a HockomockSports.com All-Underclassman Team selection.
Having reliable options on the blue line will be key as the Tigers sort out the situation between the pipes. Senior Jason Frates, who only has a handful of years of experience at the position, is set to start in net. Offensively, the challenge will be replacing the production from Michael Albert, one of the most productive players in program history. Metea will look to juniors Nathan Fernandes and Loren Corcoran as well as sophomores Colton Scheralis and Connor McGrath to replicate that production. Senior Camden Faria will be a leader of the offensive group
“2020 has been a challenging time and we are hoping that athletics can provide respite for players and families as we enter 2021,” Metea said. “We will take whatever games guidelines allows us to play and be thankful for the opportunity to skate in the presence of friends!”
