11/04/201807/12/2019

Late Goal Gives Walpole Win Over Oliver Ames

Oliver Ames boys soccer — Oliver Ames’ Haendel Louhis dribbles the ball into the attacking third against Walpole. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – For the past two seasons, Oliver Ames has been responsible for ending Walpole’s season.

The Rebels reversed the roles in 2018.

#11 Walpole scored the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute, leading to a 2-1 win over sixth-seeded Oliver Ames.

Two seasons ago, the Tigers upset Walpole with a dominate performance. And last year, OA’s James Gillespie scored in double overtime to send the Rebels home.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

This time around, it was Walpole’s Aidan Murray that pounced on a loose ball in a scrum off a corner kick in the final minutes of the game for the game-winner.

“We have a little history with them, [in the tournament], they got us last year so this was kind of sweet here,” said Walpole head coach Lee Delaney. “I thought the turning point of the game was the save on the PK. The next goal in the game was going to be a big one so that was a huge save. I thought we really took it too them, had a lot of dangerous chances in the box where we just couldn’t find someone’s foot. [OA] is a good club, I know they are young. I knew it would be a toss up game, OA is always a great match but I’m glad we’re on this side this time.

“We have a couple of set plays on corners and you hope to convert them but it takes great execution. Sometimes it just takes a second ball in a scrum. It’s kind of how we lost last year, we cleared it off our own guy and it went right to their guy and he knocked it in.”

The late goal didn’t allow the Tigers much time to orchestrate an attack to try and tie the game. For OA head coach John Barata, the game should have still been tied because of a missed call.

“They were horrendous…both hand balls, knocked down and they finished…the refs didn’t call either so it was frustrating for sure,” Barata said. “They came here with a mission to play us off the ball, thump everything forward as direct as possible and go at us. I think the young guys got a little bit of a lesson that they’ll take with them. We have a good amount of kids back so they’ll learn from this.

“I thought the game was very back and forth, which is what we expected from Walpole. It’s a tough match, it’s tough to lose anytime. I think Walpole will give a lot of teams a run for their money.”

It was a back-and-forth start with both sides venturing into the attack third. OA keeper Jacob Lerman easily handled a Walpole shot from distance early and OA’s Haendel Louhis had a pair of chances go just wide, a shot from the top of the box in the 9th minute, and a header off a throw from Andrew Leite.

Oliver Ames broke through in the 27th minute. After senior Sean Flaherty was fouled at the top of the area, sophomore Colin Milliken stepped up and hit a well-struck free kick to give the Tigers the lead. Milliken hit his right footed shot up and over the wall, freezing the keeper on the line for a 1-0 lead.

The lead didn’t last long though as Walpole scored just over a minute later to level the game. Walpole sent a corner in and Lerman made a nice stop on the first bid but the rebound fell to Daniel Colbert and he buried it.

“That’s the tough point, that’s one of the maturing factors we talk about all the time,” Barata said of giving up a quick equalizer. “The sad part was that it was the same exact thing, on a corner kick, we know what they’re trying to do. To give it up a minute a half later is tough but that’s the M.O. of a young team and we’ve done that a couple of times this year.”

In the second half, Walpole came out flying and applied a lot of pressure over the first 15 minutes. The best chance fell to the feet of Rebels’ senior Conor McDonough. McDonough took down a ball over the top and had a one-on-one chance against Lerman but the OA keeper came up and was position perfectly to knock the bid aside.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Oliver Ames had a golden chance to take the lead midway through the second half but were denied by Walpole keeper Dennis Crowley. OA sophomore Kevin Louhis used his speed to get past a defender and into the area but was brought down and the Tigers were awarded a penalty kick. Flaherty hit a low shot to the right side but Crowley made a diving save to keep the ball out and keep the game tied 1-1.

“Their keeper made a good save, so there’s nothing wrong there,” Barata said. “We dominated the rest of the game from that point. They took it to us the first 10 minutes of the second half, they came flying at us. They made some adjustments and gave us some problems initially. Once we settled in, we got the PK, everything was in our favor…but then it was just a bad call, I just can’t hold back on it. It was a horrible no call on the goal. Just didn’t feel fair to end the game like that. But Walpole is a very good team, a lot of seniors, they work their bollocks off so I have a ton of respect for their boys.”

Oliver Ames boys soccer finishes the season 8-4-5.

10/04/201810/05/2018

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/04/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Franklin senior Tim Duval scored a pair of goals and assisted on another to lead the Panthers to a win on the road. “It was a well played game, our kids played really well together tonight,” said Franklin head coach Fran Bositis. Junior Lucas Moura set Duval up for his first goal, and Duval assisted on classmate Ethan Bowen’s goal.

Milford, 2 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Milford junior Walisson de Oliveira opened the scoring in the first half and assisted on what proved to be the game-winner in the second as the Hawks picked up a key win on the road to pull into a first place tie in the Davenport division. de Oliveira capitalized on a loose ball behind the defense, chipping the keeper in the 15th minute to put the Hawks up 1-0. In the 71st minute, de Oliveira flicked himself in, got a touch past the keeper and Joao Vitor Neiva slid and pushed the ball across the line. Canton struck just two minutes later when Paolo Ruggeri converted a nice shot from outside the area to cut the deficit in half.

Foxboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.

King Philip, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – In a back-and-forth contest, Oliver Ames scored the game-winning goal inside the final 10 minutes to grab two points at home, bouncing back from its first loss of the season. Senior Sean Flaherty found the back of the net after Haendal Louhis flicked on a throw in from Harry Ahearn. Senior Jacob Lerman and Drew Nikla combined for the shutout for the Tigers, each making a big stop. Lerman thwarted a breakaway in the first half while Nickla came up with a big save without allowing a rebound on a cross in the final minutes.

Mansfield, 7 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Mansfield raced out to a 5-0 lead by halftime and never looked back, beating Taunton to qualify for the state tournament. Junior Raffi Marzella scored a pair of goals in the win while classmate Robert Healey had two assists. Junior Colin Caridi, freshman Dylan Buchanon, and senior Ethan Brill-Cass each had a goal and an assist.

