03/05/202203/06/2022

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 03/05/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Division 2
#19 Oliver Ames, 71 @ #14 Longmeadow, 74 – Final

Boys Hockey
Division 1
#19 Franklin, 6 @ #14 Wellesley, 2 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Dylan Marchand scored a hat trick, helping the Panthers jump out to a 5-0 lead that it would never relinquish, booking a spot in the Round of 16 and a rematch with Hingham. Domenic Lampasona opened the scoring for Franklin after nearly seven minutes and Marchand added a pair of goals in the next two minutes to break the game open. Marchand completed his hat trick a minute into the second and then Ryan Sicchio pounced on a rebound for a power play goal to make it 5-0. Wellesley would get on the board before the end of the period, jumping on a rebound after a pair of stellar saves by Cole Pouliot-Porter. Franklin cleared off a major penalty, but late in the third (again after a couple of Pouliot-Porter saves) Wellesley would add a second. Only seconds later, Ben Jarosz found an empty net to seal the victory.

Division 3
#31 Stoughton, 1 @ #2 Scituate, 9 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Coming off its first playoff win in 16 years, Stoughton wasn’t able to pull an upset over the No. 2 seed in the Round of 32. Scituate took eight minutes to break the deadlock and added a second goal just 22 seconds later. Two minutes later, the Sailors popped in two more goals just six seconds apart to break the game open. Colin Alessi has the best chance for the Black Knights in the first period, forcing a blocker save from the left wing circle. In the second, on a power play, Stoughton got on the board when Sean Farley picked the top corner, but the Sailors answered back to make it 6-1 heading to the third. Scituate would add three more in the final period, although Colby Strunk hit the bar for Stoughton. Chris Andrade made 39 saves in the loss.

#27 Foxboro, 0 @ #6 Medway, 1 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Girls Hockey
Division 2
#30 Norwell, 4 @ #3 King Philip, 2 – Final

02/08/202202/10/2022

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/09/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 39 vs. Wachusett, 50 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. Foxboro got off to a strong start on Wednesday against unbeaten Wachusett, leading 11-8 after one, but struggled to maintain its offensive output and the experienced Mountaineers made the plays down the stretch to pick up the win. Camryn Collins was the top scorer for Foxboro with 14 points, scoring five each in the first and the third. Hannah Blake also had a big game for the Warriors with 13 pints and 14 rebounds. Erin Foley chipped in with seven points and Kailey Sullivan added five. The Warriors had the lead down to four in the fourth quarter (36-32) before Wachusett senior Charlotte Head took over. She scored nine of her game-high 19 in the fourth and Wachusett closed the game on a 14-7 run to win by double digits.

North Attleboro, 39 @ Franklin, 60 – Final – Franklin jumped out to a 35-16 lead by halftime and never looked back, picking up its fourth win in four days and clinching the outright Kelley-Rex title in the process. Stefany Padula led the way for the Panthers, burying four three-pointers and scoring a game-high 20 points, including eight points in the first as Franklin led 17-8. Padula added another seven points in the second, helping the Panthers score another 18 points in the quarter. Olivia Quinn hit a pair of threes and scored 12 points and Katie Peterson added 11. Brigid Earley and Julia White each scored six points in the win. North’s offense got going in the second half, as the Rocketeers scored 23 points (including a 13-6 fourth quarter), but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. Sam Faria was North’s top scorer with eight points, including a pair from downtown, while Abby Camelio added seven. Summer Doherty scored six and Ava McKeon scored five in the loss.

Stoughton, 24 @ Mansfield, 51 – Final – Mansfield used its defense to pull out a win on Tuesday and was dominant again on Wednesday for a third win in the last four days. After a 13-9 first quarter, the Hornets held Stoughton to just four points in the second, seven in the third, and four in the fourth. The Hornets are now just one win away from clinching a playoff berth. Abby Wager had a game-high 13 points for the Hornets, scoring all of her points in the second and third quarters. Bridget Hanley added six in the third, on a pair of threes, and had 11 for the game. Kara Santos added 10 points and Olivia Salisbury had seven for the Hornets. For Stoughton, senior forward Vanessa Phelimond grabbed 10 boards and had eight points, Kate Bulger scored six points, and freshman Leah McCarty chipped in with seven points and seven boards.

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 9 – Final – Eight different Panthers found the back of the net as Franklin celebrated senior night with a win over visiting Attleboro. Dan Daley scored a pair of third period goals for the Panthers while Ryan Sicchio, Ben Jarosz, Aiden Linehan, Aiden Kuykendall, Ben Paterson, Tommy Balducci, and Domenic Lampasona each found the back of the net once. Nate Parker scored an unassisted second period goal for Attleboro while Nick Piazza turned away 45 shots in net.

Canton, 7 vs. Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final

North Attleboro, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.

