05/02/202305/04/2023

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/03/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
North Attleboro, 5 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro senior Jordan Paradis had a strong start on the bump and the Rocketeers produced enough runs offensively to secure a 5-2 rivalry win at Attleboro. Paradis allowed just two runs on two hits and three walks, striking out 10 in five innings for the win; sophomore Gio Martello tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the save. The Rocketeers took the lead in the top of the first inning and never surrendered it against the Bombardiers. Derek Maceda lined a two-run double to give the visitors the lead in the top half before Attleboro got on the board in the bottom half on an RBI double from Aiden Hochwarter. North extended its lead in the top of the fourth on Paradis’ RBI triple and an RBI single from Martello to make it 4-1. Ayden Delaney added a sacrifice fly for North while Casey Victorio drove in a run for the Bombardiers in the fifth.

King Philip, 9 @ Canton, 2 – Final – KP exploded for seven runs in the top of the second and never looked back, rolling to its fourth win in a row. Brendan Sencaj blasted a grand slam to lead the KP attack at the plate. Matthew Kelley continued his strong work with the bat, going 4-for-4 and scoring three runs. Cam Hasenfus went six innings and allowed two earned runs to pick up the win, while Nate Pennini stepped in to pitch a scoreless seventh. Matt Chafin had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Bulldogs, while Andrew Gillis reached base three times and scored once. Griffin Hughes had a strong relief outing, going five innings and allowing two runs.

Franklin @ Mansfield – Postponed to Saturday, 5/6 at 4:00.

Softball
King Philip, 1 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Foxboro, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames plated all four of its runs in the bottom of the first inning and Katie Melendy and the Tigers’ defense took care of the rest to land a key 4-3 win over division rival Foxboro. It was the visiting Warriors that struck first when sophomore Natalia Leach smacked a solo home run to center field to present Foxboro an early 1-0 lead. OA responded in the bottom half with all four of its runs; Maddie Homer led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI single from Devon Morris to tie the game. Melendy singled and two at-bats later, Erin Martin singled and Melendy came home on an error. A double from Katherine Farley plated one more run and Samantha Johnson followed with another RBI double to make it 4-1 in favor of the Tigers. Foxboro cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth on a single from freshman Mia Flanagan that scored two runs but Melendy got the third out in the inning to strand the tying run at second. Foxboro got the tying run to second in the top of the seventh as well but Melendy got back-to-back outs to secure the win. Melendy earned the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and five walks, striking out five in a complete game effort. Vittoria Cuscia pitched well for Foxboro, scattering seven hits and three walks for four runs, striking out four in six innings.

Stoughton, 11 @ Milford, 16 – Final – Milford pounded out 18 hits to the tune of a 16-11 win over visiting Stoughton, securing its third win in the last five contests. Although the Black Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first (highlighted by RBIs from Alyssa Edwards, Camryn Whitman, and Caitlin Driscoll), Milford’s Olivia Baglione led off the bottom half with a solo home run and the Scarlet Hawks were off and running offensively. Milford ended up pushing across five runs in the first and three more in the second to get the lead; Stoughton rallied for three runs in each the fifth and sixth but the Hawks answered with seven combined runs in the same two innings. Junior Maeve Driscoll had a team-high four hits and knocked in one run, Baglione (two RBI, two runs), Cae Pellegrini (four runs) and Maeve Williams (four RBI, three runs) each added three hits, and Jianna Fernandes (four RBI, run) had two hits. Edwards went 4-for-4 with a home run, a triple, five RBI and four runs to lead the Black Knights while Anna Hobbs and Kerry Driscoll each had two hits.

Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 10 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final

Canton, 8 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final – Foxboro used a dominant first half to land a key win over division rival Canton. The Warriors poured in eight goals in the opening half and played great defense to limit the visiting Bulldogs to just one goal for an 8-1 edge at the break. Conor Noone led the charge offensively, scoring six goals with one assist while Tony Sulham added a hat trick in the win. Ryan Cotter, Jon Sacchetti, and Mikey McCabe each added one goal while Finn Stapleton had an outstanding defensive game for the Warriors. Adam Addeche made 14 saves in net to keep Foxboro ahead.