Stoughton, 0 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Sharon broke into the win column with a 3-0 decision over visiting Stoughton. Bryce Nathan had the game-winning goal and also recorded an assist for the Eagles. Nathan opened the scoring in the 25th minute, converting an assist from Antonio El-Khoury. Sharon made it 2-0 before the break when Brian Higgins took a feed from Andrew Ableman and found the back of the net. Nathan set up Victor Schneider for a goal in the second half. Stoughton sophomore Nolan Gerome made 16 saves for the Black Knights.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin scored three times in the final 20 minutes to secure a win in a physical division game. Sabrina Addi opened the scoring for the Panthers and Franklin took advantage of the Bombardiers pushing forward after an equalizer to score two more. Hailey Toolin added the second off an assist from Sydney St. Marie and Anna Blakus sealed the win in the final minute off an assist from Calen Frongillo. Tayla Drape made 10 saves for Attleboro, while Breanna Atwood made four to keep a clean sheet.

Milford, 0 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. – Canton sophomore scored a pair of goals and had an assist as the Bulldogs notched a convincing win at home. Gilmore scored twice in the first half, both off of restarts. In the sixth minute, Gilmore scored an olimpico – a goal straight from a corner kick. Just 10 minutes later, she floated a free kick from 30 yards out on the left sideline into the far post for a 2-0 lead. In the second half, Gilmore set up Elisa Diletizia, who made a nice move to get free and slotted a low shot into the corner in the 42nd minute. Five minutes later, Lauren McCabe’s cross found Olivia Rodman at the back post and she blasted a shot just under the bar to make it 4-0.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Katelyn Mollica scored once and assisted on the second goal for the Warriors, who jumped out to a 2-0 lead by halftime. The first goal came straight from a corner and the second came off a Mollica free kick that was headed home by Jordyn Collins. Alex Moulson scored her first career goal to cut the lead in half with eight minutes left off an Ashlyn Gaulin assist, but the Warriors held on for the win to keep hold of first in the Davenport division. Foxboro coach Katie Stalcup said that the defense and goalie Morgan Sylvestre had great games in the win.

Taunton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Melissa Reef scored what turned out to be the game-winner for the Hornets and her midfield partner Bryn Anderson had a goal and two assists. Maria Sevastos added a goal and an assist, Steph Kemp had an assist, and Katie Miller scored her first career goal for the Hornets. Defender Emily Vigeant also got on the scoresheet off a Katy Garvin assist. Izzy Anslow made 12 saves for the Tigers.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames battled back from a goal down with a pair of second half goals to pull out the road win. Anna Tempestoso tied the game from the penalty spot and in the final minute Brianna Gibson added an “olimpico” to secure the full two points for the Tigers.

Sharon, 0 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Brianna Buckley earned her first clean sheet of the season for the Black Knights.

Field Hockey
Stoughton, 3 vs. East Bridgewater, 0 – Final – Stoughton earned a season sweep over East Bridgewater, beating the Vikings 3-0 for the second time this season. Allie Howe paced the Knights’ offense with two goals while Alanna McCormick had the other goal.

Volleyball
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Franklin recorded a win o the road, knocking off Attleboro 3-0 (25-10, 25-9, 25-11). FOr Attleboro, Jessica Matheson had eight digs and Chelsea Calcagni added six kills.

Golf
Attleboro, 182 @ Taunton, 190 – Final

Mansfield, 149 @ Oliver Ames, 148 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Nolan Donze and Steve Heino both had strong outings, leading the Tigers to a one-stroke win over Mansfield. As the final pair, Donze carded a round of 36 while Heino shot 37. Thomas Walsh also added a 37 and Tate Hadges shot a 38 for Oliver Ames. Mansfield’s Jason See was the match medalist with nine pars, shooting a low-round of 34.

Sharon, 177 @ Foxboro, 169 – Final – Foxboro’s Noah Hicks earned match medalist honors with a low round of 40, helping the Warriors pick up a key division win over Sharon. Dylan Quinn added a 42 for the Warriors while Matt Hague (43) and Matt Lathrop (44) also scored for Foxboro. Sharon’s Max Brody had a team-low round of 42.

Stoughton, 169 @ North Attleboro, 150 – Final – North Attleboro had three golfers break 40 in a win over visiting Stoughton. Matt Wanless was the match medalist, shooting a 36 to pace the Rocketeers. Jillian Barend and Pat Roberts each shot 37 while Marcus Costa contributed with a 40. Max Huminik led the Black Knights with a 39.

Stoughton, 169 vs. Milford, 163 – Final – The Black Knights participated in a tri-match, facing off with both North Attleboro and Milford. Riley Lynch was the medalist for the Hawks with a 38 while Max Huminik led Stoughton with a 39. Luke Bainton and Kyle Stone each for 43 for Stoughton and Josh Hough carded a 44.

10/01/2018

Milford Impresses In First Win Over Oliver Ames

Milford boys soccer — Milford’s Walisson de Oliveira tries to make a move against Oliver Ames’ Aaron MacDonald in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – The Milford boys soccer team hasn’t had much success against Oliver Ames since it joined the Hockomock League in 2012.

That changed in a big way on Monday night in a rainy contest on the turf at Val Muscato Stadium.

Milford had a dominant showing, scoring four first half goals on its way to a convincing 5-0 win. It marked the Scarlet Hawks’ first win over the Tigers since joining the league, snapping a 10-game winless streak.

“We talked about coming out strong in this game,” said Milford head coach Brian Edwards. “Some of our previous games, we started out weak and were fortunate to get points out of them because of the way we started. So it was a point of focus the last couple of days, and I was very happy with the energy level.

“This is going in the right direction. I still think we have a ways to go in all honestly, but today and the Foxboro game, our approach and the way we came out of the gate, and attention to detail was great. Tonight, the defense and the effort from our outside mids, that allows us to play well. The work we put in off the ball defensively allowed us to do what we did with the ball. If we keep working like that, I think we’ll keep getting better.”

It was all Hawks from the get-go, registering their first scoring chance just over 60 seconds into the contest.

Sophomore Leo Coelho played a perfectly weighted through ball on the ground that found junior Walisson de Oliveira right inside the area, but his touch was smothered by OA keeper Jacob Lerman. Although de Oliveira had his first chance denied, it was far from the last time he would factor in.

In the 5th minute, de Oliveira blasted a free kick from 35 that went just high and wide at the near post. In the 8th minute, Coelho made a darting run out of the back, combining with de Oliveira to eventually find Joao Vitor, but his shot went just over the bar.

The visitor finally converted in the 12th minute. Jordan Borges played a long ball out of the back that skid on the turf past the defense. Miscommunication between the OA defense and keeper allowed Vitor to come streaking in and get a touch past the keeper. de Oliveira was in the perfect spot and cleaned up the loose ball, burying it into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

OA had a nice spell of play over the next 10 minutes, nearly drawing level of two chances. First, sophomore Colin Milliken took a feed from classmate Jimmy Keane and ripped a dipping shot from 25 yards. The ball nearly skipped in front and almost slipped through Milford keeper Josh Orellana’s hands, but the senior positioned himself well to cover.

