Franklin’s Lauren Bissanti (left), Kelsey MacCallum (2) and Kendall Reardon (5) defend against Longmeadow’s Kay Conway. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
WELLSELEY, Mass. – It’s certainly no secret that Franklin girls lacrosse has a lethal offense that is tough to stop.
But Longmeadow had the perfect game plan in the D1 State Semifinal: keep the ball away from the Panthers.
The Lancers dominated draws and used lengthy offensive possessions, taking up to three or four minutes at times, especially in the second half. That formula resulted in a 12-6 win for Longmeadow and a trip to the D1 State Final.
“You can’t win the game without the ball,” said Franklin head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino said. “I don’t think there is any secret that we didn’t win draws and we didn’t have the ball. When we did have the ball, we could score. But I think we won two draws in the entire second half and our offense was very short. No ball, no win.”
The Lancers’ gameplay was evident on the first series of the game as goalie Hannah Valencia made a save and held onto the ball for nearly a minute as Longmeadow attempted to set up its transition
Longmeadow used a seven minute span to create an early lead. Claire Fitzpatrick put the Lancers up 2-0 with just over five minutes gone in the game and Alison Tetreault and Iliana Koffman (8 meter attempt) tallied goals in the minutes after.
The Lancers’ 4-0 lead just under nine minutes into the game forced a timeout from Franklin.
The timeout helped the momentum shift to the Panthers as they got on the board shortly after. Junior Jordan Jette found a cutting Caroline Lounsbury with a perfect pass in front and the senior buried it to make it 4-1.
“We knew they had good athletes and dodgers and we tried to double them,” Igoe Guarino said. “But they don’t turn it over very much and they take quality shots. Again, not letting us have the ball made it very hard.”
Longmeadow extended its lead to 5-1 just a minute later, but Franklin’s offense finally got in gear over the final 10 minutes of the half.
First, freshman Kelsey MacCallum scored on an 8 meter try and three minutes later, Lounsbury faked the defense on an 8 meter try but passing to Jette, who used a double move in front to make it 5-3.
Then it was time for Franklin freshman Erin Walsh to shine. With just over a minute left, with her back to goal, Walsh fired what Igoe described as a “twister” shot, fooling Valencia to make it 5-4.
Franklin’s Grace McDermott made a terrific defensive play on a Longmeadow 8-meter try in the final minute, giving the Panthers a final possession. The Lancers were whistled for a foul with 15.8 left, giving Franklin a man-up opportunity for two minutes.
Walsh capitalized just seconds before the halftime buzzer, once again scoring with her back to goal, shoveling a shot into the back of the net without giving Valencia a chance at a save.
“We had momentum, and I think we actually had the ball and we were a man up,” Igoe Guarino said. “We just couldn’t capitalize to get the lead, their goalie played excellent too. I just don’t think we were as patient as we could have been on offense.”
But as the first half ended, so did Franklin’s momentum.
The Panthers only won three of 10 draws in the second half and Longmeadow started the second similar to how it did the first, rattling off a 4-0 run.
Just over 10 minutes into the half, Fitzpatrick grabbed her first of the second half, capping off a two minute offensive spell to make it 9-5.
“Their offense is big, they take their time and they have excellent stick work,” Igoe Guarino said.
“They were very disciplined and work their way to a good shot. When you play three minutes of defense over and over and over, it wears you down. Our goalie Gianna [Cameron] did all she could. When you play defense the whole game, it’s hard.”
Lounsbury cut the deficit to three with a great individual effort with just over 13 minutes to play but the Lancers responded with a draw win and a goal just over a minute later.
It looked like Erin Walsh had another goal as she beat the defense and the goalie with a wicked shot, but instead an infraction was whistled after the ball had gone in and Franklin’s 8 meter try went high.
Longmeadow then milked the rest of the game, as neither side scored during a 10 minute span. With Franklin scrambling to force a turnover, the Lancers tacked on two more goals in the final 61 seconds.
