01/26/2017

Canton Weathers North Attleboro’s Comeback Effort

Canton hockey — Canton’s Bubba McNeice (assist) carries the puck in the offensive zone against North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

CANTON, Mass, – For 43 minutes, Canton was clicking and playing impressive hockey.

But in a two minute span, North Attleboro completely changed the game and erased a three goal deficit.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they were able to bounce back with one more goal late in the second period to pick up a 4-3 win over the the Rocketeers in a Davenport division showdown.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached in a game like that were all of a sudden we were up three and then tied in a blink of an eye,” admitted Canton head coach Brian Shuman. “But that’s North Attleboro, they are dangerous. They shoot the puck harder than any team we’ve faced. Those guys can shoot and they had a couple good shots off and it’s a tie ball game, that’s how explosive they are.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Canton scored a pair of goals in a dominating first period and added one more early in the third period and looked to be cruising. But midway through the period, the Rocketeers turned things around.

First, Hunter Sarro pounced on a loose puck in the offensive zone, corralling the puck and turning and firing all in one motion. Canton goalie Quinn Gibbs (14 saves) got a piece of the shot but the puck found its way over the line.

Just 42 seconds later, the Rocketeers made things interesting as Jason McNeany centered the puck right in front of goal, allowing a tap in opportunity for Sarro to make it 3-2 with 7:17 to play in the second period.

And just over one minute later, Will Yeomans knocked down a clearance and centered it for Erik Clements, who fired a wrist shot top shelf to tie the game with 6:10 to play in the period.

“No adjustments, we told them we just had to stay with our game,” said North Attleboro head coach Steve Snizek. “We came out flat; our team knew it and [Canton] took advantage. It’s tough to comeback but they showed a lot of character tonight which I’m very proud of. We came up short but there were a lot of positives – some negatives – but I thought the positives outweighed especially just being a man and showing a lot of character.”

Canton was able to respond shortly before the end of the period, a goal that turned out to be the game-winner.

Senior defenseman DJ Trerice weaved his way into the offensive zone and dropped the puck back at the blue line to Bubba McNeice. McNeice played catch with CJ Martin on the blue line before firing the puck towards goal. Junior Charlie O’Connor was able to get his stick on the puck to redirect the puck into the back of the net.

“Not only was it important for the scoreboard, it was important for the bench,” Shuman said. “A lot of guys were getting on each other to pick it up so that was huge. CJ Martin, that was the best game I’ve seen him play in two years. He was outstanding out there defensively, he skated the puck when we needed him to and then it was really nice to see him factor into that goal, he had a great game.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The third period was mostly even, but neither side registered a serious scoring chance. North Attleboro had a power play opportunity with 2:47 left but couldn’t cash in. Canton was able to keep the pressure in the offensive zone to prevent the Rocketeers from pulling goalie Ryan Warren (28 saves).

Canton opened the scoring just three minutes into the game. After an offensive zone face off, junior Mike Dadasis went into the corner and dug out the puck. He carried it right to he near post and tucked it in for a 1-0 lead.

Tommy Kilduff had a chance for Canton midway through the second period but a diving effort from Vincent Zamiello disrupted the partial breakaway chance. The Bulldogs did breakthrough with just under four minutes to play. Jack Goyetch blocked a clearance just inside the blue line and raced in and found the back of the net while being tripped out in front for a 2-0 lead.

“We played really well in the first period,” Shuman said. “We had some really good scoring opportunities, it was nice to spot ourselves the lead but we left a couple on the board. We played really well in the first and then [North Attleboro] came back and killed that penalty in the second period which was a big momentum shift. The third was back and forth game, I thought they had some really good pressure on us in the third but I thought we played better defensively. The few opportunities they had in the second they buried and they played well in the third but we were able to play tighter defensively and limit the good shots.”

Less than a minute into the second period, Canton added to its lead. With the puck dumped into the offensive zone, freshman John Hagan unleashed a big hit in the corner the forced the puck to pop free. That’s where Kilduff ripped a shot from the slot to make it 3-0.

With the win, Canton moves within a point of clinching its seventh Davenport title. Even with big league title implications on the line, Shuman said his team treated it the same they do every league game.

“We say it all the time that every game is important in the Davenport and in the league,” Shuman said. “It’s cliché but at some point it rings true where every game is a championship game. If you drop any game, your chances of taking the league title are hurt. We treated this game like we did Stoughton, Foxboro and all of the other games. We’re a step closer but we’re not there by any means we have three very tough games left in the league.”