Just a minute later, a free kick from Niko Byron fell to the feet of Brady deVos, and the sophomore had a go from atop the area, but Orellana made a terrific jumping save and gobbled up the rebound.

Just seconds later, Milford’s Anthony Salvador traced down the left flank, centered to Vitor and his curling shot from just before the 18-yard line found the back of the net despite a partial save.

“It could have been a totally different game,” Edwards admitted. “Once we went up 1-0, I thought we were fortunate because [Oliver Ames] had a nice spell of play. If they score there and it’s 1-1, this is a totally different game. The score was a bit misleading. So that’s an area we still have to get better because we can’t afford to slow down.”

After going up 2-0, Milford continued to apply a heavy dose of pressure while controlling possession of the game. In the 32nd minute, de Oliveira really put the Hawks in the driver’s seat. The junior used a nice cut to get past a defender, took a touch towards goal and fired a laser from 25-yards out that went just under the bar for a 3-0 lead.

The Hawks added to their lead with another terrific goal just two minutes later. An attack throw from Tiago Carvalhoj was flicked on by de Oliveira to sophomore Lucas Da Silva. Da Silva took a touch to get the ball on his right foot and then ripped a volley to the far post for a terrific goal, giving Milford a 4-0 lead heading into halftime.

“Wally is a beast, first and foremost,” said OA head coach John Barata. “But today was the first time our inexperience really showed to be honest. It’s not an excuse, but it really showed today. And on top of that, we gave up two bad goals to start. We had a miscommunication on the first one and the second one was unfortunate. When you go down two to them, you have to come out and go for it. We played great for 15 minutes, and then they put in two in two minutes.

“You make mistakes we like we did against that team, you’re going to get punished. They have guys that can play, I think that’s the best playing team in the Hock that I’ve seen.”

The second half featured fewer scoring chances for both sides, but quality chances nonetheless. de Oliveira had a free kick from 40 yards out tipped over the bar from OA sophomore keeper Drew Nikla.

In the 49th minute, Milliken curved a free kick to the far post from 25 yards out, but Orellana covered nicely to deny the shot. Two minutes later, Carvalho had a long clearance bounce over the OA defense. Vitor ran onto it, but Nikla came well off his line and blocked the shot with his body outside of the area.

Milford capped the scoring in the 65th minute when Salvador got his second assist, setting up de Oliveira’s hat trick. Salvador sent a ball into space between two OA defenders. de Oliveira made a diagonal run to beat his defender and latched onto a shot from inside the area that found the back of the net.

“The work rate that I’m seeing from these guys is what I want to see,” Edwards said. “That’s how we want to play, we want to play pretty soccer and play from the back to front. We don’t want to be too direct, we want to move the ball.”

Milford boys soccer (5-1-2 Hockomock, 5-1-2 overall) is back in action on Thursday in a big division clash against Canton at 6:30. The Bulldogs sit two points ahead of Milford with one more game played. Oliver Ames (3-1-4, 3-1-4) will try to bounce back from its first loss when it hosts King Philip on the same day at 3:45.

09/21/201811/08/2019

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/21/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Game of the Week – Football – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.
Oliver Ames, 6 @ Taunton, 30 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 8-yard pass to Wesner Charles, Coby Adams XP good; (T) N. Leonard 14-yard pass to Sean Quinlan, XP failed; (OA) Nathan Cabral 9-yard rush, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (T) N. Leonard 26-yard pass to W. Charles, C. Adams XP good; (T) Josh Lopes 10-yard rush, C. Adams XP good.
4th Quarter: (T) C. Adams 21-yard field goal.

Football
King Philip, 12 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 16-yard rush, XP blocked; (A) Justin Cote XP block, Kevin Kevin Velazquez fumble return for 2pt conversion; (KP) Cole Baker 36-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (KP) C. Baker 27-yard field goal.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Canton, 14 @ Milford, 12 – Final – Canton’s Brendan Albert blocked a field goal attempt as time expired to lift the Bulldogs to a win on the road. It was Albert’s second block of the game after he got his hands on an extra point attempt in the second quarter.
1st Quarter: (C) Johnny Hagan 29-yard pass to Kyle Fitzgerald, Owen Lehane XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Colby Pires 22-yard pass to Shapel Feaster, XP blocked.
3rd Quarter: (C) J. Hagan 41-yard pass to Ryan Lentol, O. Lehane XP good; (M) C. Pires 18-yard pass to S. Feaster , 2pt failed.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Foxboro, 16 @ Stoughton, 13 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (F) Russell Neale 21-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (S) Jeff Grier 55-yard rush, Josh Cocchi XP good; (F) Mike Luong 2-yard rush, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (S) J. Grier 92-yard rush, 2pt failed; (F) Liam Foley 25-yard pass to Rob Fay, R. Neale XP good.

Franklin, 6 @ Mansfield, 24 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (M) Aidan Sacco 14-yard rush, Michael DeBolt XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) M. DeBolt 35-yard field goal; (M) Vinnie Holmes 2-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (M) Cincere Gill 46-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good; (F) Nick Gordon 56-yard pass to Ryan Driscoll, 2-point conversion failed.

Boys Soccer
Canton, 2 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – King Philip took the lead just over the midway point of the first half but Canton leveled before the break and scored a late winner to grab two points. Good pressure from Owen Teixeira led to chance for Nilaish Sen at the top of the box and he put the Warriors up 1-0. Canton’s Paolo Ruggeri leveled the score with just over five minutes left in the first half and senior Griffin Roach buried a free kick with just two minutes to play for the game-winner.

Foxboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames scored twice in the final 10 minutes to grab two points at home. Sophomore Colin Milliken scored the game-winner in the 72nd minute, finishing off a cross from classmate Jimmy Keane. Minutes later, sophomore Kevin Louhis converted a feed from senior Sean Flaherty. OA coach John Barata credited Matt Nikiciuk, Haendal Louhis, and Adam Freeman for strong play in the midfield and Harry Ahearn, Niko Byron, Aaron MacDonald and Matt Nosalek for their efforts defensively. Jacob Lerman, the OA senior goalie, earned his fourth shutout of the season.

