11/04/201911/04/2019

North Earns Another Clean Sheet, Advances to Quarters

North Attleboro boys soccer — Matt Mordini (7) celebrates his first half goal against Somerset-Berkley, which turned out to be the game-winner for North Attleboro. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

SOMERSET, Mass. – North Attleboro allowed only 13 goals in 18 games during the regular season and that disciplined, organized defense was on full display again on Monday afternoon at Somerset-Berkley in the first round of the playoffs.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Rocketeers held the hosts to only two shots on goal, as North keeper Kyle Briere was largely untroubled in earning his ninth clean sheet of the season (and third in a row). With the defense in control, Matt Mordini’s first half strike turned out to be all North needed to beat the Raiders 1-0 and set up a quarterfinal against Hock rival Oliver Ames.

“I thought we played our brand of soccer and we had to possess a little more than we normally do and I thought we did a really nice job,” said North coach Geoff Burgess. “We’re still missing the timing of our runs forward to get in behind, but that’s always been a work in progress. We defended well. I think they had one legitimate chance where they go in behind us.”

The hosts started the game well, moving the ball around and keeping possession, but failed to generate any chances, whether it was a shot or just putting the ball into the penalty area. The North back line of Jeremy Folan, Donovan Carter, Justin Silva, and James Bush kept everything in front of them and bottled up the Somerset-Berkley forwards.

Defending began in the midfield, where the Rocketeers kept up the pressure and consistently stymied attacks high up the pitch.

Burgess explained, “That has come from our preparations for Milford. We know how good their midfield is so we worked really hard on our midfield defending. If we can hang with that midfield, there isn’t a midfield that is going to outrun us or outperform us.”

North’s offense was relying on quick transitions to get the ball to Mordini up top. It proved to be effective, as the Rocketeers had several chances to grab the lead in the opening 20 minutes.

Joey Coscarella played a ball into Andrew Tolfa in the center of the field and his pass to Matt Conley on the right wing caused confusion between the defender and goalie. Conley nearly pounced on the loose ball but the keeper was able to dive on it and cover. Two minutes later Mordini was played in behind the left back by an Alex Pfeffer flick, but his shot was sliced well wide.

In the 31st minute, North had a deserved lead. It came from a quick break out to Conley on the righthand side. He cut inside of the fullback and teed up Mordini on the edge of the box. The striker took a touch before finding the bottom corner.

“Mordini is a work in progress,” Burgess said. “He was playing outside left early on and we moved him to that striker position and kind of moved some pieces around. I think he’s a budding striker. He has good instincts and he’s got a pretty good shot.”

Somerset-Berkley closed the half with a flurry, registering its only two shots on goal. Briere had to be out quick to block a chance for the forward in the right channel and then was able to make a diving stop on a powerful header off a corner. The ball pinballed around in the box for a minute and the Raiders started to celebrate a goal only to have it wiped away for a foul.

North could have been excused for trying to lock things down in the second half and just hold onto its one-goal lead, but instead the Rocketeers dominated the ball and had numerous opportunities to double the advantage. Burgess admitted that it was nerve-wracking watching chance after chance go by without a second goal.

“You know how that goes, a missed opportunity down here turns into a set piece or something down there and what happens, you give up that lead you’ve had all game long,” Burgess joked. “I was proud of the boys.”

The first chance fell to Mordini, who rose highest to meet a Tolfa free kick, but his header flashed wide of the post. Three minutes later James Sales played a give-and-go with Coscarella on the edge of the box to create shooting space, but he dragged his shot inches wide. The duo combined again just minutes later with Sales forcing a save from the keeper.

Mordini ended up with North’s best chance of the second half when the Raiders defender and keeper allowed a ball to bounce between them. He nicked the ball away and had a wide open goal to aim for, but only found the side netting.

Coscarella took advantage of a poor goal kick to have a left-footed shot that was saved, Tolfa tried his luck from 30 yards and his dipping shot flew narrowly over the bar, and Conley got in behind the left back only to have two players run offsides as he tried to pass it across the goal.

It turned out the one goal was enough and North Attleboro (9-6-4) celebrated a playoff victory and the chance to take on the Kelley-Rex division champion Oliver Ames on Thursday night.

Burgess said, “I’m excited about Thursday because we play them tough and these guys are motivated.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

10/30/2019

North Attleboro Denies Foxboro Postseason Berth

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The state tournament doesn’t start until next week, but the North Attleboro boys soccer team got a head start in its final week of the regular season.

The Rocketeers’ final two opponents — Foxboro and Mansfield — head into their season finale’s needing points to qualify for the state tournament. The Warriors, who visited Beaupre Field on Tuesday afternoon, needed one point (a draw or win) while Mansfield needs a win on Thursday afternoon.

North Attleboro passed its first test, scoring a goal in each half to secure a 2-0 win over Foxboro and deny the Warriors a postseason berth.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“You go down against them, how many goals have they’ve given up all year? Not many,” said Foxboro head coach Joe Franchino. “They stay compact and keep it tight. To be fair, they were the better team. Our passing was just a little bit off, I think our intensity from the start wasn’t there. So give credit to them, they came out and beat us today.”

The hosts, who entered the contest with a playoff berth secured via a second-place finish in the Davenport, learned a valuable lesson from their first matchup with Foxboro. Despite taking an early lead, North Attleboro saw the Warriors score back-to-back goals to earn a comeback win.

“We’ve had moments where we scored first, like we did against them last time, and fell asleep,” Burgess said. “So we’ve been really conscious about that. But when we [get a lead] and decide to park the bus, we’re pretty confident. We knew they were going to push because they had to, and as soon as we scored that just kind of fed right into the game plan.

