Third Quarter Run Propels Foxboro Into Elite Eight

Foxboro Boys Lacrosse
Tommy Sharkey scored four goals to help Foxboro beat Falmouth for the second time this season and reach the Div. 3 quarterfinal. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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FOXBORO, Mass. – Just 30 seconds into the third quarter of Friday afternoon’s Div. 3 Round of 16 game at Sam Berns Community Field, Falmouth junior Rafe Grant managed to escape a triple team, drove across the center of the Foxboro defense, and managed to squeeze a shot past goalie Adam Addeche.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The goal extended the Clippers’ run to four straight and cut the Foxboro lead down to just one. Momentum seemed to be with the visitors, but before the face-off the officials conducted a stick check, ruled that Grant’s stick was illegal, and not only took the goal off the board but also gave Foxboro a two-minute, man-up opportunity.

Connor Noone took advantage of the extra space to score his second goal of the day. Instead of a one-goal game, Foxboro led by three and took back control. The Warriors would tack on three more in the quarter to push the lead to as many as six and held on in the fourth to secure an 11-7 win and a spot in the last eight.

“I’m proud of the boys, great win for us today,” said Foxboro coach Matt Noone, who also welcomed the Warriors playing in Div. 3 for the first time this spring. “It’s nice to go on a little run.”

Foxboro got off to a perfect start, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead. Noone got things started after a couple of minutes, able to get his hands free for a lefty rip. Three minutes later, Tommy Sharkey broke free and found the bottom corner from distance to double the lead. On a man-up, Sharkey went across the crease with a pass to Jack Avery at the back post to make it 3-0.

Less than a minute later, Foxboro added its fourth with a quick transition that started with a perfect Addeche outlet pass to pole Dylan Kerrigan, who raced down the sideline before picking out freshman Jon Sacchetti for a close-range finish.

The lead could’ve been more but Falmouth goalie Chris Ledwick (19 saves) came up with huge stops to deny Sacchetti and Lincoln Moore. The Clippers made the stops count by getting on the board when Matt Shea found the back of the net with a minute to go in the first.

Foxboro responded early in the second. Sacchetti was able to cut through the Falmouth defense and despite taking a hit was able to bury the shot. Another two-man advantage turned into a five-goal lead for the Warriors, as Sharkey had plenty of time to line up a sidearm shot for his second.

Although the hosts seemed to have the game in hand, mistakes and penalties allowed the Clippers to creep back into the game.

“Offensively, I thought we pressed,” Noone explained. “We weren’t valuing possession of the ball and so I asked the kids, can we get a long possession? The way you’re going to beat teams that you shouldn’t beat is to possess the ball longer, so we’ve been trying to work on that.”

A bad pass in transition gifted Oliver Partridge a free run at Addeche and he made no mistake to cut the lead to 6-2. Shea was able to turn the corner and and went high past the stick of Addeche to make it a three-goal game. Jackson Falcone nearly made a two-man advantage count only to have Addeche come up with a huge stop with his mask.

With 2:16 left in the half, Falmouth got back within two. After a turnover Cooper Young fired a pass across the middle. Addeche gambled for the steal, but the ball made it through to Kevin Coyne for a finish into the open goal.

“Penalties killed us, we let them get back in it,” Noone said. “Being in the penalty box…now we’re in the playoffs man, sometimes during the season you can get away with that but the deeper you go in the playoffs, if you’re a man down most teams are going to be able to score.”

It looked like things had gone from bad to worse for the Warriors after Falmouth won the opening draw of the second half, but the goal was wiped away and Noone restored a three-goal cushion.

Foxboro then got back to what had worked so well in the first quarter. Sharkey was denied by Ledwick while taking a big hit, but Foxboro retained possession and Moore went right back to Sharkey for his hat trick goal.

Three minutes later, Addeche had another long outlet to Kerrigan, who pulled in the pass with a nifty over-the-shoulder catch, and it was finished by Noone in the middle. Sharkey would add his fourth of the day with a man-up goal and the Warriors went into the fourth leading 10-4.

“Tommy was great,” Noone said. “Sacchetti, our freshman, played great. What’s great about the attack is that if someone has an off day then someone will pick them up. So, when they shut off Connor, then Linc picks it up and, if Lincoln is having an off day, then Sacchetti is there.”

Falmouth kept battling back. Max April went top shelf on the run just 30 seconds into the quarter and the Clippers forced a turnover on the ride to give Grant a wide open chance and cut the lead to four.