Canton (9-2-2 overall, 6-0 Hockomock) will try to extend its 11 game unbeaten streak on Saturday against Medway. North Attleboro (7-3-2, 3-2-1) will try to bounce back on Sunday against Mansfield.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

01/18/2017

Kilduff Rescues a Point for Canton Against Medfield

CANTON, Mass. – Canton and Medfield have developed quite a rivalry since the Warriors made the leap into Div. 2 several years ago. The teams consistently meet in the regular season, including last year’s shootout thriller in the Quinn Tournament in Raynham, and have also met a couple of times in the latter rounds of the South sectional.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Although both teams have a number of new faces this season, the expectation was for a fast-paced, high-energy game. And with both teams looking for consistent offense after the graduation of key forwards, it was also expected to be tight.

On Wednesday night at the Canton Ice House, the teams met for the first time this season and the game mostly lived up to expectations, finishing in a 1-1 tie. Tommy Kilduff got the lone goal for the Bulldogs to even the score early in the third period, as the Bulldogs closed the game with a flurry after an inconsistent opening two periods.

Despite earning a point and outshooting the Warriors, who are the defending state champions, 29-16 (11-1 in the third period alone), Canton coach Brian Shuman was left wanting more from his team.

He said, “I’m happy that we battled back and had some good chances in the third period, but that’s a game that we need to go out there and put out a better effort.”

Shuman admitted that several of the players were frustrated in the locker room after the game. He said that he understood why. “They are in the elite of our division, so how do you not bring your best effort and get guys stepping up and performing?” Shuman asked. “That was the most frustrating part, not bringing the energy and making plays when we had the chance.”

Both teams are known for playing with speed and precision, but that was largely missing from the opening period. There were flashes of the passing that makes both teams hard to stop, but most of the game was played between the blue lines with the offenses struggling to make an impact.

Kilduff created the game’s first scoring chance with a good forecheck that forced a turnover but his shot was just wide across goal. The puck came back to Matt Cassamento and he fed Kilduff in front but Kevin Walsh (28 saves) came through with the stop. Canton goalie Quinn Gibbs (15 saves) made a nice stop on Dylan McNally and with 20 seconds left in the first Jack Goyetch had a chance on a 2-on-1 but Walsh managed to sit on the puck and cover up.

Medfield jumped in front a little more than a minute into the second period, and just seven seconds after a penalty on Bubba McNeice, when Ryan Johnson swung the puck across the blue line to Nick Wheeler. The senior defenseman flung a shot through traffic that Gibbs could not see.

The Warriors had their best period of the game, putting 11 shots on Gibbs in the second, but had few legit scoring opportunities. Kilduff nearly tied it with 7:15 left in the period and the rebound popped out to Ryan Nolte but his shot slid just wide of the post with Walsh prone on the ice.

The Canton forecheck created another chance two minutes later as first Goyetch and then Jackson Maffeo had shots beaten aside by Walsh. Freshman John Hagan had a snap shot kicked aside as well.

In the third, the Bulldogs finally found a way past Walsh. Nolte had a point-blank chance carom off the goalie’s shoulder when it looked destined for the corner, but the Bulldogs kept the play alive in the zone and Kilduff was able to pounce on a loose puck in front to slide in the goal.

“He was frustrated at the start of the season because the goals weren’t coming but to his credit, patience, he didn’t lose control of his emotions and he’s had a great couple of weeks for us,” said Shuman of Kilduff. “We’re going to need him going forward because it seems like we’re just riding his coattails right now.”

The Bulldogs dominated the third period and the defense limited Medfield to only one shot in the period, while Maffeo (paired mostly with Brad Murphy) and Martin (paired with D.J. Trerice) regularly found themselves pushing up into the attack.

“They weren’t feeling it this game, but they still battled through and they made all the plays they needed to, they recovered well, and they played a lot of minutes,” said Shuman of Martin and Maffeo. “The problem hasn’t been keeping guys off the board this year; we’ve been doing that pretty well. It’s getting more pucks to the back of the net.”

Canton had one last chance to try for the game-winning goal and again it was the top line that created the opportunity, Kilduff broke free down the left wing and fired a pass across goal to Nolte, but somehow Walsh managed to get across and make a sprawling save that left the Canton alumni on the opposite side of the rink mystified as to how it was not a goal.

Shuman knows that Canton is going to need more people to rise to the occasion if the Bulldogs are going to make a tournament run this season.

“We can’t rely on one line and that’s what is happening right now,” Shuman explained. “We have one line that is carrying our play, that everyone is looking to do something, and the other lines are sort of just along for the ride. We can’t get a full team going.”

