King Philip, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames rallied from a two-goal deficit to take its first lead in the third period but King Philip scored the equalizer with under five minutes to play as the teams settled for a point apiece after a scoreless overtime period. KP jumped out to a lead less than two minutes into the game when Rowan Boulger got on the end of a pass from James Boldy, but it took OA less than two minutes to respond as Daniel Paul got his first of the game with Landon Grothe recording the assist. KP lit the lamp twice in the final five minutes of the first period, first off a wrist shot from Evan Trujillo on the power play at 4:27, and then on a short-handed goal from Boldy with just 4.1 seconds left in the period. The Tigers wasted little time cutting into that deficit in the second period as Paul converted a breakaway chance just 92 seconds into the period to make it 3-2. Oliver Ames had another strong start to the third as a rebound off a shot from Jack Perron was buried by Jack Corey at 10:24 to make it 3-3. Less than two minutes later, sophomore Patrick DeLoughrey was in the right spot at the right time to tap the puck into an open net at 8:56 for OA’s first lead, 4-3. Boldy grabbed his second goal of the game on a wrist shot from the left side with 4:04 left. In the overtime period, KP’s Cam Lehan-Allen nearly had the game-winner in the final seconds but his shot hit the post and stayed out.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Mansfield jumped out to a two-goal lead but North rallied to pull even, and the game finished level even after a five minute overtime period. Declan Foley and Thomas Gormley each scored once for the Hornets.
Stoughton/Brockton vs. North Quincy – Postponed to TBD.
Girls Hockey
Hockomock Stars, 0 @ Canton, 6 – Final
Stoughton/Sharon vs. St. Joseph Prep – Postponed to TBD.
Wrestling
Canton, 42 @ Stoughton, 32 – Final – Julian Prentice earned a pin at heavyweight, clinching the win for the Bulldogs in the final league dual meet of the season. Also earning pins for Canton were Declan Monahan, Zach Xayvethy, and Ruairi Ritson.
Foxboro @ Oliver Ames, 7:00
Franklin @ King Philip, 6:00
Sharon, 66 @ Mansfield, 12 – Final
Milford @ Northbridge – Postponed to TBD.
North Attleboro, 13 @ Taunton, 60 – Final – Taunton picked up its third league win of the season by pinning down a 60-13 decision over North Attleboro. Anthony Vieira, Ben Mandeville, Gabe Leskoski, Will Buffington, Ethan Harris, Elijah Prophete, Logan Frank, Johnnie Mainer-Smith, Michael Leskoski, Ryan Jones, and Brian Haen each won for the Tigers.
Swimming
Canton @ Dedham, 4:00 (@ Dedham Town Pool)
2021-2022 Record: 0-15-0 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Gary Warren
Last season is not one to remember for Attleboro. The Bombardiers finished winless and had only eight goals in 18 games. New head coach Gary Warren will hope to find more firepower in front of goal and more depth with three forward lines and three defensive pairings as Attleboro tries to get back into the mix for a tournament berth.
Seniors Owen Parker and Colin Flynn will be the leaders on the top line with eighth grader Bryan Capone getting his first taste of varsity hockey. Sophomore Nathan Conroy will center the second line with senior Mike Lachance and junior Nick Fernandes on the wings. Eighth-grader Andrew Bessette will center the third line for the Bombardiers, joining up with sophomores Austin Bessette and Jack Moran.
Defensively, Attleboro will also lean on youth. Sophomores Alex Jarousky and Brody Shaw will partner on one line, eighth graders Beckett Stone and Cam Harrison will be a second partnership, and sophomore Lucas Devonis teaming up with senior Luke Logan. Junior Bradley Lehtonen and freshman Joey Santos will also see time on the blue line this season. After graduating four-year starter Nick Piazza, Attleboro will turn to junior Julien Horton and eighth grader Jacob Westwater between the pipes.
“Our success this season will hinge on good senior leadership, along with our younger players building confidence in their game,” Warren said. “We are a young, inexperienced team that hopefully will get better game after game.”
2021-2022 Record: 22-3-1 (D2 State Finalists) 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Coach: Brian Shuman
Only one team has ever won the Davenport division boys hockey title and, despite graduating 14 seniors off last year’s roster, Canton looks well-positioned to extend that run for another winter. After reaching the Div. 2 state title game for the third straight season, the Bulldogs will be incorporating a lot of new faces and young players (five freshmen and three sophomores) into this year’s roster to try and stay among the top teams in the state.
