12/27/2016

Attleboro Falls Short In Christmas Tourney Opener

Attleboro Hockey — Jake Parker (15) fends off a Ludlow defenseman to score a goal in the opener of the Bellingham Christmas Tournament at Pirelli Veterans Arena. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By Cameron Merritt, HockomockSports.com Contributor

FRANKLIN, Mass.- In a battle between Eastern and Western Mass. hockey on Tuesday at the Pirelli Veterans Arena in Franklin, the West was victorious as Attleboro fell 5-3 to Ludlow in the first night of the 37th annual Bellingham Christmas Tournament.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“The players were a little bit frustrated, but it’s still early in the season,” said first-year Attleboro coach Mark Homer. “No excuses, but going forward we can take a lot from this game to bring to practices, but we can’t do it all at once. It’s a building process.”

Before the game, both teams hung up their own respective No. 10 and No. 19 jerseys to honor Falmouth hockey’s James Levin and Owen Higgins, who passed away in a tragic car accident last Thursday. The players who wear those numbers for their own teams (P.J. Elliott and Dylan Wallace for Attleboro and Michael Medina and Nicholas Dobek for Ludlow) took on different jerseys for the evening in order to take part.

Attleboro came out of the gates swinging in the first period, finding the back of the net first as Cam Littig set up Wallace for a wrist shot from the point with 13:05 remaining.

The Lions were quick to strike back, as less than two minutes later, Cole Moutinho came down the left wing to snipe a shot into the upper right corner of the Attleboro goal, drawing the sides even with 11:28 left before the first intermission.

Both teams brought the physicality, with Attleboro showing it wasn’t afraid to use the body and Ludlow responding. The Lions drew two penalties in the period, the first a high-sticking call on Ryan Martin and the second cross-checking on Matt Leblanc, but the Bombardiers were unable to capitalize on the opportunities.

While Attleboro looked to have momentum on the second power play, Max Cocchi stole the puck at the Bombardiers blue line and skated away, beating one Bombardiers defenseman before the senior captain put it past goalie Evan Andrews to put the Lions back in the lead.

Going into the second period, both teams continued with much of the same; exchanging shots and checks while play remained fairly even. Both teams had opportunities, but were denied in the end by missed shots or the play of the goaltenders.

Attleboro evened the score again with 8:33 left in the period. Jake Parker broke between two defenseman and pushed forward towards goal under tight coverage, just managing to send a backhander past Ludlow goalie Alex Will to draw the Bombardiers level at 2-2.

The Lions retook the lead with 6:05 left as Leblanc connected with Owen Burke, who with a turn and backhanded shot made it 3-2.

The Bombardiers responded just over a minute and a half later as another backhanded shot, this time from Ryan Morry, found the top shelf of the goal to draw them even at 3-3 with 4:29 remaining in the second.

While Attleboro looked hungry to get the lead back, it was the Lions that scored with 1:30 left in the period as Moutinho’s slap shot was tipped in by a Bombardier defenseman to give the sophomore his second goal of the night as once again, the Lions went into an intermission with a one-goal lead.

The Lions carried their momentum into the third period and were able to make it 5-3 within the first minute of action. Cocchi fed Logan Cognac the puck and the sophomore captain finished the job with 14:06 left to play.

For the remainder of the game, the team size advantage played a significant factor as Ludlow was able to call on players from their bench while Attleboro had more limited options and looked tired on the ice. The team substituted freshman Derek Rivet for Andrews following the fifth goal, and he was able to make a few saves, including on two power play attempts for the Lions, but in the end it wasn’t enough.

“I think sometimes what happens is [the players] get overzealous and they let their emotions overtake them and they get out of position, and they don’t stay within the structure that we’ve been trying to get across to them,” said Homer, adding that was to be expected with a core of younger players and that he was proud to see his team continue to fight when down.

“They’re working hard [but] we just have to find a way to meld it together,” said Homer.