Canton (7-2-2) will get back into league play on Saturday with a trip to Asiaf Arena to take on Stoughton before next week’s visit of Davenport challenger North Attleboro.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

12/14/2016

Hockey: 2016-2017 Davenport Division Preview

2016-2017 Davenport Hockey Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2016-2017 Davenport Hockey Preview

Canton

2015-2016 Record: 16-3-4
2015-2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinal
Coach: Brian Shuman

Throughout the years, Canton has had plenty of skillful goal scorers that pace the offense. Heading into this season, it’s still to be determined who will emerge as Canton’s top offensive threat.

The Bulldogs lost a lot of scoring from a year ago, including the team’s top for scorers – Matt Lazaro, Jim Jenkins, Bobby Mullaney and Seamus Pecararo – who combined for over 100 points. However, the Bulldogs have one of the strongest programs from top to bottom in the area and it will be the next man up. Senior Tommy Kilduff (nine points) and junior Jack Goyetch (12 poitns) are likely candidates to be top offensive weapons on their respective lines.

One area that Canton is rock solid is defense. The Bulldogs are bringing back their top four defensemen from a year ago, including HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Jackson Maffeo and HockomockSports Third Team selection CJ Martin. Those two will be joined once again by DJ Trerice and Brad Murphy, giving Canton a solid foundation to work off of.

Juniors Quinn Gibbs and Niko Donovan are set to compete for the starting job vacated by Justin Slocum.

“Overall, we expect to be a scrappy team with no real superstars, but a good balance of gritty forwards, experienced defensemen, and deep goaltending hopefully will allow us to compete with the top teams in the Hockomock League,” Canton head coach Brian Shuman said.

Foxboro

2015-2016 Record: 5-14-1
2015-2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mark Cedorchuk

With a strong blend of experienced players and young talent, first year head coach Mark Cedorchuk is hopeful the Warriors can find their way back to the state tournament.

The Warriors return both of their top scoring threats from a year ago with seniors Mike Carresi (seven goals, 10 assists) and Peter Smith (10 goals, six assists) both back to pace the offense, as well as classmate Paul Vey. Junior Aidan Sullivan is back after an impressive sophomore season (eight points) and will be a big presence along the blue line along with classmate Taylor Sharfman and senior John Brolin.

It will be a familiar face between the pipes for Foxboro again this season as John Cronin returns as one of the top netminders in the league.

“With this core group of excellent upperclassman and talented underclassman we’re very excited about our season this year,” Cedorchuk said. “With the roster we have we’re looking to compete at a very high level and can’t wait for our season to start.”

North Attleboro

2015-2016 Record: 13-5-4
2015-2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Steve Snizek

Between a strong returning core of players and a switch to the Davenport division, 2016-2017 could be the year the Rocketeers make a serious run at a league title. Standing in the way will be Canton.

Five of the Rocketeers’ leading scorers are back this year, including top goal scorer Erik Clements (13 goals, 10 assists) and top assist man and HockomockSports.com First Team selection Zach McGowan (12 goals, 12 assists). Juniors Jason McNeany (eight goals, 12 assists), Andrew Wissler (nine goals, nine assists) and Hunter Sarro (nine goals, four assists) are all back as well with varsity experience. The depth in North Attleboro’s attack will make them tough to deal with.

Defensively, it all starts with sophomore goalie Ryan Warren, who had a terrific freshman year and was named HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year. In front of him, senior Vincent Zammiello – a HockomockSports.com Third Team selection – and sophomore Brendan McHugh will anchor the defensive unit.

“In order for our team to be successful, we need to stick to our style of hockey and be well positioned and physical,” North Attleboro head coach Steve Snizek said. “We also need to take advantage of power power play opportunities while staying disciplined.”

Stoughton

2015-2016 Record: 6-12-3
2015-2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Dan Mark

Stoughton returns a good handful of experienced varsity players from last year’s squad, but will still be one of the youngest teams in the league.

Senior forwards Jon Lessa and Nick Hardy are two of the more experienced players on the team. Lessa was second in scoring a year ago with nine goals and also added six assists while Hardy chipped in with seven points. Sophomore Sean Doherty will likely see a lot of ice time this season after an impressive freshman season. Doherty had seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points – second most on the team.

On defense, senior Cam Doherty will anchor the blue line while sophomore Josh Hough will look to build upon a strong rookie campaign a year ago. Sophomore AJ Scott is back in goal this season after making over 600 saves as a freshman. Having a year of varsity experience will be vital for a handful of Stoughton’s returning players.

“We are young team that will improve as the season goes on,” Stoughton head coach Dan Mark said.