Mansfield, 4 @ Taunton, 2 – Final

King Philip, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final

Stoughton, 8 vs. Wareham, 0 – Final – Stoughton notched a key win in its push for a spot in the Division 3 State Tournament, knocking off visiting Wareham/Carver. Colby Strunk led the offense with four goals while Cooper Card, Josh Greenspoon and Steven Westerlund scored a goal each. Chris Andrade and Sean McGowan combined for the shutout for the Black Knights.

Girls Hockey
Stoughton/Sharon, 0 @ Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Mansfield/Oliver Ames exploded for six goals in the middle period in a win over visiting Stoughton/Sharon. Cataline Kipp scored a pair of goals for the Warriors while Kylie O’Keefe, Maeve Anastasia, Ava Adams, Erin DiCenzo, Madison Guilfoyle, and Samantha Ledin each lit the lamp once. Jess Widdop recorded the shutout in net for MOAF. Janelle Murphy played well in net for Stoughton/Sharon.

King Philip, 8 vs. Ursuline Academy, 0 – Final

Franklin, 2 @ Longmeadow, 4 – Final

Wrestling
Stoughton vs. Middleboro, 6:00

Taunton, 67 @ Bristol Plymouth, 6 – Final – Taunton knocked off city rival Bristol-Plymouth to claim the City of Taunton Championships and Christian Balmain became the program’s all-time wins record with his 114th career win. Balmain surpassed former team captain Keith Porazzo, who held the previous record at 113. Michael Leskoski, Ryan Jones, Brandon Mendes, Anthony Vieira, Xavier Sandoval, Ben Mandeville, John Mandeville, Elijah Prophete, Peter Ye, Logan Frank, and Robert Tran also won for the Tigers.

01/25/202201/27/2022

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/26/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Girls Basketball
Sharon, 48 @ Norton, 59 – Final

Boys Hockey
Attleboro @ Dighton-Rehoboth/Seekonk, 5:30

Canton, 5 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Oliver Ames raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first period and used that strong start to know off Foxboro. The Warriors cut the deficit in half before the first intermission but OA tacked on a fifth goal to make it 5-2 going into the second. After a scoreless second period, Foxboro senior Steve Bridges scored midway through the third to make it a two-goal game but OA junior Sean McCarthy completed his hat trick moments later to restore the three-goal cushion. Sophomore defenseman Sean Kearns added a pair of goals and an assist and senior Elliot Cohen chipped in with a goal and an assist for the Tigers. Jack Corey notched a pair of assists while Matt Lawson, Jack Perron, and Andrew Poulos each had one assist.

Franklin, 13 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Justin Magazu scored four goals and had one assist and Dylan Marchand scored one and had five assists, as the Panthers won a shootout against rival Mansfield that moved them closer to a league title. Magazu scored twice in the first period along with goals by Domenic Lampasona and Christian Shabbick, as Franklin led 4-1 after one. Dillon Benoit (two goals and two assists) had the goal for the Hornets. Franklin added nine goals in the third period. Shabbick scored two to complete his hat trick, Magazu added two more, Ben Paterson scored twice, and Lampasona, Marchand, and Thomas Balducci each scored once. Benoit added his second goal for Mansfield. Matt Tourigney got one in the third and Kyle Oakley added two for the Hornets in the third period. Franklin finished with a 42-20 edge in shots. Cole Pouliot-Porter made seven saves and Joe Toracco made eight stops for the Panthers.

King Philip, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 3 @ Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Allie McCabe had a goal and an assist for the Bulldogs to help them pick up an important league win and sweep the season series with the Warriors.

Franklin, 4 @ King Philip, 6 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – King Philip’s Morgan Cunningham scored her fourth and fifth goals of the contest in the third period to help the Warriors win, avenging a loss to Franklin from December and splitting the season series between league rivals. Freshman Catie Putt gave KP the lead in the first period but Franklin freshman Julia Flynn scored her first of her four goals just three minutes later on the power play to make it 1-1 after a period of play. Cunningham and Flynn then put on a show, each scoring a second period hat trick as the teams traded goals to make it 4-4 going into the third. Sophomore Kelly Holmes recorded three assists, Sydney O’Shea added a pair while Putt and Jen Daniels each had one. Lindsay Dennett and Haley Wernig each had an assist for the Panthers.

Wrestling
Canton, 6 @ Sharon, 66 – Final – Seniors Adam Landstein, Ben Shocket, Aaron Cashton, Phil Varvak, Conor Grew, and Khashayar Zafar all had pins throughout the match while a pinfall victory from Ben Grabie clinched the win and the Hockomock League Davenport division title for the Eagles.