While there are several new players that will be getting time this year, Canton does return its top two scorers from last year. Senior AJ Thomas had a great playoff run to help the Bulldogs get back to the TD Garden and junior Brendan Tourgee was a standout as a sophomore with his combination of stick skills and strength. Juniors Pat Drury, Colin Blake, and Brian Middleton also saw plenty of ice time as sophomores and came through with some big goals during the season, while senior Jack Digirolamo adds some physicality in the attacking zone.
Canton always gets attention for its scoring punch, but its strength on the blue line has been one of the main reasons for its sustained success. Senior Leo Owens will start the season on the sidelines with an injury, so other players are going to need to step in while he gets healthy. Senior James Young and junior Matt Anderson, who scored the overtime winner in the season opener, will get plenty of ice time. Sophomore Colin Davis should provide the defense with plenty of confidence after a stellar rookie campaign between the pipes. He looked unflappable during Canton’s run to the final and senior Carson Eagles is a more than dependable backup in goal.
“As always, strong team defense and the depth to play four lines and six defense pairs will determine whether or not we can make a run for the league title and/or the playoffs this year,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman.
2021-2022 Record: 10-11-0 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32 Coach: Eric Galanti
Foxboro has a new head coach this season but it’s a familiar face as Eric Galanti steps in after five years on the bench as an assistant coach for the program. After graduating nine seniors from last year that accounted for a lot of production and ice time, the Warriors are looking for some new names to step up.
Albeit young, Foxboro has a strong core of returners from last year’s squad that had 10 wins and scored 70 goals. Senior Henry Diamond, who plays on the right wing, spearheads a relatively young forward group that includes returners Connor Hayers (left wing) and Luigi Muttart (left wing), both juniors, as well as sophomores Ryan Wood, Dan Jacobs — both centers — and, Finlay Campbell. Senior Jake DeMaino and sophomores Brendan LaCroix, Will Groves, and Connor Reardon bolster the offense. Freshman Michael Ruo and Owen McAuliffe are looking to make an impact right away.
Defense and goaltending will be a strength for Galanti and the Warriors this season. Senior Alex Coviello is a seasoned veteran that will anchor the blue line for Foxboro, joined by junior Tommy Devlin and a handful of sophomores who already have varsity experience including Tom Watts, Evan Paluzzi, Leo Campbell, and Connor Reardon. In net, Galanti has some veteran options with senior Peter Souaiden and junior Trevor Marder as options.
“We have a solid defense and great net minding that will allow a sophomore-heavy team to work toward an offense to match,” Galanti said.
2021-2022 Record: 14-9-0 (Kelley-Rex division champions) 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Sweet 16 Coach: Chris Spillane
A very familiar face has made his return to the bench for Franklin this season, as longtime coach Chris Spillane, who stepped away in 2019, is back in charge of the program. The Panthers have won 11 straight league titles and been a fixture in the Div. 1 state tournament and they boast a strong attacking lineup this season that will be looking to continue its control of the Kelley-Rex division.
Up front, Franklin will be boosted by the return of seniors Ben Jarosz and Ryan Sicchio, who combined for 15 goals and 23 assists last year. Classmate Tommy Balducci will join them on the top line. Last year’s sophomore class was prolific in front of goal and, with a year of valuable experience, looks ready to be even more dynamic this season. Juniors Anthony Lampasona (six goals and 13 assists) and Ben Paterson (10 goals and 14 assists) will lead the way along with classmates Dylan McEvoy and Dan Daley. Sophomore Carter Balducci is a newcomer to look out for in attack.
Four players return on the blue line to give Franklin solid experience in the defensive zone. Seniors Liam O’Rielly, Aiden Kuykendall, and Lucas Sheehan will be joined by junior Dylan Marchand, who had an impressive sophomore season in defense. Sophomore Vinnie Pasquarosa should also see time on the back end. Goalie depth will be a strength for the Panthers this year, with sophomore Jack O’Connor returning, sophomore Joe Torraco making the jump from JV, and junior Colby Wagner coming back to the program after playing last year with the Northeast Generals.