Stoughton, 2 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin built a 3-0 lead but had to hold off a furious Stoughton rally to beat the Knights. Stoughton used an own goal and a tally from John Neves (from Fabi Ponce de Leon) to get within a goal. The visitors nearly found the equalizer but Franklin’s defense was able to fend the Knights to get the win.

Milford, 0 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Mansfield’s Luke Savoie converted a penalty kick in the 73rd minute to lead the Hornets to a win. In a very even game, both defensive units played very well. For Milford, Joey Madden, Zach Browne, Joao Boaventura, and Lucas Caetano kept the Hornets’ attack at bay. Mansfield’s Derek Meuth, Ethan Brill-Cass, Sam Nugent, and Cam Eddy were massive in earning the shutout.

North Attleboro, 0 vs. Hingham, 0 – Final – A Hingham defender cleared the ball off the line, robbing North Attleboro of the best chance of the game as the Rocketeers and Harbormen finished level. Kyle Brier notched his fifth shutout of the season for the Big Red.

Girls Soccer
King Philip, 8 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Canton took a lead inside the opening three minutes of the game, but the KP offense exploded for four goals before halftime and added four more after the break for a convincing win. Chloe Layne recorded a hat trick and Avery Snead had a brace and an assist to lead the Warriors. Jenny Cullen and Makayla Griffin each had a pair of assists, Ally Stanton scored a pair of goals, and Jaida Caruso scored once for KP.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Foxboro scored in the final moments of the first half to tie the game, and found the winner halfway through the second half to beat Oliver Ames. “We battled the entire 80 minutes, I’m so proud of this team,” said Foxboro head coach Katie Stalcup. OA seized the lead in the 26th minute when Maeve Hogan scored off a corner kick from Brianna Gibson. Foxboro freshman Kaitryn Franchino leveled the match with three minutes left in the first half. Warrior sophomore Jordyn Collins scored the game-winner in the 23rd minute, finishing off a feed from Katelyn Mollica. OA head coach Britt Sellmayer added that Abby Hodges, Abby Evin, and Erin Holmberg played well for OA.

Franklin, 9 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Emily Landry had two goals and an assist to lead the Panthers in a big win. Sydney St. Marie and Carly Alston each had a brace, Stella Regan added a goal and two assists, Anna Balkus had a goal and an assist, and Erin Quaile had a goal for Franklin. Sam Powderly, Kaylee DeSimone, and Calen Frongillo all had assists in the win. Nicole Weir had a strong game for the Black Knights.

Mansfield, 2 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Steph Kemp and Katy Garvin scored second half goals to keep Mansfield unbeaten in the league. Kemp also had an assist, as did Maria Sevastos.

Field Hockey
Attleboro, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final – Attleboro junior Anna Beck scored a hat trick to lead the Bombardiers over visiting Bishop Feehan. Alex Compton added a pair of goals and Eliza Sabilla scored once for Attleboro.

Franklin, 1 vs. Needham, 7 – Final – Franklin’s Victoria Quinn scored in the first half on an assist from Cassi Ronan but the Panthers fell at home to Needham. Quinn’s goal had Franklin tied 1-1 at half with the Rockets but Needham’s offense exploded in the second half. Anna Jardine made four saves while Neilee Hess had one stop.

Volleyball
Mansfield, 0 @ Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final – The Hornets pushed the Shamrocks to the brink but ultimately fell on the road 3-0 (17-25, 22-25, 29-31). “It was a great team effort and they worked really hard and played tough from beginning to end. I am really proud of their effort,” said Mansfield head coach Melissa Heeden. Greenly Kelly had 10 kills, Katie Dardinski had 13 service points and eight digs, and Sam Sternberg had 18 digs and eight service points for Mansfield.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Taunton rallied after dropping the first set to the win the next three and get a win over the visiting Rocketeers, 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-16). Jaime Brown had a standout game, dishing out 32 assists along with four aces. Michaela Felici had a team-high 11 kills, Kamila Cuevas added nine kills, seven blocks, and three aces, and Sam Silviera chipped in with seven kills and four blocks. “It was a great team effort all around,” said THS head coach Toby Chaperon. For North Attleboro, Hayley Gaskin had 20 assists and Lauren Antonetti put down 10 kills.

Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Brockton, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames defended its home court against the Boxers, taking the final two sets to earn a 3-1 win (25-23, 21-25, 25-22, 25-12). Junior Alison Barth had a strong game for the Tigers, finishing with seven kills. Sadie Homer added 30 digs and three aces, Jordan Bosse notched 13 kills and four assists, Caitlin Cavanaugh added 12 kills, and Allie Kemp (27) and Sarah Litwack (23) combined for 50 assists.

Golf
Canton, 270 @ Foxboro, 273 – Final (6 cards) – Tied after four cards, and again after five, Canton prevailed on the sixth card to edge out Foxboro. Tommy Dimock earned match medalist honors, shooting a low round of 40. Thomas Singleton carded a 45 while Mike Gobbi, Mike Leonetti, and Andrew Middleton all shot 46. Conor Hunter’s 47 ended up being the difference for the Bulldogs. Charlie Baughan had the top score for Foxboro, shooting a 43. Matt Lathrop and Jon Dowling each shot 44 for the Warriors.

Franklin, 249 @ Medway, 291 – Final – Franklin earned a win over Medway, who uses six cards for final scoring. Quinten Fero was the medalist, leading the way with a low-round of 38 for the Panthers. Jake Blaney, Matt D’Errico, and Jack Paterson each shot a 40 for Franklin.

Mansfield, 161 @ North Attleboro, 155 – Final – North Attleboro’ Matt Wanless shot an even par round of 35 to pace the Rocketeers to an impressive win over Mansfield. Nathan Morreale had a two-over par round of 37 on the middle course at Heather Hill to lead Mansfield.

09/16/201809/18/2018

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/17/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Both sides had a handful of chances but couldn’t convert as each team took a point from the draw. Oliver Ames goalie Jacob Lerman an Attleboro keeper Andre Menard both had strong outings.

Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Canton scored once and each half, rolling to a win over visiting Stoughton. Griffin Roach put the Dogs up 1-0 midway through the first half, finishing off a throw-in from Paul Corcoran. Early in the second half, Simon Cruz doubled the hosts’ lead, burying a corner kick. Stoughton’s Ryan Reis had a pair of chances late for the visitors, with a header and a volley, but Canton goalie Alejandro Correal made the save both times. Stoughton goalie Carter Gerome finished with 17 saves.

