Foxboro sophomore Ava Hill and senior Mallorie Meyer go up for a block in the second set against Greater Lowell Tech. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. — Rewind a month ago and the Foxboro volleyball team was sitting at 1-9; hosting a playoff game certainly seemed like a pipe dream.
Ten matches later, Foxboro was on the winning side six times and pushed the Davenport division champions Oliver Ames and perennial powerhouse Canton to five sets in defeat.
And now, the 14th-seeded Warriors walked off their home court with a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-22, 25-17) over #19 Greater Lowell Tech.
“I think the turning point [of the season] was the first Oliver Ames game when we took them to five [sets] and I think the girls were shocked at their performance and really started to believe in themselves,” said Foxboro head coach Vicki Santana. “They started having fun with it and we carried that energy into the next games. That’s when we started winning, starting taking teams to five that we never had before. This was really exciting for us.”
Foxboro avenged losses to Mansfield, Sharon, and Stoughton in October. The Warriors also were undefeated against non-league opponents, picking up a pair of wins over Walpole and Braintree. On top of their five-set thriller at OA, the Warriors went on the road and pushed Canton to the brink as well.
“I think their confidence level, they believe they can do anything now,” Santana said. “They are having more fun, they are shaking things off. They have been willing to run some plays, if they make a mistake they are shaking it off easier than before, not getting down on each other or themselves. The whole morale of the team has been brought up.”
After earning a 2-0 lead in the match, Foxboro found itself in an early hole in the third set, falling behind 7-1. While this might have deterred the Warriors at the start of the season, they dug themselves out of the hole with a 9-2 burst.
Mallorie Meyer landed a kill and then Alyssa Cloherty (16 assists, seven digs) took over, finding a hole in the defense with a one-handed dump on the second ball, then finding Juliana Pettigrew for back-to-back kills — the former off a great pass from Shannon McElhiney, and then landed back-to-back aces to tie it at 9-9.
Foxboro fell behind 11-10 but didn’t make many mistakes down the stretch. Good defense put pressure on the visiting Gryphons and a handful of hitting errors plus a solid defensive play by Gianna Dunne gave Foxboro a 16-11 lead.
A nice top from Pettiegew and a good serve from Cloherty pushed Foxboro’s lead to 23-14. Meyer added consecutive kills, the latter from the back row, and a service error from the visitors clinched the win.
“They realized they need to play as hard as they can, it’s not a time to let up after taking the first two sets,” Santana said of digging out of the early deficit. “They fought back and kept that fight going until the end. The passing got better, the hits were stronger. [Greater Lowell Tech’s] competition level was up too, they started blocking us more in the middle and we had to adjust. We really started to have to look for the holes in their defense.”
It was a balanced attack for the hosts throughout the first two sets. Foxboro gained some separation early on in the opening set, a pair of aces from Sami Sloan (seven kills), a kill from Pettigrew, and blocks from Meyers and Ava Kirk presented the Warriors with a 15-7 lead. An ace and another Sloan kill pushed it to 17-9 and the Warriors didn’t look back.
Ava Hill had a strong swing from the right side and Dunne landed an ace to give Foxboro a 25-16 win for a 1-0 advantage.
Sloan carried the momentum into the second set with some early aces from Sydney Lebow and a kill from Sloan as Foxboro built a five-point lead, but Greater Lowell Tech continued to crawl back and tied it 10-10. An ace from Pettigrew kept Foxboro in front, and two great serves in a row from Cloherty gave the Warriors some breathing room. The Gryphons once again closed the gap to make it 20-20 but a big swing from Hill led to a block from Kirk, and Meyer added two aces to give Foxboro a 25-22 win and a 2-0 lead.
“They do a great job moving the ball around,” Santana said. “I’m lucky because I have one of the best setters in the Hock [Alyssa Cloherty], the ball comes out of her hands so perfectly. She has confidence in all of her hitters so she does move it around. And she runs different things with each of them, slides and quick sets to the middle, all of these different things they’ve gotten the confidence to do, they are really working together so well.”
Foxboro volleyball (8-13) awaits the winner of #3 Newburyport (17-3) and #30 Bishop Fenwick (8-13), who play on Friday evening.
Field Hockey
North Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip 3 – Final – North Attleboro rallied for a pair of fourth quarter goals, including the game-tying tally with less than a minute to play to earn a tie against King Philip. The Rocketeers took the lead in the opening quarter, Ava Spencer setting up Julia Puccio, who used a give-and-go with Caroline Folan before depositing a shot into the back of the net to make it 1-0. King Philip answered with three straight goals with Leah Santoro bringing the Warriors level before the end of the first quarter. KP scored a pair of goals in a two-minute span in the second quarter, first Abby MacDonald finishing off a pass from Kelly Holmes, and then Santoro grabbed her second to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead at half. After a scoreless third quarter, North Attleboro cut the deficit down to one when Folan found the back of the net from Ava McKeon midway through the quarter. With 33 seconds to play, Puccio buried an unassisted goal to make it3-3. KP earned a corner with no time left but North got the clear to end it. Haley Bright made eight saves in net for KP.
Oliver Ames @ Sharon – Postponed to TBD.
Volleyball
Foxboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – After splitting the first two sets, Foxboro went on to win two straight close sets to close out the match for a 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23) win on the road. Alyssa Cloherty orchestrated the offense with 26 assists and added six kills, two aces, and a block. Sami Sloan (15 kills, four aces, four digs) and Juliana Pettigrew (eight kills) paced the attack while Shannon McElhinney (nine digs) and Gianna Dunne (11 digs) anchored the defense.
Canton, 3 @ Quincy, 0 – Final – Canton earned its third straight win and second in as many games, sweeping Quincy, 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 28-26). Freshman Erin Bigham dished out 32 assists to run the offense, adding seven digs, two kills, and two blocks while Liana Lamparelli had a good defensively for the Bulldogs, recording 13 digs. Jess Wright had another strong all-around showing with 21 kills, 10 digs, three blocks, and three aces.
Football
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 44 – Final 1Q: (F) Jase Lyons 8-yard pass to Luke Davis, Garrett Portesi XP good; (F) Mike Davide 6-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good; (F) Safety; (F) J. Lyons 48-yard pass to Grayson Hunter, G. Portesi XP good.
2Q: (F) J. Lyons 38-yard pass to Derek Dubriske, G. Portesi XP good; (F) J. Lyons 5-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good.
3Q: (F) M. Davide 24-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good.
4Q: No scoring.
Canton, 14 @ Foxboro, 36 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game. 1st Quarter: (C) Godson Ofonagoro 20-yard rush, Hayden Rose XP good; (F) Brandon Mazenkes-O’Grady 72-yard rush, XP no good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Mike Marcucella 27-yard pass to Rashaan Lewis, Sam Carpenter XP good; (F) M. Marcucella 28-yard pass to Nolan Gordon, Conversion failed; (F) S. Carpenter 37-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (F) Lincoln Moore 1-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good; (F) M. Marcucella 66-yard pass to Eddie Feldman, S. Carpenter XP good.
4th Quarter: (C) G. Ofonagoro 5-yard rush, H. Rose XP good.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Mansfield, 35 – Final 1st Quarter: (M) Conner Zukowski 29-yard pass to Trevor Foley, Travis Hennessy XP good; (M) C. Zukowski 43-yard pass to T. Foley, T. Hennessy XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Drew Sacco 1-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good; (M) C. Zukowski 28-yard pass to Trevor Foley, T. Hennessy XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (M) Connor Curtis 24-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good.
Milford, 30 vs. Barnstable, 16 – Final
North Attleboro, 3 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game. 1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4ht Quarter: (NA) Austin Clemente 24-yard field goal.
Stoughton, 7 vs. Newton North, 28 – Final
Sharon, 21 vs. Hull, 31 – Final 1Q: (S) Gabe Korn 20-yard rush, XP failed; (H) Hull 44-yard pass, XP good.
2Q: (H) Hull 43-yard field goal; (H) Hull 5-yard rush, XP good; (S) G. Korn 17-yard rush, G. Korn 2pt rush.
3Q: (H) Hull 7-yard rush, XP good; (S) G. Korn 10-yard rush, Jace McCarron XP good.
4Q: (H) Hull 18-yard pass, XP good.
Boys Soccer
Canton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 7 – Final – Oliver Ames built a two-goal lead in the first half then poured in five more inside the final 20 minutes of the game to earn a big win over Canton. Casey Milliken opened the scoring with his 19th goal of the season and then set up Mirray DaSilva for his fifth goal of the season to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. DaSilva added one more in the second half while Andrew Martins and Braeden Blass each scored twice. Milliken added two assists while Joey Carney, Diego Rivera, and Jackson Macomber each had one.
Stoughton, 4 vs. Norwood – Final – After a scoreless first half, Stoughton found the back of the net four times to earn a big win over visiting Norwood. Kyle Grant had a hat trick to lead the Knights and assisted on the other goal, scored by Alex Kozak. Sam Santos set up Grant twice while Matheus Groberio had the other assist.
Girls Soccer
Canton, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Canton came into Friday having not won in the past five games and the Bulldogs fell behind after just three minutes, but they came storming back behind an Emily McCabe brace to beat the league leaders. Jolie Diaz set up Lucinda Li Cotter for a quick opening goal for the Tigers, but Canton answered with two straight to take the lead. Mekhala Costello equalized with an unassisted goal and Paige Sullivan made it 2-2, assisted by Emma Cahill. Taylor deVos would level the match again from the spot, after Sophia Byron’s corner led to a handball in the box. McCabe scored what turned out to be the game-winner after she drew a foul in the penalty area and converted from the spot. McCabe would seal the win off an assist by Sarah Dempster. It was a high-paced game from start to finish and Canton coach Idris Senyonjo is hoping this can give his team some momentum to finish the regular season.
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – KP scored four times in the second half to seal its third win of the week and move back within a point of first-place Franklin with two league games remaining. Ella Pisani got the opener four minutes into the match, on a feed from Addisyn Lamothe-Vaughn. Dani Lomuscio scored to double the KP lead after 57 minutes and then Heidi Lawrence scored twice within a minute to put the game away. Ally Pochay added an unassisted goal in the final minute. Lamothe-Vaughn finished with two assists, while Lomuscio and Pisani each finished with two points.
Field Hockey
Mansfield vs. Holliston, 3:45
Stoughton, 0 @ East Bridgewater, 3 – Final
Foxboro, 2 vs. Hopkinton, 0 – Final
Franklin, 2 @ Walpole, 6 – Final – In a battle of two of the top teams in the entire state, Walpole earned a 6-2 win over the Panthers. Franklin thought it scored first when a deflected shot found the back of the net but the shot was ruled dangerous and the goal was wiped off. Walpole took a 1-0 lead into halftime before Kaitlyn Carney found the back of the net to make it 1-1. The Porkers scored back-to-backs but the Panthers got one back before the end of the third when Shaw Downing redirected a shot from Carney to make it 3-2. Walpole won the fourth quarter to pull away with the win.