“Offensively we will run three lines who all have the ability to score goals,” Spillane said. “The Panthers’ success will depend on our team defense, and how quickly we can understand our defensive systems.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-9-3 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Toby Carlow
King Philip is two years removed from taking a share of the Kelley-Rex division title (joining only the 2011 Mansfield team to win at least a piece of the division crown) and last year the Warriors showed off their potential by giving eventual state champion St. John’s Prep a battle in the opening round of the playoffs. Former Medfield coach Toby Carlow, who won a state title with those Warriors in 2016, take over this season with the intention of elevating these Warriors into one of the state’s top programs.
Carlow will be introducing new systems on both ends of the ice, relying on team speed and structure in the defensive zone to get back into the tournament. One challenge for KP will be replacing standout Brad Guden, who moved to Tabor Academy this season. In the defensive zone, junior Cam Lehan-Allen along with senior Sam Naggar will need to step up to provide leadership at the blue line. Senior Kyle Abbott will help out at the back, as he returns in goal after allowing fewer than two goals per game as a junior.
In addition to Guden, who had 17 points from defense last year, KP also graduated its three top goal scorers from last season, so the forward line will need new faces to step up and consistently find the back of the net. Senior James Boldy is the team’s top returning scorer with seven goals and 10 assists and junior Max Robison adds speed on the wing. Juniors Nate Gartska and Rowan Boulger also saw time as sophomores and provide depth in the forward lines.
“Our goal this year is to establish ourselves as a good solid team in Division 1,” Carlow said. “It’s time for King Philip to step into the upper level of Massachusetts hockey.”
2021-2022 Record: 7-12-1 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32 Coach: Mark O’Brien
Mansfield has a lot of turnover to contend with this season, as the Hornets open their first season of Davenport division play. Former assistant Mark O’Brien has taken over as head coach and he takes over a team that will lean on underclassmen to try and find the attacking threat to keep the Hornets in the league title mix and to stay in the tournament mix.
After graduating its top six forwards from last season, Mansfield will be hoping that a host of freshmen and sophomores can step up to the challenge of leading the line this winter. Seniors Cody Gordon, Connor Davey, and Brendan Flynn will provide much-needed leadership in the attacking zone. Sophomores Brendan Vokey, Matthew Tourigney, Matthew Cromack, and Kevin O’Brien and freshmen James Warren, Matt Kelly, Matthew Rabinovich, Liam Wells, and Cody Silva give the Hornets a lot of depth up front but also a lot of untested talent.
The blue line is a very different story. Mansfield’s defense should be a strength this season. Seniors Ryan DeGirolamo and Patrick Gormley return to anchor that end of the ice along with junior Will Cameron and sophomore Declan Foley. Sophomore Thomas Gormley is a newcomer to watch for the Hornets in defense. Freshman Aidan Shea and sophomore Luke McGuire are versatile players who could see time at forward or defense. In goal, Mansfield will have plenty of experience to call upon with senior Chris O’Brien and junior Josh Hussey.
“We have a tremendous group this season and they are committed to the team concept and giving their best effort for each other,” said O’Brien. “We are excited about our talented younger players and confident that our strong nucleus of upperclassmen will lead the way with a focus on team defense.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-11-1 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Sweet 16 Coach: Kyle Heagney
North Attleboro head coach Kyle Heagney begins his second year in charge of the Rocketeers and they are looking to improve on last year’s 10-win season as they join the Kelley-Rex division for the second time in program history.
The Big Red will have to look for some new players to step up as they try to fill the void left by the graduation of a talented senior group, including Nik Kojoian, who led the Hockomock League in scoring with 11 goals and 24 assists last season, and Nick Longa, who was second in the league with 17 goals and tied for fifth overall in points with 26 points. The good news is that Heagney and the Rocketeers have one of the top returning forwards in the league in Mark Ayvazyan, who produced 13 goals and 12 assists in the regular season last year.
North will also look for seniors Brody Gaulin and Jack Dluhy to take on increased roles after netting five goals and two assists last season as well as junior Kaden Burns, who had five goals and one helper last season. Junior Kyle Gruber is back between the pipes after impressing last season.
2021-2022 Record: 6-11-1 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jimmy Tierney
Oliver Ames begins a new chapter in program history as they welcome a familiar face as new head coach in Jimmy Tierney, a former player and assistant coach. Tierney was the inaugural HockomockSports Goalie of the Year in 2013 and was a two-team First Team selection during his stellar career with the Tigers.
