04/06/202204/07/2022

2022 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

2021 Record: 3-11
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Kevin Patton
Attleboro had some growing pains during the 2021 campaign, but has a good chunk of the roster back in the fold for 2022 and will try to take the next step forward as a program.

The Bombardiers will have a strong foundation on the defensive end of the field. Captain Fred Wheaton is back for another year to anchor the defense and he’s joined by fellow returners Bobby Sawyer and John Wheaton to give Attleboro a solid veteran nucleus to try and shut down some of the top offenses in the league. Attleboro also has sophomore Harry Wheaton back in net after gaining valuable experience in the cage in 2021.

Having last year’s top scorer in Carter Shelton back in the fold will give the Bombardiers a good start in the attack. Shelton scored 30 goals and had 15 assists, finishing 12th in the Hock in scoring. Captain Keigan Conley is also back to bolster the attack, coming off a 22 goal, 10 assist campaign a year ago. Freshman Nathan Conroy is also in the mix already in the attack.

Attleboro’s midfield will be anchored by captain Ryan Betts along with Chad Beaupin and Seth LaPlace. The Bombardiers also expect contributions from Cole McKenna, Patrick McAvoy, and Spencer Scherck.

“We have a lot of returning guys that picked up valuable varsity experience last season,” said Attleboro head coach Kevin Patton. “We are looking forward to a strong season in 2022.”

Canton

2021 Record: 14-2
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal
Coach: Ryan Quinn
Canton split its two games with Foxboro to win a share of the Davenport title in 2021, just the third league title in program history and were an overtime goal away from reaching the Div. 2 South final. The Bulldogs have a lot of experience in the attack and the midfield this season with the goal of putting in another challenge for the league crown and putting together another state tournament push.

The Bulldogs had a dynamic attack last spring and the league’s leading scorer Sam Carlino headlines a strong group this season as well. Junior Jeff Chaput joins Carlino in the attack and the midfield group is filled with experience from last season. Sophomore Brendan Tourgee, juniors AJ Thomas and Chris Hamilton, senior Eddie Gillis, and Charlie Vaughn will all give Canton playmaking at the middie position.

Defensively, Canton will definitely miss graduated goalie Dylan Coyne but the Bulldogs have a talented group of poles that should be tough to score against this season. Senior Sean Connolly will lead that defensive group alongside sophomores Luke Darling and Colin Blake.

“I am really excited about this upcoming season,” said second-year coach Ryan Quinn. “Our student-athletes have been working hard to build on our success from last season, but are very aware that everything we achieve is based upon the work we put in this year, every day. We are led by a small, but strong senior class, and have depth across all four grades levels. This group is a very coachable group and we are very excited to begin”

Foxboro

2021 Record: 11-4
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal
Coach: Matt Noone
After graduating just two seniors from last year’s team, Foxboro is back with a strong lineup that will look to reclaim the Davenport title that it shared with Canton in 2021. The Warriors will have depth up and down the field with the goal of not only returning to the top of the division but also being ready for a deep run in the statewide tournament.

Foxboro’s attack is all back from last season. The Warriors finished third in goals scored in the league in 2021 and a year’s worth of experience should make them even more dynamic. Junior Conor Noone was the league’s third-leading scorer last season and he will lead the line again alongside sophomore Lincoln Moore, coming off a breakout rookie campaign, and senior Jack Avery. Senior Tommy Sharkey was an all-star middie last season and he will be joined by junior Finn Stapleton and sophomore Tony Sulham, another player who made a strong varsity debut as a freshman.

Depth should be a strength for the Warriors, who return their second midfield group as well, including sophomores Sully Kenneally, Ryan Cotter, and Ian Foley. Foxboro’s defense is returning as a group too. Seniors Dylan Kerrigan and Ben Ricketts are the leaders at the back and will be joined by classmate Mark Jansen. Senior Matt Grace will start at LSM with sophomore Jack Sullivan backing him up. Sophomore Adam Addeche is back in goal, backed up by classmate Nate Urman, and freshman midfielder John Sacchetti and defender James Dee Gaffney are newcomers with potential.

“The Warriors graduated two seniors and return the core of their team,” said Foxboro coach Matt Noone. “Everyone is a year older with varsity experience which will help us in our 2022 push.”