Noone proved to be the run stopper. The Merrimack College-commit had his first chance saved but he recovered the loose ball at the ‘X’ and got to his left hand before firing a shot inside the far post. Partridge would get one back with 2:48 left, but the Warriors earned their second four-goal win against the Clippers this season.

The Warriors held onto the lead thanks to the play of Addeche, who made half of his 12 saves in the fourth, and the aggressive marking of Kerrigan, Ben Ricketts, Matt Grace, and the rest of the defensive unit.

“My defense was awesome today,” Noone raved. “To be man-down so much and hold them to seven goals, they’re a good team.”

He added, “Adam played probably his best game today. He was involved in the defense, you could hear him talking, he made some great saves, his outlet passes were on today. I need him to do that more and more.”

Foxboro (14-6) advances to face the winner of No. 4 Dracut and No. 13 Shawsheen Valley Tech at a date and time to be determined.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/06/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 0 @ Canton, 3 – FinalCanton junior Andrew Middleton tossed a perfect game, recording 16 strikeouts along the way to lead the Bulldogs to a season-opening win.

Taunton, 11 @ Stoughton, 0 – FinalTaunton broke open a two-run game with a big sixth inning and never looked back to start the season with a win, running the program’s current win streak to 10 games dating back to the 2019 season. The Tigers scored once in the top of each the first and second innings before exploding for seven runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh inning. Senior Danny MacDougall got it done both offensively and on the mound for the visitors, knocking in a pair of runs and scoring twice while tossing five scoreless innings. He struck out six with just one hit allowed and no walks to earn the win. Matthew Ferrara pitched two scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts. Sophomore Ryan MacDougall had a strong debut for Taunton, going 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI, Jack Gobin added two hits, and senior Bretton Heggs started his final season in style by going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two walks.

Sharon, 6 @ Milford, 3 – Final (9 Inn.)Sharon’s Elliot Pototsky knocked in a pair of runs with a base-hit in the top of the ninth inning to break a tie game and help the Eagles open the season with a win. JD Rittenberg, who had two hits including a double, came on in relief and pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out seven to get the win. Justin Brown also had two hits for the Eagles, including a triple, while Dylan Labbe was solid on the mound, striking out seven with one earned run allowed in five innings of work. For Milford, Mario Lee (double, two walks), Tyler Lane (triple, run scored), and Sean McGee (RBI) each had two hits.

Franklin @ Foxboro – Postponed to Friday, 5/7 at 4:00
Mansfield @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Friday, 5/7 at 3:45
King Philip @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Friday, 5/7 at 3:45 at Community Field.










Softball
Canton, 2 @ Attleboro, 14 – Final (5 inn.)Attleboro’s offense was in midseason form, belting out 17 hits in a season-opening win over visiting Canton in the first game played on the new turf field on Drummond Street. Haley Perry set the tone from the leadoff spot, going 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Lindsey Perry, who had two hits including a two-run homer, earned her first win in the circle after giving up two unearned runs in five innings of work. Lora Woyton belted a three-run homer for the Bombardiers while freshman Riley Camacho (3-for-4, two-run home run) and Kayla Goldrick (2-for-3, two doubles) played well in their debut games.

Foxboro, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – FinalEighth grader Emma Callahan tossed a complete game shutout in her varsity debut, striking out one to help the Warriors win on the road. Senior Morgan Sylvestre paced the Foxboro offense (10 hits as a team), going 4-for-4 with two RBI while Peyton Feldman added two hits in the win. Senior Nicole Theriault came through with a big sacrifice in the third to set the Warriors up for runs.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Mansfield, 11 – FinalMansfield rallied from an early deficit, using a big fourth inning to grab control and start the season with a home win. OA jumped in front with three runs in the top of the first. The Hornets got one back in the home half, but Mansfield took the lead with an eight-run fourth inning. Five straight singles, a hit-by-pitch, a walk, and then back-to-back singles turned things around for Mansfield in a big rally. Freshmen Callie Lake (3-for-4), Jill Koppy (2-for-5), Olivia Madeira (2-for-4) and Molly Kucharski (1-for-3) each had hits in their debuts. Alanna Conley, Ashlyn Conley, and Nicole Kabosa had two hits apiece and Ashlyn Conley struck out six Tigers to pick up the win. The Hornets outhit OA 16-10. For OA, Maddie Homer went 4-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs scored while both Grace Simone and Lexi Galsband had two hits and a run scored.