Stoughton, 6 @ Foxboro, 42 – Final

Franklin, 12 @ Milford, 57 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this meet. – Milford finished with six pins as a team, including pins in the final three matches of the meet, and rolled to a big win that clinched the outright league title for the second straight season. Aidan Baum kicked things off for the hosts at 106 with a pin a minute into the first period. Mike Boulanger scored a 6-0 win at 113 and then Robby Lyons got a major win at 120, winning 18-1 to add five points for the Hawks. Alex Castro’s 8-2 victory at 126 made it 17-0 and then Joey Testa pinned his opponent in the first period at 132. Franklin’s first points came with a quick pin by Timothy O’Leary, who needed :33 to get six points at 138. Luke Donis got the six right back with a disqualification win at 145. Donis was leading 5-2 in the third period when the match ended. Franklin’s Alex Fracassa had a pin in :35 for this 100th career win to make it 29-9, but Danny Alves added four points for Milford with a 20-7 win at 160. Ryan Donovan added a second-period pin at 170 before Ryan Parlon won 5-0 at 182 for Franklin’s final points of the night. Cam Phillips (195), Hampton Kaye-Kuter (220), and Mike Mastroianni (285) added first-period pins to close out the meet for the Hawks.

North Attleboro, 33 @ Oliver Ames, 34 – Final

King Philip, 39 @ Taunton, 40 – Final – Taunton’s Logan Frank recorded a first round pin to secure the Tigers a key six points, clinching a win over visiting King Philip. Mike Leskoski, Ryan Jones, Xavier Sandoval, Christian Balmain, and Elijah Prophete also won by pin for Taunton while Brandon Mendes recorded a victory via major decision.

Boys Swimming
Foxboro, 52 @ Canton, 81 – Final

Girls Swimming
Foxboro, 63 @ Canton, 93 – Final

Gymnastics
King Philip, 137.45 @ Franklin, 146.75 – Final

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.

12/15/202112/15/2021

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 1-8-0
Coach: Greg Chamberlain
Attleboro had a difficult 2020-21 season, as delays and big breaks early in the season led to three games in three days to close things out. The Bombardiers will be hoping that they can build off that experience and make a push to get back into the postseason mix with several underclassmen stepping in to supplement the returning corps.

The offense has depth to it this season and head coach Greg Chamberlain is expecting a lot of grit and effort in the attacking zone to create scoring chances. Senior Nate Parker will be the leader of the forward line but he will get help from juniors Colin Flynn and Mike Lachance, who have both had two seasons on varsity already. Freshmen Austin Bessette and Nate Conroy have impressed the coaches in the preseason and could be ready to contribute right away.

Defense could be a strong unit this season, as the Bombardiers have decent skaters and decent depth along the blue line. Senior Sean Marshall will be the key to that group, providing on-ice leadership. Sophomore Dane Holske had a good first season on varsity and can help out both in defense and at forward. Senior Nick Piazza is capable of being one of the top netminders in the league and will be back between the pipes for Attleboro this season.

“Biggest thing that is a positive for us is the guys wanna earn some respect and be tough to play against,” said Chamberlain. “We understand what we have but we think our schedule can help us gain some real confidence.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Canton

2020-2021 Record: 11-0-1
Coach: Brian Shuman
The Davenport division has been ruled by Canton, which has won the title every season since the league split. The Bulldogs bring back a lot of returning players to hunt a 12th straight league title and defend the Div. 2 state title that they won back in 2019-20, but for many of the players, this will be their first season with a full slate of games.

Canton is known for its goalscoring, but the Bulldogs typically start from the defensive zone and this year should be no different. Senior Sean Connolly, the reigning league MVP, will be back at the blue line alongside classmate Ryan Doucette. Juniors James Young and Leo Owens should also see plenty of time on the ice with seniors Brennen Pecararo and Jay Kelleher slotting in at defense or at forward. The goalie job is up for grabs coming into the season with a three-way battle going on between senior Aiden French, junior Carson Eagles, and freshman Collin Davis.

As usual, the Bulldogs should be potent in front of the goal this winter. Senior Eamon Kelly, the team’s leading scorer last year, is back for his fourth season on varsity. Seniors Andrew Valkanas, Tommy Phaneuf, Sam Carlino, and Eddie Gillis will all chip in and junior Jeff Chaput could be poised for a big season after scoring 13 points last year.

“Solid team defense is the expectation as always this season, and we ask all positions to be important players all over the ice,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman. “Our forwards need to be able to shut down opponents and our defense must contribute to our offensive production to have a successful year.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Foxboro

2020-2021 Record: 4-6-0
Coach: Mark Cedorchuk
Just two years removed from one of the best seasons in program history, Foxboro comes into the winter with an experienced squad, featuring nine seniors, to try and make another push for a state tournament berth. Although the Warriors went 4-6 in the shortened 2020-21 season, four of those losses were against Franklin and Canton and the other two were to North Attleboro by a combined three goals, so there is potential for the Warriors to get back to their 2019-20 form.