“We saw on film where there were moments that [Foxboro] defended with two guys. I know [Matt] Mordini is faster than half of the defenders in the league, and I know [Matt] Conley is faster than all the defenders in the league. So that gives us a great chance to surprise people.”

This time around, the Warriors need to score played right into the game plan of the hosts. With a defense-first mentally, the Rocketeers’ counter-attack style led to a handful of breakout chances, mostly in the second half after taking a 2-0 lead.

Despite missing out on a golden chance three minutes into the game, the Rocketeers did jump in front on their second chance which came in the 24th minute. Goalie Kyle Briere launched a deep ball over the top of the Foxboro defense that Joey Coscarella made a run onto. The bounce eluded Coscarella, but the run drew a defender free of Matt Mordini, who was able to just get his shot off before the oncoming keeper, placing it into the top corner for a 1-0 lead.

Foxboro’s best chances of the opening half came off free kicks. Junior Dylan Barreira put a shot on goal from 20 yards out but Briere (eight saves) was in position for the stop. Joe Cusack set up the other chance in the 34th minute, putting a free kick into the area but Tim Behn’s bid was over the bar.

“It seemed like we were building out of the back in the first half and we just couldn’t find that final pass,” Franchino said. “They were putting a lot of pressure on our back four. I think we were off in completing passes, breaking lines in the middle third. We didn’t try to play direct, there was some space behind but we didn’t have the intensity. But give credit to North, they came and played well today.”

The game really opened up after North Attleboro doubled its lead just under four minutes into the second half. Mordini played a ball wide to Matt Conley, who got a touch to center the ball and Coscarella latched onto a half volley, finding the bottom right corner to make it 2-0.

From that point on, the Rocketeers had a handful of chances to add to its lead but couldn’t solve Foxboro keeper Dylan Tierney (10 saves). Foxboro had its share of chances but only came up with a pair of serious threats against Briere.

Just minutes after the second goal, another long ball from Briere found Mordini but Tierney made a big one-on-one stop and the rebound fell back into the keepers’ arms. Six minutes later, North senior Alex Pfeffer got a hold of a clearance that forced Tierney into a terrific diving save.

Foxboro junior Jeremy Neale kept the game at a two-goal deficit in the 55th minute by clearing a chance off the line. After Tierney made the initial stop on Coscarella, Mordini’s follow up chance was inches away from crossing the line until Neale intervened.

A change in formation led to more chances for Foxboro over the final 20 minutes. Cusack found Barreira at the back post on a free kick, but Barreira’s high touch was corralled by Briere. Two minutes later, Barreira had back-to-back free kick chances but the first was saved by Briere and the second just skipped wide at the post.

With Foxboro pushing, North’s counter-attack was on as Conley got in behind on a partial breakaway but Tierney came up with another big stop.

Barreira, who was almost always surrounded by a sea of red jerseys, had a shot blocked in the 67th and the loose ball fell to Will Morrison, but his blast went over the bar in the 67th minute. Max Beigel played a quick 1-2 with Barreira but his shot from atop the area was gobbled up in the 75th minute.

Briere put an exclamation point on the shutout with a terrific diving save in the 78th minute, robbing Barreira on a free kick from just outside the area.

“That was a big part coming in, we knew they’d come at us full boar cause they needed the game, they needed a point,” Burgess said. “Mansfield is in the same situation on Thursday so we have a chance to treat both of these games like playoff games. I think it’s great preparation going forward.

“We focused on taking Barreira out of the game, we moved [James] Sales to a different position, he was playing the six instead of the 10. Every set piece, he was always around Barreira, because he killed us last time as he probably he does a lot of teams.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

With Foxboro needing just a point entering the game, Franchino was asked if there was any thought about playing a similar defensive-first style that North plays, but the head coach noted the team was looking for a win to get in.

“That’s not the style we play, we could have had a draw to go through but for me, I was looking to not play the number one seed and get over [North Attleboro], that was my mentality, that’s always my mentality,” Franchino said. “We could have [sat back from the beginning], but I think we if set back, and with the intensity we didn’t have, we would have gotten bombarded. I want to win the game, want to be confident and try to instill that in my players.”

North Attleboro (8-5-3 Hockomock, 8-6-3 overall) will host Mansfield in both teams’ regular season finale on Thursday. The Hornets are unbeaten in seven straight with four straight wins and need a fifth straight in order to qualify for the state tournament. Foxboro finishes the season at 7-8-3.

09/30/201910/01/2019

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/01/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Canton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game – North Attleboro scored a pair of goals in the second half to secure two points in a win at home against visiting Canton. Senior Joey Coscarella beat the oncoming keeper in the 59th minute, finishing off a through ball from junior Matt Conley to put the Rocketeers ahead. Senior Matt Mordini knocked in a cross from Conley in the 79th minute to put North ahead 2-0. Canton sophomore Jacob Crugnale scored his first career goal in the 80th minute.

Field Hockey
Milford, 2 @ Bellingham, 0 – Final – Milford’s Paige Reisman posted a shutout to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a win on the road over Bellingham. Reisman made 15 saves to earn the win while Julia Kidman scored one and had an assist. Maddy Carneiro added a goal for the Hawks while Kat Swineford had an assist.

Volleyball
Foxboro, 3 @ Norwood, 0 – Final – Foxboro went on the road and earned a 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 26-24) sweep over Norton. Maddie O’Brien dished out 12 assists and added five kills, Grace Boudreau finished with 13 kills and four aces, and Shakirah Ketant had a total of seven blocks. Shannon McDonald added five blocks and Sara Addeche chipped in with nine digs. The Warriors are hosting a breast cancer awareness game on October 7th and are asking all fans to wear pink to support the cause.

Franklin, 3 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final – Franklin rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win the final two sets and earn a 3-2 (21-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 15-12) win over the Shamrocks. Sophie Lyons had a great game for Franklin with 15 kills while Allyson Bonnet-Eymard also had a strong showing at the net with 16 kills. Cailyn Mackintosh dished out 41 assists and had three aces while Jill Benoit finished with 16 digs.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this match.