Volleyball
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – Final – For the second time this season, Oliver Ames earned a win over Bridgewater-Raynham, this time doing it on the road with a 3-0 sweep (25-29, 25-14, 25-22). Sophomore Clare Kavolius dished out 28 assists to set the offense in motion, Sarah Hilliard led the charge with 18 kills, Maddie Homer (19 digs) and Claire O’Rourke (15 digs, four aces) anchored the defense, and junior Isabel Domenico played well at the net.
Canton, 3 vs. Westwood, 2 – Final – After dropping the first set, Canton rallied to win two in a row — including a close third set — and then bounced back in the fifth to capture the match, 3-2 (14-25, 25-22, 28-26, 20-25, 15-10). Freshman Erin Bigham had a breakout match for the Bulldogs, dishing out 32 assists to go along with 12 digs, four aces, and a block. Junior Jess Wright continued her strong all-around play with 20 kills, 16 digs, three blocks, and two aces while sophomore Kaitlin Bigham added five kills and a pair of blocks. Sophomore Zoe Scibelli played well with 22 digs and five aces.
Foxboro, 3 vs. Braintree, 0 – Final – Foxboro defended home court with its second win over Braintree this season, earning a 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-15) win over the Wamps. Juliana Pettigrew and Sami Sloan each had eight kills while Mallorie Meyer added seven kills to pace the offense. Alyssa Cloherty dished out 23 assists to go along with three kills and three aces, and Shannon McElhinney added 16 digs in the win.
King Philip, 3 @ Medway, 0 – Final – King Philip earned a season sweep of Medway, running away with a big 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-11) win on the road over the Mustangs to move to 16-2 on the year. Ava Kelley (eight digs) and Ahunna James (10 digs, seven kills) took care of business defensively while Sami Shore (eight kills), Emily Sawyer (seven kills, four digs, three blocks), and Olivia O’Neil (four kills, two aces) led the offense.
Football
Taunton, 46 @ Oliver Ames, 14 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. 1st Quarter: (T) Dmitrius Shearrion 79-yard rush, XP no good; (T) Malachi Johnson 38-yard rush, Sete Deletoille XP good; (OA) Chad Silva 1-yard rush, C. Silva 2-point rush; (T) Bryan Batista 1-yard rush, S. Deletoille XP good.
2nd Quarter: (T) M. Johnson 30-yard rush, S. Deletoille XP good; (T) Jacob Leonard 47-yard pass to Jose Touron, XP no good; (T) B. Batista 5-yard rush, 2-point conversion no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (T) B. Batista 1-yard rush, Abby Doherty XP good; (OA) Brian Silva 5-yard pass to CJ Crocker, XP no good.
Girls Soccer
North Attleboro, 4 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – North led by two goals early, allowed Sharon to score three straight to grab the lead, and then rallied with a pair of goals in the final 12 minutes to pull out the win. Clara Giuliano opened the scoring for the visitors, finishing off a pass from Angelina Bostock. Samantha Hardy doubled North’s advantage in the 18th minute off of an assist from Caroline Ferrin. Sofia Goclowski sandwiched a brace for the Eagles around a goal from Autumn Simon while Carly Pinnix had a pair of assists. After Sharon took the lead in the 70th minute, Giuliano pulled the Rocketeers level on a shot from 25 yards out in the 76th minute. Just a minute later, Hardy headed in a cross from Lily Adams for the winner.
Field Hockey
Milford, 1 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final – Attleboro scored three goals in each half on its way to a win at home over visiting Milford. Stella Krawiec, Marley Young, and Siobhan Landers each scored a pair of goals and had an assist to pace the offense. Alyvia Bessette also had an assist for the Bombardiers.
Canton, 6 @ Sharon, 0 – Final
Franklin, 6 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Franklin’s Haley Wernig scored a pair of second quarter goals inside a five minute span to give the Panthers some breathing room and Kaitlyn Carney’s third quarter tally added key insurance as Franklin survived a tough test from King Philip. The teams traded goals in the first quarter with Payten Crandall’s first goal of the game giving the visitors the lead. Wernig scored twice in the second to take the lead again before KP got one back, cutting the Panthers’ lead to 3-2 at half. Carney scored the lone goal of the third to make it 4-2, and Crandall’s second of the game late in the fourth pushed it to 5-2. KP pulled one back but Franklin once again responded with a goal with just over two minutes to play from Chloe Essam. Leah Santoro, Makenzie McDevitt and Lauren Barriero each had a goal for the Warriors. Devon Barry made six saves in net for Franklin while Haley Bright turned away nine shots for KP.
North Attleboro, 6 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro senior Julia Puccio had a hand in all six of the Rocketeers’ goals, leading the way to a big win on the road. Puccio scored three — the opening goal just under four minutes into the game (from Kelsey Thompson), the third goal of the game on a corner with 30 seconds left in the first half (from Ella Luistro), and the sixth and final, a strike with three minutes to play in the third assisted by Caroline Folan. Carrying a 1-0 lead into the second quarter, Thompson scored off of a corner, Madison Folan added one with 5:20 to go. Caitlin Vacher converted a pass from Puccio with 5:57 left in the third to make it 5-0. Gracie Leary and Eman Farid combined for the shutout for North.
Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 7 – Final
Mansfield, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro defended its home turf with its third straight shutout and 10th of the season in a 5-0 win over Mansfield. Mary Collins paced the offense with a hat trick while Mya Waryas and Mia Dinunzio each scored once for the Warriors.
Volleyball
Canton, 3 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Sharon rallied to win the third set to keep the match alive but Canton closed out in impressive fashion to secure a 3-1 (25-16, 25-20, 21-25, 25-7) win on the road, avenging a loss to the Eagles from earlier this season. Jess Wright had a great game for the Bulldogs, recording 14 kills, 19 digs, four aces, and a block. Erin Bigham ran the offense with 33 assists and chipped in with a pair of kills while Sally Hoban added 11 kills and a pair of blocks. Haley Duhaime, Riley Costa, and Melanie McDonough provided a spark and played good defense for Canton.
Mansfield, 1 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – In a great back-and-forth battle, Foxboro emerged with a hard-fought 3-1 (25-23, 27-29, 27-25, 25-21) win over Mansfield in a battle of evenly matched teams. Sami Sloan led the charge offensively for the Warriors with 17 kills and five aces, Juliana Petigrew added eight kills, six digs, and five aces, and Mallorie Meyer chipped in with six kills, two aces, and 13 digs. Alyssa Cloherty ran the offense with 37 assists and three aces. Lauren Rubicine had 16 digs, five aces, and four kills for the Hornets, Elyssa Buchanan added four kills, four digs, and three blocks, Keira Fitzpatrick dished out 13 assists and had 10 digs, and Lily Campbell added seven blocks, five digs, three kills, and a pair of aces.
Milford, 1 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – After splitting the first two sets, Attleboro cruised to back-to-back wins to finish out a 3-1 (25-5, 21-25, 25-8, 25-8) win over visiting Milford. It was a strong all-around performance for the Bombardiers with Julia Leonardo (21 kills, seven aces), Addie Shelton (10 kills), Ellie Shelton (four aces, two kills), and Tigin Bombardier (four kills) playing well offensively. Natalie Brojek orchestrated the offense with 35 assists along with 10 aces while Sadie Whitmarsh notched 20 digs to anchor the defense.
North Attleboro @ Taunton, 5:15
Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this match. – Stoughton tied the match at 1-1 after rallying to take the second set, but Oliver Ames closed it out with two straight set wins for a 3-1 (25-16, 24-26, 25-12, 25-22) decision. Sarah Hilliard (22 kills) and Courtney Raymond (10 kills, six aces) paced the attack while Maddie Homer (41 digs) and Megan MacDonald anchored the defense for the Tigers.
Golf
Foxboro, 91 @ Stoughton, 96 – Final (5 holes) – In a rain-shortened match, Foxboro pulled out a close win over Stoughton. Patrick Callahan and Louis Carangelo each shot 22 through the first five to lead the way for the Warriors and Mat Sullivan carded a 23. Stoughton’s Joe Rush and James Spector each shot 22 through five as well.
North Attleboro @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 3:00
Taunton, 179 @ King Philip, 154 – Final – King Philip closed out its regular season schedule with a non-league win over Taunton. Freshman Evan Regan fired a two-over par medalist round of 37 to lead the way for the Warriors. Senior Gavin Croke added a 38, Ethan Sullivan shot a 39, and Cameron Hasenfus finished with a 40.
Franklin, 2 @ Newton South, 0 – Final – Franklin scored once in each half to earn a massive road win against a fellow Div. 1 title contender. Olivia Costa opened the scoring in the first half, finishing a feed from Tori Carmignani. Kelly O’Connor scored from a Katie Ewald corner in the second half to secure the points in a hard-fought, physical matchup. Rachel Welch made eight saves for Franklin. Newton South came into Tuesday’s game as the third-ranked team in D1.
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 2 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Attleboro scored its biggest win of the season, going on the road and knocking off Hock powerhouse Canton. Audrey Koen scored in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs the early advantage but Siobhan Landers answered off a corner in the second quarter to bring the Bombardiers level. Landers found the back of the net again in the third and Siany Ortez (12 saves) and the Attleboro defense pitched a second half shutout to close out the win. Alyvia Bessette, Marley Young, and Jordan Mooney each had an assist in the win. “A collective massive team win today,” said Attleboro head coach Jess Pink. “There was no one player that stood out as the defense worked together to secure the win and resist a lot of Canton pressure at the end of the game. The middies fed the offense and came up with some big block tackles to maintain position.”
Franklin, 13 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Franklin’s Kaitlyn Carney recorded a hat trick and both Shaw Downing and Haley Wernig scored a pair of goals in a big win on the road.
King Philip, 2 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – King Philip scored less than a minute into each the first and second quarter and that proved to be enough in a close battle on the road at Mansfield. Sophomore Makenzie McDevitt opened the scoring just 57 seconds into the contest, and KP took a 1-0 lead into the second quarter. This time, it took just 19 seconds for McDevitt to find the back of the net and double the advantage. Mansfield made a game of it when Emma Redding scored at 11:32 of the second quarter, finishing off an assist from Kristina Kipp on a corner. The Warriors applied a lot of pressure in the second to try and add to its lead, but couldn’t solve Mansfield goalie Lily Danehy (18 saves) again.
Milford @ Oliver Ames, 3:45
North Attleboro, 8 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – After scoring twice in the first quarter, North Attleboro exploded for five goals in the second quarter in a big win on the road at Sharon. Ava Spencer scored the opener goal midway through the first quarter and finished the game with a pair of goals and a pair of assists. Caroline Folan and Julia Puccio (one assist) both added two goals while Madison Folan and Ella Luistro each scored once. Olivia LeBlanc scored a fourth quarter goal for Sharon.
Taunton, 0 @ Foxboro, 7 – Final – Following a scoreless first quarter, Foxboro staked a 3-0 lead by halftime and then exploded for four goals in the fourth quarter to secure a big win. Ella Campbell scored a pair of goals just two minutes apart, finishing off a pass from Mary Collins for the first goal of the game three minutes into the second quarter, and then scoring unassisted at 10:24. Mya Waryas added an unassisted goal with just over two minutes to go in the first half to make it 3-0. Paige Curran extended Foxboro’s lead 90 seconds into the final frame and then Collins scored a hat trick in the final 12 minutes with Kaelin Connors, Campbell, and Mia DiNunzio each recording an assist.
Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Taunton overcame a one-set deficit by winning three straight to secure a 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 26-24, 25-21) win on the road at Foxboro. The Warriors jumped out to a lead with a win in the first set but the Tigers evened the match at 1-1 and then took a very close third set to gain momentum in the win. Sayla DePinra had a big game for the Tigers with nine kills and one block, Hayley Krockta added eight kills and 12 digs, and Morgan Smith chipped in with five kills and a pair aces. Courtney Martin had a good serving game with nine aces along with eight digs, and Anna Abouzeid had a strong all-around performance with 25 assists, seven digs, six aces, and four kills. For Foxboro, Juliana Pettigrew (15 kills, seven digs) and Ava Kirk (nine kills, three blocks, two aces) paced the offense while Shannon McElhinney (18 digs, seven aces) and Gianna Dunne (11 digs, ace) anchored the Warriors’ defense.
Milford, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames defended its home court, recording a 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-19, 25-22) over visiting Milford. Senior Maddie Homer recorded 19 digs, junior Sarah Hilliard notched 13 kills, sophomore Ava Barth had a big day serving with 18 service points, and junior Paula Romero had a strong game for the Tigers.
King Philip, 3 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – King Philip opened with a dominating first set and never looked back in a sweep on the road at Mansfield, 3-0 (25-8, 25-16, 25-16). Seniors Emily Sawyer (seven aces) and Sami Shore (two aces) paced the offense with nine kills apiece, seniors Ahunna James (nine digs, four kills, three aces) and Olivia O’Neil (four kills, four digs) both had strong all-around games, and junior Ava Kelley anchored the defense with eight digs. Elyssa Buchanan had four kills and a block for the Hornets while Lauren Rubicine (seven digs) and Gabrielle Moore (eight digs) played well defensively for the Hornets.
Boys Cross Country
King Philip, 24 @ Milford, 31 – Final – King Philip’s Nate Sylven took first overall and the Warriors had five of the top eight runners to get a win on the road over Milford. Sylven won in 17:02 while Owen Mackenzie (18:59), Eliot Davis (19:12), and Max Miller (19:13) took fourth, fifth, and sixth overall, respectively for KP. Paxton Hubert (19:34) rounded out the scoring for the visitors, taking eighth overall.
Canton, 38 @ Oliver Ames, 19 – Final – The top harrier for the Bulldogs was Luke Darling, who took fourth overall with a time of 18:59. Also running strong races and career bests for Canton were Austin DiBiasio (20:05) and Maks Alves (20:16), who finished seventh and ninth, respectively.
Sharon @ Foxboro, 3:45
Mansfield, 15 @ Stoughton, 48 – Final – Mansfield took the top five spots on its way to a sweep of Stoughton. Junior Talon Johnson won his fourth race of the season, finishing in 18:00 while sophomore Ben Dury took fourth place in 19:12.
Attleboro, 41 @ Taunton, 17 – Final
Franklin @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Girls Cross Country
King Philip, 21 @ Milford, 34 – Final – King Philip took four of the first five spots, and five of the top seven on its way to a win over the Scarlet Hawks. Sydney Kalil continued her winning ways for Milford but the next four runners to cross were from KP: Kate Buban taking second overall (20:32) followed by Rachel Bailer, Leah Burke, and Keira Evans. Bridget Swezey (seventh) and Kat Precobb also ran well for the Warriors.
Canton, 50 @ Oliver Ames, 15 – Final – Canton’s top runner was Johanna Bouwmeester, running 24:04. She was followed by a strong pack of Bulldogs including Klara Redquest, Tahlia Weaver, Honesty Johnson, Nishka Baduamanda, and Tema Mazonson.
Sharon @ Foxboro, 3:45
Mansfield, 26 @ Stoughton, 30 – Final – Mansfield’s Anna Moore picked up her fourth win of the season as the Hornets secured a close victory over Stoughton. Senior Alexis DiVasta was fourth and sophomore Sierra Wojick took sixth for the Hornets.
Attleboro, 43 @ Taunton, 16 – Final
Franklin, 18 @ North Attleboro, 45 – Final – Franklin’s Alex Batla and Fiona Morrison took the top two spots and rounded out its scoring with five of the top six runners to clinch the Kelley-Rex division title. Batla won in 20:45 with Morrison crossing at 20:46. Vivienne Loukota, Katie Sweeney, and Carli Walbert took fourth, fifth, and sixth overall, respectively, to give the Panthers the win.
Golf
King Philip, 145 @ Stoughton, 177 – Final – King Philip junior Ethan Sullivan fired a medalist round to lead the Warriors to a win on the road over Stoughton at Easton Country Club. Sullivan carded a 35, Gavin Croke and Cam Hasenfus each shot 36 on the day, and freshmen Jason Silva and Evan Regan each carded a 38. For Stoughton, James Spector shot a 40 and Joe Rush finished with a 43.
Oliver Ames, 162 @ Mansfield, 158 – Final – Mansfield earned its biggest win of the season, handing Oliver Ames its first loss of the season and clinching a share of the Davenport division alongside the Tigers. Nate McClean had a great performance at Norton Country Club, firing a 37 to earn medalist honors in the win. Cody Nieratko and Brendan Vokey each finished at 40 for the day and Davon Sanders, who had an eagle on the ninth hole to help clinch the win, finished at 41. Sean Kearns, David Rodgers, and Daniel Paul all shot a 40 for Oliver Ames while Ryan Smith chipped in with a 42.
Taunton, 175 @ Franklin, 150 – Final – Franklin won its final division match of the season to finish tied in first, clinching a share of the Kelley-Rex division crown along with King Philip. Jack Hagerty had a pair of birdies and finished with a medalist round of 36 to lead the Panthers. Matt Cacciapaglia (two birdies), Brendan Collins (one birdie), and CJ Steel (one birdie) each came in with a 38 for Franklin. Logan Letourneau led the way for Taunton with a 41.
Sharon, 164 @ Milford, 150 – Final – Milford returned home after a five-match road trip and secured a win at Hopedale Country Club, taking down visiting Sharon. Junior Anthony LaPierre fired a two-under par round of 33 to lead the way for the Hawks, earning match medalist honors. Jacob Hipolito added a 38 and Nate Lawrence finished with a 39 in the win. Sharon’s Dylan Cummings shot a team-low round of 39.
Football
Attleboro, 0 @ Milford, 24 – Final 1Q: (M) Romeo Holland 57-yard rush, Nick Araujo XP good; (M) N. Araujo 34-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.
2Q: (M) N. Araujo 51-yard field goal good.
3Q: No scoring.
4Q: (M) Evan Cornelius 26-yard pass to Cameron Phillips, N. Araujo XP good.
Foxboro, 14 @ Hopkinton, 3 – Final
Franklin, 21 @ North Attleboro, 20 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1Q: (NA) Nathan Shultz 49-yard rush, Austin Clemente XP good; (F) Jase Lyons 24-yard pass to Derek Dubriske, Garrett Portesi XP good.
2Q: (F) J. Lyons 31-yard pass to Luke Davis, G. Portesi XP good; (F) J. Lyons 30-yard pass to Grayson Hunter, G. Portesi XP good.
3Q: (NA) Greg Berthiaume 7-yard rush, A. Clemente XP good.
4Q: (NA) Chase Frisoli 1-yard rush, Conversion failed.
Taunton, 24 @ King Philip, 26 – Final 1Q: (T) Jacob Leonard 24-yard pass to Jose Touron, XP failed; (KP) Will Astorino 64-yard rush, Matt Kelley XP good; (T) J. Leonard 70-yard pass to Dmitrius Shearrion, 2pt pass failed; (KP) Tommy McLeish 42-yard pass to Will Laplante, 2pt rush failed.
2Q: (T) Brian Batista 2-yard rush, 2pt pass failed; (KP) Kyle Abbott 3-yard rush, 2pt failed.
3Q: (KP) K. Abbott 10-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.
4Q: (T) J. Leonard 40-yard pass to J. Touron, 2pt rush failed.
Oliver Ames, 32 @ Stoughton, 35 – Final 1Q: (OA) Chad Silva 2-yard rush, XP good.
2Q: (OA) C. Silva 65-yard rush, XP good; (S) Alex Huynh 13-yard rush, Tommy Silva XP good; (OA) C. Silva 43-yard rush, XP failed; (S) Jarred Daughtry 4-yard rush, T. Silva XP good.
3Q: (S) J. Daughtry 61-yard pass to Tagh Swierzewski, T. Silva XP good; (OA) C. Silva 3-yard rush, 2pt failed.
4Q: (S) J. Daughtry 2-yard rush, 2pt failed; (OA) C. Silva 48-yard rush, 2pt failed; (S) J. Daughtry 63-yard pass to A. Huynh, Liam Pearl 2pt rush.
Sharon, 35 @ Case, 6 – Final
Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – In a battle of the top two teams in the Kelley-Rex division, Franklin used a late-winner to take over first place in the division at the midway point of the season. The Panthers got off to a great start at home as Trey Lovell finished off an assist from Will Kryzak in the sixth minute for the early lead. Attleboro junior Alex Vecchioli converted a pass from Esvin Morales to bring the visitors level in the 15th minute. The game stayed level for the majority of the game before Kryzak finished off a great pass from Andrew O’Neill in the 77th minute to secure the win.
North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – North Attleboro scored just before halftime and then doubled its lead minutes into the second half, earning a 2-0 win on the road at King Philip. The Rocketeers gained a huge momentum boost when goalie Owen Goeller denied the Warriors on a penalty kick in the first half. North capitalized on a free kick from just outside the box as sophomore Patrick Etienvre converted his shot in the 34th minute. Just moments into the second half, Griffin Rodden linked up with Kaden Burns to make it 2-0 in the 43rd minute. North head coach Mike Lacasse praised the efforts of his defense in the win.
Stoughton, 1 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Stoughton cut the deficit to one goal just before the midway point of the second half but the Hornets slammed the door shut with a late insurance goal to collect two points in a 3-1 win over the Black Knights. Mansfield found the back of the net less than 10 minutes in as Sam Oliveira took an assist from Tyler Znoj for a 1-0 advantage in the ninth minute, a lead the Hornets carried into half. Just five minutes into the second half, Dante Spivak blasted a shot in from 30 yards out (assisted by Aiden Steele) to double Mansfield’s lead to 2-0. Stoughton pulled one back in the 53rd minute but Steele recorded his second assist, this time setting up Grady Sullivan in the 73rd minute for the insurance tally. Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan praised the efforts of Dan Checkoway in the midfield as well as the defensive group of Derek McGrath, Matty Sullivan, Aidan Jones, Brendan Flynn, and Kyle Johnson.