Franklin

2021 Record: 18-1
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final
Coach: Lou Verrochi
After reaching the program’s first sectional final in 2021, Franklin brings a typically strong lineup of experienced players who will be aiming to make a run in the new statewide tournament. The Panthers have loaded up their regular season schedule to prepare for the rigors of the tournament with state powers Medfield, Lincoln-Sudbury, and St. John’s Prep among the teams that Franklin will challenge itself against to be ready to shoot for silverware this spring.

Franklin’s attack scored more than 300 goals in 19 games last season and should be just as dynamic this year with junior All-American Luke Davis joined by classmate Jayden Consigli, who were both in the top five in scoring in the league in 2021. Junior Tyler Sacchetti will be the third member of the attacking crew. Sophomore Drew Hansen and Ed O’Brien and junior John Walshe will make up the first midfield. Junior Justin Alexander was one of the best face-off middies in the state last year and the Panthers will be counting on him to control possessions again this season.

Senior Kyle Palmieri will lead the defensive group, which should once again be a challenge for the opposition to score against. Junior Ben Harvey and senior Billy Gardner will also be key players at close defense. Sophomore goalie Matt Corvi will step into the cage this spring and has the potential to be a standout.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

“Once again, we will have a very competitive team this spring with a very tough schedule,” said Franklin coach Lou Verrochi.

King Philip

2021 Record: 9-5
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Hal Bean
With more than a dozen players back in the fold from last year, King Philip is looking to take another step forward after posting a 9-5 record last year.

The Warriors have key pieces in the lineup all over the field, starting with senior goalie James Boldy. Boldy had a great campaign a season ago and will be among the top goalies in the league this year. He will work with fellow senior captain Will Weiblen and senior Shaun Fitzpatrick as the anchors of the King Philip defense.

There is a strong core of midfielders back in the mix this year, starting with returning faceoff specialist Thomas Brewster. He will be joined by a very experienced group that features seniors Ben Riggs, Sean McCarthy, Andrew Longobardi, Nolan Feyler,
Brayden Thompson, John Campbell, and Ian Hill, along with sophomore standout Noah Minkwitz. Riggs (31 points last year) will be one of the most dangerous two-way players in the league but KP has a lot of depth in the position.

Offensively, King Philip has Sean Crowther back in the fold, who was just one of six Hock players to reach the 40-goal mark on the season. He’s joined by Kip Bishop and Colin Lightbody, who both registered 19 points a year ago, as well as Colin Gillis and sophomore Donovan DeVellis.

“King Philip boys lacrosse expects to compete in every game and anticipates a productive season and playoff run,” said KP head coach Hal Bean “We all are looking forward to a fun season!”

Mansfield

2021 Record: 6-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Tim Frias
With a handful of young faces fighting for spots in the lineup, Mansfield is hoping to pick up valuable experience early and make a late charge for a spot in the state tournament.

The Hornets do have some experience on the defensive side of the ball with Ryan DeGirolamo starting in the cage and senior captains Zander Holmes and Mark DiGirolamo patrolling the space in front of him. Mansfield has a handful of young poles that will be in the mix including Liam Barry, Patrick Gormley, Nolan Bordieri, and James DeGirolamo.

The group of upperclassmen will make up the majority of the field with senior Dash Munson joining a trio of talented juniors in Grady Sullivan, Drew Sacco, and Cody Gordon. The Hornets have a lot of young players looking to find spots in the midfield and lineup and general, and new names that could contribute early on include Aidan Steele, Jake Feinberg, and Liam Steele.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

In the attack, senior Jack Roberts will be accompanied by a pair of sophomores in Tommy Smith and Andrew Burnham.

Milford

2021 Record: 2-11
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Austin Costa
Under the guidance of new head coach Austin Costa, the Scarlet Hawks are aiming to show improvement throughout the season and set the program on an upward trajectory.

There is a strong mix of veteran leadership and new faces eager to find a spot in the lineup for Costa and the Scarlet Hawks this season. Senior captain Eric Landry is set to be the leader on the defensive end, and his experience will be key as Milford tries to fend off some lethal offenses. Landry will be joined by Brian Goncalves and junior Nick Casilli, both returners for the Scarlet Hawks. Defensive experience will be key as the Hawks turn to Alex McGuire for his varsity debut in the cage.