05/11/2016

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/11/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Taunton, 8 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Taunton senior Charles Hearrold III earned the win on the mound, tossing five innings with just one earned run, three hits and two walks allowed. Hearrold III also paced the Tigers at the plate with a pair of hits and a pair of RBI. Luke Figueira and Matt Machado each had a pair of hits for the Tigers as well. Max Bowden knocked in a pair of runs and sophomore Joe Manchester had one RBI.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Canton, 8 – Final – Senior Griffin Jerrier stole the show on the mound for Canton, striking out nine in a complete game effort, scattering six hits and only allowing two earned runs. Mike McMahon (double, RBI) and Joe Bires (run) both had a pair of hits for Canton while Jim Jenkins and Sean Doyle each knocked in a pair of runs for the Bulldogs. For Oliver Ames, sophomore Matt Muir had two hits.

Milford, 5 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Foxboro’s Jesse Galanti connected for a two run single, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning and the Warriors were able to hold on. Nick Wright picked up his third save of the season, pitching a scoreless top half of the seventh inning. Andrew Block tossed six innings for the win for Foxboro. Aaron Wentling pitched in with a team-best three hits while Darren Kelly and Wright each had two hits for the Warriors.

Mansfield, 1 @ Franklin, 12 – Final – The Panthers’ offense roared to life with all nine players in the lineup getting either a hit or scoring a run. Nick Santucci and Ryan Hodgkins each had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI for Franklin while Josh Macchi knocked in four runs and had a double. Jake Lyons, Mike Skaza, Jason Ulrickson and Alex Bissanti each had an RBI for Franklin as well. Ulrickson got the win on the mound for Franklin, tossing six innings with just two hits allowing and four strikeouts. Classmate Matt Foley closed the game with a scoreless seventh inning.

North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Jack DiCenso tossed a complete game shutout for the Warriors, scattering five hits while striking out six in the win. King Philip scored both of its runs in the first inning. After Kyle Guenthner walked, junior Will Weir plated him with an RBI double. Weir then came around to score on a single from DiCenso.

Sharon, 2 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Nico Parmeggiani threw a complete game for Stoughton, scattering five hits with only one walk and seven strikeouts to earn the win. Stoughton broke the tie game open with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sharon sophomore Max Tarlin had his second straight strong start for the Eagles, going 5 2/3 with five strikeouts and two earned runs, while allowing just two hits. Junior catcher Jake Marglous had a two RBI single for the Eagles.

Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 9 – Final – Aimee Kistner (four innings, win) and Courtney Fisher (three innings) combined to throw a four-hit shutout and totaled 12 strikeouts in the win. Kya Enos had two hits, including a two-run home run while Jordan Wade had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI, Meghan Navarro had a triple and two RBI and Liana Duarte had a pair of hits for the Tigers.

Canton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames freshman pitcher Kayla Georgeu only allowed three hits, striking out four in a complete game effort. Missy Krim went 2-3 with a pair of runs scored and had one stolen base, Jamie Gottwald was 2-2 with an RBI and a run scored, Victoria Ziner was 2-3 with a pair of RBI and Katie Pursley (1-2) knocked in a pair of runs for the Tigers and also scored a run. Also for the Tigers, Katie Mills (1-1) knocked in Jordyn Leite (1-1, double).

Mansfield, 2 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Mansfield senior pitcher Maddie Letendre kept the Panthers at bay, allowing just four hits while striking out seven. Freshman Megan Letendre paced the offense with three hits while junior Liz Mackin socked a pair of hits. Mady Bendanillo (RBI) and Amanda Giambanco each had a hit for the Hornets. Mansfield cashed in for both of their runs in the fifth inning with Bendanillo single knocking in Megan Letendre and Maddie Letendre knocking in Bendanillo.

King Philip, 6 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – After having just one hit through five innings, North Attleboro rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game. But King Philip sophomore Elise Pereira’s solo home run to lead off the seventh inning proved to be the difference. Kali Magane came in and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to preserve the win for the Warriors. After KP scored two runs in both the second and fifth innings, North Attleboro used a grand slam from Kaylea Sherman to tie the game in the sixth. Christa Wagner, Pereira, Magane, Brooke Taute and Meghan Gorman all had two hits for KP. Mycala Moody and Gina Miceli each had a pair of hits for the Rocketeers.

Stoughton, 5 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Stoughton’s Shannon Flaherty tossed a complete game without surrendering an earned run. Flaherty also struck out nine while issuing three walks. Jeni D’Andrea, Gina Caraffa, Karly Estramera, Sam Tullis and Flaherty each had hits for the Black Knights.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames senior attack Matt Gilson scored four goals and sophomore attack Eric LeBlanc added a pair of goals for the Tigers.

Canton, 14 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Jack Dillon, Matt Mackay and Dan Cohen all scored their first career goals in the win for the Panthers. Dylan Cunningham had a pair of saves in a shutout fourth quarter in the cage. Canton head coach Bill Bendell said DJ Trerice played well at midfield and both Brian Albert and George Kent played great defense.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 11 – Final – Click here for a full recap.