Franklin, 19 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Luke Davis continued to dominate offensively and Franklin ran away with a big win on the road at Mansfield. Davis had eight goals and three assists, all in the first three quarters, while Jayden Consigli added six goals and two helpers and Tyler Sacchetti chipped in with four goals and three assists for the Panthers, which built a double-digit (13-3) lead by halftime. Drew Hansen added two assists and Justin Alexander (one assist) went 16-for-22 at the face-off X. Ryan DeGirolamo made 20 saves in net for the host Hornets and Drew Sacco led the team offensively with three goals and an assist. Cody Gordon and Andrew DeGirolamo each added one goal, and Andrew Burnham and Nico Smith each had two assists.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 20 – Final

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Milford, 11 – Final (OT) – Ben Reardon’s second goal of the game delivered a walk off win for Oliver Ames as the Tigers dispatched Milford in overtime. The Scarlet Hawks and visiting OA were tied 11-11 at the end of regulation but Reardon found the back of the net for the second time to hand the Tigers the dramatic win. Shaun Teehan and Alex McAndrew had big performances for OA with each scoring three goals while Jake Manthous, Ryan Jaco, and Victor Romeiro each scored once. Noah Iselib made 12 saves in the win.

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 19 @ North Attleboro, 10 – Final – Locked in a tight battle at halftime, Attleboro erupted for 11 second half goals to run away with a big win on the road at rival North Attleboro. The Bombardiers had a balanced attack offensively with sophomore Isabella Cavallini (two assists) scoring a team-high five goals while junior Molly Moore (three assists), junior Addison Papagolos, and freshman Amelia Collins each scored four goals in the win; senior Gabriela Sprovieri and freshman Mekenah Stokes each added one goal in the win. Jordan Mooney added four assists while Papagolos (six) and Cavallini (nine) did well on the draw. Peyton McAuliffe made 11 saves in the win for Attleboro.

Foxboro, 17 @ Canton, 8 – Final – After a back-and-forth first half, Foxboro’s balanced offensive attack proved to be too much as the Warriors found the back of the net 10 times in the second half to pull away from Canton in a key division battle. Senior Paige Curran spearheaded the Warriors’ attack with six goals and three assists while Mya Waryas added five goals and four assists and Val Beigel had four goals — including the 100th of her career — and one assist in the win. Cate Noone chipped in with one goal and three assists, Addie Riley scored once, and Mary Collins notched an assist. Devan Spinale led the Bulldogs with four goals, Emily McCabe chipped in with two goals, and Nora Giannacopoulos and Shannon McGrann both had one goal. Ashley Balunas made six saves in net for the Bulldogs.

Mansfield, 3 @ Franklin, 18 – Final – Franklin senior Kaitlyn Carney hit a big milestone in the win, recording her 200th career point. Grace Nesbit added her first goal of the season for the Panthers. Brooke Butler had a goal and an assist, while Ava Adam and Lola Varricchione each scored once for the Hornets. Caitlyn Zajac made five stops in goal for the visitors.

King Philip, 20 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – KP had 18 different players find the back of the net, as they made it back-to-back wins. Makenzie McDevitt scored once and had a pair of assists, recording the 100th point of her career. Maggie Sweeney, Ashleigh Whitbread, Sierra King, Isabelle Taylor, Katie McGann, Mara Boldy, Halle LeBlanc, and Faith Garvey all scored their first varsity goals in the win. Cali Melo scored for Taunton on an assist from Caroline Vallarelli.

Milford @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Thursday, 5/4 at 4:00.

Sharon, 9 @ Stoughton, 8 – Final – Sharon edged Stoughton to pick up its second win in the past four games and deny the Black Knights their first win as a varsity program. Amanda Reid was the top scorer for the hosts with five goals, and also pulled down three draw controls. Casey Groppi dished out five assists, while Morgan Groppi and Nicole Reid each scored once. Jordan Coleman made 13 saves in the loss.

Boys Tennis
Canton, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Canton freshman Bharat Ramanathan overcame a one-set deficit and a three-game deficit in the second set to earn the clinching win at second singles for the Bulldogs. Ramanathan rallied from a 2-5 deficit to get the win and followed with a 12-10 third-set tiebreaker win to clinch the match. Max Kupferman continued his dominance at the first singles with a 6-0, 6-1, and Canton’s second doubles team of Drew Garrett and Matt Weaver earned a 6-1, 7-5 victory. Foxboro’s Ryan Fossella and Evan Paluzzi took a point at first doubles with a 6-1, 6-2 verdict and sophomore Luca Meyer earned a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Warriors.

Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton went on the road and returned home from the Whaling City with five wins — all in straight sets — to sink host New Bedford. Mike Kimmer emerged from a competitive first singles match with a 6-4, 6-1 win, Martin Frankimet dropped just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 second singles win, and Heitor Sens rolled to a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. In doubles action, Collin Lofgren and Derek Desseault teamed up and lost just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 victory at first doubles while the pairing of Kenny Dias and Rowan Kimmer dominated to the tune of a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – In a battle of division leaders, Sharon repped the Davenport with a clean sweep by taking all five matches in straight sets. Sophomore Jacob Slavsky bounced back with a 6-2, 6-2 win at first singles, junior Matthew Lally prevailed 6-1, 6-2 at second singles, and sophomore Alex Budovalcev continued his impressive sophomore season with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 showing at third singles for the Eagles. Sophomores Sava Kassev and Joel Zwicker emerged from a tough test at first doubles with a 6-2, 7-5 win, and the team of senior Kevin Li and sophomore Sujun Zhao took a 6-2, 6-1 victory at second doubles.

Stoughton, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final

Girls Tennis
Foxboro, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Foxboro took a pair of wins from both singles and doubles actions to earn a 4-1 verdict over host Canton. Hailey Kornbluth (6-0, 6-1) and Makayla Peck (6-2, 6-4) each wins at first and second singles, respectively, while the teams of Emily Stow and Katelynn Dineen (7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-7), and Abby Grace and Arianna Urman (6-4, 6-3) swept doubles play for the Warriors. Canton’s Katherine Powers was victorious at third singles, taking a 6-1, 6-2 win.

Taunton, 4 vs. New Bedford, 1 – Final

Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon earned its 10th straight win to start the season, taking a clean sweep over visiting Attleboro. Sophomore Judy Song dropped just two games en route to a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, junior Navya Shukla added a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, and senior Abby Vilk completed the singles sweep with a 6-2, 4-0 (default) win at third singles. The team of sophomore Alina Hou and Olivia Landstein earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles for the Eagles, and the second doubles pairing of Grace Zhang and Emma Gershun prevailed 7-6 (5), 6-1.

Milford, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Milford sophomore Mallory Brickley erased a one-set deficit to secure a win at third singles and clinch the win for the visiting Scarlet Hawks. Brickley dropped a tight first set but then won two in a row for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win. Milford also got wins from the sophomore first doubles pairing of Ava Merrill and Lily Bogonis (6-2, 6-1) and the second doubles team of sophomores Audrey Brannigan and Paige Caldon (6-3, 7-5). Ally Lada earned a 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 comeback win at first singles and senior Nadia Prokopiuk rallied for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win at second singles for the Black Knights.

Boys Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 83 – Final

Girls Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 34 @ Stoughton, 85 – Final

Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 0 @ Medfield, 3 – Final
Milford, 3 vs. Minnechaug, 0 – Final

03/19/2023

Canton Rallies Again, Wins D2 State Championship

Canton boys hockey captains Leo Owens, Brendan Tourgee, and AJ Thomas celebrate with the Division 2 state championship trophy after beating Hopkinton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

BOSTON, Mass. – It was a frustrating first 28 minutes for Canton (22-4) in Saturday’s Div. 2 state title game at the TD Garden. The Bulldogs had more than 20 shots on target, including some gilt-edged scoring opportunities, saw pucks hit the side-netting, bounce up on top of the net, shots go over the bar or just wide, and watched Hopkinton goalie Jack Lang come through with several huge saves.

There were moments when Canton could have been forgiven for thinking, it’s just not our night. Head coach Brian Shuman admitted that he was starting to get concerned as the clock ticked on without his team finding the back of the net.

“I was the first person to overreact on the bench when we missed the net,” Shuman said after the game. “Credit to our players, they stayed calm, cool, and collected and didn’t take on the persona of their coach, which was a good thing.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Shuman shouldn’t have worried. For the second game in a row, the Bulldogs rallied from a goal down, showing the resilience of state champions. With two goals in a little over a minute at the end of the second period and a pair of goals from seniors in the final three minutes of the game, Canton skated away with a 4-1 victory and its third state title in the past five seasons.

“Seeing everyone out there, before we were like we’re not going to let what happened last year happen again and we came together, just had a quick talk,” said senior forward AJ Thomas. “After they scored the first one, we were down a little but we weren’t going to let it go. We came together in the locker room and came out in the second and put it to them. I’m happy to win it for everyone back home.”

Shuman added, “We’ve been in close games all year long. We’re just used to playing in tight games and credit to our guys, they’re saying the same things they were in the last round, ‘We’re fine, stay with it, we’re fine,’ and that’s not coming from the coaches. That’s coming from them.”

Canton was the favorite coming into the final. The No. 8 seed Hillers were playing in only their second state title game (and first in D2), while the Bulldogs are the perennial powers who have reached the final for four straight years (excluding the 2021 season that had no tournament).