Franklin girls lacrosse finishes the season 22-2 and will lose four seniors – Lounsbury, McDermott, Dana Lewandowski and Kendall Reardon, all starters – to graduation.
“None of our four seniors started freshman year, and they’ve done a great job building this program,” Igoe Guarino said. “They’ve got three sectional titles in four years. We’re still young and hoping to get back here and win a state semifinal game eventually, but there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Franklin players celebrate with the D1 East Championship trophy after beating Concord-Carlisle. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
MILFORD, Mass. – For the second straight year, and third time in the last four seasons, the Division 1 East section runs through the Franklin girls lacrosse team.
After an overtime thriller in 2014, and one-goal win exactly one year ago, the top-seeded Panthers left the dramatics behind, cruising to a 16-7 win over second-seeded Concord-Carlisle on the turf of Milford High School.
“It wasn’t easy, Concord is an awesome team, they’re well coached, they have really good players but I think we were just prepared and peaking at the right time,” said Franklin head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino. “It was definitely nice to have a big lead though.”
While Franklin had wins over eight of the state’s top 20 teams – and a handful of wins over teams just outside the rankings – the Panthers certainly overlooking the Patriots.
“We had some great competition this year but our thing this year was that playoffs is a whole new season,” said junior Jordan Jette. “We know at this time, anyone can beat anyone, you never know. The expectations are high for us so we’re just going to work that much harder to get here.”
“We’ve been playing hard teams all year so I don’t even think our young players were fazed,” Igoe Guarino said. “They don’t play like freshmen or sophomores, so it’s nice you can’t even tell we have such a young team.”
It didn’t take long for Franklin’s offense to get going as Caroline Lousnbury took a feed from Jette and opened the scoring just 22 seconds into the game. Before 90 seconds elapsed, Franklin doubled its lead with a goal from freshman Erin Walsh.
While the Panthers never trailed, Concord-Carlisle battled back to make it a 3-3 game with just over 10 minutes to play.
Franklin had a quick response though, Lauren Bissanti putting the Panthers back ahead on a feed from Annie Walsh, Walsh scoring on a cut in front on a feed from Jette, and Erin Walsh batting a loose ball out of the air into the net to make it 6-3.
“I think it’s just the pride in the team,” Jette said of the Panthers winning their third title in four years. “Coming into high school, you know about Franklin lacrosse because it’s been so successful for so long now. Everyone that comes into the program, we just want to live up to those expectations every year. We all work really hard, our coach works hard, and we just all work pretty well together.”
“I think the girls come in and we have a culture of hard work,” Igoe Guarino said. “The girls coming in each year know that and they come in in shape, with good stick work and they are playing more often. I think our alumni and current players have done a nice job of building that culture.”
Shortly after the Patriots cut the deficit to two, Franklin went up a man for a misconduct call on C-C. The Panthers took advantage as Annie Walsh weaved her way through the Patriots’ and found the back of the net.
“Annie does everything really well…draws, ground balls, she plays defense, and then she can score,” Igoe Guarino said. “She’s probably one of our most improved players this year in terms of shooting and field vision and you need a player like that to play well in games like this, and she has done it all tournament.”
With under a minute to play, Jette found Annie Walsh right in front for another goal and freshman Kelsey McCallum completed Franklin’s 6-1 run off a restart with just seven seconds to play in the half to make it a 9-4 game.
The Patriots scored just 17 seconds into the second half to make it a four goal game but Annie Walsh responded a minute later to make it 10-5. And two minutes after that, Annie Walsh was at it again, taking a feed from Kendall Reardon to make it 11-5.
Concord-Carlisle scored to cut it to 11-6 and quickly gained possession back after another draw win, but Franklin freshman goalie Gianna Cameron (10 saves) came up with big stop to give possession back to the Panthers.
“We talked about playing defense as unit, not so much one on one defense,” Igoe Guarino said.
“I think they did a great job playing team defense and shutting down some of their best players. Gianna came up with some huge stops too. And that’s just a huge momentum shift when we can get the ball back.”