Offensively, look for veterans Jacob Ligor and Eric Farrell to be major contributors for the Scarlet Hawks. Both have a good amount of experience playing at this level and know what it takes to compete in the Hockomock League. Other returners for Milford include Kyle Donelan, Shawn O’Donnell, and Ronn Swineford while freshmen Alex Maietta and Jayden Martins have impressed early on and could be key contributors right away.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

North Attleboro

2021 Record: 7-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal
Coach: Kevin Young
North Attleboro finished in a tie for third in the Davenport division last year and had an impressive playoff win over Belmont before being beaten by sectional finalist Medfield. The Rocketeers only graduated two players from last season’s team, so Big Red comes into the spring with big expectations of competing for a first league title since 2017 and being a threat in the state tournament.

The North attack should be an area of strength this season with seniors Matt Antonetti, Connor Ruppert, and Clayton Billingkoff all back up top. Antonetti led the team with 57 points in 2021. Juniors Jack Regan and Luke Ward have both had strong preseasons, while freshmen Ethan Gustafson and Brady Brackner could be poised for breakout debuts. Senior Jared Vacher will do his best to get as many possessions as possible for the North attack by winning draws.

North’s defense has plenty of experience as well. Senior Max Hobbs, Anthony Ferro, and James Brennan will get plenty of help from sophomore Connor Rajotte and junior LSM Julian House. The Rocketeers can also count on two experienced goalies with senior Ethan McGrath and junior JT Gallagher both back in the cage this spring.

“We know the Hockomock will be strong this year,” said North coach Kevin Young. “I am excited to watch this group compete and grow as a team.”

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Oliver Ames

2021 Record: 3-11
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Ben Devlin
Oliver Ames coach Ben Devlin stepped down after last season, but he was convinced to come back this spring to lead a young Tigers team. Twenty-four of the 34 players in the program this year are either freshmen or sophomores, so OA will be counting on younger players to step up across the field and Devlin is excited about the promise he sees during the preseason.

Senior midfielder Wyatt Fritchman and junior attacker Ben Reardon will be the leaders on offense. Fritchman was second on the team in scoring last year and Reardon went on a run of nine goals in the final three games of his sophomore season. Senior Wes Tower is back to run things in the midfield and sophomores Ryan Jaco and Alex McAndrew have the potential to find the back of the net.

On the other end of the field, senior Cam Tower has been converted to LSM this season. The other poles will be led by junior Jake Manthous, who also was in charge of the face-offs last year, and sophomore Landon Grothe. Junior Noah Isleib returns in goal to keep things organized on defense and sophomore Ethan St. Jean will be his backup.

“Despite being much younger, we are looking to improve on last year’s results and continue building the program,” said Devlin. “We expect to have some growing pains early in the season, but look to improve as the younger players get experience and develop their game during the season. It’s never easy to rebuild in a talented league like the Hock. There aren’t any easy games as every team is talented and well-coached…but we are setting our sights on winning enough games to reach the postseason.”

Sharon

2021 Record: 9-6
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Jon Shocket
Sharon has a solid core back from last year’s nine-win team but without any juniors on the squad, there will be a lot of young players in the lineup with most getting their first taste of varsity lacrosse.

With over a half dozen seniors on the roster, head coach Jon Shocket will lean heavily on their veteran leadership and experience as the new players get integrated into the lineup and acclimated with the speed of the high school game. The senior trio of Ben Shocket, Brady Daylor, and Ryan Zunenshine are this year’s captains.

The other seniors on the team include Jace Nestler, Matt Mahoney, James Lillenfeld, and Chance Hanah, and all four will be vital as the Eagles make a push for the postseason. There are four freshmen already in the lineup including Matt Powers in net, Jordan Burke at attack, and Zach Bernstein and Ben Goldberg at defense. Sophomores Gabe Korn, Ryan Brown, Jacob Kaufman, and Ronin Widland will also be in the mix for the Eagles.

“I hope to get a lot of growth from our team as we get more experience,” Shocket said.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

01/23/2022

Fast Start Lifts Franklin to Win Over Title Rival KP

Franklin boys hockey — Ben Jarosz celebrates the opening goal for Franklin in its title showdown with rival King Philip. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

FRANKLIN, Mass. – Last season, Franklin and King Philip shared the Kelley-Rex division crown. On Saturday night, at a packed Pirelli Veterans Arena, the teams met again for a showdown between the top two teams in the division standings. Feeding off the home crowd, Franklin came out firing on all cylinders and that fast start proved decisive.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Panthers dominated the opening period, taking advantage of their team speed to put the Warriors on their heels. Franklin scored four times in the first 15 minutes, digging a deep hole that the Warriors were unable to climb out of and skating away with a 5-3 win that puts them three points up on KP.