It was the underdogs that would take the early advantage. A slap shot from Vasi Zolotarev hit a couple bodies in front of Canton goalie Colin Davis (14 saves). The puck landed at the skates of Hopkinton star Pavit Mehra and he rifled it past the goalie from close range to put the Hillers in front. It was his 40th goal of the season and fifth in the last two rounds.

A few minutes later, the Hillers nearly made it two. Catching Canton in a change, Ryan Teitel got free in the left wing circle and tested Davis, who was able to stay tall and make the save.

Canton grew into the game. Thomas forced Lang into a save from the left wing, Jack Digirolamo weaved through the Hopkinton defense and put a backhand shot on target, James Young got a shot on net from the point, Jeffrey Chaput teed up Thomas for a chance in the slot that went high and wide, then set up Brendan Tourgee in almost the same spot for another shot off target.

The Bulldogs outshot Hopkinton 14-5 in the first. For all that pressure, it was the Hillers that again came closest to finding twine. Drew Morse sent in a shot from the point that Davis knocked down. Mehra was again in the right spot to get to the rebound, but, at full stretch, Davis managed to get a toe to the shot to keep it out.

In the second, Canton kept the chances coming (outshooting Hopkinton 12-2 in the period). Griffin Hughes fed Brian Middleton in front but his tip was kept out by Lang (31 saves) who then made a stunning, diving, glove save to deny Colin Blake, who had steamed in to knock the rebound into what looked like an open net.

Chaput chipped a puck up the boards for Tourgee to test the goalie from the right wing circle. Then it was Travis Thomas with a quick wraparound effort that Lang kept out. Mehra would get Hopkinton’s best chance of the second when he pounced on a mistake in the neutral zone to fire a shot on Davis. Michael Thomas added a chance from the slot, but again Lang was able to get a pad on it.

Finally, with 1:48 left in the second, Canton was able to find the back of the net, letting off a celebration that was at least in part a sigh of relief. Fittingly, after all those great chances, it was a scruffy goal to tie things up. Young’s shot from the left point was saved by Lang. The loose puck landed right on the stick of Tourgee who smashed his shot off the post, back off his skate, and then across the line.

After waiting so long to get the first, the Bulldogs needed only a minute before netting a second. Digirolamo used his big frame to power off the left wing boards towards goal. The puck was poked out to Middleton, who whipped a shot past Lang to put Canton in front.

“I think it was a little relief, definitely felt like there was a little less tension in the locker room, but these guys, the way that they approach every game, every period, is shift-by-shift,” Shuman said. “That’s the approach they took in the third. We don’t want to get too high or too low.”

The third period wasn’t as frenetic as the first two, as Canton tried to limit the stretch passes that Hopkinton looked so dangerous on and the Hillers tried to get Mehra into space to create. Dylan Mansur got the puck in front to Danny White to force a pad stop from Davis and Mehra made a great play to get the puck past the defense to Joe Scardino, but again the Canton goalie was equal to it.

For a defensive unit that graduated some important pieces, Canton’s pairings of Young, Hughes, Matt Anderson, Leo Owens, Jack Lauro, and Teddy Shuman, and with Davis in net, allowed only two goals in five playoff games this year.

“Colin Davis has been fantastic,” Shuman said. “We graduated arguably some of the best defensemen we’ve ever seen in this program, and for these guys to step up, some guys who were watching in the stands [last year] playing huge minutes, I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

With less than three minutes to play, Canton doubled its lead. AJ Thomas slipped a pass to Chaput as he raced into the left wing circle and his fellow senior roofed his shot over Lang to make it 3-1. It was Chaput’s fifth goal in five playoff games.

“We just sit back and think about who we’re doing this for,” Thomas said about his team’s resiliency. He noted the inspiration that the Bulldogs have gotten from Kieran Whall, a Canton three-year-old battling leukemia. “For everyone out there, who came tonight, it’s amazing, we’re doing it for them. We just look back and see who we’re doing it for and go out and do it.”

The Hillers pulled Lang and desperately tried to find a goal that would get them back into the game, but with 25.9 on the clock, just as he did against Duxbury in the semifinal, Thomas found the empty netter that sealed the win and the state title.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It’s crazy,” Young explained. “It feels so good. I’m speechless. Last Canton High game, you got to win.”

Asked about his program’s consistency, Shuman replied, “These guys, they put a lot of pressure on themselves. They’ve been in the stands watching some kids who are older than them on the ice raising the trophy and that’s their dream.”

“I think last year we felt that pressure and played well, just came up short. This year, I thought the players’ mental approach coming into this game was just outstanding. They were really having some fun this week.”