The forward line should have plenty of firepower this season with the return of seniors Jack Watts, Matt Grace, and Ben Ricketts, who combined for 13 goals in 10 games last year. Fellow forwards Derek Axon and Steven Bridges will give Foxboro good leadership and depth in the forward line. The Warriors also got plenty of scoring from the blue line, with senior Tom Marcucella adding four goals and three assists last winter.

Improvements in the defensive zone (and not playing almost every game against the league’s top-scoring teams) will be expected this season. Marcucella is listed as a defenseman but has the versatility to line up in multiple positions and he will be helped on defense by classmates Dylan Pothier and Brady Callahan. Junior Alex Coviello and sophomore Sully Kenneally are also going to step into bigger roles on the blue line this season.

“I would say all nine of our seniors are going to be major contributors and that’s definitely a first for Foxboro hockey and it’s a good thing!” said Foxboro coach Mark Cedorchuk. “I would say we will be skilled and experienced.”

Franklin

2020-2021 Record: 10-2-1
Coach: Anthony Sarno
This will be a new-look Franklin team that takes the ice this season, looking to win its 11th straight league title and make a deep run in the postseason. The Panthers graduated 16 seniors from last year’s team and only return seven players with significant varsity experience to try and manage a schedule loaded with some of the best teams in the state.

Senior forward Dylan Marchand is the key returning player in the forward line. The team’s leading scorer last year, the speedy center scored eight goals and nine assists in 13 games. Seniors Justin Magazu and Domenic Lampasona and juniors Ben Jarosz and Ryan Sicchio will also return to add more firepower to the attacking end of the ice. With 14 new players on the roster, there could be a lot of new names on the score sheet this winter.

Defensively, the Panthers will lean on experienced players like seniors Aidan Hunt and Jack MacKinnon to guide the younger players, as they take on the high-end talent that Franklin will face right from the start of the season. In goal, sophomore Cole Pouliot-Porter and freshman Jack O’Connor will both get chances between the pipes.

“I am optimistic with the youth we have and excited to watch us grow together,” said Franklin coach Anthony Sarno. “We will just have to weather the ebbs and flows, try to remain even-keeled, communicate, and trust each other as a team in order for us to grow and move forward as a complete unit.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

King Philip

2020-2021 Record: 9-1-0
Coach: Paul Carlow
Last season, King Philip won a share of its first league title since 2006, picking up a rare win against rival Franklin in the process. With 12 returning players and a roster that has 16 upperclassmen, the Warriors will try to make more history by winning back-to-back titles for the first time in program history and also put together a run in the state tournament.

There are four players coming back this year that averaged a point per game in 2020-21. Three of those players are forwards. Seniors Shaun Fitzpatrick and Sean Crowther and junior James Boldy, who combined for 15 goals and 22 assists in 10 games last season. Senior Nolan Feyler will be a big boost, as the forward had a strong sophomore season but missed all of last year due to an injury. Senior Kevin Birenbaum is another of the nine seniors on the forward line.

Sophomore defenseman Brad Guden is the fourth Warrior who averaged a point per game last year. He broke into the lineup and scored 10 times and had 10 assists in his first varsity season. Seniors Nolan Jackson and Quin Garstka add leadership and experience at the blue line and sophomore Max Robison returns after an impressive rookie season. Senior Kyle Abbott will be back between the pipes for the Warriors.

“We have a tough schedule this season but we are looking to challenge for another Hockomock League title,” said KP coach Paul Carlow. We have great leadership from our seniors and a good mix of skill and speed with the younger players. I’m really looking forward to working with this group and build on last year’s success.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Mansfield

2020-2021 Record: 5-6-0
Coach: Mike Balzarini
With its top six forwards all back from last year, there is optimism that Mansfield will consistently put the puck in the back of the net and in turn, challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title.

And another big positive for the Hornets is junior Chris Hormann back between the pipes with a solid amount of varsity experience now under his belt. That combination of experience in the offensive zone and in the crease is what Mansfield is hoping translates to success. The challenge will be getting a new mix of defensemen working together as the Hornets graduated the majority of that unit.

Leading scorer Mark DeGirolamo returns with a lot of varsity experience under his belt, coming off a season with eight goals and five assists. He’s joined by Dillon Benoit (7 goals, 5 assists), Kyle Oakley (2 goals, 5 assists), Doherty (2 goals, 3 assists), Liam Anastasia (6 goals, 5 assists), and Brayden Purtell (4 goals, 2 assists). As the stats suggest, the Hornets have a very even top two lines which means head coach Mike Balzarini can trust both units to get it done.

Looks for the line of Cullen Egan, Cody Gordon, and Connor Davey to provide energy and some offensive punch throughout the season. Balzarini is looking for some new faces to step up on the blue line. A mix of depth pieces are back, and the Hornets have converted some forwards to defensemen looking to solidify that unit. Patrick Gormley, Brendan Flynn, Will Cameron, Ryan DeGirolamo, and Ty Carroll are all in the mix to get some minutes.