Foxboro, 0 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Walisson de Oliveira scored a hat trick to pace the Hawks to a big win over visiting Foxboro. Sophomore Leo Coelho opened the scoring in the 10th minute for the Hawks, de Oliveira doubled the lead in the 25th minute, and then tallied twice in the second half. Coelho scored on a through ball from Jordan Borges, who also set de Oliveira up to make it 2-0. In the second half, de Oliveira scored directly off a free kick, finding the top corner, and then again off a counter. Josh Orellana made four saves for the shutout in his season debut while Zach Browne and Joao Boaventura played well defensively for the Hawks.

Franklin, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Mansfield senior Luke Savoie continued his hot start to the season, scoring a pair of goals in the Hornets’ win over Franklin. After a throw from Cam Eddy, freshman Dylan Buchanan found Savoie to put the Hornets up 1-0 in the 22nd minute. And just before halftime, Graham Wells played Savoie in behind the defense and the senior finished one-on-one with the keeper. Anthony Salisbury (five saves) and Cam Bovey (five saves) combined for the shutout for Mansfield.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – King Philip carried the play and threatened to scored but settled for a scoreless draw with Taunton. Brian McCarthy, Andrew Thompson, and Wes Orzell had strong games defensively while goalie Nick Beltramini came up big on a handful of occasions for the Warriors.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 0 – Final

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Camryn O’Connor scored the game-winner for OA in the final two minutes of the game. Daniella Ferrini gave the Tigers the lead 1-0 at the break (assisted by Leah Johnson), but the Bombardiers evened the score in the second half. OA coach Britt Sellmayer said Maeve Hogan and Emma Pereira played well.

Canton, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Stoughton coach Tara Daniels credited Gabi Diaz and Corina Kavanagh for holding things together for the Black Knights defense.

Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Kailee McCabe scored a pair of goals and had an assist for the Warriors, while Grace Ferguson, Lizzie Davis, and Jordyn Collins each scored one in the win. Katelyn Mollica, Alyssa Vandenboom and Davis each had an assist. Foxboro coach Katie Stalcup said that the Warriors got off to a slow start but “once we found our game we took control of the game.”

Mansfield, 1 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Ashlyn Gaulin had four goals and two assists to lead North Attleboro to a big win. Haley Ferrin scored the opener for North with a header on a corner, Lydia Santos had a brace and Lily Cameron added a goal on a penalty kick. Kayla Pasquel had three assists and Liv Bishop had one. Emma Noreck and Regan Fein split time in net to keep the clean sheet.

King Philip, 8 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Avery Snead and Chloe Layne each scored hat tricks, as KP picked up a big road win to stay atop the Kelley-Rex division. Snead opened the scoring off a Layne assist 20 minutes into the game and then Layne doubled the lead off a Faye Veilleux assist five minutes later. Megan Flanagan scored of an Alex Wapenski assist in the 37th to cut the lead in half (the first goal KP has allowed this season), but the Warriors scored five times after the break. Abby Baker scored off an Ally Stanton assist a minute into the second half, Snead scored from Layne four minutes later, and Layne scored from Snead in the 47th minute. Kiana Fernandes got one back with a goal from Paige Tolan, but then Snead scored unassisted for KP, Layne scored from Makayla Griffin, and Jenny Montville tacked on an unassisted goal in the 76th minute. Grace Pimenta made four saves and Izzy Anslow made nine for the Tigers.

Field Hockey
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames scored two goals in the first half and added an insurance tally in the second in a win over Attleboro. Sophomore Hannah Stryke gave the Tigers the lead with 11:26 left in the first half, finishing off a feed from Cassie Gennis. Gennis’ shot was tipped by Georgia Costello five minutes later to make it 2-0 heading into half. In the second half, Meghan Rockey capitalized on a rebound off the pads on a penalty corner in the second half to secure the win. Kara Ostrander in goal had 5 saves to secure her first shutout of the season. Attleboro’s Shaelyn Harrison had eight saves in net for the Bombardiers.

Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final

Milford, 0 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final

Franklin, 2 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – For Franklin, Regan Patterson and Amanda Lewandowski each had first half goals but the Panthers fell on the road to Mansfield. Cassi Ronan set Paterson up at the 22nd mark of the first half while Maeve Ledwith assisted on Lewandowski’s goal just over four minutes later. Anna Jardine made 11 saves in net for Franklin.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Sharon, 0 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – “It was a great team effort from top to bottom,” said KP co-head coach Erin MacDonald. The Warriors scored twice in each half in the win. Nicole Connor (from Kate Lindmark) and Claire Lawlor (from Alli Meehan) put the hosts ahead 2-0 after 30 minutes of play. Connor made it 3-0 on an assist from Meehan, and Meehan capped the scoring (assisted by Lindmark).

Volleyball
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames went on the road and recorded a 3-0 sweep (25-18, 25-16, 25-13). OA freshman Hailey Bourne stepped up and had a great serving game for the Tigers. Senior Sadie Homer added 16 digs, Allie Kemp finished with 15 assists, and Jordan Bosse chipped in with 12 kills and two aces. For Attleboro, Chelsea Calgagni had nine kills and an ace, Faith Hindy added two aces, and Ana Leonardo (two aces) dished out 13 assists.

Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton defended home court with a sweep over Davenport rival Stoughton (25-20, 25-21, 25-17). Julia Minichiello anchored the defense with an impressive performance for the Bulldogs, finishing with nine digs while adding 22 service points (three aces). Olivia Chinsen added 10 assists, four kills, and four aces while Nicole Brown and Taylor Harris combined for 16 kills. CHS head coach Pat Cawley said Liz Bickett impressed in her first varsity start, playing a strong match at the net.

Milford, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final

Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Franklin senior Lauren McGrath went on a 9-0 service run during the third set to help the Panthers put away a pesky Mansfield side, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-5). McGrath also had 25 assists and two aces while Riley Marino added seven digs and two aces. Maggie Doyle had a team-high eight kills and three blocks, Ellie Wisniewski added seven kills, Peyton Arone chipped in with six kills, and Hailey Sanders finished with five kills for Franklin. For Mansfield, Sam Sternberg had 11 digs, Katie Dardinski had five digs, and Olivia McGrath finished with six kills.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip used strong serving to knock off visiting Taunton, 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-21). Kat Kmetz (two kills) had 11 aces and a total of 17 service points while Grace Ely (11 kills) added five aces with 10 service points. Nicole Coughlan added five kills and two blocks while Caroline Robertson finished with four kills and two blocks for King Philip. For Taunton, McKenzie Lucie (ace) led the back row with 10 digs and Kamila Cuevas had a strong game at the net.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – After splitting the first two sets, North Attleboro edged the Eagles in each of the net two to get the win on the road (25-22, 21-25, 25-23, 25-17). Kylie Melanson went on a terrific service run in the first set to get the Rocketeers back in it and finished with eight kills. Joanna Collins-Bilyeu had 19 assists and Hayley Gaskin added 12 assists for Big Red.