Taunton, 0 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Milford scored a pair of goals in each half, taking a 4-0 decision over Taunton to push its win streak to four games. The Scarlet Hawks, who have scored at least three goals in each game during the winning streak, had another strong first half. Freshman Danny Da Silva set up Marcello Alves for the opener, and Eduardo Santana converted a cross from Andre Baiano to double the lead before halftime. In the second half, Nick Ribeiro’s free kick service was finished off by Kaua Pereira to make it 3-0. Alves earned his second point of the day, finding Santana for his second goal, for a 4-0 advantage.
Oliver Ames, 6 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – After a scoreless battle for 20 minutes, Oliver Ames exploded for six goals over the final 60 minutes to secure a key win over Davenport rival Sharon. Sophomore Casey Milliken scored OA’s first two goals, first finishing off a pass from classmate Andrew Martins, and then taking a feed from senior Mirray DaSilva and scoring to make it 2-0, which held until halftime. Milliken returned the favor to Martins to open the scoring half as Martins scored his first of two goals. Sophomore Luke Churchill set up Martins’ second goal to make it 4-0, and Milliken earned his fourth point of the day with an assist to senior Jason Zalis. OA junior Braeden Blass capped the scoring by finishing off a pass from junior Diego Rivera. Drew Hall recorded his fourth shutout of the season for OA.
Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Canton scored on either side of halftime to grab a 2-1 win over visiting Foxboro, snapping a three-game skid. Senior Jack Lauro put the hosts ahead with a goal just before halftime, and then just minutes into the second half, senior Drew Garrett scored to double the lead.
Girls Soccer
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Kelly O’Connor scored a pair of goals to help Franklin bounce back from its loss on Wednesday and to keep pace with KP in the league title race. It was an even first half, but the Panthers took the lead in the final five minutes, O’Connor nodding home a Bridget Leo corner. With Attleboro pushing for an equalizer, Franklin was able to strike twice more after the break. Anya Zub doubled the lead a little more than halfway through the second half, with O’Connor picking up the assist. O’Connor then secured her brace and her third point of the night with a goal with nine minutes to play. Alexis Campbell made six big saves that kept Attleboro in the game, while Rachel Welch made seven stops for the Panthers. Attleboro coach Steve Santos was proud of the way the team kept battling to the end.
Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – In an evenly played game from start to finish, Emma Cahill scored off a Mekhala Costello assist with only three minutes remaining to secure the victory. Canton coach Idris Senyonjo praised Costello for a “man of the match” performance with contributions on both ends of the field. Foxboro coach Jen Lippolis rued missed chances for her team again on Friday. Allie Sougaris had an impressive game in the Foxboro goal to help keep it scoreless into the closing minutes.
King Philip, 2 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this match. KP scored a pair of second half goals to earn the win and keep pace in the division title race. Ella Pisani scored the opener with a shot from outside the box that just eluded the fingertips of North goalie Maddie Ferrin. The Warriors sealed the points when Addisyn Lamothe-Vaughn rose highest for a powerful header off a Danielle Gresham corner. While KP had the bulk of the possession and the scoring chances, North nearly equalized when Caroline Ferrin hit the bar with a shot from distance.
Mansfield, 1 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Jill Koppy followed up a shot in the final three minutes, slamming home the rebound to secure a hard-fought win for the Hornets.
Milford, 4 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Milford and Taunton split eight goals in a thrilling shootout at Aleixo Field. Milford jumped into a 2-1 lead at halftime. Paige Caldon and Dani Atherton scored in the opening half for the Hawks, while Emily Calderon got one back for the Tigers. Ava Uhl, who also had the challenge of marking Atherton on the other end of the field, scored to tie the game again in the second half. Brooke Ferreira and Atherton each had goals to put Milford in front after the break, but each time Taunton responded. Kaylee Lopes had a brace in the second half to secure a point for the Tigers. Serena Borges had an assist for the Hawks. Hayleigh Porter made 10 saves for Taunton and Milford keeper Kayleigh Tourtellot was even busier, making 15 stops. Taunton coach Dan Borges was pleased with the team’s reaction to keep fighting back after going behind and highlighted the back-and-forth battle between Uhl and Atherton, who he called one of the league’s top attackers.
Sharon, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames scored three goals in the first half and added an insurance tally in the second to get a win at home over Sharon. Taylor deVos put the Tigers ahead in the eighth minute, and Mary Cross scored off a corner from Sophia Byron at the midway point of the first half. Carly Gibson also found the back of the net before halftime to make it 3-0. Sofia Goclowski scored Sharon’s lone goal off a corner from Olivia Soby, which cut the lead to 3-1, but the Tigers tacked on a fourth from Jolie Diaz to seal the win. Sally Brouhard and Jordanna Morris both had solid games for the Eagles in defense, while Jessica Li played well up top in the loss.
Field Hockey
Franklin, 8 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Holding a 3-0 lead at halftime, Franklin pulled away with two more goals in the third quarter and three more in the fourth to finish with an 8-0 lead. Emily Carney scored a hat trick for the Panthers, scoring once in each of the first three quarters, while Payten Crandall had two goals and one assist in the win. Kaitlyn Carney (one assist), Haley Wernig, and Sydney Rogan (one assist) each scored once in the win. Devon Barry and Megan Sullivan (two saves) combined for the shutout in net.
Mansfield, 7 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – For Stoughton, Katherine Giroux, Nicole Reid, and Catarina Melo all played a great game.
Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final
Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton senior Caelen O’Leary factored into all four goals, scoring twice and assisting on the other two, to help the Tigers secure a shutout win over visiting Milford. Ayla Jackson and Camryn Emond each scored once, finishing off a feed from O’Leary. Jasmine Lucier made two saves to record the shutout in net for Taunton.
Canton, 0 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Foxboro scored once in the second quarter and again in the third, and the Warriors’ defense became the first team to shut out Canton this year as the Warriors collected a vital division win. Mary Collins scored the opening goal to put the hosts ahead 1-0, an advantage they carried into halftime. In the third, Mya Waryas found the back of the net to extend Foxboro’s lead to 2-0.
Volleyball
Canton, 3 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro jumped out to a lead by taking the first set but Canton rallied to win three straight for a 3-1 (22-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-22) win on the road. Jess Wright led the way for the visitors, registering 17 kills, 14 digs, and one block while Fatima Sidibay had a big night at the net with 11 kills and a trio of blocks. Zoe Scibelli anchored the defense with 19 digs and a pair of aces while freshman Erin Bigham (two aces) distributed the ball well with 32 assists. For Foxboro, Juliana Pettigrew had 18 kills, Sami Sloan put down 12 kills and added three aces, Mallorie Meyer added four kills and 18 digs, and Alyssa Cloherty dished out 37 assists.
Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – In a key division clash, Oliver Ames notched a convincing 3-0 (25-5, 25-22, 25-9) win over rival Sharon. Sophomore Ava Barth had a big day for the Tigers with 18 digs and five aces, junior Ariel Gao added 23 service points and six aces, and sophomore Addie Smock registered 10 kills and three blocks. Maddie Homer had 21 digs and Clare Kavoulis finished with 34 assists in the win.
Franklin, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro rattled off three straight points in the final set to turn a one-point deficit into a 3-2 (14-25, 26-24, 21-25, 25-20, 15-13) win over visiting Franklin, giving the Bombardiers one of their biggest wins in program history. Julia Leonardo was a monster at the net for the Bombardiers, putting down 36 kills to go along with 20 digs to pace the attack, while Sadie Whiwtmarsh had a huge showing with 23 kills. Addie Shelton added 11 kills and 12 digs in the win. Natalie Brojek orchestrated the offense for the hosts, dishing out 49 assists to go along with 15 digs and three blocks.
King Philip, 3 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip rolled to a win, taking down North Attleboro 3-0 (25-8, 25-10, 15-12). KP’s trio of captains led the way as Sami Shore had five kills and two aces, Emily Sawyer added 10 kills and 10 aces, and Ahunna James added seven kills and four digs.
Mansfield, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – After falling behind 2-1, Mansfield rallied to win two in a row to claim a 3-2 (23-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 15-9) victory over Stoughton. Keira Fitpatrick orchestrated the offense with 21 assists to go along with seven digs. Elyssa Buchanan notched 10 kills and eight digs while Lily Verheggen had a big day at the net with 12 kills.
Milford @ Taunton, 5:00
Golf
Attleboro, 175 @ Franklin, 145 – Final – Brendan Collins had a consistent day out on the links, shooting a medalist round to lead the Panthers to a win over Attleboro. Collins carded a 36 to lead the way, CJ Steel shot a 38, and both Caden Sullivan (one birdie) and Jack Hagerty (one birdie) each came in at 38. Bradley Martin led the Bombardiers with a 43.
Mansfield, 149 @ Oliver Ames, 145 – Final – Oliver Ames passed its biggest test of the season so far, landing a four-stroke win over Mansfield in a battle of the top two teams in the Davenport division. OA senior Daniel Paul and junior David Rodgers shared medalist honors with Mansfield sophomore Brendan Vokey, with all three coming in at 35 on the day at Pine Oaks. Juniors Sean Kearns and Lucas Riley rounded out OA’s scoring, carding a round of 37 and 38, respectively.
North Attleboro, 151 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 168 – Final – North Attleboro had all four of its scorers come in under 40 in a non-league win over Dighton-Rehoboth on the middle course at Heather Hill. Sophomore Tyson Laviano was the match medalist, firing a one-over round of 36 to lead the Rocketeers. Jake Gaskin and Jordan Paradis each shot a 38 and Dillon Harding chipped in with a 39 for the Rocketeers. Drew Urban carded a round of 36 for the Hornets while Nathan McClean and Will Riley each shot a 39.
Boys Soccer
King Philip, 1 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Attleboro junior Alex Vecchioli converted a penalty kick in the second half to put the Bombardiers ahead and junior Tyler Rocchio saved a KP pen with 10 minutes to go to preserve the win for the hosts. King Philip took the lead in the first half as Matt Crago finished off a pass from Oliver Blackburn but Richard Ferreira set up Vecchioli for a goal right before half to make it 1-1. Vecchioli was fouled inside the area early in the second half and converted the pen himself to give the hosts their first lead of the game at 2-1. KP had a chance to pull level late in the game but Rocchio denied the shot from the spot. Attleboro’s Lucas Marques had a standout performance at defensive mid.
Canton, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Canton freshman Vlad Francoeur scored his first two career goals to lead the Bulldogs to a rivalry win over neighboring Stoughton.
Sharon, 1 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – After a scoreless first half, Sharon found the winner just past the midway point of the second half to take two points home. In the 64th minute, freshman Diego Martinez played a ball behind the defense that senior Miguel Vasconcelos ran onto his and fired a cross into the area. The ball deflected off a Foxboro defender and down to sophomore James Jennings, who took a touch before turning and blasting a shot in at the near post for the winner. Matt Baur played well in net for his second shutout of the season. Foxboro’s best chance came in the final moments of the first half as a long throw from Pradyu Gubbala was bounced around in the area before sophomore Jackson Maling latched on but his bid hit off the inside of the post and bounced back to Baur for the save.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Milford, 1 – Final – North Attleboro scored twice in the final 15 minutes, including the game-winner with just under five minutes to play to stun the Scarlet Hawks at home. The hosts took the lead in the 33rd minute off a set piece as Arthur Tome touched a free kick from just outside the box in play and Nick Ribeiro smashed a shot off the far post upper 90 and in. Milford carried that lead until the 66th minute when North pulled level with a quick attack. Zach Smahi played Quinn Conley in behind the defense and he slide a low shot past the keeper that eluded the Hawks’ defense and was smashed home a step out by Kaden Burns to make it 1-1. In the 75th minute, a long throw from Jeremy Carter was flicked on by Bryce Newth and deflected off a Milford defender right to Carson Dameron, who calmly cut the ball onto his left foot and slide a shot to the far post for the winner.