“Last season was difficult for everyone so we’re excited for a more normal year,” Balzarini said. “We’re going to be quick and we have multiple lines that can be a factor for us. We’ve seen some success on offense in our scrimmages so scoring should be a strength, these kids are working well together.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

North Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 8-6-0
Coach: Kyle Heagney
North Attleboro returns 14 players from last year’s roster, including two of the league’s top three scorers, and the Rocketeers will be looking to use that experience under first-year coach Kyle Heagney (who formerly coached Norton and was a North assistant the past two seasons) to challenge Canton at the top of the Davenport division and to put together a playoff run.

Although the Rocketeers bring back senior forwards Nik Kojoain and Brady Sarro, who combined for 41 points in 14 games last year, North is a team built on hard work and team effort in the offensive zone, rather than on individual stars. Seniors Sam Clarke and Nick Longa and juniors Joe Quinn and Mark Ayvazyan will provide plenty of help in front of goal and all have plenty of experience at the varsity level.

North graduated only one of its defensemen from last year. Senior Austin Comery will be the leader for North at the blue line and he will be assisted by classmate Anthony Westcott. Sophomore Kyle Gruber is back in goal for North after an impressive debut season, where he was thrown in against some of the league’s top teams, including a first appearance against Canton.

“Our strength is that we are not a team of superstars,” said Heagney. “We are a team of hockey players that will win first in the locker room before the ice. We look forward to the season and having fun. These are memories that will live forever with our players.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Oliver Ames

2020-2021 Record: 1-10-0
Coach: Mike Zucarelli
Oliver Ames has been in a rebuilding phase under head coach Mike Zucarelli. The Tigers won just once in the shortened 2020-21 season and head into this winter with a roster loaded with underclassmen. While this may be a difficult season, Zucarelli is excited for the potential on his team and the growth the program is making for the future.

Seniors Cam Tower and Eliot Cohen will be instrumental in shoring things up at the blue line. The two defensemen will need to provide leadership for the younger players and help limit the opposition scoring chances. Junior forwards Sean McCarthy and Jack Perron will hope to improve the team’s scoring punch as well, after OA was held to 10 goals in 11 games last year. Zucarelli is already seeing more confidence and better decision-making in the offensive zone and is hoping the team’s work rate will lead to more chances.

With seven sophomores on the roster, OA will rely on its youth movement to turn things around. After a lot of growth in the offseason (both physically and mentally), Zucarelli thinks that the septet is ready for the challenges of playing varsity hockey day-in, day-out. Winger Andrew Livingstone and center Matt Lawson will add to the team’s production in the offensive zone and defenseman Landon Grothe could be a standout in the defensive end of the ice. Junior Brandon Burke had a solid summer with his club team and will be the starting goalie for the Tigers this winter.

“If we continue to put in the effort I have seen both on and off the ice to start this year, I believe these young men have the opportunity to do something special,” Zuccarelli said.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Taunton

2020-2021 Record: 0-6-1
Coach: Kris Metea
Taunton had a tough 2020-21 season, as the Tigers were only able to six games, and come into a winter of transition. The roster is going to be very young, with only nine upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) in the program, so there will be a lot of younger players getting their first taste of varsity action and others experiencing a full season for the first time.

The forward line has a lot of speed and the Tigers are going to rely on that energy to try and create scoring chances. Senior Nathan Fernandes is the most experienced forward returning and he will be joined up top by junior Connor McGrath.

Defensively, the Tigers will be an inexperienced group but there is potential and the desire to get better over the course of the season. Senior Ethan Ross will be the leader at the blue line and junior Colton Scheralis can add his experience there as well. Freshman Cameron Tomaszycki will be jumping between the pipes this season to get his first varsity action.

“We are happy to be back for a full year,” said Taunton coach Kris Metea. “Last season was full of delays, pauses, and feelings of frustrations that made for a very long, short, season. The lessons learned from last season has made the players within the program grateful for a return to a more normal season. We will plan to improve every day and be a better, more complete team by the end of the season.”

02/11/202102/12/2021

Canton and Franklin Skate Away With a Point Apiece

CANTON, Mass. – Even in the most irregular of seasons, Canton and Franklin’s rivalry on the ice matters.

When the two teams met on Thursday night at the Metropolis Rink, the game had no bearing on either winning yet another league title and neither team was preparing for its typical postseason run. But, regardless of the circumstances, both teams skated a little faster and things were a little more intense because of who was on the opposite bench.

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Five days ago, Franklin battled back to tie the game only for Canton to score a late winner. On Thursday, nothing could separate the two teams. Twice Franklin went in front and twice Canton found the tying goal. The teams skated to a 2-2 tie, with all four goals scored in the second period.