Bissanti (from Erin Walsh) and Concord-Carlisle’s Margaret Grace traded goals to keep the lead at five as the game clock ticked under 10 minutes to play.
If there was any hope of a comeback, Franklin finished the game with an exclamation point – scoring four goals over the final 9:24 of play.
Jette netted her first on a feed from Reardon, Annie Walsh scored her sixth and seventh tallies of the game and Reardon capped the scoring with a strong individual effort with just under two minutes left.
Franklin girls lacrosse (22-1) advances to the D1 State Semifinal and will take on the winner of Westboro (18-0) and Longmeadow (21-1) at Babson College. The game is schedule for either Monday or Tuesday night.
Baseball D2 South
#10 Oliver Ames, 5 @ #2 Dighton-Rehoboth, 2 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game. The Tigers advance to the Div. 2 South semifinal to face #11 Westwood on Thursday at 7:00 at Rockland High.
Softball D1 South
#12 North Attleboro, 6 @ #4 Marshfield, 1 – Final – North Attleboro plated two runs in the first inning, one in the fifth and three more in the top of the sixth. Olivia Capobianco had three hits, three stolen abses and two RBI and Sam Courtemanche added two hits and an RBI. Meg Barlow and Andrea Miceli each added an RBI for Big Red. Bella Erti scattered five hits and didn’t issue any walks, striking out eight in the win. The Rocketeers advance to the Div. 1 South semifinal to face #1 Silver Lake on Thursday at 7:00 at Taunton High.
Boys Lacrosse D1 South
#9 King Philip, 3 @ #1 BC High, 6 – Final
Girls Lacrosse D1 East
#12 King Philip, 7 @ #1 Franklin, 15 – Final – Franklin built an 8-3 lead at halftime and never looked back in the D1 East Semifinal matchup with KP. Freshman Erin Walsh led the way with seven goals, Annie Walsh (eight draws) added four goals and Kendall Reardon found the back of net twice. Halle Atkinson and Grace McDermott each had three draw wins for Franklin. The Panthers advance to their third Div. 1 East Final in the past four years and will face #2 Concord-Carlisle on Friday at 7:00 at Milford High.
D2 East
#3 Foxboro, 12 @ #2 Wayland, 11 – Final – Meghan Curran scored two goals and recorded seven assists to help the Warriors reach the first Div. 2 East Final in program history. Sophia DiCenso and Caroline McGeary each had hat tricks and Sarah Addeche made 15 saves for Foxboro, which will face #1 Walpole on Friday at 5:00 at Milford High.
Boys Tennis D2 South
#1 Sharon, 4 vs. #4 Bishop Feehan 1 – Final – The Eagles advance to the Div. 2 South final to face #3 Scituate on Friday at 3:00 at Rockland High.
Franklin’s Annie Walsh races past a Natick defender in the first half. (Peter Raider/HockomockSports.com Student Photographer) By Joe Clark, HockomockSports.com Student Reporter
FRANKLIN, Mass. – As the reigning D1 East Sectional Champs, and current top seed, the Franklin girls lacrosse team knows there is a target on their back.
Natick came out firing on Thursday afternoon at Franklin High, but a strong second half effort and nine goals from sophomore Annie Walsh led Franklin to an 18-10 victory over eighth-seeded Natick.
Heading into halftime, Natick led 7-6, completely controlled time of possession and led in draw controls at the break.
Kendall Reardon started off the scoring for Franklin, scoring three minutes into the game, but on the ensuing Natick possession Annika Streeter would answer back to tie the game up at one. Streeter then set up teammate Victoria Norchi open in front of the net, and she scored to put the Redhawks up 2-1. Reardon would then score her second goal of the game to knot the game at two, but Norchi scored on an empty net to give Natick a 3-2 lead.