North Attleboro, 9 @ King Philip, 11 – FinalKP opened the season with a win in a shootout against defending Davenport champ North Attleboro. It was an ideal start for the Warriors, who plated five runs in the first and went on to score in the second, third, and fifth innings. Senior Paige Berdos had three hits, including an RBI and a run scored, as KP totaled 13 hits as a team. Sophomore Libby Walsh (two RBI) and freshmen Jordan Bennett (run) and Maddie Paschke (two RBI) each had two hits for KP while junior Mia Bennett launched a three-run home run. For North, Kelly Colleran led the Rocketeers with four hits and drove in two. Zoey McDonough had a pair of hits, including a three-run homer, and Shaelyn Burns smashed a grand slam for North. Emily Nardelli and Ally Levine each had two hits and Mandi Hanewich scored a pair of runs in the loss.

Stoughton @ Taunton, 3:45

Sharon, 5 @ Milford, 3 – FinalSharon grabbed a 3-2 lead after the first inning and never relinquished its advantage the rest of the way. For Milford, Camille Bonina (two RBI) and Grace Bonina each had two hits while Olivia Morelli struck out five with just one earned rune allowed in six innings of work.




Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 19 @ Attleboro, 9 – Final

Foxboro, 6 @ Franklin, 18 – FinalClick here for a Photo Gallery from this game.Sophomores Luke Davis and Jayden Consigli combined for 10 goals in their Franklin debuts and senior Matt Lazzaro had five points, as the Panthers opened the season with a dominating home win. Davis got the Panthers off to a great start with a first quarter hat trick. Tim Walsh, Owen Kielty, and Consigli each added one as well for the Panthers and freshman Lincoln Moore got his first varsity goal for the Warriors who trailed 6-1 after one. Tommy Sharkey scored a man-up goal to start the second, but Franklin answered with seven straight goals to open a double-digit lead. Consigli had a hat trick in the second, two of them assisted by Davis, who added two goals of his own in the quarter. Mike Griffin and Lazzaro also scored in the run, before Foxboro got one back to make it 13-3 at the half. Lazzaro and Davis traded assists on each other’s goals to start the third, but freshman Connor Noone got his first career goal and Moore added his second. Conor O’Neil scored back-to-back goals to push the lead up to 12 in the fourth. Noone got his second of the day, but Ravin Chaudhury capped the scoring with his first with two minutes to go.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Mansfield, 15 – FinalMansfield opened the season in impressive fashion with a 15-5 win over visiting Oliver Ames. Senior Nico Holmes set the tone with a great game at the faceoff X and scored five goals. Thomas Norton added two goals and five assists, Jake Quirk scored a hat trick and added one helper, and Ryan DeGirolamo was terrific in goal for the Hornets, allowing just two even strength goals. OA junior Wyatt Fritchman led the offense for the Tigers with three goals and two assists while senior Ross Carroll added two goals and an assist.

North Attleboro @ King Philip, 3:45

Sharon, 16 @ Milford, 3 – Final




Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 11 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final

Foxboro, 10 @ Franklin, 19 – Final

Oliver Ames, 7 @ Mansfield, 12 – FinalMansfield broke open a tied game with a strong second half to pull out the win, the first for the Hornets under new coach Brittany Sherry. Ava Adams made an instant impact with four goals in her first varsity game. AnnMarie McCoy pulled down seven draw controls and Caitlyn Zajac made 11 saves for the Hornets, who outscored OA 8-3 after halftime.

North Attleboro, 4 @ King Philip, 16 – Final

Sharon, 12 @ Milford, 7 – FinalSharon opened the season with a road win. Jenna Goldstein led the way for the Eagles with four goals. Cass Barbera added a hat trick and Tess Letendre made nine saves to preserve the win. Molly McAlevey had a strong game in midfield for the Eagles.