Golf
Attleboro, 177 @ Taunton, 192 – Final

Franklin, 163 @ King Philip, 153 – Final

Oliver Ames, 175 @ Foxboro, 171 – Final – Foxboro’s Matt Fossella sank six pars on his way to a 40, earning co-medalist honors and helping the Warriors knock off visiting OA. Noah Hicks (four bars) shot a 42, Dylan Quinn (two pars) finished with a 44, and Matt Lathrop (birdie) chipped in with a 45. Tate Hadges was also a co-medalist for OA with a round of 40.

09/25/201909/26/2019

Milford Slips Past North With Early Second Half Goal

Milford boys soccer Jordan Borges — Milford’s Jordan Borges winds up for a shot in the second half against North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – It was a clash of styles on Wednesday evening at Beaupre Field as North Attleboro hosted Milford boys soccer in a battle of two of the top teams in the Davenport division.

The Hawks are one of the top offenses in the league with a handful of skilled players that can break down opposing defenses at will at times. On the flip side, the Rocketeers emphasize defense first with plenty of numbers behind the ball and then look to hit on the counter.

The game played out accordingly as Milford controlled the majority of possession but didn’t create a ton of chances against North’s strong defense. And the Rocketeers’ best chances came counter trying to get in behind the Hawks’ defense.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The difference came just moments into the second half as Milford capitalized on a North Attleboro miscue defensively to score the only goal and grab a 1-0 win on the road.

“Kudos to Geoff [Burgess], his team is so well-coached and so well organized, you have to be on your toes the entire game,” said Milford head coach Brian Edwards. “If you make one mistake, they will capitalize. We were fortunate they didn’t score on that header right before half, and if they do it’s 1-0 and we probably don’t win that game.

“They are a really tough team to move the ball against. They are athletic, they are disciplined, they don’t give you any good chances. They all communicate well and they all tackle well. That’s the best team we’ve seen all year easily.”

The best chance for each side in the opening half came in the final five minutes. Junior Leo Coelho connected with senior Pedro Araujo, and the Hawks’ striker played the ball wide for freshman Nick Ribeiro. Ribeiro got to the ball first, beating the keeper lower but his shot clanked off the near post and his rebound bid went over the bar.

North nearly struck in the 40th minute when senior Joey Coscarella whipped in a cross from the right sideline and classmate Matt Mordini elevated over his defender but his header was just off target to keep the game scoreless.

After a lack of real chances in the first half, Milford came out in the second half and had three real good chances. Milford capitalized on the first one, just seconds in, as Araujo pounced on an errant pass between North defenders, getting just enough on his shot to North keeper Kyle Briere and the ball trickled over the line for the lone goal.

“You know what they want to do, but we know what we are and we’re a team that’s best going forward,” Edwards said. “We trust our players to not make a mistake that will let them punish us. We weren’t going to change how we play because of their game, we just made some adjustments. They really force you to be focused the entire game.

“They give you some space and you want to take that extra touch, and you want to try and break them down, but sometimes it’s really difficult when you have that space because you fall into that trap. But I thought we did a good enough job today, even without getting many quality chances. They always have three or four guys behind the ball so its tough to create a lot.”

Milford’s offense got some life from the goal as Coelho was able to create some space and rip a left-footed blast that was just high, clanking off the football goal post and bouncing into the net. And in the 43rd minute, Lucas Da Silva took a pass from Coelho and blasted a shot from inside the area but it was wide at the far post.

North Attleboro coach Geoff Burgess called a timeout to relax his squad, and the break worked out as the Rocketeers returned to form, with a stingy defense and wing players streaking down the sideline on the counter.

Coscarella combined with classmate James Sales, playing Sales in behind the defense but Milford keeper Kevin Gomes was quick off his line to thwart the bid. The duo combined again five minutes later but the shot rolled wide.

“I thought after the start of the second half, I thought we upped our level of play,” Burgess said. “We had one mistake [defensively]. We had a couple of chances with through balls, with Sales and Coscarella linking up, and the offsides call was pretty close. Those were three great chances there. I don’t think too many teams are breaking down them like that because they have the four backs plus the holding [midfielder] in front.”

Briere did well to come off his line in the 65th minute to deny a connection from Coelho to Araujo, forcing the shot to go wide.

The Rocketeers thought they had the equalizer in the 66th minute as Matt Conley laid a pass off for Sales, who beat the keeper, but it was ruled Sales was in an offside position.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“Our mantra is stay disciplined, keep the ball in front, intercept passes, and get out on the break,” Burgess said. “That was what we did tonight, and you saw, once we get rolling we can be pretty dangerous. We just have to put it in the back of the net.”

Both teams had chances in the final moments as Araujo flashed a header wide a the near post after a service from Gabe Alvarenga for Milford, Conley had his header go over the bar off a free kick from Andrew Tolfa, and North defender Jeremy Folan won a key challenge in the box in the final minute.

Milford boys soccer (5-0-1 Hockomock, 5-0-1 overall) travels to Taunton on Friday while North Attleboro (3-3-0, 3-3-0) visits Franklin the same day.

09/10/201909/15/2019

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/10/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. – Foxboro took the lead in the first half but Canton scored in the second half to split the points. PJ Frost played in Dylan Barreira, who finished on a tight angle to put the visitors ahead 1-0. Bulldogs senior Alejandro Correal, who played goalie for the majority of the game, tied the game with a terrific strike off the underside of the crossbar in the second half.