“We were on the phone for hours one night figuring out how to do this in a shortened season,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman. “I know the kids appreciated it immensely on both teams.

“That’s the best team we’ve faced all season and they’re one of the best teams in the state with their skill and their speed. A lot of our guys have never experienced this rivalry before at this level and I’m really proud of them for how they battled.”

Both teams flew out of the gates and the action was end-to-end. Even if the scoring chances were limited in quantity, there were high quality opportunities for both teams to break the deadlock.

“You’ve kind of got to bring yourself back down a little bit because everybody’s amped up tp play,” said Franklin coach Anthony Sarno.” Our guys have a ton of respect for those guys and those guys have a ton of respect for us, coaches included, and it’s just good hockey all-around.”

He added, “A season without Canton, wouldn’t have been a season.”

The Panthers had a good early chance with a quick breakout. Joe LeBlanc’s outlet pass from the defensive zone hit fellow defender Justin Abely, who redirected it to Dylan Marchand. Canton goalie Liam Polles (23 saves) made the first stop and then was able to get a block on Justin Magazu’s follow up chance on the rebound.

Eddie Gillis forced a pad save from Franklin netminder Gary Mandia (21 saves) with a deflected shot. Sam Carlino nearly created a great opening for Dylan Coyne right in front of goal, but the Franklin defense managed to get a block and then the loose puck slid away from the stick of Leo Owens at the post.

Magazu was able to open a lane for Domenic Lampasono, but Polles stayed strong and was able to stop the close-range chance.

“They’ve got a lot of quick forwards, lot of speed, so we were just trying to step up and play between the dots, take away the bodies and make them dump the puck in,” Sarno explained. “Neutral zone, we weren’t trying to play with it too much, short passes. In this rink, any turnover in the neutral zone and it’s a breakaway and if anyone can exploit that it’s Canton.”

It was a defensive-zone turnover that would lead to the opener. Just 90 seconds after the intermission, a reverse pass caromed off the end boards and right out in front to Aidan Hunt. Polles nearly made a great save. He was able to catch the one-time, but as he was scrambling across goal to get in position he was deep in the crease and he ended up on the wrong side of the goal line.

Momentum from the goal didn’t last long. It only took a minute for the Bulldogs to even things up. Sean Connolly’s shot from the point was parried by Mandia, who somehow saw the puck through the crowd in front. Franklin wasn’t able to clear the rebound, with Andrew Valkanas keeping it alive and getting it back to Connolly at the blue line. The second shot had eyes and snuck through traffic and into the back of the net.

Seconds after Mandia was able to deny Tommy Phaneuf what looked like a sure goal, the visitors regained the lead. Magazu raced down the left wing and flipped a pass across the slot to Marchand at the far circle and his one-timer gave Polles no chance, sneaking inside the post.

This time, the lead lasted seven minutes before Canton again found an equalizer. Valkanas created the chance by teeing up Jeffrey Chaput. Mandia made the blocker save but Valkanas was there for the rebound.

Things tightened up in the third period, as neither team wanted to take a big risk that could lead to a winning goal for their opponents. Mandia was forced into a good save on Phaneuf and Lampasona dug out the rebound, but Canton was noticeably tiring in its second game in as many days.

“We exerted so much energy in the first and second periods and in the third, credit to them, they were flying and still had their legs and we were hanging on,” said Shuman. “Classic Franklin/Canton game. Comes down to the third period and the last minutes and so happy we had a chance to experience it this year.”

Franklin still had its legs and created a couple of chances that could’ve won it. Magazu was a constant thorn in the Canton defense’s side and he somehow split a pair of defensemen at the blue line, drew a third, and laid a pass off to Lampasona, who missed the net from close range.

With five minutes to play, Marchand got free in the zone and fired a shot that Polles stopped at the near post. Marchand stayed with the rebound and set up Magazu right in front, but again the Canton goalie came through with a big save to preserve a point.

“They played hard this year,” Sarno said. “We didn’t know if we were going to have the season, then we were, then we weren’t. Hats off to the boys, they fought through some adversity.”

Canton (9-0-1), which remarkably has lost one game in the past three seasons combined, will close out its league campaign against Oliver Ames and Foxboro. Franklin (10-2-1), which has clinched at least a share of the Kelley-Rex title, closed out its season on Thursday.

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01/15/2021

Franklin Bounces Back With Shutout of North Attleboro

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Two days after suffering its first loss to King Philip in more than 20 years, and giving up five goals in the process, Franklin coach Anthony Sarno asked for a reaction from his team when they traveled to the New England Sports Village for a non-league matchup with North Attleboro.

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Sarno got his wish, as the Panthers scored inside a minute, doubled the lead in the final minute of the second period, and tacked on two more in the third, while also keeping the Rocketeers off the board, skating away with a 4-0 victory.