Both teams will close out the tournament on Wednesday night. Attleboro (2-3) will face the host team Bellingham in the consolation game at 6:30, while Ludlow will play Littleton-Bromfield for the tournament title.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

12/17/2016

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/17/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Hockey
Attleboro, 5 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth/Seekonk, 1 – Final – Attleboro’s PJ Elliott netted a hat trick while Jake Parker and Dylan Wallace each scored once for the Bombardiers.

Franklin, 2 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

King Philip, 0 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 1 – Final

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Cullen Gallagher netted a pair of goals, including one shorthanded, to lead the Tigers. Max Ward opened the scoring for OA while Zach Walsh had 24 saves in net. OA head coach Sean Bertoni said Korey Sweezey and Matt McCormick had strong performances.

North Attleboro, 4 vs. Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – Jason McNeany scored in the first period to open the scoring before Feehan tied the game right before the horn. Erik Clements, Hunter Sarro and Anthony Zamiello each scored in the second period for the Rocketeers.

Stoughton, 2 vs. Cape Cod Tech, 6 – Final – Jon Lessa and Josh Hough scored the goals for the Black Knights.

Wrestling
Hanover Quad (Canton) – Canton went 1-2 for the day, picking up a win early but falling in the second two meets. The Bulldogs beat Norwell (36-30) before falling to Duxbury (43-31) and Hanover (40-39).

Mike Melish Duals (Foxboro, Sharon) – Foxboro finished second overall.

Franklin @ Lawrence – Postponed

Milford Tournament (King Philip, Milford), 12:00

Braintree Quad (Mansfield) – Postponed.

North Attleboro Quad (North Attleboro) – North Attleboro won three matches on the day, extending its winning streak to seven. The Rocketeers bet Plymouth North (55-9), Norton (39-31) and Burrillville (42-11) on the day.

Marshfield Super Quad (Oliver Ames) – Oliver Ames picked up three wins in four matches at Marshfield High School. The Tigers beat Whitman-Hanson (63-12), Toll Gate (51-12) and Durfee (48-15) while falling to Marshfield (42-33). Liston Funai (132) went 4-0 with three pints while Dean Pacini (195) also went 4-0. Cobey Williamson (120), Brandon Belleton (138) and Chris Belleton each went 3-0 on the day. Joe Savino, Eric Berardi, Sean Cosgrove, Billy Tat and Jack Mills each had two wins for OA.

Sandwich Quad (Taunton) – Taunton’s Josh Grasso picked up three wins via pin on his way to a first place finish at 125. Alex Simon (170) and Nuno Camara (182) each placed second while freshman Woudanly Danger (220) finished third.

Weymouth Quad (Stoughton), 10:00AM

Indoor Track (@ Reggie Lewis Center)
Boys
Attleboro, 29 vs. Mansfield, 71 – Final – Mansfield placed first in eight events to take down Attleboro. Mike Shannon won the 300M (37.51), Nick Rispoli took first in the 600M (1:27.99), Patrick Heavey won the 1000M (2:42.92), Jack Olsen won the high jump (5-04.00), Kevin McCree won the shot put (41-07.00) and Cameron MacIntyre won the 55M hurdles (8.27). The Hornets also won both the 4×200 and 4×400 relays. Attleboro’s Isaiah Rodriguez won the 55M dash (6.73), David Seybert won both the 1 Mile (4:39.36) and the 2 Mile (10:12.67) and Victor Centeno placed first in the long jump (20-11.00).

Canton, 26 vs. Milford, 65 – Final – Milford junior Jack Kalil set a new school record in the 2 Mile, finishing in 10:15.80 to beat the previous record by nearly two seconds. Milford also got wins from Cameron Clark (38.02) in the 300M and the 55M hurdles (8.35), Chris Cicciu (1:28.40) in the 600M, Joey Madden (2:44.96) in the 1000M and Kevin Truong (19-02.00) in the long jump. Canton’s Muhammad Sambo won the 55M dash in 7.16 while Jack Healey was first in the 1 Mile (4:58.80) and Ben Mendillo won the shot put (33-02.25).