03/19/202303/19/2023

Chaput, Thomas Leave Mark On Canton’s Title Run

AJ Thomas Jeff Chaput — Canton’s AJ Thomas (left) and Jeff Chaput celebrate the latter’s third period goal in the D2 state title game. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

BOSTON, Mass. — As a freshman, Canton’s Jeff Chaput didn’t have the chance to step on the ice at the TD Garden after the season was cut short just before the state championships game.

After a sophomore campaign without playoffs and a loss in the final as a junior last year, Chaput had one final chance to raise the MIAA state championship trophy.

Chaput and the rest of the Bulldogs delivered. After scoring just four goals during the regular season, he lit the lamp for the fifth straight postseason game — after netting just four goals during the regular season — to help Canton secure a 4-1 win over Hopkinton for the program’s third title in the past five years/four seasons.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“Determination,” Chaput said of the postseason turnaround. “I wasn’t going to lose, any of these playoff games could have been my last game so I wanted to give it my all, empty the tank every single game.

“Goals have to come from somewhere. In the regular season, it was my linemates and things just started clicking in the postseason and I came through when we needed it.”

Chaput’s tally came with just under three minutes to go to give Canton a much-needed insurance tally and a 3-1 lead. Fittingly, it was Chaput’s classmate and linemate AJ Thomas that sealed the deal with an empty net goal with 25 seconds to go.

Chaput and Thomas have emerged as the go-to players for the Bulldogs. The former was assisted by the latter in the first-round win over Medford, both players lit the lamp in a 6-0 win over Wilmington, and Chaput’s goal gave Canton a two-goal cushion against Newburyport.

The duo wasn’t done there as Chaput came up with a huge goal early in the third period that leveled the score in the state semifinals against Duxbury, and then Thomas buried the game-winning goal with just under five minutes to go. Similar to Sunday morning, Thomas had the empty net goal in the win over the Dragons to ice the win.

“They were definitely frustrated sometimes during the season with their lack of goal scoring and we just kept saying, ‘Hey, you’ll score when it matters,’” said Canton head coach Brian Shuman. “Jeff Chaput [scored] four goals in the regular season, five in the playoffs. He’s a guy that’s a four-year player for us and he knows what it takes to win. He stepped up big time. AJ is someone that every person on the other team knows about. They key on him and try to shut him down, but he still finds ways to be productive.”

Hopkinton took the lead just 3:12 into the game, only the second goal the Bulldogs had allowed all postseason. It was also just the second time Canton trailed throughout its tournament run. Juniors Brendan Tourgee and Brian Middleton scored a minute apart at the end of the second period to turn the deficit into a lead.

“We’re all brothers, there’s no way other way to explain it,” Chaput said. “We weren’t going to let what happened last year happen again. We ride for each other, we love each other.”

The Chaput/Thomas duo combined for one final time with Thomas dropping a nice pass to Chaput in stride, setting up a wrist shot top shelf for a 3-1 lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It feels amazing,” Thomas said. “We weren’t going to let what happened last year happen again. After they scored the first one, we were down a little bit but we weren’t going to let it go. We came together in the locker room and came out in the second and put it to them.

“Me and Jeff were put on the same line about midway through the season and ever since then we’ve become so much closer. We’re more than friends, we’re brothers. It’s amazing to do this with him, I’m so proud of him and he’s earned everything.”

Over the last four years, with Chaput,

AJ Thomas

Thomas, and fellow seniors Leo Owens, Griffin Hughes, Jack Lauro, Jack Digirolamo, James Young, Carson Eagles, and manager Matt Yeaton in the program, Canton finished with a 76-8-5 record, four Davenport division titles, three state finals appearances, and two Division 2 state championships.

03/03/202303/03/2023

Canton Shuts Out Medford to Reach Sweet Sixteen

CANTON, Mass. – Sometimes, especially during the early rounds of the tournament, a team needs to find its footing, overcome some postseason jitters, and grind out a result. It may not be the prettiest win, but at this stage of the season all that matters is finding a way to advance to the next round.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

On Thursday night at the Metropolis Rink, Canton wasn’t at its free-flowing best, but the Bulldogs had enough to hold off an upset bid from No. 30 seed Medford. Canton got a pair of goals in the second period and tacked on a shorthanded tally in the third to pull out the 3-0 win and reach the Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen.

“A lot of teams, if you look at the past few nights, sort of struggle in these early-round games, especially teams that put pressure on themselves and these guys certainly did,” explained Canton coach Brian Shuman. “I give Medford credit. They’re a good team and they really played us hard and played us well.”