Milford, 7 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Milford senior Pedro Araujo scored five goals as the Hawks cruised to a big win on the road. Araujo blocked a clearance in the opening minute and went in to score, finishing with four in the first half as Milford built a 4-1 lead by the break. Leo Coelho (three assists) and Lucas Da Silva (assist) each scored once while Joao Pedro Da Silva and Carlos Terrinha each recorded an assist in the win.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro scored twice in the first half and added a late insurance tally to pick up two points on the road at Stoughton. James Sales found Joey Coscarella on a through ball in the seventh minute and Coscarella finished to put the visitors up 1-0. Sales made it 2-0 in the 26th minute, heading in a corner kick from Dylan D’Ercole. Matt Mordini added the third goal in the 75th minute, heading in a cross from Coscarella. Kyle Briere made six saves to get the shutout for North while Andrew Tolfa and Alex Pfeffer had strong games in the midfield for the Rocketeers.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Colin Milliken scored once and had an assist to lead the Tigers to a win on the road over Taunton. Matthew Nikiciuk opened his account for the season while Kevin Louhis added a goal in the win. Keanu Lakay and Josh LaBrosse each recorded an assist while Drew Nickla notched his second shutout of the year.

Girls Soccer
Mansfield, 2 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Olivia Salisbury made three saves to secure the first clean sheet of her career and Mansfield got goals from Tarynn Smith and Kaylee Smith to earn its first win of the year. Bella Lennon and Kerrin Sears recorded the assists for the Hornets. Attleboro coach Steve Santos said his team played well in the first half and was unable to find transition opportunities and then the Hornets showed their tenacity to keep the Bombardiers off the board.

Foxboro, 6 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Foxboro exploded for four goals in the second half to notch a big win on the road over Canton. Jordyn Collins scored a hat trick to pace the offense while Kailee McCabe, Katelyn Mollica (assist) and Lizzy Davis each scored once for the Warriors. Kendra Wentling and Olivia Nicholson each had an assist in the win.

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

Sharon, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Juliana France, Ashleigh Starks, and Isabella DeFronzo each scored to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a win at home over visiting Sharon.

Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Regan Fein faced eight shots and three corners but came away with her second clean sheet of the fall, keeping the Rocketeers perfect on the young season. North got two goals in the second half. Abi Slaney scored the first, assisted by Lily Cameron, and Ari Rice opened her varsity account, assisted by Alex Moulson. Lydia Hershey, Jordan Sullivan, Taylor Ward and Colette Petit headlined the defensive effort for North and Olivia Wells was a constant two-way threat, according to North coach Bill Wallace.

Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Camryn O’Connor scored once and had two assists to lead the Tigers to a win at home over Taunton. Erin Holmberg, Allison Evin and Abby Hodges also scored in the win for Oliver Ames.

Volleyball
Sharon, 1 @ Norwood, 3 – Final

Cross Country
Attleboro vs. Bishop Feehan, 3:45
Taunton @ Milford, 4:00

Golf
Stoughton, 182 @ Milford, 183 – Final – Stoughton sophomore Patrick Smith earned match medalist honors with a low round of 43 to help the Black Knights earn a win at Hopedale Country Club. Max Huminik added a round of 45 for the Black Knights. Ed Madden and Nick Wimette each shot 44 for Milford.

Attleboro, 182 @ Sharon, 183 – Final – Jack Handy and Brian Houle both shot 44 to help Attleboro edge Sharon by a stroke on the road. Senior Ben Wood added a 46 for the Bombardiers. Sharon’s Eric Carter was the match medalist with a low score of 43, Andrew Glaser added a 44, and Nathan Daley shot a 45 for the Eagles.

Canton, 157 @ Taunton, 202 – Final – Canton’s James O’Keeffe, Chris Lavoie, and Will Gefteas all carded rounds under 40 as Canton picked up a win over Taunton. O’Keeffe was the match medalist with a round of 38, Lavoie and Gefteas both shot 39, and Thomas Singleton chipped in with a round of 41.

Foxboro, 203 @ North Attleboro, 204 – Final (5 cards) – After being tied at 161 apiece through four cards, Foxboro prevailed with a one-stroke win on the fifth card. Noah Hicks led Foxboro with a team-low 39, carding six pars on the day. North Attleboro’s Jillian Barend was the match medalist with a low-round of 35, carding birdies on four, eight, and nine for the Rocketeers.

Mansfield, 146 @ King Philip, 153 – Final – Mansfield junior Ryan Dow started the day two over par but finished with an eagle, par, and back-to-back birdies to shoot a 32, earning match medalist honors. Jason See, who shot a 35 for the day, also had an eagle, a pair of pars, and a birdie in the last five holes. Nate Morreale added a 38 and Joseph Gormley carded a round of 41 for the Hornets.

Oliver Ames, 167 @ Franklin, 161 – Final – Franklin junior Jack Paterson earned medalist honors, carding a low round of 38 to lead the Panthers to a tight win over Oliver Ames. Brian Sandham added a 40 and Sean Connolly shot a 41 for the Panthers. Tate Hadges led Oliver Ames with a team-low round of 40.

09/03/201909/03/2019

Boys Soccer: 2019 Davenport Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2019 Davenport Boys Soccer Preview

Canton

2018 Record: 10-5-4
2018 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Danny Erickson

There will be a lot of new faces on the pitch this season for the Canton Bulldogs. And because of that, the Bulldogs are going to rely heavily on the few returners they do have.

Longtime head coach Danny Erickson will lean on his three senior captains this year: Alejandro Correal, Cooper Ashcroft, and Colby Ciffolillo. Correal took over as the starting goalie last season and had a strong year for the Bulldogs, who came in second in the Davenport division. Beyond a strong season in net, Erickson also deployed Correal as a midfielder for portions of the game. Ashcroft and Ciffolillo provide a good amount of varsity experience and will be relied upon to be leaders both on and off the field.