After Streeter scored again, Franklin got back to back goals from Erin and Annie Walsh to tie it back up at 4-4. Molly Burnes put Natick up 5-4, but Reardon’s third goal of the half tied the game up again. Back to back Natick goals from Streeter and Meghan Rodino would put the Redhawks up 7-5, but Annie Walsh scored her second goal of the game with 1:33 left in the half to cut the Franklin deficit to just one at 7-6.
“Natick wanted it more in the first half,” said Franklin coach Kristin Igoe Guarino about the first half. “They were winning the draws and the ground balls, so I kind of yelled at [my team] a little and said you gotta want it more, or you’re going home.”
The Panthers clearly took that message to heart, as seconds into the half Jordan Jette found Annie Walsh cutting to the net wide open for a goal to tie it at 7-7, and 30 seconds later freshman Kelsey MacCallum found the back of the net to make it 8-7 with 24:09 left to play.
Franklin wouldn’t look back from there with Annie Walsh netting five consecutive goals herself, to go up 13-7 with 10:58 left in the game.
Walsh’s fifth goal, which put Franklin up 10-7, was the 100th of the sophomore’s already incredibly successful career. She would finish with nine goals, including seven in the second half.
“She’s amazing at draws, ground balls, in between the 30s, and on offense, so I think that’s the kind of player to look for when you’re down, and she did it very well,” Igoe Guarino said about Walsh.
After Streeter scored the third of her five goals for Natick, Erin Walsh scored to make it 14-8 with 9:16 left to play, and then Reardon scored the fourth of her five goals to extend the Franklin lead to 15-8 with just over eight minutes to go in the game.
Streeter scored back to back goals to make it 15-10, but goals from Erin and Annie Walsh and Reardon would give Franklin a final advantage of 18-10.
For Franklin, the road to a state championship only gets tougher.
“We have to play 50 minutes. We have a target on our back, we’re the number one seed in the East and reigning East champions. Everyone’s going to want to beat us, and every single team in this tournament is good and capable of winning.” said Igoe Guarino about the rest of the tournament. “We want to win, but we have to play like, and I always challenge them to act like the number one seed, and that’s a lot easier said than done.”
With the win, the Panthers move onto the D1 East Semifinals, where they’ll play the winner of the King Philip-Lexington game, which will take place Saturday at 3:30 in Lexington.
Franklin girls lacrosse (20-1) is familiar with Hockomock League foe King Philip, beating the Warriors 18-6 on May 24th. The date and time of Franklin’s semifinal matchup is currently to be announced at the time of publication.
Baseball
Attleboro @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Canton @ Sharon – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Milford @ Foxboro – Postponed to Thursday, 5/25 at 3:45.
Mansfield @ Franklin – Postponed to Thursday, 5/18 at 7:00.
King Philip @ Taunton – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
North Attleboro @ Stoughton – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Softball
Oliver Ames @ Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Sharon @ Canton – Postponed to Wednesday, 5/24 at 3:45.
Foxboro @ Milford – Postponed to Friday, 5/19 at 4:00.
Franklin @ Mansfield – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Taunton @ King Philip – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Stoughton @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/23 at 3:45.
Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 11 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – North Attleboro outscored Attleboro 7-0 in the second half to pick up a non-league win. Tommy Lindstrom orchestrated the offensive attack, registering five assists while Zach McGowan scored twice and added two helpers. Paul Yeomans (two goals, one assist) finish with three points while Jason McNeany (goal, assist), Colin Young (two goals) and Jack Dakin (two goals) each had two points. Owen Costello and Zac Doucette each scored once and Brett Labonte and Hunter Sarro each had an assist.
Canton, 5 vs. Braintree, 3 – Final – Canton outscored the visitors 4-1 in the second half to pick up a win on senior night and keep its postseason hopes alive. Senior Dan Dillon led the charge, notching three assists and scoring the game-winning goal with just over three minutes left to play. Senior Ryan Lodge and sophomore Mike Shaw each netted a pair of goals to round up Canton’s attack. Freshman Jack Connolly made 11 saves in net while CHS coach Bill Bendell praised the work of junior Charlie O’Connor at the face off X and the defensive work of senior Michael Pigeon.