Taunton, 2 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin twice took the lead but Taunton answered each time and the two squads split the points in a 2-2 draw. Franklin junior Bradley Herndon opened the scoring for the hosts off a feed from Matt Honekamp but Taunton came back with the equalizer by the midway point of the first half on a goal from Javonte Fernandes on an assist from Az-Anael St. Marc. The Panthers pulled ahead early in the second half as Will Kryzak set up sophomore Garrett Scagliarini for his first career goal. But once again, the visitors answered as Aidden Fitting hooked up with Ian Robicheau for the equalizer.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro @ King Philip – Postponed to a date and time TBD.
Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final
Foxboro, 1 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Sofia Goclowski had a goal and an assist to help the Eagles win their third straight game and move into second place alone in the Davenport division. Following a scoreless first half, Olivia Landstein finished off an assist from Goclowski to break the deadlock. Jessica Li latched onto Olivia Soby’s pass to double the lead. Erin Foley got Foxboro back into the game, but Sharon was able to seal the points with two minutes to play when Goclowski capitalized off an Olivia Soby corner.
Franklin, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Anya Zub’s brace helped Franklin bounce back from its first loss of the season with a convincing win at Taunton. Zub opened the scoring late in the first half and then the Panthers scored three times in just eight minutes of the second half to put the game away. Kelly O’Connor doubled the lead in the 58th minute. Six minutes later, Zub got her second to make it 3-0 and less than two minutes after that Hailey Baima found the back of the net off a Katie Ewald assist. Alli Powderly added an assist as well. Franklin had a sizable advantage in shots but Taunton keeper Hailey Porter had a big night, making 22 saves. Taunton coach Dan Borges also praised sophomore Ava Uhl and eighth grader Maddison Crowley for their defensive effort.
Mansfield, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Behind a goal in each half, Oliver Ames secured two key points at home against Davenport rival Mansfield. Jolie Diaz gave the Tigers the lead in the first half, heading in a cross from Emma Gavin. Midway through the second half, Lucinda Li Cotter finished off a pass from Rhiya Fisher to double the advantage. Janiya Matier had a strong game in net for OA, making some key saves in the second half to earn the shutout.
Milford, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – In a back-and-forth battle, Milford prevailed with the win after a late winner from junior Erin Michelson. The Scarlet Hawks took the lead early in the first half on an unassisted strike from Dani Atherton only for North to equalize less than 10 minutes later as Jess Hennessey set up Emma Pratt in the 18th minute. The same happened again in the second half with the visitors going up 2-1 in the 50th minute when Atheron netted her second of the game but once again, North leveled the match in the 65th minute with Hennessey once again setting up Pratt. Atherton grabbed her third point of the game, this time assisting Michelson for the winner in the 78th minute.
Volleyball
Foxboro, 3 @ Walpole, 1 – Final – Foxboro found its way into the win column for the first time this season, taking down Walpole in a non-league clash, 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 16-25, 25-18). Alyssa Cloherty set the offense in motion with 24 assists while adding seven digs, four aces, and three kills to lead the charge for the Warriors. Juliana Pettigrew added seven digs and six kills while Sami Sloan recorded eight kills and four aces in the win.
Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Dartmouth, 3 – Final – In a great match, Oliver Ames came up just short against visiting Dartmouth, falling 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 24-26, 15-13). Senior Maddie Homer continued to shine defensively for the Tigers with 41 digs, sophomore Clare Kavoulis notched 36 assists, and juniors Sarah Hilliard (21) and Claire O’Rourke (17) combined for 38 kills.
Taunton, 1 @ Durfee, 3 – Final – Taunton rallied to stay alive with a win in the third set, but Durfee closed it out with a competitive fourth set win, 3-1 (25-22, 25-17, 24-26, 25-23). Hayley Krockta had a strong performance for the Tigers with seven kills and four aces while Courtney Martin (four aces) played well in the back row.
Canton, 3 @ Notre Dame Academy, 2 – Final
Franklin, 0 @ Lincoln-Sudbury, 3 – Final
Golf
Stoughton @ Attleboro, 2:20 – Postponed to a date and time TBD.
Franklin, 155 @ Mansfield, 159 – Final – Franklin went on the road and secured a key non-league win at Norton Country Club, taking down former division rival Mansfield. Liam Lewandowski had a birdie on the second hole and finished with a medalist round of 37 to lead the way for the Panthers. Jack Hagerty and Jack Nelson each added a 39 in the win and CJ Steel finished with a 40 for Franklin. Mansfield’s Drew Urban was a co-medalist with a 37, Brendan Vokey chipped in with a 40, and both Cody Nieratko and Nate McClean finished at 41 for the day.
North Attleboro, 157 @ King Philip, 149 – Final – King Philip was on fire on Monday with six golfers shooting 40 or better in a key division win over North Attleboro. Evan Regan shot a team-low round of 36 to share medalist honors while North’s Tyson Laviano also came in with a 36 on the back nine at Wentworth Hills.
Taunton, 100 @ New Bedford, 42 – Final (Stableford) – Taunton’s Sean Murphy and Jesse Chaves each shot a 44 to earn 19 points apiece to help the Tigers earn a win over New Bedford (stableford rules). Logan Letourneau added a 45 for 18 points, Alex Dias added a 47 for 16 points, and Noah Faidell shot a 48 for 15 points.
Franklin will be looking for another league title this fall. Check out our team-by-team breakdown of the upcoming Hockomock League volleyball season. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2021 Record: 9-10 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Mary Katherine Runey
For the first time in more than a decade, Attleboro got the taste of playoff volleyball and the Bombardiers have younger players stepping into leadership positions that will give them a solid foundation for another tournament run. There is excitement around the program and opening the new gym has added another layer to the fall.
One of the reasons for the energy in the team is sophomore outside hitter Julia Leonardo, who jumped in as a freshman and became one of the most dynamic hitters in the league. Junior setter Natalie Brojek has been an all-around standout for the past two seasons and makes the team click. Senior Tigin Bombardier will give Attleboro experience in the middle.
Those are the only three returning players from last year, but there are several new faces that could make an instant impact. Sophomores Addison and Ellie Shelton are new hitters that will give depth on the outside. Juniors Sadie Whitmarsh and Julia Mondello will provide defensive solidity to the back line.
“The level of success we achieved last season certainly changed the tone of our entire program, and I believe our future is bright,” said Attleboro coach Mary Katherine Runey. “As a young team, we have spent the past two weeks learning how to play together and in the next few weeks, we will need to learn how to win together. As we progress through the season, our goal is to minimize errors in order to efficiently run our offense and showcase the talent within our team.”
2021 Record: 15-7 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 16 Coach: Pat Cawley
Canton has established itself as one of the perennial powers year in and year out, and one thing that comes with that territory is graduating a handful of talented seniors each year. Last year was no exception, but Hall of Fame coach Pat Cawley has shown time and time again she will have a competitive squad that’s much better by the end of the season than the start.
The Bulldogs graduated all but two starters, bringing back juniors Jess Wright at outside hitter and Fatima Sidibay at middle blocker. Cawley will be leaning heavily on them for their guidance of a young and inexperienced squad. Wright isn’t just one of the best outside hitters, she can play just about anywhere on the court and showed tremendous growth throughout last season. After showing off some great blocking skills last year, the Dogs will look for some more offensive production on swings from the middle from Sidibay. Senior captain Liana Lamparelli and sophomore Sally Hoban will provide depth offensively.
Defensively, Canton is looking at sophomore defensive specialist Zoe Scibelli, who saw meaningful minutes in the back row a year ago. Haley Duhaime, Liz Beale, Neveah Osborne, and Riley Costa round out the senior class and will contribute valuable minutes for Canton this year.
“We have many moving parts at this point but the young, inexperienced group is willing to work hard and anxious to learn,” Cawley said. “Three setters and several defensive players are vying for time on the court. The growth potential is exponential and it will be fun to watch the progression. The extremely competitive Hock will help accelerate the learning curve!”
2021 Record: 4-17 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32 Coach: Vicki Santana
With 11 seniors returning to the roster this year, Foxboro is looking to have a bounce-back year and return to the state tournament with an improved rating in the MIAA’s statewide system.
The Warriors have key pieces back at all spots on the court and head coach Vicki Santana is optimistic about the season after a strong showing so far this preseason. Sami Sloan led the squad with 111 kills last season and is back as one of the outside hitters along with Juliana Pettigrew (88 kills) and Ava Hill. Foxboro also has both of its middles back with Mallorie Meyer, a Hock all star a year ago with 80 kills and 46 aces, and Ava Kirk both returning.
Defensively, the Warriors have their libero back in the lineup in senior Shannon McElhinney, who had 157 digs last year and was a Hock honorable mention selection.
“All of these players bring a love for the sport and determination to win,” Santana said. “We only graduated two seniors last year so we are hoping that with most of the team being returning varsity players we will have a very competitive season. So far the team has been playing great at our preseason scrimmages so hopefully, we carry that energy into our first game vs Milford!”
2021 Record: 18-2 (Kelley-Rex co-champion) 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Final Four Coach: Samantha Redmond
Although Franklin only graduated a small number of seniors from last year’s team that made the Division 1 state semifinals, the Panthers lost a lot of production.
Gone are Caitlyn Mackintosh, last year’s HockomockSports Player of the Year, Lindsey Tarantola, a league all star that led the league in blocks, and Brigid Earley, one of the top middles in the Hock. But this isn’t the first time the Panthers have lost a talented senior class, multiple all stars, or even an MVP – and they’ve always found a way to come back and compete as a top team in the league.
Three-year starter Taylor Lacerda returns to pace the offense, leading the Panthers in kills a year ago as a sophomore with 155. She’s the lone six rotation returner in the group so head coach Samantha Redmond – who picked up a boost on the bench with the addition of former head coach Kelsey Weymouth as an assistant – will be looking for new faces to step into key roles at the net.
There will be some changes along the backline as senior Meghan Linkkila will move from the libero position to take over as the setter, and classmate and fellow captain Georgia Harvey, who was a defensive specialist last year, will take on the libero role.
“Franklin volleyball is really excited to continue our hard work this year,” Redmond said. “We lost a strong four seniors last year but we are confident that this new class of players will bring a lot of diversity to our offense and defense. We look forward to proving ourselves in the Hockomock once again!”
2021 Record: 22-2 (Kelley-Rex co-champion) 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four Coach: Kristen Geuss
King Philip has shared the Kelley-Rex title for the past three seasons and with a senior-laden roster, the Warriors look ready to make a push for another division crown. After a run to the Div. 2 state semifinal. KP has the experience and the depth at the net to be a threat for another deep tournament run.