“We told them on the bus ride home from that KP loss, you guys got outworked and it’s never going to happen again,” Sarno said. “I give them credit, they stepped up. They played the body, they moved the puck pretty well…all-in-all I thought we bounced back in a positive way.”

The Rocketeers were happy to be back on the ice for something other than a practice. North had a nine-day break between its season-opening win against Oliver Ames and Friday night’s game.

“Our start, you could see that we really haven’t played many games and there was a lot of rust in that first 10 minutes,” said North coach Ben McManama. “Unfortunately, we were in the right position but we kept fumbling pucks and not being sure on our sticks.”

Franklin needed only 55 seconds before breaking the deadlock with what turned out to be the game-winner. Pat Dolan took a shot from the left point that slipped under the pad of North goalie Jimmy Burtchh. As the puck trickled behind Burtch, Ben Jarosz was in the right place to slam the puck across the line.

It was a quick start for the Panthers and they tried to add to the lead. Conor O’Neil had a shot from between the circles saved and then Burtch (27 saves) recovered to stop Domenic Lampasona’s rebound effort. Dylan Marchand flew down the far boards and cut a pass back to Jarosz in front, but his backhander was stopped.

North had a few chances in the first, mostly from stepping up at the blue line and causing turnovers as Franklin tried to exit its zone. The best chance came with nine minutes left in the first, when Nik Kojoian picked off an outlet pass to give Tyler Sarro a good look at goal, but Franklin goalie Gary Mandia (17 saves) got his blocker to it.

Although Franklin would hold a significant edge in shots on goal (31-17 for the game), the Panthers didn’t feel like they had the game totally in control. Burtch came up with a pad stop on a Declan Lovett one-timer early in the second, but North had a couple chances to try and even things up.

Kojoian forced another turnover and this time set up Brady Sarro for a chance, but Mandia stopped the slap shot. A minute later, Gavin Arabian had a shot from the point that knuckled on its way to goal, but was casually blockered aside by Mandia.

O’Neil had a snap shot on the turn gloved and then Justin Abely broke up a North shorthanded rush and quickly turned it into a break the other way. Justin Magazu picked out Jarosz, but again Burtch showed a quick glove to keep the deficit at one.

“He did a good job,” McManama said of Burtch. “We didn’t do the little things to help him out. I thought our ‘D’ zone was okay, but we were giving too many odd-man rushes and the neutral zone we didn’t do a very good job with.”

With less than a minute remaining in the second, North was unable to clear its zone and Franklin turned it into a second goal. Sean Connelly with a perfect cross-ice pass to Lovett, who took a touch to settle the puck before sniping the far corner.

The momentum appeared to carry over into the third period because the Panthers came out flying and looking to put the game away. Jarosz nearly turned provider, setting up Ryan Sicchio right in front but the goalie was able to cover.

Sarno said, “When we’re at our best, we’re focused, we’re locked in, and our forecheck is working and we’re forcing teams back into their own net. We need to learn how to control our shots and our shot selection and location needs to be better.”

The Panthers dominated the opening four minutes of the period until a major penalty gave North life.

Anthony Westcott had North’s first shot of the third after more than five minutes and it sparked the Rocketeers into a little flurry that nearly produced a goal. Mandia came up with a couple big stops as North tried to cram the puck in at the post and then Charlie Connolly got free in the right circle and smashed a shot off the post and out.

A penalty against North would cut the power play short by two minutes and the hosts missed a golden opportunity to get back into the game.

“It was a good opportunity for us,” explained McManama. “I think they came with a lot of pressure and we weren’t used to it. We do it, but we’re not used to teams pressuring us in-zone as we’re breaking out. We’ve just got to practice that and be sure that we’re ready to go against an aggressive penalty kill.”

Franklin turned on the pressure again and put the game out of reach. Connelly was positioned perfectly to redirect Lovett’s shot from the point to make it 3-0 with 5:14 to play. Three minutes later, the Panthers nearly had a highlight-reel goal after a nice passing sequence between Jarosz, Siccio, and JT Dwyer only for Burtch to somehow get his heel on the backhand shot.

The Panthers only needed to wait 30 seconds longer to tack on a fourth. Magazu drove into the zone and flicked a pass to Marchand, who opened his body up and went high to the blocker side and into the side of the net.

Sarno said, “I think that kill gave us a lot of confidence and more momentum and from there it was just, okay we got this and let’s play good hockey now.”

Franklin (4-1) will host Taunton, in the season opener for the Tigers, on Wednesday. North Attleboro (1-1) will be back in action on Monday with a trip to division rival Canton.

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03/05/2020

Franklin Blanked By Bishops In South Semifinals

Franklin boys hockey Ray Ivers — Franklin senior goalie Ray Ivers makes a save on a shot from Archbishop Williams’ Alex Umbro in the second period. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

BOURNE, Mass. – The Franklin boys hockey team had a sizable advantage in shots on goal, chances in the offensive end, and time in the attacking zone, but the Panthers walked away from Gallo Ice Arena with nothing to show for it.