Foxboro, 51 vs. Stoughton, 49 – Final – The Warriors swept the 55M dash and the high jump to edge Stoughton. Nate Rogers (6.99), Owen Whitney (7.25) and Hunter Williams (7.28) went one-two-three in the 55M dash while Matt Nutting (5-10.00), Whitney (5-06.00), and Rogers (5-06.00) were the top three in the high jump. Other Foxboro winners included Williams in the 300M (39.94) and Brendan Foley in the 600M (1:34.29), as well as the 4×200 relay team. Stoughton’s Will Eckhart (3:01.66) and Terry Lapomarede (3:05.99) were first and second in the 1000M, Colin Cochran won the 1 Mile race (5:10.98), Zach Ferreira won the 2 Mile race (11:08.05), Kyle Reason finished first in the 55M hurdles (8.59) and the long jump (18-00.50) and James Tarchara (43-03.00) won the shot put.

Franklin, 36 vs. Taunton, 64 – Final – Taunton grabbed first place in nine different events to pick up a win against Franklin. Dylan Lynch won a pair of events for the Tigers, finishing first in the 1 Mile (4:49.28) and the 2 Mile (10:06.78). Jadin Bruneau won the 55M dash (6.93), Lucas Alves was first in the 300M (37.85), Jimmy Hoye took first in the 600M (1:31.33), Ryan Leason (39-01.00), John Chretien (37-10.00) and Jared Taje (37-05.25) swept the shot put, Nathan Grant was first in the high jump (5-06.00) and Sam Krajewski won the long jump (18-09.25). Franklin won both the 2x400n and the 4×400 relays while getting a win from Nicolas Gnamen (2:50.74) in the 1000M.

King Philip, 54 vs. Oliver Ames, 46 – Final – A sweep in the shot put helped King Philip edge Oliver Ames. Alex Olsen (41-06.00), Gio Fernandez (40-09.75) and Ter Jacobs-Baston (37-03.00) placed first, second and third, respectively for the Warriors. Freshman Michael Griffin won the 1000M (2:44.92), freshman Michael Norberg took first in the 2 Mile (10:58.20), senior Ethan Dunne crossed the line first in the 55M hurdles (8.20) and Aeden Angelone took first in the high jump (5-10.00). Oliver Ames’ Kalil Matier was first in the 55M dash (7.15) and the long jump (20-01.00), Belmund Rodrigues-Pires took first in the 300M (37.37), Matt Campbell finished first in the 600M (1:30.38) and Zane Reservitz crossed first in the 1 Mile (4:50.59). The teams split the relays with KP winning the 2×400 while Oliver Ames came in first in the 4×400.

North Attleboro, 55 vs. Sharon, 45 – Final – The Rocketeers earned a sweep at high jump and Jonathan Shultz won a pair of individual races to edge out the Eagles. Shultz was first in the 600M (1:33.73) and the 55M hurdles (8.36). Nick Rajotte won the 55M dash for North Attleboro in 6.78 while Matt Reimels was first in the 1000M (2:41.48). Matt Tarantino (6-00.00), Omar Jasseh (5-08.00) and Mario Bresko (5-06.00) swept the high jump. For Sharon, Tianrui Sun won both the 1 Mile (4:42.05) and the 2 Mile (10:29.53) races. Matthew Hoffman won the 300M (37.84), Patrick Carries (44-07.50) and Jeffrey Thomas (44-02.50) went one-two in the shot put and Juvan Elisma was first in the long jump (20-11.25).

Girls
Attleboro, 11 vs. Mansfield, 89 – Final – Mansfield won 11 of 12 events, sweeping in five of them. Amanda Mangano won the 55M in 7.82 and was first in the high jump at 4-11.00, Mikaela Maughn finished first in the 300M (46.21), Alexis Kiyanda took first in the 600M (1:58.13), Caitlin Whitman crossed first in the 1000M (3:18.32), Julie Romano won the 1 Mile (6:02.32), Lauren Duggan was the top finisher in the 2 Mile (12:32.69), Heather D’Ambra took first in the 55M hurdles (10.59) and Olivia Horn took first in the long jump (14-09.50). Attleboro’s Tianna Ridge won the shot put at 27-09.25.