Boys Cross Country
Mansfield, 15 @ Attleboro, 45 – Final – Mansfield senior Paxton Howard crossed the finish line in just under 16 minutes to lead the Hornets to a win. Mansfield had the top six finishers and eight of the top 10. Attleboro sophomore Nate Seybert was the top runner for the Bombardiers, finishing seventh overall.

Top 10: 1. Paxton Howard (Mans, 15:59) 2. Patrick Heavey (Mans, 16:01) 3. Peter Sullivan (Mans, 16:02) 4. Justin Miller (Mansfield, 16:05) 5. Cullen Lancaster (Mans, 16:07) 6. Mike Mullahy (Mans, 16:08) 7. Nate Seybert (Att, 16:30) 8. Ben Thibeault (Mans, 17:24) 10. Sam Donnellan (Mans, 17:28).

Foxboro, 29 @ Canton, 26 – Final – Foxboro’s Ryan Proulx took first in the race but Canton took three of the next four finishes to edge the Warriors in the meet. Kyle Downing was Canton’s top runner, taking second overall with teammate Alex Maddestra coming in right behind for third. Canton’s Jack Hernon’s was fifth overall at 20:07.

Top 10: 1. Ryan Proulx (Fox, 18:41) 2. Kyle Downing (Can, 19:04) 3. Alex Maddestra (Can, 19:09) 4. Trey Lawson (Fox, 19:32) 5. Jack Hernon (Can, 20:07) 6. Patrick Piscitelli (Fox, 20:24) 7. Chris Rota (Can, 20:59) 8. Nate Palter (Fox, 21:22) 9. Ryan Carney (Can, 21:37) 10. Paxton Downs (Fox, 21:43).

King Philip, 36 @ Franklin, 23 – Final – Franklin took four of the top six spots and seven of the top 10 to earn a victory over King Philip. Junior Tyler Brogan took first with 16:22, edging out King Philip’s Mike Griffin. Franklin senior Michael Hagen was third while sophomore Nicholas Calitri and senior Dylan Kehoe were fifth and sixth, respectively.

Top 10: 1. Tyler Brogan (Frank, 16:22) 2. Mike Griffin (KP, 16:28) 3. Michael Hagen (Frank, 16:46) 4. Mike Norberg (KP, 17:25) 5. Nicholas Calitri (Frank, 17:49) 6. Dylan Kehoe (Frank, 17:50) 7. Eric DeLorenzo (KP, 17:54) 8. Ryan Goldman (Frank, 18:05) 9. Camden Harrington (Frank, 18:14) 10. Mitchell Regan (Frank, 18:26).

Sharon, 19 @ Milford, 38 – Final – Sharon grabbed first, second, and third and ran away with a win over Milford. Senior Alex Starovoytov had the top time, clocking in at 16:49 to win the race. Junior Jacob Dubin and sophomore Jordan Saks took second and third, respectively, for the Eagles. Miflord’s Gianni Pumo was the top runner for the Hawks, taking fourth.

Top 10: 1 Alex Starovoytov, (Sha, 16:49) 2. Jacob Dubin (Sha, 17:09) 3. Jordan Saks (Sha, 17:10) 4. Gianni Pumo (Mil, 17:22) 5. Max Manor (Mil, 17:22.3) 6. James Gong (Sha, 17:24), 7. Siddarth Reddy (Sha, 17:38) 8. Chris Berthrong (Mil, 17:48) 9. Brendan O’Shaughnessy (Mil, 17:53) 10. Jared Osofsky (Sha, 17:56).

Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Taunton, 37 @ Oliver Ames, 18 – Final

Girls Cross Country
Mansfield, 23 @ Attleboro, 32 – Final – Mansfield senior Maggie Riley had a 43 second PR from a season ago, taking second overall at 19:05 to help the Hornets beat the Bombardiers. Attleboro’s Shea Jamieson took first but the Hornets had second, third (Tessa Lancaster), fifth (Emma Lamson), sixth (Brinly Meelia) and seventh (Jessica Alestock), the last three spots clinching the win for Mansfield.

Top 10: Shea Jamieson (Att, 18:57) 2. Maggie Riley (Mans, 19:05) 3. Tessa Lancaster (Mans, 19:17) 4. Kelly Neuendorf (Att, 20:11) 5. Emma Lamson (Mans, 20:14) 6. Brinly Meelia (Mans, 20:32) 7. Jessica Alestock (Mans, 20:35) 8. Kimberly Esteban (Att, 21:33) 9. Mackenzie Wildrick (Att, 21:34) 10. Diana Blouin (Att, 21:51).

Foxboro, 17 @ Canton, 43 – Final – Foxboro had the top three runners in the meet and eight of the top 10 in a big win at Canton. Abby Hassman and Lexi Quinn each crossed at 22:24 to pace the Warriors while Lindsey Nelson was third for Foxboro. Canton’s Chloe Pennacchio took fourth overall as the top runner for the Bulldogs.

Top 10: T1. Abby Hassman (Fox, 22:24) T1. Lexi Quinn (Fox, 22:24) 3. Lindsey Nelson (Fox, 22:28) 4. Chloe Pennacchio (Can, 23:52) 5. Jill Finn (Fox, 24:43) 6. Jenn Yeomans (Fox, 24:48) 7. Kayla Wong (Can, 26:08) 8. Amy Conley (Fox, 26:15) 9. Emily Steele (Fox, 26:22) 10. Isabel Hallal (Fox, 27:16).

King Philip, 30 @ Franklin, 27 – Final – King Philip had the top two finishers but Franklin’s depth paid off, taking the next three spots and five of the top eight spots. KP’s Maya Evans was first followed by teammate Ryenn Hart. Franklin’s Julia Fenerty, Sidney Hawks, and Kat Walbert were third, fourth, and fifth overall, respectively.

Top 10: 1. Maya Evans (KP, 20:49) 2. Ryenn Hart (KP, 21:01) 3. Julia Fenerty (Frank, 22:01), 4. Sidney Hawkins (Frank, 22:53) 5. Kat Walbert (Frank, 23:03) 6. Abi Simmons (KP, 23:07) 7. Brandi Osborne (Frank, 23:13) 8. Sara Giuiano (Frank, 23:17) 9. Ava Pisani (KP, 23:32) 10. Erin Barry (Frank, 23:38).