“We try to put them on their heels first,” said Franklin coach Anthony Sarno. “We want to come out with that nice hard fore-check, take away both D, take away options up the wall and seal off the middle. We’ve got four lines of speed and when they put it together and use their speed and work the system, then we usually come out and get a goal in the first period.”

KP coach Paul Carlow admitted that his team struggled in the opening period and that it put them in a difficult position for the rest of the night.

“The same thing happened to us here last year,” he explained. “We came out flat and they jumped on us early and they dominated us the whole first period, out-worked us, out-played us. Then I thought we got our composure a little in the second and made a game of it.”

It didn’t take long for Franklin to get on the front foot. Ben Jarosz forced KP goalie Kyle Abbott (32 saves) into a blocker stop a couple minutes in. Franklin would hold a 13-8 edge in shots in the period and half of KP’s efforts on goal in the first came from outside the blue line.

A little over three minutes in, the Panthers grabbed the lead. Jarosz got loose in the left wing circle and whipped a quick-release shot through bodies in front and under the goalie’s pads.

It took four minutes for Franklin to double its lead. On a four-on-four, Dylan Marchand sped into the high slot and fired a shot that Abbott was able to get a piece of, but it trickled behind him and Justin Magazu reacted quickest to tap it across the line.

With five minutes to go in the first, Logan Marchand kept the puck in at the blue line and got it to Magazu. He went dot-to-dot with a pass to Domenic Lampasona, who struggled to control the puck at first but then spun and flicked a backhand shot inside the far post for a 3-0 lead.

Three minutes later, it was four and it seemed that a rout was on. Jack Mackinnon won a battle along the boards in the defensive zone, allowing Franklin to break out. He then jumped into the attack and got the puck as he entered the zone, wristing a shot through a screen and into the top corner.

KP’s best chance of the period came right at the end. Shaun Fitzpatrick drove to the net and forced Franklin goalie Cole Pouliot-Porter (26 saves) into two stops from close range before the sophomore was able to cover up. The puck ended up in the back of the net but only after the officials had blown play dead.

The game looked to be well in hand for the Panthers, but KP came out of the intermission with a purpose and would turn things around in the second, with help from a series of Franklin penalties. Nolan Feyler had the first good chance, forcing a save our of Pouliot-Porter and then sliding the rebound right across the goal line. Marchand almost added a fifth on the other end, as he sliced through the zone but his attempted pass in the crease was covered by Abbott.

Franklin was still pushing for more. On the penalty kill, Abbott had to be strong to deny Jarosz from close range and denied Ryan Sicchio on a couple of shots from the point. He then got the shaft of the stick on a shot from Anthony Lampasona that looked destined for the corner.

KP turned it on over the final five minutes of the second and by the end of the period Franklin appeared to be just hanging on. Colin Lightbody had a good chance from the edge of the crease but Pouliot-Porter flashed a left pad to deny him. Kevin Birenbaum tried to take advantage of a poor clearance and handcuffed the goalie with a shot but the loose puck was covered just before it crossed the line.

With 4:35 left in the period, KP finally got on the board Brad Guden jumped up into the attack and forced his way to the net. Pouliot-Porter made a couple of saves from close range as Guden, Feyler, and Cam Lehan-Allen all crowded the crease, with one of them able to force the puck through.

Three minutes later, and just 17 seconds into a 5-on-3, the lead was sliced to two. Guden was given room to walk into a wrister and the sophomore defenseman sniped the corner to make it 4-2 heading into the locker rooms.

“There’s a few guys over there with real speed,” said Carlow. “We’re trying to make sure we don’t get caught, but just the little things, winning face-offs, winning wall battles, we could’ve been a lot better. We were chasing and we don’t want to be chasing a team like that.”

Only 30 seconds into the third period, Franklin had restored a three-goal cushion. Liam O’Rielly forced a pad save with a shot from the point and the rebound fell right on the stick of Jarosz, who buried the chance for his second of the night.