Canton, 48 vs. Milford, 51 – Final – Milford’s Chrissy Speliakos won the 55M hurdles in 9.25, the long jump (15-08.75) and ran the anchor leg on the 4×200 relay that clinched the victory for the Scarlet Hawks. Milford also got a win from freshman Juliana France in the 600M (1:48.07). Canton’s Selena Cho was first in the 55M dash (7.89), Hannah Link won the 300M (44.12), Sarah Collins was a double winner, taking first in the 1000M (3:36.67) and the 1 Mile (5:49.50) while James Polsgrove was first in the 2 Mile (12:51.71) for the Bulldogs. Freshman Bronwyn Mahoney had a first place finish in the shot put (27-08.00).

Foxboro, 73 vs. Stoughton, 27 – Final – Senior Angela VandenBoom won a pair of events while grabbed first in 11 of the 12 events. VandenBoom won the 300M (45.00) and the high jump (4-07.00). Freshman Amanda Walden won the 55M dash (7.94), Meredith Cronin was first in the 600M (1:46.78), Nicole Yeomans placed first in the 1000M (3:40.38), Lexi Quinn won the 2 Mile race (12:20.26), Malaysia Cabral won the 55M hurdles (10.29), Solange Stamatos won the shot put (26-05.75) and Ana Sanchez was first in the long jump (15-05.00). Stoughton junior Mia Greene (6:02.07) won the 1 Mile race with Amelia Cochran (6:06.94) finishing second.

Franklin, 67 vs. Taunton, 33 – Final – Franklin sophomore Halle Atkinson won a pair of individual races and anchored the 4×200 relay to a win. Atkinson won the 55M dash in 7.70 and took first in the 300M in 43.19. The Panther’s 4×200 crossed first in 1:52.80. Franklin’s Lauren McGrath also had a big day for the Panthers, scoring in three events. McGrath was second in the high jump (4-07.00), third in long jump (15-00.50) and second 55M hurdles (10.18). Taunton freshman Victoria Gravel was first in the 55M hurdles (10.10), senior Shannon Stokes won the high jump (4-09.00) and Samantha Tichelaar took first in the long jump (16-02.50).

King Philip, 39 vs. Oliver Ames, 61 – Final – Oliver Ames placed first in eight of the 12 events while sweeping the 1000M race. Dana Lowney was first in the 1000M (3:13.53) while Jess Robarge was second (3:32.57) and Jessica Mills was third (3:32.87). Senior Elizabeth Hausman was first in the 300M (46.37), Lauren Wright won the 600M (1:45.83), Olivia Timbone crossed first in the 2 Mile (12:59.34), Desiree Snead won the 55M hurdles (9.44) Antonia Peretti was first in the shot put (28-10.25) and junior Rachel Clark (15-02.50) and freshman Madison Perry (14-09.50) finished first and second, respectively, in the long jump. King Philip’s Hannah Balunos was first in the 55M dash (7.90), Krista Cepkauskas was first in the 1 Mile (5:47.44) and Abigail McKeown won the high jump (4-11.00).

North Attleboro, 49 vs. Sharon, 51 – Final – Sharon won seven events while North Attleboro claimed first in five in the closest race of the day. Junior Ariadne Tolay won both the 1000M (3:17.69) and the 1 Mile (5:29.53) for the Eagles. Angela Wallace won the 55M dash (7.62), Erica Laidler was first in the 600M (1:45.94), Maria Gieg won the 2 Mile (12:15.02) and freshman Jade Johnson won the long jump (16-01.75). North Attleboro got first place finishes from Rachel LaBonte in the 300M (43.83), Rene Gagne in the 55M hurdles (10.14), Julia Mechlinski in the shot put (34-04.00) and Samantha Gaskin in the high jump (4-11.00).

Gymnastics
King Philip @ Attleboro – Postponed to TBA.