The Warriors will be strong up front. Senior middle Emily Sawyer made her varsity debut as a junior and immediately became one of the best hitters in the league. The Sacred Heart-commit is an impact player on both sides of the net. Senior Sami Shore gives KP the most dynamic middle pairing in the league and can dominate a match. If teams try to bottle up the middle of the net, then senior Ahunna James can take over on the outside, giving KP great attacking balance. Seniors Olivia O’Neil and Missy Canning add depth at hitter and senior setter Kiera Hagen will run the offense this year.
In addition to the seniors, KP can count on junior right-side Kate O’Neil and juniors Ryann O’Sullivan, Emily Zappala, and Fiona Bailey on the outside. On the back line, juniors Shea Mellman, Ava Kelley, and Meghan Sullivan provide strong defensive play. Sophomore setter Madison Asprelli is a newcomer who could step into a bigger role over the course of the season.
“We are working hard to build on our success from last year,” said KP coach Kristen Geuss. “We have good chemistry and the girls are looking forward to the season.”
2021 Record: 9-8 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32 Coach: Tara DeGirolamo
Making the switch to the Davenport division this season, Mansfield is looking to ride a mix of veterans and new players to some success on the court this year.
Second-year head coach Tara DeGirolamo is excited for the season to get underway as she tries to fit all the right pieces together for her squad. Junior Elyssa Buchanan burst onto the scene as an attacking option last year and will be one of the Hornets’ go-to hitters on the outside along with senior Ella Mahoney. In the middle, Lexie Scibilia will be looking to build on her big season last year (48 blocks) along with senior Lily Campbell.
There are a lot of options at setter with senior captain Isabella Flint (132 assists) back as one of the primary ball handlers with junior Kiera Fitzpatrick and freshman Tessa Blaqueir both in the mix as well. The setters will also have options on the right side with senior captain Lilly Verheggan and junior Anna Goulet taking swings from the opposite side, with senior Savannah Carey and juniors Sophia Capaolupo and Elena O’Keefe providing depth.
Defensively, DeGirolamo will lean on senior libero Jackie Zelic to anchor the defense along with junior defensive specialists Lauren Rubicine and Jocelyn Gibson.
“Our setters have great court awareness and mesh very well with our diverse group of hitters,” DeGirolamo said. “We’re excited for the season.”
2021 Record: 8-11 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32 Coach: Tammy Webber
Between a handful of varsity returners and a group of eager new faces ready to make their mark, Milford is looking to challenge in the Kelley-Rex and book a spot in the state tournament.
The heart of the Hawks will be in the middle of the lineup with the team’s leader in kills from a year ago Aliza Syed back to anchor both the offense and the defense. She had a breakout season with 187 kills, 61 aces, and 34 blocks, which were all first on the team. She will be flanked by junior Maeve Driscoll on the outside, who jumps into the starting lineup this year and will play in the back row as well. Senior Molly Hartman provides depth at the outside hitter spot.
“[Aliza] will be counted on to carry us in those categories once again this season,” said Milford head coach Tammy Webber. “She is strong and athletic with a tough serve and can hit with power.”
Milford also returns its starting setter in senior captain Emily Croteau, who finished inside the top five in the league in assists last season. Having a year of experience under her belt, the Hawks will lean on her confidence and skill to spread the ball around and run the offense. Senior defensive specialist Carley Haley will anchor the backline.
2021 Record: 9-10 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32 Coach: Rachel Gould
After making a push for a playoff spot last season, North Attleboro will make a change on the sidelines as Rachel Gould takes over this fall. The Rocketeers will also be returning to the ultra-competitive Kelley-Rex division and with five varsity players back in the lineup North will be looking to fight for another tournament spot.
The senior class will need to provide leadership for the new faces in this year’s squad. Senior Avery Bitar will give the team a defensive solidity as the libero. Senior Grace Dirschel is the returning setter from last season and senior Sarah Kayata is another strong backline player that should help North keep points alive.
Up front, seniors Haley Carr and Mariah Barbosa are returning middle hitters that can step in and swing and also make an impact on the block. Freshman Lincoln Abramaitys will get the chance to shine right from the start as the team’s main outside hitter. Abramaitys is the only underclassman on the roster this year.
“I have a great group of hard-working talented athletes and I think we are going to have a competitive season this year,” Gould explained.
2021 Record: 16-5 (Davenport champion) 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 16 Coach: Chelsea Cunningham
Oliver Ames is ready to get on the court and defend its Davenport division title.
The Tigers know they’ll be challenged by perennial powerhouse Canton, division newcomer Mansfield, a veteran-filled Foxboro squad, and the rest of the division, and they’ll have to overcome the graduation of the versatile Hadley Rhodes, but OA has some top talent returning at almost every position.
Senior Maddie Homer is back for yet another season as the libero to anchor the back line. An All-State selection a year ago, Homer will be joined by junior Rachel Fleischman, another returner, in the back row to give the Tigers an experienced defensive duo.
Offensively, there will be more familiar faces taking swings at the net. Senior captain Courtney Raymond (56 kills, 18 blocks) is back in the middle as one of OA’s primary attackers and she’ll be complemented by a pair of terrific outside hitters in junior Sarah Hilliard (272 kills) and Claire O’Rourke (156 kills). Sophomore Addyson Smock bolsters the middle block while sophomore Clare Kavoulis and junior Paula Romero provide some depth.
“There is something special about this group,” said OA head coach Chelsea Cunningham. “The talent speaks for itself, they’re putting in the work, and they are eager to compete. These girls know everything is “earned not given” – which happens to be our program’s motto this season. With that, they know there’s a lot of work to do to make this the best season yet. If they commit to one another and the goals we set from the start, there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll do just that.”
2021 Record: 6-14 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32 Coach: Andrea Lovett
It has been two straight impressive seasons for the Sharon volleyball program. Two years ago, during Fall II, the Eagles nearly won a league title and would’ve booked a playoff spot if a tournament was held. Last season, Sharon not only reached the state tournament but also won its first-round match against Revere. With a brand new gym and five seniors on the roster, Sharon will be hoping the momentum carries over to this fall.
Sharon will be counting on the development of its senior hitters. Amanda Brown will be the main target on the outside, while Olivia Nau has been impressive on the right side. The middle should be tough on both sides of the net with junior Jasmine Davis stepping up as both a blocker and hitter and senior Sam Dunham adding depth after her move up from the JV team. Junior Sonja Gray will be the main setter for the team again this season with help from classmate Masha Dolienkova.
The Eagles also have experience on the back line and players with athleticism to keep points alive. Senior Emily Coplan and junior Sophia Pandey will share the libero duties and sophomore Sasha Nierenberg and senior Evelina Kravets will support them as defensive specialists.
“Possibly the most important aspect of this team is their love of the game combined with a great work ethic and the tenacity to stay in the game regardless of the score,” said Sharon coach Andrea Lovett, who returns to the sidelines after being an assistant in 2021. “These kids simply love volleyball and it shows on the court.”
2021 Record: 1-15 2021 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Felicia Baptista
Stoughton is coming off a difficult 2021 season. The Black Knights picked up just one win last fall, but they have several new faces that could step in and get the program heading back into tournament contention. It may be a smaller roster this season, but head coach Felicia Baptista believes the talent and attitude are right to get things kicked off.
Junior Maya Ashu will be one of the primary attacking threats for Stoughton this season. She will be a critical spot in the front row and has developed into a strong hitter. Junior hitter Annalia Eschleman is also back and will give Stoughton more athleticism. Senior Patrik Oliveira has been a standout on the back row and gives the Black Knights all-around play with his quickness and versatility.
Other players that could step into the starting lineup for Stoughton this season are sophomore Reagan Lewis and junior Alyssa Edwards. Both are strong athletes that will give the Black Knights more control of the middle of the net.
“This year our team is much smaller and much more prepared than in past seasons,” said Baptista. “They have been putting in lots of work this year and it shows right from day one.”
2021 Record: 8-14 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Toby Chaperon
Taunton boasts a strong group of seniors, and with the addition of some underclassmen and new additions to the program, the Tigers are looking for an improved campaign in 2022.
Senior middle Hayley Krockta will be a force at the net this season but can play at all spots on the court. She will be one of the best servers on the team and can step right in and pass like a defensive specialist. She’ll be swinging at sets off the fingertips of classmate Anna Abouzied, another returner for the Tigers. Abouzied is a terrific passer in the back row and will also run the offense as the setter.
“Hayley will be a force at the net this year,” said Taunton head coach Toby Chaperon. “And Anna can do it all too, she has the ability to hit and pass very well. We’re looking forward to having a good year.”
Senior Mia Fernandes will provide a boost of energy from the back row as the libero, flying all over the court to keep the play alive, and will be joined by classmate Megan Rose as a defensive specialist. Sayla DePina, another senior, will look to give Taunton some swings from the right side and set the block on opposing outside hitters. Rylie Roderick will add some depth at the net and at the service line for Taunton while head coach Toby Chaperon will look to incorporate transfers Morgan Fitzgerald (opposite/DS) and Julia Mitton (setter).
Juniors Jaden Sabina, Janelle Garcia, and Morgan Smith will all get some swings at the net while classmates Caroline Pietnik, Randi MacLeod, and Courtney Martin provide solid depth. Sophomore Adrianna Amaral has impressed early on this season and will get some swings at middle hitter while eighth grader Sadie Herry will be in the mix as a defensive specialist.
Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Attleboro found the back of the net early and that was enough to pick up two points on the road at Franklin. Senior Connor Adema tracked down a long punt from sophomore keeper Tyler Rocchio and buried it in the fourth minute to put the visitors ahead. Rocchio recorded his first shutout of the season in the win.
Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Stoughton scored less than a minute into the game but Foxboro responded with three first half goals and never looked back. Freshman Alex Kozak gave the visitors a 1-0 lead on an assist from senior Val Pierre but Foxboro’s Matt Angelini leveled the score before the 10-minute mark and Jorge Sanchez scored twice before the break for a 3-1 advantage. Sophomore John Hollis extended the lead to 4-1 before Angelini scored twice in three minutes to complete his hat trick. Stoughton junior Miguel Millis tacked on a late goal on an assist from Joao Marotti. Hollis also had three assists in the win and Jacob Tessier had two helpers.
King Philip, 1 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Taunton scored once in each half to pick up its second win of the season. Sete Deletoile gave the Tigers the lead in the 28th minute, a lead that the hosts took into the halftime break. Early in the second half, Deletoile sent a corner kick in that was headed home by Quincy Jones-Sylvia. Riley Rebello and Delano Costa-Hanlon both played well in the win for Taunton. KP cut the deficit in half with a goal in the 70th minute.
Mansfield, 2 @ Milford, 0 – Final – After a scoreless half, Mansfield found the back of the net twice inside a 10-minute span to knock off Milford. Senior Matt Hyland blasted a shot from just under 40 yards out to put the Hornets ahead in the 48th minute. Grady Sullivan doubled the lead in the 57th minute, converted a feed from Liam Anastasia. Jack Lasbury-Casey made seven saves in net to earn his second straight shutout to start the season.
North Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 3 – Final
Girls Soccer
Franklin, 2 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – The Panthers scored twice in the first half and it was enough to make it two straight wins to start the season. Freshman Kelly O’Connor added her first career goal to put the Panthers in front, assisted by Riley Fitzpatrick. Anya Zub then scored for the third time in two games, finishing a feed from Chloe Barca. Rachel Welch made eight saves for her second clean sheet of the season. Franklin’s midfield of Selene Hammad, Bridget Leo, Chloe Stavely, and Barca did well to control the game, and Norah Anderson, Katie Ewald, and Izzy Arnold had strong performances in the back line. Attleboro coach Steve Santos praised his team for battling through the second half and the Franklin defense for keeping the Bombardiers at bay. Emily Dunlea, Bethany Alves, and Kahlan Gray all played well for Attleboro.
Canton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Camryn O’Connor and Alexa Lane each scored twice to lead the Tigers to a big win against a Davenport title rival. Lauren Sellmayer opened the scoring with a long free kick and Lucinda Li Cotter had a pair of assists. Emily McCabe got Canton’s only goal with 10 minutes remaining.
Foxboro, 9 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – For the second straight game, Kailee McCabe scored three times and assisted on another to lead the Warriors to a win. Jordan Carman and Neve Taylor each had braces for Foxboro and Lauren Miley and Sophia Auclair (first varsity goal) both added one score as well. The Warriors have now scored 14 goals in the last two games since being shut out in the season opener. Makenzie O’Connor scored her second goal of the season, finishing off an Isabella Rodrigues corner. Olivia Tran got on the end of another Rodrigues cross for Stoughton’s second. Lauren Mitchell played well for the Black Knights in both defense and the center of the pitch.
Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – KP scored four times in a 12-minute span in the first half to put away the Tigers and make it back-to-back wins to start the season. Ella Pisani scored the first two goals, both of them assisted by Morgan Norrman. Pisani played provider for the third, setting up Paulina Baczkowski to make it 3-0. Rachel DeFlaminis added a fourth, assisted by Kylie Anderson, to put the Warriors in control heading to halftime. In the second half, Kylie Menendez made it 5-0, assisted by DeFlaminis.
Milford, 1 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield scored twice in two minutes to turn around a one-goal deficit and pull out a second straight win. Dani Atherton had given the Hawks the lead in the opening minute of the game. It took the Hornets 18 minutes to tie the game on an Avery Hawthorne goal. Lyla Nappa scored what turned out to be the game-winner two minutes later. Both Mansfield goals were assisted by Katie Miller. Nine minutes into the second half, Gabby Smith teed up Tarynn Smith for an important insurance goal. Bridget Hanley helped Mansfield control the game in the center of the pitch.
Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North scored twice in the second half to seal its first win of the season. Steph McKenna and Emma Pratt each scored once and assisted on another for the Rocketeers. Pratt opened the scoring midway through the first half, running onto a ball over the top from McKenna and then finding the corner. Haley Sinacola doubled the lead 14 minutes into the second half with a 35-yard free kick. It was her first varsity goal. McKenna capped the scoring when she got on the end of a Pratt cross with nine minutes to play. Maddie Ferrin earned the clean sheet for North with Summer Doherty and Meaghan Dowd playing well defensively. North coach Bill Wallace also praised midfielders Sophia Bostock, Autumn Hewitt, and Brooke Sullivan.
Field Hockey
Franklin, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Franklin scored with no time left in the first half to level the scoring and pumped in three second half goals to run away with a win on the road at Attleboro. After a scoreless opening quarter, the Bombardiers took the lead in the 27th minute on a goal from Madison Ellis. Since Franklin earned a penalty corner, play continued after time expired in the second quarter. Kendall Jones converted a pass from Kiera Kotwicki to bring the Panthers even. Shaw Downing put the Panthers ahead on a pass from Kaitlyn Carney in the 43rd minute, and Kaeley Dubriske made it a 3-1 advantage after another assist from Carney. Sydney Rogan put the game away (assisted by Downing) in the 58th minute. Ava Haggerty was strong in net for Attleboro with 19 saves.
Canton @ Oliver Ames, 6:30
Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final
Taunton, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – Sophomore Mara Boldy continued her strong start to the season, scoring a hat trick to pace the Warriors to a win over visiting Taunton. After scoring the first goal and assisting on the second in KP’s win over Foxboro last week, Boldy scored three times on Monday. Freshman Makenzie McDevitt scored for the second straight game for KP’s other tally. Haley Bright made four saves in the win while seniors Sydney O’Shea, Lily Brown, Haley Izydorczak, and Molly Piller.
Milford, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final
Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro put the ball into the back of the cage in each quarter, taking advantage of 17 penalty corners against visiting Sharon. Julia Puccio opened the scoring in the 10th minute on a feed from Ava Spencer, and then made it 2-0 in the 19th minute off a pass from Caroline Folan. Folan scored two goals of her own in the second half, first in the 33rd minute (assisted by Caitlin Vacher) and then again in the 48th minute (from Spencer). Gracie Leary posted the shutout in net for North. Sharon coach Paulina Kosmadakis said Kayleigh Connolly had incredible game defensively for the Eagles while Tanya Wadekar and Samantha Newbold both played well.
Volleyball
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Franklin fended off a good push from Attleboro in the second set and went on to complete the sweep (25-9, 25-20, 25-14). Cailyn Mackintosh dished out 19 assists and had a huge day at the service line with 10 aces. Cate Roberge and Taylor Lacerda both notched three aces to go along with six kills apiece. For Attleboro, Lilly Boedeker recorded 17 digs while freshman Julia Leonardo had 15 digs and nine kills.
Foxboro, 1 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Foxboro battled to win a close third set to avoid the sweep and keep the match going, but Stoughton but the game to rest with a win in the fourth set for a 3-1 decision (25-23, 25-11, 22-25, 25-12). For Foxboro, Mallorie Meyer had 17 digs, Sami Sloan added 12 digs, and Juliana Pettigrew finished with seven kills and eight digs.
Canton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – All three sets were tight but Oliver Ames came out victorious in all three, taking each one by five or fewer points. The Tigers battled to a 25-20 win in the first set, edged out the Bulldogs 25-22 in the second, and completed the sweep with a 25-21 decision in the third. For OA, Maddie Homer was everywhere defensively with 17 serve receptions and 25 digs. Hadley Rhodes added 18 assists and five kills while Sarah Hilliard added nine kills to go along with 15 serve receptions. Canton Talya DeGraw played well in the loss with five digs, four kills, and three aces while sophomore Fatima Sidibay was a spark off the bench, playing well at the net for the Bulldogs.
Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip took care of business at home, recording a 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-12, 25-9) to improve to 2-0 on the young season. Junior Sami Shore put down nine kills to pace the Warriors’ offense while Emily Sawyer added six kills. KP had a strong game at the service line with Stella Bailey picking up four aces and 11 service points while Ahunna James added 15 service points.
Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro went the distance to secure a win in the second set and went on to complete the sweep (25-19, 26-24, 25-14) in the third against visiting Sharon. Madelyn Corsetti paced the offense for the Rocketeers with 13 kills while Katherine McHoul dished out 15 assists. Ava Dunlevy and Julianne Chen anchored the defense with six digs apiece.
Golf
Milford, 169 @ Attleboro, 156 – Final – Attleboro’s Brendan Raymond and Leo Lombardo shared match medalist honors to help the Bombardiers sink Milford at Stone-E-Lea. Raymond and Lombardo each shot 38 on the day while Evan Houle chipped in with a 39 and Dane Holske recorded a 41. Nate Lawrence led the Hawks with a team-low round of 40, Jacob Hipolito added a 41, and Anthony LaPierre shot a 42.
Taunton, 101 @ New Bedford, 105 – Final (Stableford) – Taunton’s Jack Gobin shot a team-low round of 40 to score 23 points but the Tigers fell to New Bedford in a match determined by Stableford scoring. Logan Letourneau added a round of 41.
Franklin, 161 @ King Philip, 145 – Final – King Philip had all four of its scorers come in with a round under 40 to help the Warriors sweep the season series with rival Franklin. Mike Matheson was the match medalist, shooting a round of 35 that included a birdie. Gavin Croke, who had an eagle on the fifth hole, and Jared Curran each shot 37 while Pat Reardon finished at 38. Franklin’s CJ Steele had a team-low round of 38.
King Philip’s Paige Berdos attempts a sliding catch against Attleboro during the 2019 season. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2019 Record: 11-11 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Mark Homer
The Bombardiers will be fielding one of the most balanced lineups the program has seen in recent memory. Head coach Mark Homer believes his group of enthusiastic, hard-working, and motivated players can compete for the division title in what is always a very competitive division.
2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview
It will start with a strong group of returners that picked up valuable experience two years ago during the 2019 season. Senior captains Brenna Morse and Lora Woyton have been leaders both on and off the field during the offseason and so far during the preseason. Homer credits their commitment for setting the tone for the entire program. Juniors Lindsey Perry, Hailey Perry, and Meghan Gordon all burst onto the scene as freshmen during the 2019 season and will be key pieces this year.
Homer is going to lean heavily on his senior class, which also features Natalie Mansur, Gabby Bosh, Nina Campbell, and Janie Hillman. The Bombardiers are set to get a boost from a strong core of underclassmen as well, including sophomores Lauren Eby and Sarah Mayer as well as freshmen Rylie Camacho and Kayla Goldrick.
“This year’s team represents one of the most balanced groups we’ve had here at AHS in a while,” Homer said. “Win, lose, or draw this year’s team is about working hard and having fun doing it.”
2019 Record: 6-14 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Dave Bohane
With four seniors returning and five sophomore and freshmen making their varsity debuts, Canton has a good mix of youth and experience to build on this season. It will be the senior class that the Bulldogs hope will provide the leadership to make a move up the standings and maybe challenge the top teams in the Davenport.
Senior center fielder Liz Bickett has been a star for the Bulldogs, earning all-star honors as a sophomore, and is a power bat in the middle of the lineup. Senior Steph Trendell can play both corner infield positions or jump behind the plate and senior Sarah Kelly can step in at either middle infield spot. Both will be setting the table at the top of the order. Senior Amanda Vrabel will start at catcher and work with Canton’s younger pitchers including juniors Gillian Gordon and Sophia Santos and freshman Jess Wright.
2019 Record: 8-13 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Preliminary Round Coach: Mark Maguire
Youth will be the story for Foxboro this season, as the Warriors will be relying on players seeing their first varsity action in several positions, including a pair of eighth-graders who have been called up for the spring. Still, confidence is high that the Warriors have the talent to compete with the top teams in the Davenport and make a push up the standings.