Foxboro, 8 vs. Westwood, 9 – Final (OT)
Franklin, 11 @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 12 – Final (2OT) – St. John’s rattled off a 5-0 run in the second half to create an 11-7 cushion but the Panthers answered, scoring four straight goals over the final 5:45, capped with a goal from freshman Jake Davis with just seven seconds left to send the game into overtime. The Panthers won the face off at the beginning of each overtime period but couldn’t covert and the Pioneers netted the winner with 1:02 to go in the second overtime. Eric Civetti led Franklin’s offense with seven goals and one assist, Packie Watson scored twice and had one helper and Nitin Chaudhury scored once. Sam Arsenault, Jack Platner and Kyle McEniry had had one assist while Jacob Alexander won 19 face offs.
King Philip vs. Bishop Feehan, 6:00
Milford, 8 @ AMSA, 4 – Final
Oliver Ames, 9 @ Pembroke, 8 – Final– Oliver Ames freshman Shane Kikelly and junior Owen Gallagher each recorded a hat trick to pace the Tigers’ offense. Senior Liam Brown, junior Eric LeBlanc and freshman Sam Stevens rounded out the scoring with a goal apiece.
Sharon vs. Holliston, 3:45
Taunton, 2 @ Norton, 14 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 17 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Erin Holley paced the Rocketeers, who had 11 different goal scorers in the win, with four goals and a pair of assists. North also got five assists from Katie Lindstrom, a goal and three draw controls from Julia Noreck and two goals and two assists from Camille Pizarro.
Franklin, 8 vs. Westwood, 7 – Final – Franklin freshman goalie Gianna Cameron made 15 saves and FHS head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino had high praise for her defensive unit, anchored by Dana Lewandowski and Grace McDermott. The win marked the Panthers’ first ever win over Westwood, the defending D1 state champions. Caroline Lounsbury led the offense with three goals, Erin Walsh netted two goals and Annie Walsh recorded a goal and an assist. Jordan Jette had two helpers and Kendall Reardon and Kelsey MacCallum both found the back of the net once.
Taunton, 14 @ Norton, 6 – Final – Taunton eighth grader Alana Tavares scored a team-high eight goals and assisted on three others to pace the Tigers to a win on the road. Kayla Phillips netted a hat trick, Abbey Kingman scored twice and Annie Tate (two assists) found the back of the net once. Lorni Li turned away 12 shots in goal for the Tigers.
Boys Tennis
Sharon, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Sharon won all five matches in straight sets, losing a total of just seven games on the road. Griffin Fein won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Fred Bondar notched a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles and Andre Olivei recorded a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Alex Romantz and Alberto Olivei won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Sammy Kirshenbaum and Max Brody prevailed 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles.
Oliver Ames @ Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Foxboro @ Milford – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Franklin @ Mansfield – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Taunton @ King Philip – Postponed to Wednesday, 5/24 at 3:45.
Stoughton @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Girls Tennis
Canton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon dropped just one game in total among three singles matches to beat Canton. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Emily Zhang captured a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles and Lulu Yuan won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Sydney Gordon and Lauren Glass won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Sachi Bhasin and Akhila Sanadi won 7-6, 7-0 at second doubles.
Attleboro @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Milford @ Foxboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/23 at 3:45.
Mansfield @ Franklin – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
King Philip @ Taunton – Postponed to Wednesday, 5/24 at 3:45.
North Attleboro @ Stoughton – Postponed to Tuesday, 5/16 at 3:45.
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 @ Xaverian, 0 – Final
Taunton, 3 vs. Barnstable, 2 – Final
Baseball
Attleboro, 3 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Attleboro senior Tyler McGovern tossed a complete game, scattering six hits while issuing just one walk to guide the Bombardiers past Franklin. James Weir went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI and made a game-ending diving catch in the outfield for Big Blue. Dylan Maskell brought home the third run on a squeeze play. Franklin’s Jake Noviello also threw a complete game, allowing just two earned runs while striking out six. Ryan Hodgkins went 2-for-2 with a run and two stolen bases while Jason Ulrickson also notched two hits.