Now Tierney will look to guide this year’s team back to the success they experienced during his playing days when they reached the South sectional semifinals and finals during his sophomore and junior years. The Tigers have nearly their entire roster back from last year after graduating just two seniors, including senior center Sean McCarthy, who was second on the team with 10 goals and nine assists, and junior Andrew Livingstone, who earned HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors after leading OA with 12 goals and eight assists. The offense will have plenty of depth with seniors Matt Lawson (15 points), Jack Corey (15 points), Daniel Paul, and Jack Perron, who is a team captain for the second year along with McCarthy.
Sophomore Patrick DeLoughrey and freshman Brenden Teehan will look to make an immediate impact on the offensive end. Along the blue line, junior Sean Kearns (three goals, 11 assists) will look to build upon a solid campaign last year when he earned honorable mention for league all star. He’ll be joined by classmates Landon Grothe and Andy Poulos in the defensive group. The Tigers have experience in the net with senior Brandon Burke back between the pipes after playing in 17 games last year.
“Our biggest strength this season will be the team-first mentality our players have,” Tierney said. “The players care a lot about each other and will do what it takes to put the team first. This along with the hard work they are putting in is what will make us successful.”
2021-2022 Record: 11-11-2 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32 Coach: Dan Mark
The Stoughton/Brockton co-op team is coming off its most successful season together, and the Black Knights’ best campaign in over a decade after winning 11 games, including a preliminary game in the Division 3 state tournament.
The Black Knights won’t be competing in the Hockomock League again this season as they team up with the Boxers to try and replicate the success from last year. In order to do so, they’ll blend a mix of veteran and younger players as they navigate through their schedule, which will feature games against Hockomock League teams Attleboro, Foxboro, Oliver Ames, and Taunton. Offensively, Stoughton/Brockton returns a strong core led by last year’s leading scorer senior Charlie Caputo, who netted 13 goals along with 14 helpers. Senior Sean Farley added a team-high 16 goals as well as nine assists, while junior Colby Strunk is coming off a 21-point season as a sophomore.
Defensively, longtime head coach Dan Mark will turn to junior Ryan Summers to anchor a relatively inexperienced group. Summers had five goals and seven assists but the Knights lost three defensemen to graduation. In net, juniors Sean McGowan and Dmytro Yakovenko are battling for the starting job.
2021-2022 Record: 7-10-4 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Kris Metea
Taunton comes into the new season with definitely the youngest roster in the league and one of the youngest rosters in program history. Head coach Kris Metea has 35 players in the system this season and 26 of them are sophomores or younger. There is plenty of energy on the ice and plenty of potential, but there may be some growing pains for players getting their first taste of varsity action.
There are a few seniors on the team to provide the Tigers with much-needed experience and leadership. One of those seniors is Colton Scheralis, who will move up from the blue line to the attack at the start of the season. He recorded 13 points as a defenseman last year and should be able to bring his creativity and stick skills to the forward line. Senior Connor McGrath will also give Taunton a scoring punch, after his 13-goal, 13-assist junior campaign. Junior Conner Goranson scored 14 points last year as a sophomore and will be on the top line.
Experience is in short supply in the defensive zone, especially with Scheralis moving forward at the start. Sophomores Travis Cashman and Jon McGrath both saw time as freshmen and will look to build on that first season on the blue line. Sophomore Cam Tomaszycki is back in goal for the Tigers. He was a standout as a freshman, allowing a little more than three goals per game and saving nearly 90 percent of the shots he faced.
“We have a great group of players,” Metea said. “They are excited to go to the rink every day. They love each other and are willing to fight for one another. They make going to the rink a pleasure every day for our coaching staff.”
Mansfield junior goalie Chris Hormann made 28 saves to help the Hornets pick up an important 4-1 win over North Attleboro in the Songin Cup. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
WALPOLE, Mass. – When North Attleboro and Mansfield met the first time, the Hornets were missing junior goalie Chris Hormann and the Rocketeers took advantage to score seven goals. Hormann was back between the pipes on Saturday morning when the teams met again at Rodman Arena in the opening round of the Songin Cup and he came through with a big performance.
Hormann made 28 saves, including a penalty shot and a big stop on a third-period breakaway, helping Mansfield pull out a much-needed 4-1 victory that moves the Hornets closer to clinching a spot in the postseason.