The Bulldogs wasted no time taking the initiative, outshooting the Mustangs 13-5 in the first, but Canton was struggling to create clear-cut chances and get bodies in front of Medford goalie John Nocella (34 saves).

Matt Anderson had a good early shot from the point that was kicked aside and Kevin LaBellee charged down the rebound only to have that gloved. James Young created a scoring chance with a nice outlet pass up the boards to Jeffrey Chaput, but the shot was kicked away and AJ Thomas was unable to connect on the rebound.

Medford nearly sprung a surprise when it got behind the Canton defense, but Griffin Hughes raced back and made a key intervention to prevent a breakaway. Jack Digirolamo came close with a shot from the slot that was blockered over the bar, but the Mustangs had the best chance of the period when Tyler Taddia forced a save out of Colin Davis and Louis Pucillo appeared to hit the post as he sent the rebound back through the crease.

Brendan Tourgee made a nice play with the puck in the defensive zone to get into open ice and then weaved his way through traffic before putting a backhand shot on target from close range with just 25 seconds left in the first.

Canton was in need of a spark and Digirolamo provided a lift with a big hit along the blue line, which seemed to give the bench much-needed energy.

“Digi this year for us, when we needed a goal, needed a big play, or in this game needed a physical presence, he provided it,” Shuman said. “Whatever we needed, he gave us, and this game we needed someone to match their physicality and he sure did.”

While the shot total was just about the same as the first, Canton looked much more fluid offensively in the second and puck movement was a key reason why.

Shuman said, “A lot of times in a playoff game, especially the first one, people are trying to be the hero early and score two goals with one shot. I thought the second period we moved the puck a lot better. Sometimes when the nerves kick in, your first instinct is to throw it at the net, so hopefully we got that nervousness out of the way and be better in the next game.”

Digirolamo teed up Colin Blake right on the edge of the crease, but his tip was saved. Less than a minute later, Canton got its breakthrough. Teddy Shuman’s shot from the point was blocked in front, but Travis Thomas managed to scoop the loose puck up and over the stretching goalie to make it 1-0.

With 6:40 left in the period, AJ Thomas showed great patience against the near side boards, holding the puck and waiting for space to make a pass. Finally, a crease opened up and he was able to pick out Chaput in front for a tip that made it 2-0.

Canton’s passing was creating a lot of good looks. Tourgee set up Thomas for a chance that was saved and the duo combined again with Tourgee having his tip turned aside. Thomas also had a shot that caromed off the end boards right to Young, who was pinching in and forced another save.

It looked like the Bulldogs were going to cruise to victory, but the Mustangs came out for the third intent on getting back into the game. After compiling nine shots through the first two periods, Medford put 12 shots on Davis in the third.

Carsten Mangan took advantage of a turnover and fired a shot from the right wing that Davis fought off, DJ McDonough had a shot that deflected in front and clipped the post, and Devon Page had a bid from the slot that Davis got his pad onto. He finished with 21 saves to record the shutout.

The game was effectively put away with 7:46 to go. On the penalty kill, Brian Middleton made a play at the blue line, broke free, and buried his breakaway opportunity to give the Bulldogs a three-goal cushion.

“Colin played well, made some big saves,” Shuman said. “Sadly that’s been a theme this year, the dreaded two-goal lead. It’s a cliche but sometimes cliches turn into reality. We need to find ways to bear down and get that third, such a crucial goal in a game, especially when you’re on a team and pressuring them.”

Canton (18-4-0) will take on No. 19 Wilmington, which beat No. 14 Masconomet, on Saturday night at the Canton Ice House.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

02/18/202302/19/2023

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Girls Basketball
Franklin, 38 vs. Walpole, 52 – Final

Oliver Ames, 58 vs. Dartmouth, 51 – Final – The game was tied at 39 apiece after three quarters but Avery Gamble came through with a pair of threes and 12 of her team-high 25 points in the final frame to lift the Tigers to a win in the opening round of the St. Mary’s tournament. With the win, OA has clinched a return to the postseason. On a quick turnaround from Friday night’s game against Foxboro, the Tigers got off to a strong start on Saturday, winning the first quarter 16-11. Gamble had a quick six points and Kamryn and Kaydance Derba combined for nine in the opening eight minutes. The Tigers tacked another point onto their lead in the second, as Kamryn Derba and Maddie Homer scored four apiece to make it 30-24 at the break. In the third quarter, Dartmouth’s star sophomore Kat Cheesbro caught fire, burying a pair of threes and scoring 11 of her team’s 15 points to help the Indians tie things up. Cheesbro would finish with a game-high 27. In the fourth, it was Gamble’s turn to respond. The freshman hit a pair from beyond and three shots from inside the arc. Kaydance Derba chipped in with three more and Katherine Farley and Annie Reilly each added a bucket to help the Tigers pull out a crucial win. Kamryn Derba scored 10 in the game, while Kaydance added seven. Maddie Homer and Farley each finished with six points. OA will face Malden Catholic in the tournament finale on Monday at 5:15.