“We will be a brand new looking team this fall after graduating so many impactful players,” Erickson said. “We are looking to be anchored by a veteran group of backs who will be tough to break down.”

Foxboro

2018 Record: 9-7-5
2018 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinal
Coach: Joe Franchino

Foxboro has been one of the most lethal offenses over the past couple of seasons, and while the offense looks to be an early strength for the Warriors, head coach Joe Franchino is hoping a well-balanced squad will be able to compete for a league title.

The Warriors have one of the most talented strikers in the league back in senior Dylan Barreira, who tied for the league lead in goals scored a year ago. He can score in a plethora of ways and will be a handful for opponents to deal with. Sophomore Matt Angelini, who picked up some valuable minutes a year ago, and junior Max Beigel will both see a lot of time alongside of Barreira in the attack. Senior Joe Cusack will pull the strings from the center of the pitch, Ronnie MacClellan returns to the six role, and PJ Frost is likely to factor into the midfield this season. Will Morrison and Tim Behn will be key pieces of the Warriors’ defense this season while there is a healthy competition for minutes in goal that involves senior Dylan Tierney, junior Nick Penders, and sophomore Derek Axon.

“The ultimate goal is to win a league title and compete for a state title, that’s how it is every year,” Franchino said. “We have a pretty solid team so it’s just a matter of who shows up on game day.”

Milford

2018 Record: 13-2-5 (Davenport Division Champions)
2018 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Brian Edwards

Milford lost a good amount of talent from the squad that won the Davenport division crown a year ago, but the Scarlet Hawks still have plenty of skilled players ready to defend their title.

While replacing league MVP and HockomockSports Player of the Year Walisson de Oliveira will be a tall task, the Hawks have a lot of options to replicate that production. Senior Jordan Borges is one of the more experienced players in the league and will do a lot of the dirty work in the center of the pitch. Leo Coelho, a junior, gives head coach Brian Edwards a lot of flexibility and can impact the game in a variety of ways. Joao Vitor Neiva is a strong target forward that is looking to build on a successful junior campaign. Senior captains Dan Santos and Nuno Mestre are tasked with anchoring the Milford defense. Mestre is a four-year varsity player and will likely join in on the attack while Santos’ distribution out of the back will be an important part of Milford’s possession game.

“As always the goal is to improve every day and be competitive within a very challenging league,” Edwards said.

North Attleboro

2018 Record: 7-4-8
2018 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Geoff Burgess

North Attleboro found a lot of success with a defense-first mentality in 2018. The Rocketeers are looking to replicate that same stingy defense while also improving their build-up play.

It didn’t take long for North Attleboro to establish its identity a year ago, defending first and then hitting on the counter-attack. Head coach Geoff Burgess will rely on some newcomers to fill holes on the defense and on experienced players when attacking. Senior goalie Kyle Briere had a breakout junior campaign and will be tasked with organizing the new faces on the defense. Senior captain James Sales controls the midfield for the Rocketeers and will look to distribute to the likes of Joey Coscarella, who will move up the field to a forward position, and senior Matt Mordini. Alex Pfeffer provides a lot of versatility and can be a dangerous weapon on the wings. Senior James Bush, one the most experienced players on defense for North Attleboro, will match up with some of the top strikers in the Hockomock League.

“Our hope is to continue to be dangerous on the counter-attack and improve our build-up play from the back to bolster our offense,” Burgess said. “This team has an opportunity to contend for a league title and possibly make a run in the tournament. We have a large senior class that has experience and great team morale. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch them play.”

Sharon

2018 Record: 2-9-7
2018 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Bryan Kelly

Expectations are high at Sharon High this fall, and for good reason. The Eagles have talent returning all over the pitch and will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport division crown.

Sharon is looking to its offense to lead the way this season. After a season filled with bad breaks and unlucky bounces, the Eagles are ready to not only make a push for the state tournament but challenge for a league title. Head coach Bryan Kelly has a lot of choices when it comes to his attacking group including senior Brian Higgins, senior Ben Nathan, junior Mason Benton, senior Bohazo Li, and Victor Schneider. Opponents are most familiar with Higgins and his ability to score but Nathan, Benton, Li, and Schneider have all impressed this preseason and give the Eagles a plethora of options. Michael Baur returns as one of the top center midfielders in the league and can take on defenders himself, but is also an excellent distributor. Bryce Nathan will also be a key piece in the Eagles’ midfield alongside tennis sensation Alberto Olivei, who is joining the program for the first time. Defensively, Isaiah Stessman is one of the most dynamic players in the Hock and will be supported by Brendan Arnold, Daniel Zagoran, Brandon Mauricio, and Reese Davis. Freshman Matt Baur takes over in net for the Eagles.

“We’re going to be a different team this year, a lot more offensive-minded,” Kelly said. “We are going to look to attack a lot this season and we have some good pieces to do so.”

Stoughton

2018 Record: 0-16-2
2018 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Jon Grant

Stoughton is looking to have a bounce-back year and new head coach Jon Grant is bringing a defense-first mentality to the Black Knights.

The Black Knights had the most goals allowed last season so the emphasize early on will be improving the defense. Senior captain Ted Lucas is a returning player and will be tasked with anchoring the back line for Stoughton. Lucas will get a lot of help from junior goalie Nolan Gerome. Gerome picked up some valuable minutes in net throughout the season. Grant will also rely on senior captains Jon Santos and Mason Eschleman to be important pieces on the defense. While both Santos and Eschleman will play in the midfield, the Black Knights are dedicated to getting numbers behind the ball to improve the defense. Santos and Eschleman will also help Stoughton transition into offense and start the attack.

“This team’s positive attitude and willingness to learn will be the keys to their success,” Grant said. “We have been focusing on the defensive side of the game for much of the preseason so far. Our goal is obvious…if we keep the ball out of the back of our net then we give ourselves a chance to win. Our ultimate goal is to get back to the tournament.”