Canton, 7 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final
King Philip, 0 @ Mansfield, 9 – Final – Mansfield senior Nolan Dousa needed just 70 pitches to finish a complete game shutout and the Hornets’ offense got off to a strong start early on to beat King Philip. Dousa tossed 54 of his 70 pitches for strikes, allowing just four hits and striking out for to earn the win. Mansfield scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, added single runs in the third and fifth and then tacked on two more in the sixth. Zack Peterson (run, RBI) and Kyle Moran (two runs) each had a pair of hits for Mansfield. Aidan Cahill (1-for-3) and Cullen Anastasia (1-for-2, run) each knocked in a pair of runs for the Hornets. King Philip’s Ben Furfari had a pair of hits for the Warriors.
North Attleboro, 7 @ Milford, 3 – Final – North Attleboro broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the fifth inning and then tacked on three more insurance runs in the seventh inning to pick up a key division win. Nick Sinacola picked up the win for Big Red, tossing a complete game with three strikeouts. At the plate, Sinacola went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. John Brennan had a two-run single in the fourth inning that tied the game 3-3. Nick Crawley had a two-run hit in the seventh to tack on North’s final two runs. Milford’s Anthony Arcudi was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and Aidan Wilde was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Sam Burr tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and didn’t issue a walk to help hand Taunton its first loss of the season. Burr struck out three in the win. Kyle Gagliardi was 2-for-3 and turned a double play in the third inning to help OA escape potential danger. Evan DeMartinis was also 2-for-3 while Nick Zwerle was 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Stoughton, 13 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Justin Hutchinson was dominant through the first four innings to earn the win and classmate Matt Gallagher completed the shutout with three innings of work with just two hits allowed. Hutchinson allowed just one hit in his four innings of work while striking out seven. Offensively, Ruben Gonzalez had a pair of hits, two runs scored, three stolen bases and four RBI to pace the Black Knights. Ryan Sullivan, Pat Hagerty, and Michael Batte each had two hits for Stoughton.
Softball
Franklin, 1 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Attleboro’s McKenzie Bergdoll impressed in the circle and Jordyn Lako played a big role in the offense as the Bombardiers beat Franklin. Bergdoll allowed just two hits in a complete game effort to earn the win. Lako went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Attleboro freshman Mishayla Cullhane took over at catcher in the first inning after an injury and head coach Mark Hoemr said “she did a great job for her first game behind the plate.” Homer added Attleboro’s solid play in the infield made a big difference for the Bombardiers.
Foxboro, 23 @ Canton, 5 – Final
Mansfield, 3 @ King Philip, 9 – Final – King Philip scored five runs in the first to take control in the Kelley-Rex matchup. Jess Bonner had a standout day at the plate for the Warriors, hitting a pair of home runs and totaling five RBI. Jenn Hutnyan allowed just two hits in a strong game in the circle for KP. Meghan Gorman, Hailey McCasland and Elise Pereira each added a pair of hits in the Warriors’ win. Mady Bendanillo drove in all three Mansfield runs with a homer in the third inning, plating Sarah Bradley and Kara Bendanillo, and cut the lead to two. KP added four runs on five hits in the sixth to pull away.
Milford, 14 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – Milford’s offense was locked in, belting out 17 hits to pick up a key division win over North Attleboro. Jess Tomaso accounted for four of those hits, including a double, and finished with two RBI and two runs scored. Kate Irwin (RBI, two runs, stolen base) and Emily Piergustavo (double, triple, three RBI, three runs) each had three hits for the Hawks. Emily Hartman connected on a solo home run and Shannon Cormier launched a three-run home run to complete Milford’s big day on offense. Ali Atherton scattered five hits in six innings of work, striking out six, allowing one walk and giving up just one earned run.