Despite outplaying the 14th-seeded Bishops of Archbishop Williams for most of the game, the Panthers came up empty-handed. Archies scored a pair of power play goals and added a shorthanded one to skate to a 3-0 decision over the 10th-seeded Panthers.

“The seedings, you can throw them away,” said Franklin head coach Anthony Sarno. The D1 South Semifinals featured 9, 10, 12, and 14 seeds. “It’s about who comes to play, who wants it more. You’ve got to be on the right side of the puck and tonight, we had our chances we just couldn’t put it away. I thought we carried a lot of the play in the first and second periods, we just couldn’t put on behind the goalie.

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“You can’t put your finger on one single thing, but it just wasn’t our night. I told the seniors, don’t hang your heads. We tried to do the best we could tonight, we just didn’t have it tonight. But it’s a great group of boys and they worked hard from start to finish.”

Franklin peppered the Bishops’ net with 30 shots, plus a handful of good bids that went just wide or high, and at least a dozen chances blocked down by the Archies defense, but couldn’t solve sophomore goalie Nick Buccella.

What looked like a good opportunity to start the game ended up being a big boost for the Bishops. Franklin went on the power play just 1:09 into the game on a cross-checking call. The Panthers kept the puck in the offensive zone for the first 30 seconds before a shot from the blue line was blocked.

Archies junior John Riley quickly pounced on the puck that he just blocked and raced into the attacking zone with Franklin’s Declan Lovett going stride for stride with him. Riley unleashed a shot that was turned aside by Ray Ivers but Riley batted in the rebound to give the Bishops a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.

“In all honesty, I felt like we were on our heels the whole first period,” said Archbishop Williams head coach Derackk Curtis. “We got that lucky bounce and John Riley worked his ass off on that first goal, we’ve been working on that banging in the rebounds. Franklin had the momentum, they were on us a lot and we weathered the storm. I thought it kind of evened out after that. [Franklin] is a good team, they are a hard-working group but my team worked hard too.”

“We knew they were aggressive on their penalty kill,” Sarno said. “From that point on, we were chasing them. You have to tip your hat to Archies, they played hard. They kept picking up our sticks, they were playing through our sticks, they were pesky. And we didn’t make the most of our power plays either. We weren’t moving it quick enough knowing they’d be aggressive. “

The Panthers still had time left with the man advantage and nearly tied the game when Kyle Hedvig redirected a shot from Will Sheehan but Buccella squeezed the pads to prevent the puck from going five-hole.

Franklin spent the majority of the period in the offensive zone but didn’t have a ton of quality chances to show for it. Archies nearly doubled its advantage late in the period in a similar fashion to its first goal as Christian Koylion blocked a shot at the blue line and raced into the offensive zone but Franklin defenseman Paddy Dolan recovered well and swept the puck clear.

Dylan Marchand’s battle in front helped draw a penalty on Archies with 10:39 left in the second period, giving Franklin its second man-advantage chance of the game. But Franklin had just one quality bid when Colin Hedvig blasted a shot that was saved and Kyle Hedvig’s rebound chance was stuffed.

The chances continued throughout the second, as Kevin O’Rielly settled a puck for a shot from Justin Abely that was saved. Minutes later, Domenic Lampasona connected with CJ Jette, but his shot from close was misfired. And the best opportunity came with just under five minutes to go as Colin Hedvig intercepted a clearance and rifled a shot that was off the iron and stayed out.

“We were just snakebitten, it seemed like everything we threw at the net he was there,” Sarno said. “We had plenty of chances, it just wasn’t our night. You can have 30 or 40 shots on net and sometimes it’s just not your net.”

Archies went on the power play with 2:08 in the period on a trip call, and a second tripping penalty 1:15 later gave the Bishops a 5-on-3 chance for 45 seconds. The Bishops made the most of the chance as Ivers denied a pair of shots in close but Archies sophomore Jackson Sylvester lifted the third chance over the sprawled out goalie to make it 2-0 with 28.2 seconds left in the middle period.

Starting the third period with the power play, Archies needed just eight seconds to tack on an important insurance goal. Thomas Page rifled a shot after striding over the blue line that went under the bar for a 3-0 lead.

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Franklin pushed to get on the board but was unable to find the back of the net. Marchand and Colin Hedvig linked up but the latter couldn’t lift his backhand past Buccella. With nine minutes to go, Conor O’Neil blasted a high shot that Buccella had to fight off, and seconds later, Sean Connelly blasted a shot with O’Neil screening in front but it was saved.

Even with just under two minutes to go, the Panthers had a perfect play with Connelly finding Lovett in front for a one-timer but Buccella was in the perfect position and made the pad stop to preserve the shutout.

Franklin boys hockey finishes the season at 11-8-4.