Sharon @ Canton, 1:30

Girls Hockey
Canton, 0 @ Barnstable, 4 – Final

Franklin, 6 vs. Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake, 0 – Final

King Philip, 4 vs. Medway/Ashland, 1 – Final – King Philip raced out to a 3-0 lead through two periods and held off Medway/Ashland in the third. Olivia McCarthy opened scoring late in the first period, finishing off a rebound from a Katie Crowther shot from the point. Nicole Connor scored her first goal of the season 10 minutes into the second period on a wrist shot from straight away that found the top corner of the net. Liz Furfari closed the second period with her second goal of the season, driving hard to the net and slipping the puck between the goalies legs. In a penalty filled third period, Medway/Ashland brought the game within two goals, but Furfari added her second goal late to seal the win for KP. KP coach Jack Unger said goalie Lilly Potts had a great game in net to secure her second win of the season.

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 0 @ Medfield, 3 – Final

Stoughton, 1 @ Cohasset/Hanover, 8 – Final

12/14/2016

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/14/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Hockey
Attleboro, 6 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Attleboro’s Jake Parker netted a pair of goals while PJ Elliott, Cam Littig, Dylan Wallace and Ryan Morry each scored once as the Bombardiers opened the season with a non-league win over Foxboro.

Franklin, 5 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 2 – Final – Juniors Luke Downie and Brendan O’Rielly each scored a pair of goals while classmate Jeremy Miller scored once. O’Reilly and senior James Kilroe each recorded two assists as the Panthers opened the season with a win.

King Philip, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Junior Eric LeBlanc led Oliver Ames with two goals while sophomore Colin Bourne and senior Jack Maloney each found the back of the net once. OA goalie Zach Walsh made 20 saves. Cullen Gallagher and Rory Madden each had an assist.

Mansfield, 2 vs. Winthrop, 3 – Final – Mansfield led 1-0 after two periods but three straight goals from the visitors made all the difference. Matt Farragher and Tim Arnold each scored for the Hornets.

North Attleboro, 8 vs. Dedham, 2 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

Taunton, 14 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton freshman Mike Albert registered seven points, scoring once with six assists. Sophomore Jack Patneaude scored twice and had two assists and sophomore Jaden Weyant scored once and had two assists. Eighth grader Camden Faria scored his first career goal and also had an assist while senior Chris Gomes scored twice, including his first career goal.

Wrestling
Canton, 51 @ Oliver Ames, 27 – Final – Oliver Ames got wins from Liston Funai (138, pin), Eric Bernardi (152, pin), Sean Cosgrove (160, major) and Jay Fruci (195, pin).

Foxboro, 57 @ Milford, 18 – Final

Sharon, 15 @ Franklin, 52 – Final – Franklin’s Jordan Carlucci, Brian Farrell, Ian Bakalars, Dylan Maclean, Ed Cropper, Seamus Cogavin, Myles Polito, Kyler Colella, Jack Coughlin, and Brian Perry all won for the Panthers.

North Attleboro @ King Philip, 7:00

Mansfield, 58 @ Taunton, 18 – Final – Taunton’s Josh Grasso (126), Nuno Camara (182) and Elijah Simmons (195) each won via pin.

Swimming
Boys
Canton, 103 @ Attleboro, 64 – Final

North Attleboro, 70 @ Franklin, 86 – Final

Girls
Canton, 86 @ Attleboro, 84 – Final

North Attleboro, 80 @ Franklin, 85 – Final – Junior Ashley Loomis was a double event winner, taking first in both the 200 and 500 freestyle. Franklin swept the 100 freestyle with senior Helen Huang taking first, senior Leah Benoit coming in second and junior Audrey Finn finishing third.

Girls Hockey
King Philip, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Sophomore Maggie Malloy netted a pair of goals and classmate Lauren Fitzpatrick scored one – the game-winner in the third period – and added an assist.

Franklin, 6 vs. Leominster/St. Bernards, 3 – Final – Sophomore Reagan Paterson netted a hat trick to pace the Panthers in their first game of the season. Junior Jackie Connelly added two goals and an assist while Maddie Hinkley scored once.