Sharon, 21 @ Milford, 38 – Final

Top 10: 4. Lexi Marcolini (Mil, 21:51) 5. Sara Comisky (Mil, 22:10) 6. Lilian Thibeault (Mil, 22:35).

Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Taunton, 23 @ Oliver Ames, 35 – Final

Golf
Franklin, 165 @ Attleboro, 178 – Final – Franklin’s Matt D’Errico earned match medalist honors, carding a round of 39 to pace the Panthers to a win at Stone-E-Lea over Attleboro. Jack Paterson added a 40 and Quinten Faro carded a 40 for Franklin. For Attleboro, Jake Moulton had a team-low round of 42.

Oliver Ames, 160 @ King Philip, 176 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Liam Barry shot a medalist round of 37 at Wentworth Hills to help the Tigers beat King Philip. Nolan Donze shot a 38 for OA while Jared Spillane added a 42 and Thomas Walsh carded a round of 43.

Sharon, 153 @ North Attleboro, 168 – Final – Sharon had three golfers shoot under 40 on the North course at Heather Hill to beat North Attleboro. Ethan Skelly shot a 1-under par round of 35 to earn medalist honors, Sam Fergenbaum shot an even par 36, and Corey Carter was 1-over at 37. North Attleboro’s Matt Wanless had a team-low round of 41 while Marcus Costa and Aidan Weir each shot 42 on the day.

Stoughton, 189 @ Milford, 168 – Final – Milford’s Riley Lynch earned medalist honors, carding a match-low round of 40. Justin Applebee chipped in with a 41 and Alex Klosen shot a 42 for the Scarlet Hawks.

09/08/201809/09/2018

New Faces But Familiar Result In OA’s Season Opener

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – It was all new faces on the field for Oliver Ames, but the result was very familiar.

The Tigers, fresh off their third state final appearance in the past four years, have an entire new lineup after graduating two dozen seniors, including all starters and most reserves that played regularly.

In the first game with its new line up, Oliver Ames came away with a 3-0 win over visiting Stoughton.

“The kids have worked hard and that showed today,” said Oliver Ames head coach John Barata. “We can knock the ball around and play some soccer but we just have to mature a bit and grow up and gel as a group. I think as the season progresses we’ll get a little bit better each day.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Tigers took the lead in the 15th minute and then broke the game open with back-to-back goals inside the final five minutes of the first half.

“It definitely felt like a first game,” said first-year Stoughton head coach Joshua Aubin. “We haven’t played a competitive game in almost two weeks. I think everyone was a little nervous to start and it showed. They got that first goal off an amazing shot, one of the best you’ll see all year. But the second and third goals, they were on us. Turnover at midfield and quick counter and then a silly foul in the box. But those two goals, those are easy enough to fix so that’s encouraging.”

Oliver Ames established control of the play early and were rewarded by a terrific goal. Sophomore Anthony DaCosta found himself in space when a long ball came in from sophomore Matthew Nikiciuk. DeCosta was given the space to take a touch and turn, and without hesitation the sophomore rifled a nice shot from 25-yards out that beat the keeper and went right under the bar for a 1-0 lead.

After a bit of back and forth play for the next 20 minutes, the Tigers changed the complexion of the game in the final five minutes of the first half.

Junior Jonathan Freeman came away with a win just over midfield and quickly found the feet of junior Colin Milliken. Milliken turned and played a through ball between two defenders, allowing senior Sean Flaherty to run onto it and slot his shot him at the far post to make it 2-0.

Stoughton had its best chance of the half shortly after going down 2-0. Senior Fabi Ponce de Leon played a curling free kick into the area that was spilled but the rebound effort from Gabe Ribeiro was to the left of the frame.

OA quickly countered and attacked up the left side. Sophomore Brady deVos found some space in the area and tried to get by his defender but was hauled down.

The sophomore stepped up to the spot and calmly blasted his bid into the back of the net just a minute later, giving OA a 3-0 lead just minutes before the halftime whistle.

“I thought overall we were in control of the play but it felt like we were getting a little panicky,” Barata said. “We had some chances to score the next goal and we just hand’t so I think getting the second and third goals relieved some pressure on them.”

“The third goal really hurt, that 1-2 punch,” Aubin said. “But it’s stuff that we can watch film and try to correct. I thought they picked themselves up coming into the second half and were competitive.”

Trailing 3-0 in the second half, the Black Knights tinkered with their lineup in an attempt to get back into the game. While it meant trying to build more offense, it sacrificed some defense.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Tigers were able to take advantage of that at times but couldn’t add onto their lead because of some stellar saves from junior keeper CCarter Gerome (11 saves).

Just six minutes into the second half, Milliken once again found Flaherty in behind the defense and the senior used a nice cut back move to free himself but his chance was turned aside by a terrific sliding save attempt from Gerome.

“We made some adjustments at halftime and I think it showed. I thought we were much more competitive in that second half. ,” Aubin said. “So we were a bit more offensive minded so we knew we’d give up some chances but Carter definitely stood on his head at times and kept us in the game.”

Stoughton’s best chance of the second half came in the 61st minute when Ponce de Leon put a free kick on frame but OA senior keeper Jacob Lerman made a move to his right to punch the ball out.

A minute later, OA nearly had another goal with Flaherty in alone but once again Gerome came up big to keep the Tigers off the scoresheet in the second half.

Oliver Ames (1-0 Hockomock, 1-0 overall) is back in action on Tuesday when it welcomes Taunton (0-1-1) to Muscato Stadium. Stoughton (0-1, 0-1) hits the road to take on North Attleboro on the same day.

09/05/2018

Boys Soccer: 2018 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Kelley-Rex Boys Soccer Preview

Attleboro

2017 Record: 4-9-5
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Peter Pereira

Attleboro is aiming to use a strong nucleus of returning players to get back into the state tournament after a couple of years of being on the outside looking in.

“We are excited about the team and looking forward to doing well in the Hockomock, which is not an easy task since there is a lot of talent and good teams in the league,” said Attleboro head coach Peter Pereira.

The Bombardiers bring back a seasoned group of defenders that will hopefully give them stability in the back. Colin Levis brings the most varsity experience to the group and will be joined by Connor Dunn, Josh Smith, and Nathan LaPlume. Senior transfer Aaron Flynn and classmates Jared Cooper and Alex Naughton give the Bombardiers a solid group of veterans in the back. Seniors Andre Menard and Tyler Biller are candidates for the starting goalie position.