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 4 @ Bellingham, 1 – Final – Locked in a 1-1 tie, Attleboro erupted for three goals in the third period earn a win over Bellingham. The hosts took a lead less than two minutes into the game but Attleboro pulled level on a goal from Colin Flynn (from Bryan Capone) at 11:40 of the second period. Eighth grader Cameron Harrison provided a highlight reel goal to put the Bombardiers ahead, carrying the puck from his own end past the defense and flipped one short side on the goalie to make it 2-1. Michael Lachance added a goal four minutes later and Beckett Stone buried an insurance goal with just over six minutes to play. Sophomore Austin Bessette and eighth grader Drew Bessette both had strong performances in the win. Julien Horton had the win in net for Attleboro.

Franklin, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final (OT) – Franklin scored early in the third period to tie the game and eventually force overtime but Canton senior Griffin Hughes delivered the game-winner in overtime as the Bulldogs and Panthers split the season series one win apiece. Junior Colin Blake gave the Bulldogs the lead, burying a rebound in the first period but Franklin junior Anthony Lampasona finished off a pass from classmate Ben Paterson just a minute into the third period to tie it.

King Philip, 3 @ Walpole, 3 – Final

Mansfield, 5 vs. North Attleboro, 6 – Final – North Attleboro used a big third period to skate past Hock rival Mansfield in a non-league clash at Rodman Arena. Mark Ayvazyan, Kaden Burns, and Joe Quinn each scored a pair of goals to pace the offense. Ayvazyan also registered a pair of assists for a four-point performance, Brody Gaulin and Jake Santucci also had two helpers apiece, and Jack Julio and Jacob Conley each have one assist. Nate Kelly made 26 saves in the win. For Mansfield, Thomas Gormley scored twice and James Warren, Ryan DiGirolamo, and Cody Gordon each scored once.

Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Plymouth South, 2 – Final – Dan Paul, Jack Perron, and Matt Lawson each scored as Oliver Ames picked up an impressive win over Plymouth South, a top 10 ranked team in Division 2. Sean Kearns notched a pair of assists while Brendan Teehan, Bryce Deibel, and Perron each had one.

Stoughton/Brockton, 3 vs. Middleboro, 4 – Final (OT) – Anthony DeSousa, Charlie Caputo and Sean Farley each scored once for the Black Knights but Middleboro prevailed in overtime.

Girls Hockey
King Philip, 4 @ Braintree, 3 – Final – King Philip went on the road and scored a key 4-3 win over Braintree, who entered the game five spots ahead of the Warriors in the latest MIAA rankings. Kelly Holmes paced the offense with a pair of goals and one assists while Mara Boldy and Katie McGann each found the back of the net once. Ella Morgan added an assist while Mallory Johnston turned aside 23 shots in the win.

01/08/202301/08/2023

Wagner, Franklin Blank Canton In Hock Showdown

Franklin boys hockey Dylan McEvoy — Franklin junior Dylan McEvoy takes a shot in the second period against Canton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

FRANKLIN, Mass. – On paper, it’s just one of eight league games on the schedule, but there’s no hiding the significance of when Canton and Franklin meet on the ice.

The Bulldogs have won the Davenport every single year since the league split into two divisions and the Panthers have had a hand in all but one — a combined 23 division titles over the past 12 seasons.

Both squads are the favorites to win their respective division again this year and are the top two ranked teams in the league, meaning bragging rights were on the line at Pirelli Veteran’s Arena on Saturday night in front of a packed crowd.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin junior goalie Colby Wagner was terrific in net from the opening puck drop, turning in a 38-save shutout performance to lead the Panthers to a 2-0 win.

The Panthers scored once in the first period and added on a key insurance goal late in the third period, with both goals coming in similar fashion thanks in part to Franklin’s speed.

“It’s one of eight [league games] but it’s a good one,” said Franklin head coach Chris Spillane. “It’s just fun to play teams like this, and you know every year it doesn’t matter who’s up or who’s down, when it’s Franklin-Canton, both teams show up to play. And we get to play them again in a non-league game and it will be the same exact thing, the same exact atmosphere in their building.