12/14/2016

Hockey: 2016-2017 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2016-2017 Kelley-Rex Hockey Preview

ATTLEBORO

2015-16 Record: 7-11-2 (1-8-1)
2015-16 Finish: Missed playoffs
Head Coach: Mark Homer

Attleboro narrowly missed out on a playoff spot last season, losing in its final game against a Div. 3 opponent and this year’s team will be motivated to try and get back in the postseason under new head coach Mark Homer, who made the switch from Oliver Ames where he coached the past three years, and with a new home – moving from Aleixo Arena in Taunton to the new England Sports Village just a couple minutes from the school.

In what has become a common issue for the Bombardiers program, Attleboro will not have
a lot of depth to call on this winter with only 15 skaters and two goalies on the varsity roster, but there is some experience coming back. Senior P.J. Elliott is a talented skater and stick handler who will be counted on to provide the scoring punch along with Jake Parker and Dylan Weallac on the first line.

Sam McKenzie emerged last year as a physical presence and senior captain Eddie Noel will partner him on the top defensive pairing. Sophomore Evan Andrews and freshman Derek Rivet will battle it out for the starting goaltender position for the Bombardiers. There are several other underclassmen who could make immediate impacts, including sophomore forward Cam Littig.

“With the new facility in Attleboro the hopes are that in the coming years, the roster will grow to include increasing depth to the program,” said Homer. “The goal of this years team is to stay healthy, work together as one unit on and off the ice, and get better each day. It’s a new day for Attleboro High School Hockey with a promising future.”

FRANKLIN

2015-16 Record: 18-4-5 (8-0-2)
2015-16 Finish: Won the Div. 1 State Championship
Head Coach: Chris Spillane

After being the first Hockomock League team selected for the prestigious Super 8 tournament in 2014-15 and then graduating 21 players, Franklin was supposed to need a year to rebuild, but the Panthers showed just how strong their program is by bringing home the Div. 1 state championship in a dramatic double overtime thriller against St. Mary’s at the TD Garden. It was the program’s first state title at any level since 1983.

The Panthers graduated another large class of 13 seniors from last year’s champions and lost promising freshman defenseman Kevin Mackay who transferred to Dexter. Still, expectations remain as high as ever for the Panthers, who have won four straight league titles. Much of that excitement comes from the potential in the offensive zone with Franklin returning last year’s title game hero Luke Downie, leading goal scorer Jeremy Miller, and Brendan O’Reilly and the top line of seniors Joey Blasie, Adam Assad, and James Kilroe. Sophomores Matt Holmes and Zach Falvey will add depth to the offense.

Defense is where the Panthers will have some new faces, although seniors Tom Sicchio and Stan Carter will add some experience to the back line. Juniors Jack McGrath and Connor Norton will make the jump up from the JV team to add to the defensive lines and freshman Collin Opet will also see playing time on the defense as well. For the third season in a row, Franklin will have a new No. 1 goalie with senior Cam Benhamand junior Owen Ginley will battle it out for the starting spot.

“For the Panthers to be successful this year it will be a result of a team defense concept,” said Franklin coach Chris Spillane. “The offense will take care of itself, we will be focusing on strong play in our zone.”

KING PHILIP

2015-16 Record: 9-8-4 (5-2-3)
2015-16 Finish: Reached the Div. 1 South playoffs
Head Coach: Paul Carlow

The Warriors made strides last winter under first-year head coach Paul Carlow, including a regular season tie with Franklin and reaching the postseason for the first time since the program was moved back up to Div. 1. This season, Carlow is hopeful for a return to the postseason and to challenge for KP’s first league title since 2007, despite losing 10 seniors from last year’s roster.

The offensive zone should be strong for the Warriors this season with several key returning players that put up solid totals last winter. Junior forward Collin Cooke is the main weapon after putting up 11 goals and 15 assists for a team-high 26 points to be named a league all-star. He is joined up front by senior Ritchie Lucente, who scored 10 goals and had nine assists last year, and senior Jacob Kelly, who finished with 11 goals and nine assists.

KP will also return a few important pieces on the defensive side of the puck, including junior goalie Shane Frommer, who was 3-1-1 in his five starts last year. Frommer’s start to the hockey season will be slightly delayed after helping the football team win its first Super Bowl title. In front of the Frommer will be senior Jeremy Smith, who chipped in with three goals and four assists last season.