Boys Tennis
Canton, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – FinalCanton went on the road and grabbed a win in its first match of the season, taking down the host Bombardiers. Junior Suraj Ramanathan and freshman Max Kupferman each won in straight sets in singles while senior Minh Duong picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Ethan Nguyen and Jalen Townsend earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles while Elias Jabbour and Charlie Doody teamed up for a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – FinalFranklin swept both doubles matches in straight sets and added two more wins in singles action to open the season with a win over Foxboro. Senior Liam Marr won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles while junior Vayshnav Malhotra secured a 6-0, 6-2 decision at second singles. The team of Anish Gundimeda and Sameen Shaik earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles for the Panthers while Thomas Broyles and Jay Gorgas picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles. Foxboro’s Jason Kandula won 6-2, 6-2 at third singles.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – FinalThe Hornets won all three singles matches in straight sets and didn’t lose a game in doubles action to beat the visiting Tigers of Oliver Ames. Freshman Kailash Elumelai picked up a 6-3, 6-0 win at first singles, senior Dheeraj Valluru notched a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and senior Kai Schirmacher registered a 6-2, 6-2 decision at third singles. The team of senior Nikhil Lankipalle and sophomore Benson Delaney won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles while senior Adam Elsner and junior Jonah Fine won by the same score at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – FinalNorth Attleboro went on the road and opened the season in style, sweeping all five matches against King Philip. Seniors Jonah Manso (6-0, 6-2) and Sam Gallagher (6-1, 6-1) each won in straight sets at first and second singles, respectively, while junior Will Folan rallied for a 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 10-6 win at third singles. Seniors Connor Willis and Sayf Siddiq earned a 6-4, 6-4 win at first doubles while senior Niteesh Saravanan teamed up with sophomore Brody Carter for a 6-4, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final Brothers Waseem and Rayan Sablon each won in straight sets without dropping a game to lead Stoughton to a season-opening win on the road at Taunton. Waseem notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while Rayan won by the same score at second singles.

Sharon, 5 @ Milford, 0 – FinalSharon picked up right where it left off in league action, grabbing a 5-0 win on the road over Milford. Ruemon Bhattacharyya earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles for the Eagles while both Mehul Bhattacharyya (second singles) and Max Chen (third singles) took 6-0, 6-0 decisions. Sharon’s first doubles team of Matt Lally and Rithvik Neti claimed a 6-1, 6-0 win while the team of Mitch Weiss and Deyan Kassev prevailed 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles for the Eagles.




Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ Canton, 4 – FinalCanton was on the winning end of a pair of marathon singles matches, defending home court with a 4-1 win over Attleboro. Rachel Kupferman (first singles, 6-0, 6-1) and the team of Lily Hazam and Olivia Durham (first doubles, 6-1, 6-2) both won in straight sets for the Bulldogs. Laura Correal prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2 at second singles and Grace Powers came through with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win at third to help secure the win. Attleboro’s Kyra Johnson and Maddie Fulsado picked up a 6-4, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Franklin, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final Foxboro didn’t drop a game in singles action, sweeping all three matches and adding another win in doubles play to beat visiting Franklin. Athena Li (first singles), Pam Nelson (second singles), and Sarah Prag (third singles) all won 6-0, 6-0 while the team of Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa secured a 6-3, 6-2 win at first doubles. Franklin’s Amulya Jayam and Shriya Rajesh earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Mansfield, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – FinalMansfield’s Alex Burnham prevailed in three sets at first singles, winning the match-clinching point as the Hornets won on the road at OA. Mansfield had wins from Aryanna Khosravani (6-3, 6-2) and Kate Martin 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 at second and third singles, respectively, while OA swept doubles action. Burham’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win at first singles clinched the third point for the win. OA’s Kate McLaughlin and Grace Houser won 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 at first doubles while Morgan Vailiou and Caroline Peper didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

King Philip, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – FinalKing Philip won all three singles matches in straight sets and added another win in doubles action to take a win on the road at North Attleboro. The team of Ahunna James and Shea Mellman dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles for the Warriors. In sweeping singles action, Katarina Schneider won first singles 6-0, 6-0, Mia Valencia record a 6-2, 6-0 win at second singles, and Sammie Taylor secured a 6-2, 6-1 win at third singles. North Attleboro’s Ashlyn Cziria and Teresa Fan won 6-3, 6-3 at second doubles.

Taunton @ Stoughton, 3:45

Milford @ Sharon, 3:45




Boys Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 73 @ Canton, 59 – FinalFor Canton, Kyle Downing was a triple-winner and Deyontai Dennis won a pair of events and took second in another. Downing was first in the 1 Mile, the 2 Mile, and the high jump while Dennis won the triple jump and the 400M hurdles, adding a second place finish in the long jump.

Sharon, 40 @ Oliver Ames, 90 – Final

Girls Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 60 @ Canton, 76 – FinalCanton’s Maddie Rousseau broke her own school record in the 100M hurdles, taking first place with a time of 15.1 to lead the Bulldogs to a win over Foxboro. Rousseau also was first in the high jump (4’10) and took second in the 200M (26.4) and the long jump (15′ 6.5″). Kiara Cerruti was a double-winner for the Bulldogs, crossing first in both the 1 Mile (6:02.8) and the 800M (2:41.1).

Sharon, 50 @ Oliver Ames, 79 – Final