2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview
Senior shortstop Morgan Sylvestre gives the Warriors a good foundation to build on, batting third and giving them a strong arm at short. Junior Peyton Feldman will see time at both third and second and will bat leadoff. Senior Nicole Theriault will play second and center, one of the few outfielders on the roster with any varsity experience, and Fiona Dunn can also jump in at second as well. Eighth-grader Ava Hill has impressed in preseason and will play first. Junior Alexandra Willis will be behind the plate and working with a young pitching staff led by eighth-grader Emma Callahan. The Warriors will also count on Dunn, Juliana Pettigrew, and Lucy Mulkern as pitchers. Andrea and Jill Slattery, Sadie Calabrese, Kaylee Bruce, Ellie Smith, and Grace Pisarczyk will all get the chance in the outfield this season.
Foxboro coach Mark Maguire said, “I’m expecting the girls to compete hard, and really feed off the energy that Peyton and Morgan bring to the top of our order. With strong leadership from our captains, we’re looking for this team to come together quickly and, hopefully compete for the Davenport.”
After coming within a game of sharing the league title with Taunton in 2019 (and within one run of facing the Tigers in the South semifinal), Franklin returns only two players and has a new coaching staff with Katie Holbrook taking over this season. Despite all the new faces, the Panthers expect to be in the mix for the league title again this year.
Senior Gabby Colace is the lone player on the roster with significant varsity experience and she will be counted on to be a run producer. Fellow senior Molly Collins will join Colace in the middle infield positions and the Panthers have players who are versatile to play multiple positions. Franklin has a potentially strong lineup with Libby Carter, Georgia Harvey, and Lauren Cote all capable of coming up with big hits and driving in a lot of runs. Juniors Julia White and Aislinn Lavery, and senior Jenny Maciel give Franklin good pitching depth and will try to keep the opposition off-balance and allow the defense to make plays behind them. Sophomore Hailey Fales will get the call behind the plate.
“They have already shown in just one scrimmage and a couple of practices great strides in gelling as a team and their commitment to team unity,” said Holbrook. “What we lack in experience we are making up for in determination and commitment to growth. I am impressed with the depth and solid foundation of all the players and it will give us a lot of options with lineups.”
2019 Record: 13-9 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Kate Fallon-Comeau
The Warriors will have a new coach this season with former Mansfield standout player and former Franklin coach Kate Fallon-Comeau takes over at the helm.
King Philip will have a relatively young and inexperienced group at the varsity level so Fallon-Comeau will lean on her four seniors to lead the way. Paige Berdos is a three-year starter and a captain for the Warriors, a member of the varsity team since her freshman season. She’s joined by classmate Anna Bradley as captain and that duo will look to provide excellent leadership to the young Warriors. Seniors Libby Curran and Rubi Butler round out the class of 2021.
Berdos will anchor the outfield from center field and will be the spark for the offense from the leadoff spot. Bradley returns to her spot at first base and provides some pop to the lineup. From there, the Warriors will feature a lot of faces new to the varsity level. Junior Meg Sherwood and sophomore Charlotte Raymond will round out the outside for KP while junior Mia Bennett takes over at second base. Sophomore Libby Walsh brings a big bat to the lineup and will be a reliable option defensively at shortstop while freshman Maddie Paschke is slated to start at the hot corner. Junior Lauren Hooper provides depth and can fit into multiple spots in the lineup.
2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview
Junior Emma Sheehan and freshman Jordan Bennett are both options to start in the circle for Fallon-Comeau. Both will be new to the varsity level this season so the Warriors will look to play strong defense to help out the pitchers. Sophomore Sarah Cullen will do the bulk of the catching for KP.
“We’re excited to be back out on the field and looking forward to having a successful season,” Fallon-Comeau said.
2019 Record: 12-9 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Preliminary Round Coach: Lori Letendre
Mansfield has consistently been a playoff team and competitive in the Kelley-Rex division but, with only two players returning from 2019, the Hornets enter the spring as a little bit of a mystery. With four freshmen and a sophomore on the roster, and only two seniors, Mansfield will be looking to put talented players in the right spots to keep battling the league’s top teams.
Senior pitcher Ashlyn Conley is one of the few players with any varsity experience and will be back in the circle this year. Junior first baseman Casey Moussette is the other returning player, after a strong freshman season at the plate in 2019. Abby DeCoste is the only other senior on varsity this season, while Jill Koppy, Molly Kucharski, Callie Lake, and Liv Madeira are all rookies who could step in and make instant impacts. Sophomore Olivia Harnden is another underclassman stepping right into the varsity team this year.
“We have a lot of talent but are still trying to learn to work together at new positions,” said Mansfield coach Lori Letendre. “It has been great to be on the field playing again and we are looking forward to the season.”
2019 Record: 2-18 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Steve DiVitto
Milford is turning the page on a tough 2019. The Hawks have been a powerhouse since joining the Hock but have gone through a transition period after graduating the core of the last state title-winning team. That transition won’t be helped by moving into the Kelley-Rex division this season, but head coach Steve DiVitto is hoping his seniors can build a foundation for several talented underclassmen that are excited about their first opportunity on varsity.
2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview
The Hawks return five players from the 2019 team. Junior Olivia Morelli will be in the circle this season and can also play shortstop. Seniors Erin McEvoy and Carly Ferreira will be at the corner infield spots and senior Natalie Casilli will be back in the outfield. Senior Elise Fauerbach can play behind the plate or in the outfield. Junior Gianna Cacciola is a new face to watch at third base. Freshman Maeve Driscoll could see time at pitcher or at short and her classmate Camille Bonina will see time at first and in the outfield.
“This year’s team is focused on the here and now and not the past,” said DiVitto. “Keeping our awesome team chemistry will be an important part of this season. We’re excited for the challenges of playing in the Hock!”
2019 Record: 16-6 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Quarterfinal Coach: Bill Wallace
North Attleboro ended a two-decade wait for a league title in 2019 and had the potential to be even better last season, but the Rocketeers will come into this spring having graduated seven starters, with only three players returning with varsity experience, and looking for a new crop of players to search for a second straight Davenport crown.
Senior second baseman Emily Nardelli has been a starter since her freshman year and will be an impact player in the lineup and in the field. Senior Belle Clarkin adds versatility with her ability to play catcher, outfield, and first base, and junior Mandi Hanewich will step into center field. Pitching should remain a strength for North with a pair of promising sophomores, Kelly Colleran and Zoey McDonough, jumping into the circle. Colleran will also see time at shortstop and McDonough at first. Junior Ally Levine will be the new starter at catcher and juniors Chloe Mearn and Shaelyn Burns can play corner infield spots. Emma Bailey and Grace Simmons will add to the outfield, while there are a host of young players, including the lone freshman on the roster, Aubrey Amado, who can play multiple positions and add useful depth.
“I feel like a new coach this year after missing last year,” said North coach Bill Wallace, who also notched his 200th career win in 2019. “Since the last time we had softball I have graduated seven starters.”
Oliver Ames is back in the Davenport division and has a small roster, but it is one that has coach Lindsey Allison excited about its potential and versatility. The Tigers will hope that a change of scenery and a speedy, athletic lineup will see a jump up the standings to put pressure on the top teams in the division this season.
2021 Hockomock League Softball Preview
The Tigers will have a pair of pitchers this season as senior Emma Varella will be joined by sophomore Katie Melendy. Both have multiple pitches to keep batters off-balance and both can play other positions when they’re not in the circle. Senior Grace Simone will provide leadership for the pitching staff and a big bat in the middle of the lineup. Her leadership will be important as the Tigers will be carrying four sophomores and a freshman along with its five seniors.
Allison said, “As a coaching staff, we are looking forward to a season with a versatile team that works together and picks each other up. These kids work hard every day, strive for greatness, and are hungry for wins. Looking forward to a great season.”
Sharon is filled with upperclassman so experience will be key as the Eagles look to compete in a wide-open Davenport division. The three captains this year are shortstop Julia Earley, second baseman Sneha Kini, — both seniors — and junior pitcher Trinity Payne so the Eagles will lean on their strength up the middle of the field.
Payne picked up plenty of experience during her freshman year so will be battle-tested for the 2021 season. Earley and Kini give the Eagles a strong defensive foundation and will provide leadership both in the field and at the plate. Of the 11 players on the roster, 10 are upperclassman so head coach Heather Poliferno has an experienced group at her disposal. Poliferno believes her team has a strong mix of power and contact hitters so versatility throughout the lineup will be key.
The one underclassman on the roster is sophomore Ally Foulsham, who could make an immediate impact in her first season with the program. Foulsham can also toe the rubber in the pitcher’s circle so the Eagles have options to work with in the pitching department. After missing out on last season, the Eagles are eager to get back on the field and compete for a division title.
“My high school coach always used to say ‘why not us?’ and I would say the same thing – Why not us? Our players work hard to be the best they can be,” Poliferno said. “They can compete in any setting. We are hungry to play and we have the skill set to do it. So, why not us?”
2019 Record: 15-7 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Deb Parker
Stoughton had an impressive 2019, finishing in second place in the Davenport behind North Attleboro and winning its opening playoff game on a walk-off against Somerset-Berkley. With five returning starters, the Black Knights will be looking to carry momentum into this spring and make another push for a league title.
One of the keys for Stoughton’s high hopes for the season is the return of senior pitcher Nicole Baker, who had a breakout sophomore campaign and emerged as one of the top arms in the league. Baker is the lone infielder returning but senior Julia Driscoll will take over at third and senior Sarah McGrath will be behind the plate. Junior Sydney Menz, who batted over .400 as a freshman, will start in center, while junior Melody Casna takes over at short. Junior Kate Bulger will get the nod in left and senior Lauren Turner starts in right. Sophomore Kerry Driscoll adds depth in the circle and Stoughton has a crop of freshmen who could contribute right away, including Alyssa Edwards, Maddie Hinds, and Julie Powers.
“It’s a little surreal coming back to the field after losing an entire season,” said Stoughton coach Deb Parker. “If we’ve learned anything from last year it’s that nothing is promised, and we have to take advantage of every opportunity we have on and off the field. These young women work hard, and I believe we have the depth, drive, and talent this year to have a great showing in this very competitive league.”
Taunton is one of the few teams that is coming back from the two-year layoff with a lineup that looks pretty similar to the one from 2019. The biggest change for the Tigers will be on the bench with long-time coach Dave Lewry retiring at the end of the 2019 season and Carrie Consalvi taking over. Consalvi goes into her first spring with a team loaded with talent that looks ready to defend its Kelley-Rex title.
Senior pitcher Kelsey White is back healthy following an injury that would’ve kept her out of last season. The reigning league MVP looks back to the form that helped Taunton win a state title three years ago. Reigning HockomockSports.com Hanna Aldrich is back for her senior season at shortstop and as one of the top power hitters in the Hock. Aldrich is joined up the middle by senior second baseman McKenzie McAloon. All three will be playing DI softball next year. Senior Skylar Rheaume and Tayah Decosta add to the leadership on the team and Taunton will have enviable depth with sophomore Olivia Mendonca back after playing as an eighth-grader and freshman Sam Lincoln looking like Taunton’s next pitching prospect.
“These players have had just about every challenge thrown at them over the past year, but if there was one group that could take all of this and rise to the occasion it is this group,” said Consalvi. “They are hungry to win, and I am hopeful my senior leadership will recall what it took to win that state championship back in 2018 and impart their wisdom with this group of younger players, as it will take every single one of them to make something so special to happen again.”