King Philip, 11 @ Sharon, 9 – Final – King Philip overcame from a four goal deficit at halftime and a three minute locked in penalty to start the fourth quarter to beat the Eagles. Sharon held a 3-0 lead after a quarter and a 5-1 lead at the break. Sharon led 7-5 going into the final quarter but an illegal stick forced KP into a man down situation for three minutes locked in. KP senior Steven Eaton kept the Warriors rolling, setting up a pair of man-down goals for KP to tie the game less than halfway through the final quarter. Junior Tim Watson scored one of his three goals with just 2:51 left to put KP up 10-8. After KP pulled within one, Eaton iced the game with a goal with 15 seconds left. Watson finished with three goals and four assists while Sam Agricola found the back of the net four times. Harry Fallon scored twice and had one assist, Anthony Truini scored once and Michael Curtin had one assist for KP. Junior goalie Paul Macrina notched 13 of his 21 saves in the second half for KP.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 11 – Final – Mansfield senior defenseman Josh Schafer set the tone early for the Hornets, going coast to coast and finding the back of the net for the first goal of the game and Mansfield held a 4-1 lead at the halftime break. The Hornets continued the attack with a 7-3 second half. Ryan Smith scored three goals and had an assist and Jon Reed found the back of the net twice for Mansfield. Connor Finerty, Billy Grant (two assists), Jarrett Saunders, Hunter Ferreira (assist) and Sam O’Connell each scored once for Mansfield.

Taunton, 4 vs. New Bedford, 9 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Oliver Ames @ Attleboro, 5:00

Milford, 3 @ Canton, 17 – Final – Mary Nee found the back of the net four times for the Bulldogs.

Franklin, 13 @ Foxboro, 8 – Final – Franklin senior goalie Dani Lonati made 11 saves to hold off the Davenport division leading Warriors. Franklin’s Julia Jette scored three goals and had two assists while Kendall Reardon had two goals and three assists and Emily Spath found the back of the net three times.

Sharon @ King Philip, 6:00

Mansfield, 10 @ North Attleboro, 19 – Final – Hana Caster led the Rocketeers with five goals and five assists, while sophomore Mackenzie Rosenberg added six goals for North. Brooke Ebert played well in goal, according to North coach Mike Vitelli.

Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 8 – Final – Taunton goalie Lorna Li made 20 saves in the cage for the Tigers but the Whalers were able to get the close win. Abbey Kingman scored twice and Kayla Phillips, Lindsay Sneyd and Riana Winslow each scored once for Taunton while Annie Tate had an assist.

Boys Tennis
Taunton, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – The Tigers got a pair of wins in singles play and clinched the win with a win at first doubles. Freshman Brett Beaulieu won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles for Taunton and Mike Briggs picked up a 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Connor Briggs and Charlie Fiske won 6-0, 3-6, 6-0 at first doubles for the Tigers. Attleboro’s Timothy Vermilyea won 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles and the team of Shaun Gordon and Gaashaan Yusuf won 6-3, 6-0 at second doubles for the Bombardiers.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final

Milford @ Foxboro, 3:45

Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Franklin got a clean sweep at doubles and freshman Dan Barrow won at third singles to secure a win for the Panthers. Junior James Johnston and senior Tom Mancini won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles and sophomores Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles for the Panthers while Barrow won 6-4, 6-3 at third singles.

North Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip’s Cole Ginter won at first singles, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-4 and the team of Justin Rohan and Marco DiStefano won 6-4, 6-4 at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Sharon freshman Danujan Thirumavalavan picked up a 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, sophomore Andre Olivei won 6-1, 6-1 at second dingles and senior Andrew Tarnoff swept 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. Sophomore Russell Rapaport and freshman Max Brody teamed up for a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles for the Eagles and junior Sharov Mikhail and senior Jing Huang won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – It was a clean sweep for the Tigers, who won in straight sets in each match. Jordan Paglica won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Olivia Sweeney won 6-1, 6-4 at second singles and Kelsey Hebert won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles for the Tigers. The team of Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles for Taunton and Caroline Hebert and Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Canton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Canton got wins at first and second singles as well as first doubles to get the win. Tiffany Ha and Sarah MacQuarrie picked up their third win in as many days, notching a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles. Carly Scanlon won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles and Skyler Jabbour won via forfeit (injury) at second singles. OA’s Sarah Leger won 6-3, 7-6 at third singles and Rachel Stryke and Claudia Ferrera won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final

Mansfield, 3 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Mansfield swept both doubles matches and got a win from sophomore Sarah Doyle at third singles to edge the Panthers. Doyle won 6-0, 6-3 at third singles while Cathryn Heavey and Chloe Peters won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles. The team of freshmen Tessa Garufi and Elizabeth Elsner took a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win at second doubles to help clinch the win for the Hornets. Franklin’s Anna Humphreys won 7-6, 7-6 at first singles and junior Anja Deric won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles for the Panthers.