“We told them in the locker room, calm down, take a deep breath, you’re in control,” Sarno said. “The only way you lose is if you beat yourself, so let’s get back to our nice forecheck that we had in the first period. Once you put a puck in let’s just see if we can keep it going and stay out of the penalty box.”

Abbott was busy in the third period, as the Panthers got back on top. Anthony Lampasona, Magazu, and Marchand all forced the goalie into good stops. KP had only one shot for the first 12 minutes of the third, but then out of nowhere got right back in the game. Guden was the impetus again, skating behind the net and finding Rowan Boulger at the post. On his second attempt, the sophomore forward slid the puck past Pouliot-Porter.

The Warriors had a power play opportunity to close out the game but, after Marchand hit the bar on a shorthanded breakaway, Franklin was able to clear the rebound from Birenbaum’s shot and complete the win.

“In the Hock, everyone brings their best games and you’ve got to be ready,” said Sarno. “These teams are all well-coached. We know it’s going to be a good, hard-fought battle every night.”

Franklin (9-5-0, 4-1-0) will be back on the ice on Wednesday when it travels to the Foxboro Sports Center to face Mansfield in another top of the league clash. King Philip (3-6-1, 2-2-1) will get a day off before it travels to Bishop Feehan on Monday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

05/14/202105/15/2021

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/14/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Softball
Milford, 3 @ Stoughton, 9 – Final – Stoughton improved to 3-1 on the season with a win over visiting Milford on Friday. Nicole Baker picked up the win in the circle for the Knights, allowing six hits and striking out eight in a complete game effort. Mel Casna drove in a pair of runs on two hits, Cat Leal added two hits, including a double, and had an RBI, and freshmen Alyssa Edwards and Julie Powers each recorded two hits.

Boys Lacrosse
Stoughton, 4 @ Canton, 16 – Final

Sharon @ Foxboro, 4:00

Milford @ Franklin, 3:45

Mansfield, 10 @ King Philip, 16 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. In a game littered with penalties, Sam Mattson scored seven goals to power KP to its second win over the Hornets in three days. Jake Quirk opened the game with the first of his team-high four goals, but Mattson scored three straight (one man-down and two man-up) to grab the lead. Cody Gordon answered but Sean Crowther was credited with a goal that went off a Mansfield defender for a 4-2 lead after one. Goals by Colin Lightbody and Mattson extended the lead to four but Mansfield responded with three straight to get back into the game. Tommy Smith finished a give-and-go, Quirk scored man-up, and Nico Holmes scored a nice solo goal to make it 6-5. Again, KP had the answer. Mattson took a big hit to score in front and Crowther added a man-up score before the break. Mattson and Quirk traded goals to start the third and then Holmes got his second to make it 9-7. KP went on an 8-0 run to take control. Crowther scored a pair, Mattson got another, and then Benjamin Riggs added his first to put KP up 13-7 at the end of the quarter. Lightbody and Riggs kept the run going early in the fourth, before Holmes completed his hat trick. John Dwyer got one for KP and the Hornets closed out the game with goals from Grady Sullivan and Quirk. KP goalie James Boldy had a big game to keep the Hornets at arm’s length.

Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 3 @ Milford, 20 – Final – Franklin continued its unbeaten start to the season with a big win on the road over the Scarlet Hawks. Kate O’Rourke led the offensive charge with four goals and one assist, Jamie Tanner added two goals and two assists, and Kaitlyn Carney added three goals and one assist. Anna Grasso had a strong game defensively for the Panthers.

King Philip, 17 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – The Warriors pushed their undefeated start to four games with a big win on the road over Mansfield. Julia Marsden found the back of the net six times along with two assists to lead the KP offense. Lily Brown added three goals and two assists, Morgan Cunningham (assist) and Haley Izydorczak each scored a hat trick, and Ally Peterson and Nikki McDonald each scored once. Emily Campbell (three saves) and Maddie Crowley (one save) split the win in net.

Boys Volleyball
Milford vs. Norton, 5:00

King Philip, 3 @ Bellingham, 0 – Final – King Philip went on the road and earned a 3-0 sweep (25-10, 25-21, 25-15) over host Bellingham. “The team played really well together we are starting to work out the kinks and work cohesively which is really great to see,” said KP head coach Emily Diiulis. Senior Thomas Beck and junior Carson Mitteness each had key service runs during the match. Senior Joshua Saintilus had a strong showing for the Warrior with some strong swings from the outside.