10/29/201810/30/2018

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/30/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro scored a pair of goals in the last 10 minutes of the first half to secure a win in its final regular season game. Dylan Corrigan put things in motion for the opener, playing a ball through to Matt Conley, who crossed it to Joe Hilf in the 32nd minute. Five minutes later, James Sales converted a corner kick from Joey Coscarella. Kyle Briere recorded his 12th shutout of the season.

Mansfield, 0 @ Dartmouth, 2 – Final

Milford, 3 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Milford junior Walisson de Oliveira scored a pair of goals and had an assist, tying the program record for career points. Oliveira made it 1-0 in the first half off a feed from Lucas Da Silva, a lead the Hawks took into halftime. de Oliveira set up Tiago Carvalho for a 2-0 lead, and then scored his 22nd goal of the year (from Leo Coelho), putting him in a tie for the golden boot. Carter Gerome made 22 saves in net for Stoughton.

Girls Soccer
Sharon, 0 vs. Milton, 1 – Final
Milford, 0 vs. Holliston, 3 – Final
Taunton, 5 @ Coyle & Cassidy, 2 – Final

Field Hockey
Milford @ Sharon – Postponed to Thursday, 11/1.

10/10/201810/11/2018

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/10/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Milford built a 4-0 lead by halftime and never looked back, knocking off Attleboro and qualifying for the state tournament for the first time in five years. Walisson de Oliveira had a hat trick while Rande Monahan and Gabe Alvarenga each scored their first goals. Zach Browne had a standout game defensively, and Josh Orellana and Cam Doherty combined for the clean sheet in net.

King Philip, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.

Franklin, 1 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Franklin senior Tim Duval scored just over two minutes into the game and the Panthers held on to that score for the rest of the way to earn two points.

Mansfield, 2 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Mansfield netted a pair of first half goals and then fended off the Rocketeers in the second to get the win. Luke Savoie opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, hitting a hard shot from the left side to the far corner. In the 29th minute, junior Peter Oldow cleaned up a loose ball in the box to make it 2-0. North cut the deficit in half in the 59th minute when Joe Hilf scored off a corner kick from Joey Coscarella.

Girls Soccer
Milford, 3 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Isabella Salviati scored a hat trick and assisted on another and Briley Harnois assisted on two and scored one for the Bombardiers, who get back to .500 on the season with the win. A Salviati brace had Attleboro up two goals in the opening 15 minutes, but Juliana France cut the lead in half before the half-hour mark. Harnois made it 3-1 off a Salviati assist but just 30 seconds later Sofia Wilson again brought the Hawks back within one. Salviati scored the eventual game-winner off an assist by Jessica Gates with 19 minutes left. Cassie Probert added Milford’s third in the closing seconds.

Foxboro, 5 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Jordyn Collins scored a hat trick for the Warriors, who stayed unbeaten with a win over last year’s Kelley-Rex co-champs. KP jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind goals from Avery Snead and Chloe Layne (assisted by Ally Armstrong), but Collins scored three times before the break to put Foxboro in front. In the second half, Mackenzi Fraser (from Meghan Burke) and Alyssa VandenBoom (assisted by Kailee McCabe) scored to put the game away for Foxboro.

Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Anna Balkus scored a brace to lift the Panthers to the victory and keep Franklin within just two points of league-leading Mansfield. Freshman Riley Fitzpatrick marked her varsity debut with her first career goal. Calen Frongillo, Sydney St. Marie and Hailey Toolin each recorded assists for the Panthers. Breanna Atwood made three saves for the clean sheet and Lydia Chase made 19 saves for the Eagles.

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

Volleyball
Stoughton, 2 vs. Brockton, 3 – Final

Golf
Mansfield, 150 @ Attleboro, 165 – Final

Taunton, 184 @ Canton, 158 – Final – Canton’s Thomas Singleton earned match medalist honors, the lone Bulldog to eclipse the 40-mark in a win over Taunton. Singleton carded a 37, Chris Lavoie and Mike Leonetti each chipped in with a 40, and Tommy Dimock shot a 41.

Franklin, 158 @ North Attleboro, 147 – Final – The Rocketeers earned their 10th win of the season on the middle course as Heather Hill. Jillian Barend shot a 2-under par 33, Marcus Costa shot 36, Matt Wanless carded a 38, and Pat Roberts finished with a 40. Matt D’Errico and Jack Paterson paced Franklin with 38

King Philip, 169 @ Oliver Ames, 148 – Final – Nolan Donze earned medalist honors to the second straight OA match, this time sharing the honors with Jared Spillane. Donze and Spillane each shot 36 while Liam Barry and Ryan Bock each carded 38.

Milford, 176 vs. Hopedale, 159 – Final

Stoughton, 196 @ Sharon, 170 – Final

10/04/201810/04/2018

Strong Start Lifts North Past Foxboro in Divisional Battle

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – When the calendar turns to October, teams start keeping an eye on their rivals in the league standings and two points become even more important. North Attleboro started the night just three points back of Davenport-leading Canton, which was playing second place Milford, so the Rocketeers understood the importance of two points on Thursday night at Beaupre Field.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

North dominated the first half, scoring twice, and then held off a Foxboro charge after the break, keeping the Warriors off the board until the final two minutes of the game, to walk away with a 2-1 victory that moves within one of the Bulldogs and Hawks in the league standings.

“Especially going forward, we’ve got an idea where we want to go with it now,” said North coach Geoff Burgess. “We have a plan and in the first half we executed it really well. We were able to counter them quickly, with speed.”

The hosts took that to heart on Thursday and gave an early warning to the Foxboro defense when Joe Hilf played Matt Conley in behind the Foxboro left back just two minutes into the game. There was contact, but not enough for the official to give the penalty. Hilf almost opened the scoring a minute later but dragged his shot from the edge of the box just wide.