King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final

Stoughton @ Sharon, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
Milford @ Millis 6:00
Taunton @ North Quincy 4:00

02/13/2016

Kilduff’s Hat Trick Paces Canton Past Oliver Ames

BROCKTON, Mass. – It certainly wasn’t an ideal start for Canton on Saturday evening, but the response from the Bulldogs definitely was.
After going down 1-0 in the opening minutes, Canton responded with the tying goal in the first, two tallies in the second and three more in the final period to score a 6-1 non-league win over Oliver Ames.
Less than 20 seconds into the game the Bulldogs went down a man on a four minute major boarding call. Oliver Ames was able to take advantage on the power play with freshman Max Ward taking a feed from classmate Brett Williams and banged one of the iron to put the Tigers ahead.
But as the period went on, the Bulldogs started to get their legs. Less than 30 seconds into their first power play, Canton junior Tommy Kilduff — the guilty part from the Bulldogs’ early penalty — got a piece of DJ Trerice’s shot from the blue line to knot the game.
“We always stress three keys and the first is to get off to a quick start,” Canton head coach Brian Shuman said. “When you get a four minute major in the first 20 seconds it kind of kills the gameplan. It was a horrible first period, I didn’t even know what to say in the locker room because there were so many things that needed to be fixed. But to our guys’ credit, they figured it out and played a hell of a lot better.”
OA goalie Zach Walsh kept the score level with a big save on Canton’s CJ Martin with less than 10 seconds to go in the first and then stopped an odd man rush from the Bulldogs, stopping Seamus Pecararo’s wrist shot and then gobbling up the loose puck just before it crossed the line.
But midway through the second Canton was able to take the lead for good. After the puck was thrown towards goal, a scrum ensued but senior Bobby Mullaney was alone at the post and lifted a backhand right over Walsh’s stick to make it 2-1.
Less than two minutes Canton converted at the tail end of a power play. Trerice went across the blue line to Martin and his wrist shot through traffic – with Kilduff playing a big role in the screen – and found the back of the net to make it 3-1, a lead the Bulldogs took into the second intermission.
“They blocked a ton of shots, there were always guys in the shooting lanes,” Shuman said. “They dominated us in that first period. After that we were finally able to get some momentum of our own. They really do take away the cross ice pass nicely so we to make more of those 10 foot passes to sort of get the puck moving. To OA’s credit they always play hard, they’re always physical and that’s why they’re a playoff team.”
Kilduff got his second of the game with just over five minutes gone in the final period. With OA looking to clear it out of their own zone, Kilduff swooped in to pick the pick uff and went in alone, pulling a quick move before roofing it to make it 4-1.
“The kids were calling him Tommy Kane after that second goal, going up under the crossbar, and it was a great goal,” Shuman said. “Tommy’s getting better and better. He works hard, he never stops moving his feet, and it was good to see him get going. Often times it takes a shot off the stick that finds the back of the net to get going and that’s exactly what fired him up and get him going today.”
Canton went on another man advantage and cashed in nearly right away with senior Matt Lazaro rounding around the boards before finding Mullaney in the middle for a one timer. Junior Jackson Maffeo also assisted on the play.
In the final minutes, Kilduff came away with another turnover, this one in the neutral zone and skated in with an odd man rush along side senior Andrew Gelerman. Instead of going for the shot to try and complete the hat trick, Kilduff unselfishly dished it off to Gelerman. The shot was just wide of the post but Kilduff was rewarded for his unselfishness as the puck bounced off the boards right back it him on the other side of the goal for a tap in to make it 6-1.
“Canton’s at their high point right now, they skate hard,” OA head coach Mark Homer said. “I thought for the first period, period and a half I thought our guys did a nice job of keeping up and skating well. We jumped right into the game and had some opportunities and got that first goal. I thought we battled hard but we just didn’t create enough opportunities.”
Canton finished with a 24-19 advantage in shots.
“They’re a fast team, they move the puck quick,” Homer said of Canton. “Brian obviously does a great job with them, they’re very structured and they just have no give up in them. We were trying to take the middle of the ice away, and at times we did a pretty good job of it. We were trying to jump on them right away, especially in their defensive zone, trying to force them to make quick decisions and then take advantage of some errors.”
Canton hockey (13-2-2, 9-0-1) will take on Coyle & Cassidy in the first round of the Joe Quinn Memorial Tournament at the Raynham IcePlex on Tuesday at 7:30. Oliver Ames (9-7-1, 7-3) will travel over the Bourne Bridge on Monday to take on North Reading in the first game of the Jeff Hayes Memorial Tournament.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