“It was a gritty win. Our goaltender [Wagner] kept us in this game tonight, he made some key saves. We struggled breaking the puck out, that’s typically our strongest going from defense to offense, we can fly but credit to [Canton], they took time and space away. It was just one of those typical Franklin-Canton games, it was gritty and there’s no space for anyone.”

It didn’t take long for the scoring chances to start as Canton sophomore goalie Colin Davis (31 saves) was forced into making a terrific save just seconds into the contest as senior Aidan Kuykendall found senior Ryan Sicchio streaking into the offensive zone all alone for a chance in close 15 seconds in. And seconds later, Davis denied Anthony Lampasona after a pass from Ben Paterson in a 2-on-1 situation.

Canton got its early chances too as the Bulldogs went on the power play just 63 seconds into the game. Junior Matt Anderson had a blast from the blueline handled by Wagner, and junior Colin Blake had a bid in close that was turned aside.

That set the tone for the next 40-plus minutes as the Panthers and Bulldogs went up-and-done the ice, back and forth with chances on goal. Franklin had four power plays and Canton had two man-advantage chances throughout the contest but neither team cashed in with its special teams.

The first breakout came right at the midway point of the opening period. Paterson won a faceoff in his own defensive zone to junior Logan Marchand, who chipped one up the left boards that eluded the glove of a Canton defenseman at the blue line. Lampasona raced down and got to the puck first in the offensive zone and centered to a wide-open Dan Daley and he roofed his shot just under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead with 7:47 left in the opening stanza.

“Danny Daley, he’s a player to be reckoned with,” Spillane said. “He’s fast and can shoot the puck, his center [Ben Paterson] and [Anthony] Lampasona are both good at getting him the puck. It’s a nice all-junior line to have as our second line.”

Canton nearly responded a minute later when junior Brendan Tourgee dropped a pass out front for Blake, but his deflection on net was denied by Wagner’s shoulder. The Bulldogs had another big chance with just under two minutes to play as junior Brian Middleton won a battle at the blueline and raced in on a breakaway but his backhand bid was turned away by a pad stop from Wagner.

Davis made a nice stop early in the second after Franklin’s Paterson and Daley played a little catch, the former ripping a shot that was turned aside. Canton countered with a nice tip off the stick of sophomore Travis Thomas but Wagner stood tall.

“He’s very comfortable in the net, his rebound control is really good,” Spillane said of Wagner. “They were pressuring the crease and he never got rattled. He’s our number one right now for sure, but we have two other good options too in Jack O’Connor and Joe Torraco.”

While there were chances in all three periods for both teams, both defensive groups played well to limit how many genuine scoring chances there were. Kuykendall paired with senior Liam O’Rielly while Marchand was matched up with Vinnie Pasquarosa. For Canton, senior James Young paired with classmate Griffin Hughes, freshman Teddy Shuman worked with Anderson, and senior Jack Lauro played alongside freshman Graidy Carr.

Canton did have a powerplay five minutes into the second but Sicchio had a big clear, Ben Jarosz interrupted a pass to clear the zone, and Dylan McEvoy won a key faceoff and cleared the puck himself.

The third featured more of the same with chances from both sides, including an early power play for the Panthers that Canton killed off, including a key clearance from Young.

Jack Digirolamo muscled his way into space for a shot that was tipped by AJ Thomas, only for Wagner to get a stick to it. Tourgee found space shortly after but his bomb of a shot was wide of the net.

“We had a lot of one-and-dones and I think a lot of that was the product of missing the net on some key chances, and that started their break out,” said Canton head coach Brian Shuman. “And I think we were a little intimidated by their speed, guys backing off the line and just not able to win the races to pucks. That was preventing us from getting some good in-zone time.”

Franklin tacked on a key insurance goal with just over three minutes to go in the game. The puck bounced out from behind the Franklin net, and Daley was the first to it. He beat a pinching defenseman, slapping the puck off the boards and up the ice.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Sophomore Carter Balducci raced onto it and centered to his brother, senior Tommy Balducci and he found the back of the net to make it 2-0 with 3:04 to play.

“They have so much speed, they’ll disrupt any team they are playing against,” Shuman said. “That’s the fastest team we’ve seen all year, probably the fastest we will see all year. They can go three lines of speed, and they certainly look a lot faster in person than they do on LiveBarn. They’re a good team and any mistake that we made, they made us pay. Whether it was a bad pinch or a guy slightly out of position…our goaltender played well though and made some big stops.”

Franklin boys hockey (2-0-0 Hockomock, 6-1-0 overall) will head to Foxboro to take on the Warriors on Wednesday at 6:30 while Canton (1-1-0, 6-1-0) returns home to Ponky to take on Oliver Ames.