Both teams settled into their styles after that, with North loading the midfield and looking for the quick outlet in transition and the Warriors trying to play out of the back. It was the Rocketeers that controlled the action in the opening half, limiting Foxboro to only a couple of weak shots on goal and constantly putting pressure on the visitors’ back line.

Hilf sparked North into the lead after 19 minutes. He made a long run down the far sideline, rode a sliding challenge from Brian Gardner, and got free on the right side of the box. His cut back into Conley was blocked by a couple of Warriors but the ball popped out to Alex Pfeffer in the middle and he side-footed his shot into the empty net.

Just four minutes later and the Rocketeers doubled the lead. This time it was Matt Mordini that got free down the right channel. The junior cut it back into middle for Hilf, who was left free on the edge of the box, and he hit it first time into the far corner.

Foxboro’s best look of the opening half fell to Shane Vandenboom, who hit the outside side-netting with a curling effort from 18 yards. It was about all the North defense gave up in the opening half, as center backs Evan Rosenberg and Gavin O’Malley kept the Warriors out of dangerous areas.

“They’re a great partnership,” said Burgess. “Evan especially, he was JV last year, didn’t play a minute, and I think he’s now one of the best center backs in the league. The way he plays positionally, he’s always covering in the right places, he’s quarterbacking the team.”

Foxboro coach Joe Franchino admitted, “Everybody was just on their own page…We weren’t shooting in the first half, just lumping balls in and playing right into their hands.”

In the 29th minute, North could have put the game away when James Sales’ free kick from 28 yards came back off the crossbar. Hilf almost sealed the win in the 35th minute when he nodded a long clearance by right back James Bush past his marker and got a free run on goal, but his shot went over the bar.

“He had a really good matchup in the first half,” Burgess said of Hilf. “Normally, I’d yell at him for trying to flick it snd take it himself but I think he realized that it was probably the right play. Everything kind of revolves around a target and he’s embraced that.”

Foxboro needed to make some changes at halftime and came out with more intensity, but Hilf nearly hit the Warriors on the counter when his clever dummy beat his marker, but Foxboro keeper Nick Penders was out quick to smother it.

The visitors started to get a foothold going forward, particularly through midfielder Joe Cusack, who kept popping up in between the lines and finding pockets of space where he could dictate play. He had Foxboro’s first good look that went just wide.

Chances started to flow for the Warriors. A throw-in from the left found Vandenboom, who laid it off for Daniel Basler, but his shot from 20 yards went high. A minute later, a long free kick from Daniel Lowey found Dylan Barreira’s head in the box and he nodded it down to Nic Beigel but the shot was saved.

Barreira also forced North keeper Kyle Briere into a save with a 28-yard free kick. Briere made his best stop just a few minutes later to deny Cusack at full stretch at the midway point of the half. It kept Foxboro off the board when the Warriors were clearly on top in the game.

Burgess said of his keeper, “Kyle is this great safety blanket we have because he does come up with the good when we need him to. Today he was mostly calm but he had that one good one.”

Cusack had a free kick from just outside of the box that was saved comfortably and Foxboro nearly fashioned an opener with five minutes left when Matt Garcia played the ball through to Barreira, whose header found Vandenboom but he couldn’t keep his shot down.

“Even at Franklin, we go down a goal, two goals, and we’re trying to fight back into the game,” Franchino said. “The game’s only 80 minutes long, so you’ve got to start quicker and it’s just not happening right now.”

North had one more chance with a late free kick that was played straight across the box by Joey Coscarella, but Pfeffer couldn’t put his shot on frame when he met it at the far post.

Foxboro did get one to make for an interesting final two minutes. Beigel’s free kick from the left corner of the box went through a sea of bodies in front, and possibly got a touch off a North defender, before sneaking in the far side. But, it turned out to be only a consolation for the Warriors.

“The loss Friday to Canton woke us up a little bit,” said Burgess. “We lost 3-1 but in the second half we had four almost breakaways and didn’t convert on any of them. It was very much a winnable game but I think they realized if they don’t go out and actually put the ball in the back of the net, 0-0 isn’t going to get it done.”

North Attleboro (4-1-6, 4-1-5) will next face Kelley-Rex leader Mansfield on Wednesday, while Foxboro (3-5-1, 3-5-1) will be back in action on Saturday at Bishop Feehan.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

09/04/2018

Boys Soccer: 2018 Davenport Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Davenport Boys Soccer Preview

Canton

2017 Record: 10-5-4
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Danny Erickson

The Bulldogs have been one of the top offensive teams over the past two seasons, and that trend will likely continue with the personnel returning this season. The goal this season is to equal that success on the defensive end of the field.

“We have had lots of success the past two seasons in scoring goals but we have not been stingy enough with allowing goals,” said Canton head coach Danny Erickson.

Hockomock League leading scorer Paul Corcoran is back for his senior season and has been one of the top producers in the final third over the past two seasons. His nine goals in 2016 helped earn him HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year honors and last year he led the Hock with 15 goals and 23 total points. He is joined by HockomockSports.com Best XI selection Griffin Roach in the midfield. Roach is one of the best two-way players in the league and will undoubtedly be relied upon to help both the offense (10 goals, five assists last year) and the defense. Simon Cruz is another player with a good amount of varsity experience that will likely factor in.

While the offense looks to be in good shape, shoring up the defense won’t be easy after losing starting goalie Abe Garber and center back John Agnitti. However, Erickson can rely on Paolo Ruggeri to lead the way in the back. Ruggeri has a ton of varsity experience and will be the quarterback of the defense, organizing and keeping the back four in shape. Junior Alejandro Correal will step in as the starting keeper.