01/30/2016

Canton and Franklin Finish Scoreless in Rematch

Franklin goalie Nick Jasinski (31) denies Canton forward Matt Lazaro (9) in the second period on Saturday. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By Josh Perry, Managing Editor

FRANKLIN, Mass. – The top two teams in the Hockomock have been struggling to score goals consistently this season and on Saturday afternoon at Pirelli Veterans Memorial Rink Canton and Franklin continued to find offense hard to come by in a scoreless tie that provided plenty of excitement despite the puck never finding the back of the net.

“I joked with Coach Spillane in the line, if that doesn’t sum up both of our seasons right there then I don’t know what does,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman. “We’re both struggling to put the puck in the net.”

“Ironically that was one of the most wide open Franklin-Canton games. We both had plenty of chances.”

Franklin coach Chris Spillane agreed with those sentiments. All season he has talked about the need for players to step up on the offensive side and that continued against the Bulldogs.

“Canton has the same disease as Franklin, can’t put the puck in the net,” he laughed. “Both teams had really good opportunities and maybe credit the goaltenders, they stepped up and made stops when they had to but yeah it was a game with very few quality, wow that should’ve been a goal.”

Franklin had the first chance of the game just two minutes in. Alex Bissanti and Luke Downie combined to create an opening to slide a pass across the crease to Adam Assad charging in at the back post but the junior was not able to put the puck on net under pressure from the defenseman.

With 7:44 left in the first, Jeremy Miller had a chance after intercepting a poor clearance but his shot from the slot was wristed wide.

Canton held a 5-4 edge in shots after the first but the Panthers dominated territorially in the second, controlling the puck in the Bulldogs’ zone for the opening four minutes of the period and managing five shots on goal. Despite Franklin’s domination of possession, it was Canton that had the best chances.

Midway through the period, Jim Jenkins redirected a shot from the point but was denied by a quick kick save by Nick Jasinski (15 saves). Nearly two minutes later, Canton had two great chances, both created by Matt Lazaro. He set up Bobby Mullaney for a shot from the slot with a behind the back pass but it went wide and then 30 seconds later he had another chance on an odd-man rush and was stoned at the near post by Jasinski.

“Any time that their first line was on the ice they seemed to have a little edge,” said Spillane. “Lazaro creates opportunities and other than that it was equal. He’s always finding those second and third trailers and giving them good opportunities.”

With 4:23 left in the second Miller had another shot on a rebound in the slot but Justin Slocum (25 saves) stood tall and denied the close-range chance.

“You can’t discount what the goaltenders did,” said Shuman. “They made some big saves on both ends.”

The third period was a replica of the second. Franklin outshot Canton 21-10 in the final two periods and had almost constant pressure on the Bulldogs back line, but defensemen Jackson Maffeo, C.J. Martin, D.J. Trerice, and Ryan Lodge helped Slocum keep the Panthers off the board.

Shuman explained, “They were all over us for very long stretches of time. I thought they outplayed us for long part of that game, but we still had chances to win it. It was an exciting game.”

Canton also had the two best scoring chances of the third, despite only recording four shots in the period. Brad Murphy created the first with a charge up the far boards and a pass right across the crease that Bubba McNeice directed towards goal but Jaskinski snatched it. With 1:01 remaining, Lazaro had a clear look from the slot but again the Franklin goalie stood tall to save.

“That’s what you get with us,” said Spillane about the rivalry. “There was very little flow, it was back and forth, hard forechecking, hard hits…it’s good hockey, good to watch.”

He also credited his defensemen for keeping shots from getting all the way to the goaltender. Joe Corsi made a diving intervention to block a 2-on-1 in the first period and he and fellow seniors Matt Pleshaw and Tyler Oakes and freshman Kevin McKay were regularly in the way.

“Sometimes, I think it was more out of panic, sliding around, but today I think that we did line up with them well and play good, positional defensive hockey,” said Spillane.

It was a game that had the potential to break open, but both teams came in struggling to create offense and that continued, although both will go home with an important point and still unbeaten in the league this season.

“We just couldn’t put it away and sometimes that happens,” said Shuman. “Two good teams, good defenses and a couple guys holding the stick a little tight and throwing it at the pads.”

Franklin (7-3-3, 5-0-2) will travel to Asiaf Arena to face Stoughton on Wednesday, while Canton (10-2-1, 7-0-1) will travel to Aleixo Arena to face Attleboro on Monday.

Josh Perry can be contacted at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.