“We knew coming in what they were all about,” said Mansfield coach Mike Balzarini. “They’re very structured, they’re very well-coached, and they just work hard. We knew if we could get pucks on net, crash the net, rebounds, then it would be a different game from the last time we played them.”
Mansfield got off to the perfect start. Mark DeGirolamo stepped up from the blue line and fired a wrist shot on net. North goalie Kyle Gruber was unsighted by bodies in front and the puck snuck into the top corner to make it 1-0 after just 90 seconds.
Kyle Oakley nearly doubled the Mansfield lead a few minutes later, but his wrap around was gobbled up by Gruber with Dillon Benoit waiting on the edge of the crease. Midway through the first, the Hornets did get a second. Freshman Ty Carroll flung a puck from the point that the North goalie didn’t see and it went in off the far post.
Only 15 seconds after the Hornets took a two-goal lead, North had the chance to get on the board with a penalty shot. Sam Clarke tried to beat Hormann on the glove side, but the Mansfield goalie came up with a big stop.
Liam Anastasia came close to making it 3-0 when he sent a knuckling shot towards goal that dipped at the last second and came back off the bar. North was struggling to get much going in the offensive zone (outshot 11-6 in the first) but Nik Kojoian set up Gavin Arabian for a rush down the right side and he forced Hormann into a good blocker save.
North was on its heels for most of the opening 15 minutes but the Rocketeers came out in the second with a different level of energy. Kojoian again was the creator of a good chance a few minutes in when his pass set up Mark Ayvzayan right in front. Hormann made the pad stop, but Ayvzayan also drew a penalty on the play.
The Rocketeers went to work with the extra skater and halved the deficit when Anthony Westcott’s diagonal pass picked out Nick Longa alone at the far post. Hormann somehow got across to get a pad on the first attempt and managed to get a piece of the second shot as well. The puck bounced to the edge of the crease and Brady Sarro was there to knock it into the empty net.
Gruber came up big just a minute later to keep North within one. Oakley got behind the North defense but Gruber closed the pads to deny the first chance and then stayed tall to save the follow-up attempt by Benoit as well. Carroll had a shot from the point that Brayden Purtell tipped in front but Gruber flung out a pad at the last second to keep it out.
North kept pressing. A bad bounce off the end boards gifted Kojoian with a good opportunity but Hormann was in good position to make the save. Sarro was then left wide open in the right wing circle, but his one-timer was gloved by the Hornets netminder.
“I think the speech in the locker room between the periods lit a fire under them and I think they responded and I thought we carried the play in the second,” said North coach Kyle Heagney. “His goaltender played outstanding, stood on his head. We had some chances in the third and we didn’t capitalize on them and Mansfield did.”
It felt like the Rocketeers went into the second intermission with momentum, but it was the Hornets that came out on the front foot. Mansfield held North to just one shot on target through the first 10 minutes of the third period.
Ryan Doherty had a good early look with a snap shot off a face-off, forcing Gruber into a good stop. Four minutes into the third, Mansfield restored its two-goal lead. Declan Foley’s angled pass from the point picked out Oakley all alone at the back post and the senior forward buried his chance to make it 3-1.
As time started to wind down in the third, North started pressing to try and get back into the game. Arabian’s shot from the point was touched inches wide by Sarro in front and Joe Quinn had a nice rush down the left wing but sent a shot (possibly off a defenseman’s stick) narrowly wide of the top corner.
North’s best chance came with four minutes to play. Sarro took advantage of a poorly timed change to break in alone, but Hormann flashed the glove to keep the lead at two. Only 30 seconds later, Mansfield put the game away and picked up a valuable margin of victory bonus. Carroll hit Benoit in stride down the middle and the forward roofed his shot, giving Gruber no chance, to make it 4-1.
“We had a bad a change and it was a legit 3-on-0, so Patrick Gormley owes him 100 percent,” Balazarini joked about the lead up to North’s breakaway opportunity. “I thought we played well in the defensive zone, getting out to the points. We were 3-for-4 in penalty kills, so that’s huge.
Heagney added, “I give Mansfield all the credit in the world. They came out and took it to us, won puck races all over the ice. We were flat and they outplayed us.”
Mansfield (7-9-1) will get a rematch with rival King Philip on Monday in the Songin Cup final, after the Warriors beat Walpole in a shootout. North Attleboro (9-9-1) will face the Rebels in Monday’s consolation game.