Foxboro

2017 Record: 11-5-4
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Joe Franchino

Foxboro head coach Joe Franchino isn’t afraid to talk about how confident he is in this year’s team.

“The Hockomock title is coming to Foxboro,” Franchino said.

Although Foxboro graduated a dozen seniors, the players that the Warriors do return are the reason why Franchino is so confident in this group. Starting up top, Foxboro has both of its strikers back, including leading scorer Shane VandenBoom. Last year, VandenBoom was second in the league in the regular season with 21 points, scoring 12 goals and adding nine assists. He will be joined up top by Dylan Barreira, who had a strong sophomore season.

In the midfield, everything will run through junior Joe Cusack. There aren’t many midfielders that have the poise on the ball that Cusack does and he will likely be the engine for the team. He isn’t the biggest player on the pitch but his vision is among the best and his ability to play balls over the top and through the defense make Foxboro’s offense very dangerous. Nic Beigel will complement Cusack in the middle to give the Warriors a solid 1-2 combo.

Defensively, the Warriors are hoping to see more of the same after only allowing 15 goals through 18 regular season games. The good news is that Foxboro has plenty of experience returning in the back with Matt Garcia, Brian Gardner, and Will Regan back in the fold. Franchino stressed that the team must put defense first and buy into the system, and then the team can go forward — an area the Warriors are very confident in.

Milford

2017 Record: 7-8-3
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Brian Edwards

After missing out on the postseason by just one game, the 2018 Scarlet Hawks are laser-focused on making it into the state tournament and having a run at the division title.

Third-year head coach Brian Edwards saw his team go from four wins to seven over the first two years and is hoping that upward trend will continue in 2018.

“We are looking to build upon the lessons learned last year,” Edwards said. “We want to work on maintaining focus and closing games out this season. With many players coming back for their third varsity season we are hopeful that our experience helps us work towards our goals this season.”

One big reason for optimism is junior Walisson De Oliveira, who exploded as one of the best offensive threats in the league in the second half of the season. After playing in the midfield for half the year, Edwards moved De Oliveira up top and the move paid off big time. The striker scored 14 goals (second most in the Hock) and had three assists.

In the midfield, the Hawks boast a trio of talented and experienced players. Tiago Carvalho, Joao Boaventura, and Jordan Borges have all shown improvement over the offseason and will be counted on to handle the middle of the pitch. Seniors Joey Madden and Zach Brown return to anchor the defensive unit in front of senior goalie Cam Doherty.

North Attleboro

2017 Record: 11-2-6 (Davenport Division Champions)
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Geoff Burgess

Despite graduating over a dozen seniors from last year’s Davenport division-winning squad, North Attleboro head coach Geoff Burgess believes his team will be ready to defend its league title.

The Rocketeers will have to find a replacement for HockomockSports.com Best XI selections Gabe Pinhancos (center mid) and Brendan Matracia (goalie), as well as the entire back line, but Burgess does have options to fill the voids.

“I’m excited to see what this group can accomplish,” Burgess said. “We have a good nucleus of talented players and high expectations.”

Senior striker Joe Hilf was second on the team in points last year after scoring six goals and adding two assists and Big Red also has junior midfielders Dylan Corrigan (four goals, three assists) and James Sale back in the fold. All three have plenty of varsity experience and should be major factors for North this season. Junior Joey Coscarella will see more playing time as well this season.

Senior captain Evan Rosenberg will step in at center back to anchor the new back four. Burgess is also optimistic about his options in net with junior Kyle Briere taking over as the starter.

Sharon

2017 Record: 5-9-4
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Bryan Kelly

Only one year removed from winning the Davenport title, Sharon is hoping its versatility will help get them back to the top of what is shaping up to be a very competitive division.

“We have some dynamic players this year which gives us the ability to use different formations making it difficult for teams to plan for us,” said Sharon coach Bryan Kelly. “We have a rotation of players who can play two or more positions and play them well. If we stick to our game plan, we will be a tough team to reckon with.”

The Eagles have a strong core of returning players that Kelly can build off of. Ethan Kantor is back for his third year in goal and will be the leader of the defense. Alex Dias returns from a torn ACL to take up one of the outside back positions. Kelly expects Brendan Arnold and Daniel Gunduz to step up on defense this season.

In the midfield, junior Michael Baur (HockomockSports.com Second XI selection) will be a key piece and help the Eagles transition from defense to offense. Baur is also one of the more dangerous free kick takers in the league. Baur will work with the speedy Isaiah Stessman and Norway-transfer Viktor Schneider on the wings in the midfield.

Kelly is looking for junior Brian Higgins and Daniel Lillenfeld to form a dynamic partnership up top while Antonio Elkoury and Eli Berkowitz can step in and provide depth in both the midfield and up front.

Stoughton

2017 Record: 1-16-1
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Joshua Aubin

After three straight years in the playoffs, the Black Knights had a down season a year ago but new head coach Joshua Aubin is anxious to get Stoughton back into playoff contention.

“This is definitely a team that is not afraid to get down and dirty,” Aubin said. “We’ve got some scrappy players who will not be backing down from the challenges ahead.”

Stoughton will be relying on its 10 seniors to set the pace this season, starting with captain Fabi Ponce de Leon. In his fourth year on varsity, Ponce de Leon will be the engine in the middle of the field and help facilitate things for the Black Knights. Aubin is looking for some new faces to step up around Ponce de Leon to take some pressure off the senior and give him some space. Fellow captain John Ortiz will be a leader for a defensive group that is looking to improve on last season.

All-Hockomock selection Carter Gerome returns as the starting goalie for the Black Knights.

“We do have a lot of athletes where we hope to be able to maximize on their individual abilities,” Aubin said. “We have a little bit of everything – some height, some speed, some strength, some physicalness, and some finesse.”