01/23/2016

Jenkins Scores Twice To Help Canton Solve Walsh, OA

Canton's Jack Goyetch (11) and OA goalie Zach Walsh watch as Jim Jenkins' (not pictured) shot fins the back of the net. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) — Canton’s Jack Goyetch (11) and OA goalie Zach Walsh watch as Jim Jenkins’ (not pictured) shot fins the back of the net. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief
BROCKTON, Mass. – Canton broke a scoreless deadlock in the final seconds of the second period then added an empty net goal late in the third period to earn a 2-0 win over Oliver Ames.
The Bulldogs didn’t struggle with quantity when it came to scoring chances, registering 27 shots in the first 29 minutes but couldn’t beat OA goalie Zach Walsh with their quality chances.
It wasn’t until the final minute of the second period when a quality chance finally found its way past Walsh. Canton senior defenseman CJ Martin took control of the puck, skated down to the corner and then toward’s the back of the goal. Instead of wrapping around, Martin dished the puck right in front to senior Jim Jenkins, who buried it to make it 1-0.
Canton had the advantage in shots in the first period with a 12-3 edge and had a power play but didn’t have a serious scoring chance. That changed in the second period.
Junior Tommy Kilduff had the first chance in the first minute, putting a backhand attempt on goal off a rebound but Walsh stopped it with a sprawling save. At the other end of the period, senior Matt Lazaro’s saucer pass found the stick of Jenkins on a two on one but his shot was pushed aside by Walsh.
“I thought the days of OA goaltenders making incredible says that I’ve rarely seen before were behind us,” Canton head coach Brian Shuman said. “Their goalie played great and they played well, they’re a good team. They grinded it out and they force you to execute. Those guys played a really good game and frustrated some of our better players. They beat us up with some big hits and outworked us in a couple spots but we grinded it out, we battled back and we did what we had to do to get the W.”
“One mistake, we had a bad change,” OA head coach Mark Homer said. “We were skating with them, we were battling with them and we made that one mistake. When you play a good team like that they’re going to capitalize and that’s what [Canton] did. I thought our third period there was a fight in our guys. Against Medway and Franklin we might have let up a little bit but tonight they had a will to win. It’s great when you’re that close and you score the goal to tie it but it’s so frustrating to be that close and lose on just one mistake. Our younger kids continue to improve too.
“We had to play a lot in our own end. We didn’t get a ton of offensive opportunities and you need to have more against a team like Canton. We started winning more battles in the third but we just didn’t get enough opportunities.”
Shots were even in the third period but Canton couldn’t get another by Walsh and OA didn’t muster up any serious scoring chances against Bulldog goalie Justin Slocum.
Midway through the period, Bobby Mullaney took possession just over his own blue line, skated through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone but his shot clanked off the crossbar and into the netting.
In the final two minutes, Jenkins fed Lazaro on a two on one but again Walsh came up with the save, this one while falling backwards.
With Walsh pulled and OA trying to get control in the offensive end, Jenkins got to a loose puck first, tipped it forward and buried the empty netter for his second goal of the game.
“You hate to say it but for a lack of a better word it was an ugly game,” Shuman said. “There were passes going off skates, guys looking for pucks behind them on both ends. Sometimes those games – college, high school, the NHL – they happen. When teams know each other so well and they know each other’s tendencies, they can both take those things away and what they want to do. And the result sometimes is just an ugly game.”
Neither team got a real rhythm going and neither side was able to set up in the attacking zone – there was only one penalty and it came in the first period – mostly because of the play of the defenses, with both coaches crediting their defensemen.
“I think our defense played very, very well,” Shuman said. “A guy like DJ Trerice, I thought he had his strongest game of the season and he keeps getting better and better the more ice time he gets. He was rock solid back there. There was a shift where OA had come chances and looked like they’d get another and he got his stick right in there. The defense played well and limited their shots.”
Slocum had 14 saves for the shutout win. Walsh finished with 30 saves for the Tigers.
“Walshy came out of his shell today, I think that’s the best game he’s played,” Homer said. “They had probably a dozen really, really good opportunities in front and he made some acrobatic saves, desperation saves. He was focused, he played well enough for us to win and that’s what he has to do against teams like this. I’m happy for him. He struggled a little bit earlier in the season and Jimmy Tierney’s name kept being mentioned so he’s had to fill some big shoes. He’s growing up out there and he’s gained confidence.”
Canton (10-2-1, 7-0) became the first Hockomock team to qualify for the state tournament and inched closer to clinching another Davenport title and will have a chance to clinch at least a share when they travel to Franklin on Saturday. Oliver Ames (6-4-1, 4-2) will try to get back on track on Wednesday with a trip to Foxboro.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.