“We had some success last season qualifying for the D1 playoffs,” said Carlow. “We have our work cut out for us this season… We are a young team with only five seniors but I expect us to get back to the playoffs.”

MANSFIELD

2015-16 Record: 5-10-5 (4-4-2)
2015-16 Finish: Missed the playoffs
Head Coach: Mike Balzarini

Last winter was atypical for the Hornets, who missed out on the playoffs and finished fourth in the Kelley-Rex division, but Mansfield is hoping for a quick turnaround under new head coach Mike Balzarini, who makes the move from Milford. The Hornets have a number of returning players, including several from club or other school programs to bolster the depth.

One of the returning players is Joe Olsen, who spent last year with a juniors program but will be a significant addition to the Hornets top attacking line alongside fellow seniors Matt Farragher and Chad Piotti, who both had solid years in 2015-16. Junior Cullen Anastasia is another forward to come back to the program and could step right in to make an impact. Freshman Chris Jenkins is going to be the center on the third line and classmate James Bezeau will also see playing time this year.

On defense, the Hornets will be led by senior Cullen Murphy, a physical presence at the back and one of the leaders on the ice. Juniors Tim Arnold, Ryan O’Hara, and Tyler Oakley will also be important pieces on the top defensive pairings. Freshman Joseph Troiano will also be on the defense after he decided against attending Xaverian this year. The defense will be protecting senior goalies Brendan McKenna and Tony Rullo, who will each see time.

“We’re a lot deeper,” said Balzarini, who said that the Hornets would be carrying four lines and four sets of defensemen and is excited about the potential on the team. “It’s been good having two weeks to prepare. They have to get used to our new system and adhering to the structures that we’re putting in place.”

Oliver Ames

2015-16 Record: 10-10-1
2015-16 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Head Coach: Sean Bertoni

Oliver Ames will be looking to keep its postseason streak alive under new head coach Sean Bertoni – a former standout goalie for Franklin.

If the Tigers want to get back to the state tournament, they’ll need some help from their younger players; Oliver Ames has eight sophomores and four freshman on its roster this year. OA does have seven seniors and a group of experienced juniors that can help lead the way.

Owen Gallagher (26 points), who led the team in scoring a year ago, is back along with Eric LeBlanc (18 points), Cullen Gallagher (13 points) and Max Ward (12 points). Junior Rory Madden also returns this season after a year away; Madden registered 14 points his freshman year. Defensively, seniors Jack Maloney and Jared Costello bring a lot of experience to the blue line. Zach Walsh will be back between the pipes after a strong junior season.

“The goals of the team are to progress from Day one to the end of the year,” Bertoni said. “We have to use our team speed and forecheck extremely hard. We will be a disciplined, hard working aggressive team.”

TAUNTON

2015-16 Record: 13-10-0 (3-7-0)
2015-16 Finish: Reached the Div. 2 South playoffs
Head Coach: Kris Metea

The Tigers got to experience what the state tournament is like last season for the first time since 2006-07 and only the second time in the past two decades. Taunton had the fourth most wins in a season in the 44-year history of the program and scored a remarkable 106 goals last season, which was the best in the Hock.

This year, Taunton will try to build on its historic season and make a quick return to the postseason. Leading scorer Tyler Pietrzyk has graduated but there is plenty of firepower returning for the Tigers this season, including senior forward Zack Albert who is coming off a 30-point campaign. He will be joined up from by classmate Jordan Hoey, who had 17 points last season and senior Cam Carnes, who had 10 points. Sophomore Cam Sneyd could be poised for a breakout year for the Tigers.

Defensively, Taunton can lean on three-time league all-star Nick Terry, who will man the top defensive pairing. Mike Volkmann may be listed as a defenseman on the roster but he can get forward into the attack with 29 points a season ago. Junior Cam Welby will be a new addition to the defense after playing juniors all of last season. Senior Justin Chappell returns in net.

“This year’s group of seniors are first class kids,” said head coach Kris Metea. “They exemplify leadership across the board…They had a chance to taste the tournament last year, and are focused on acquiring more than just a taste this time around.”