Pereira has a lot of options to work with in the midfield, including senior Aidan Lancaster. Lancaster has experience playing defense as well so can provide an extra layer of defense when needed. Another familiar face back in midfield will be Michael Russo, who showed flashes of great skill during his sophomore season. Russo and Lancaster will be joined by Brady Holander, Hugo Henriquez, Kevin Raczkowski and Patrick Raczkowski.

There will be another familiar face up front as Will Halben returns as the feature striker. Halben has been Attleboro’s leading scorer the past two seasons and will be a major factor up front again this year. Eli Araujo, Joey Soucy, Justin Lurssen, and Guilherme Machado are expected to provide help up top as well.

Franklin

2017 Record: 5-9-4
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Fran Bositis

After going through some growing pains throughout the 2017 season, the Panthers are looking to make it back to the state tournament.

It all starts with the Panthers’ three senior captains, who will be relied upon to help Franklin compete in a very talented Kelley-Rex division.

Nitin Chaudhury, Nick Barry, and Sam Stowell are all veteran players and will be joined by 10 other returners from last year’s team that got better as the season went on. The Panthers must replace talented goalie Freddie Beckmann but head coach Fran Bositis is expecting good things from junior Jack Rudolph because of his excellent athletic ability.

Chaudhury will once again be the engine of the team from the midfield position while Stowell is back for his third year in the heart of the Panthers’ defense. Jacob Cummings will be another weapon for Franklin in the midfield while senior Tim Duval and junior Donny Tappin return up top.

“As always we are looking forward to competing in the very competitive Hockomock League,” Bositis said.

King Philip

2017 Record: 11-8-2
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Nick Gale

The Warriors have had back-to-back successful seasons and are looking to make it three straight, despite losing six experienced starters to graduation.

While King Philip certainly has some shoes to fill, head coach Nick Gale has a lot of options to work with and is aiming to make another appearance in the state tournament.

Senior captains Zac White, Tony Bozza, and John Cullen have all seen plenty of varsity minutes over the past couple of seasons and are ready to lead the 2018 Warriors. White and Cullen will be major factors in the midfield while Bozza gives the Warriors some pace up top. White and Cullen will be joined in the midfield by a trio of sophomores – Evan McEvoy, Camron Lawrence, and Ajae Olsen – all of whom saw some minutes as freshmen a year ago.

KP’s defense has been among the best in the league over the past two seasons but will need some new faces to step up to continue that trend this year. The Warriors do have some experience with senior Andrew Thompson and juniors Brian McCarthy and Wesley Orzell all expected to step up in the back for KP.

“We’re a much smaller team this year, but we haven’t lost our willingness to fight while defending,” Gale said. “Our focus will be on improving team defending and our ability to press intelligently. We have defenders returning with varsity experience and they’re committed to working together to ensure we’re organized and defending as a team.”

Mansfield

2017 Record: 10-3-6
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Steve Sheridan

Although Mansfield graduated over a dozen seniors, and the majority of its starting lineup, the Hornets have a strong presence in the middle of the pitch and are looking to build off that to compete for the Kelley-Rex title.

The Hornets bring back EMass All Star Sam Nugent at center back and he’ll be joined by Ethan Brill-Cass, who had a bright sophomore season but missed all of last year due to injury. Mansfield’s defense will feature all seniors as Derek Meuth and Matt O’Donnell fill out the back four for the Hornets. Tony Salisbury and Cam Bovey are competing for the starting spot in goal.

Mansfield also has seniors Luke Savoie and Luke Devine back in the center of the pitch to patrol the midfield. Both Savoie and Devine were key pieces for last year’s Hornets team, which came within one point from earning a share of the league title with OA. One spot that Mansfield is looking for new faces is up top, but options include Colin Caridi, Owen Mullahy, and Raffi Marzella.

“Having to fill the loss of 14 seniors from last season is going to be challenging,” said MHS head coach Steve Sheridan. “We have a variety of guys on offense that I’ll be expecting big things from, time will tell who will step up.”

Oliver Ames

2017 Record: 15-3-4 (Kelley-Rex Champions)
2017 Finish: Reached D2 State Final
Coach: John Barata

It’s not often a team graduates its entire starting lineup and then some, but that’s the situation defending Kelley-Rex champions Oliver Ames finds itself in.

The Tigers lost a whopping 20 seniors to graduation and return just four players from last year’s roster so it there will be a completely new look for OA in 2018. But that doesn’t mean the standards will be any lower for the Tigers, who have made three state final appearances in the last four years.

“We have a completely new team and we are looking forward to working hard,” said OA head coach John Barata. “Our primary objective is to get better every day and try to compete in a very difficult and talented Hockomock League.”

OA’s defense was among the best in the entire state last season, allowing just 15 goals in 22 games played. Barata will be looking for Aaron MacDonald, Andrew Leite, Harry Ahearn, Matthew Nosalek, and Jon Freeman to step up and fill in the spots along the back line. Senior Jacob Lerman and sophomore Drew Nickla are battling for the starting spot in goal.

On the offensive side of the ball, Barata is looking for contributions from Colin Milliken, Anthony DaCosta, Matt Nikiciuk, Sean Flaherty, Niko Byron, Kevin Louhis and Haendal Louhis to carry to load.

Taunton

2017 Record: 3-14-2
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Taylor Whitters

A solid nucleus returning from last season and more cohesiveness are two of the top reasons for optimism for the Taunton High boys soccer team.

The Tigers have players back all over the field and are hoping that the combination of experience and some fresh faces leads to a competitive season in a very competitive division. Junior Nolan Melo made a splash last season when he took over as starting keeper and looks to be one of the top players at that position in the league.

Senior Evan Melo will be tasked with anchoring the defense from his center back position while Taunton will look for some new faces to step alongside him. Colby Fernandes returns to his defensive midfield spot and Liam Crowley is back as the attacking midfielder in the middle to give the Tigers a nice steady presence up the center of the pitch.

Leading scorer Brett Beaulieu (nine goals, four assists) is back as the featured striker while Alec Nunes can either pair with Beaulieu up top or drop into the midfield when needed. Kyle Aubin is another returning midfield option for the Tigers.

“We have seven returning starters this season and a team with solid technical ability as well as great team chemistry and athleticism,” said Taunton head coach Taylor Whitters.