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Taunton, 13 – Final – Taunton rebounded from a two-game losing streak to pick up the league win. Courtney Fisher threw four innings to get her sixth win and eighth grader Kelsey White threw three scoreless innings in relief, striking out six while allowing just one hit. Eighth grader Hannah Aldrich had three hits for Taunton, while Kya Enos had a homer, a double, and drove in three runs. Jaime Brown (RBI), MacKenzie Handrahan, Katie Van Zandt (RBI), McKenzie McAloon (RBI), and Jaylin Couto (two RBI) all had two hits apiece for Taunton. For Oliver Ames, Sarah Tetrault was 1-for-3 with a run scored, Kayla Georgeu was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Colleen Larson was 1-for-2, putting Georgeu in scoring position for Victoria Ziner (1-3, RBI) to bunt Georgeu in for a run in the second.
Sharon, 0 @ Stoughton, 9 – Final – Gina Carafa picked up the win in the circle, striking out seven Eagles in four innings, and also went 3-for-3 with five RBI, including a three-run homer in the first inning. Jordan Lyons went 2-for-3 and hit a two-run homer in the sixth for the Black Knights. Shannon Flaherty, Nikki Coppola, and Brianna Ferrandiz all had two hits apiece for Stoughton. Sam Marglous, Rebecca Clayman, and Courtney Sollis had hits for Sharon.
Franklin, 18 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Franklin’s offense scored in double figures for the fifth time in the last six games, netting at least 18 for the fourth time in a big win at Sharon. Sam Arsenault (three goals, three assists) and Eric Civetti (five goals, one assist) each had six points to pace the offense. Nitin Chaudhury added two goals and one assists and Johnny O’Glishen and Jake Davis each found the back of the net twice. FHS coach Lou Verrochi praised Pat Morrison, Wyatt Arsenault and Spencer Briggs for their defensive work in front of goalie Connor O’Rourke (one goal allowed).
King Philip, 10 vs. Westwood, 9 – Final
Mansfield, 9 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 8 – Final – Bridgewater-Raynham staked a 5-4 lead at halftime but Mansfield ramped up its effort on both ends of the field to get the win. Senior Cullen Murphy (goal and assist) provided the game-winning goal off an assist from Aidan Sacco) Sean Powers had another strong game in goal, recording 16 saves while Grant Milas and Tommy Donnelly had strong games in front of him. Offensively, Hunter Ferreira netted a pair of goals and recorded two assists, Danny DeGirolamo and Sam O’Connell each scored twice, Joe Cox scored once and had two assists and Murphy and Sacco each scored once and had once assist for the Hornets.
Taunton, 4 @ Milford, 12 – Final
North Attleboro, 14 vs. Scituate, 6 – Final – North Attleboro picked up its biggest win of the season, knocking off Scituate at home. Big Red’s starters raced out to a 12-3 lead before the Sailors made a late push. Zach McGowan (one assist) and Jack Dakin (two assists) each scored four goals to pace the Rocketeers’ offense. Tommy Lindstrom set up three goals while LSM Max Fontes and Jason McNeany (14 face off wins) both scored twice. Nick Moore added one goal and one assist, Colin Young had one helper and Andy DeMattio scored once. Senior Dan MacDonald turned away 16 saves while also recording two assists for North Attleboro.
Girls Lacrosse
King Philip @ Attleboro, 3:45
Canton, 18 vs. Plymouth North, 6 – Final
Foxboro, 5 vs. Cohasset, 14 – Final
Franklin, 4 @ Notre Dame Academy, 14 – Final – Franklin cut the deficit to just three goals early in the second half but the top-ranked team in the state pulled away with a 7-1 run. Kendall Reardon had two goals while Caroline Lounsbury and Erin Walsh each found the back of the net once. Freshman Gianna Cameron made 10 saves in net.
Milford, 14 @ Taunton, 18 – Final – Eighth grader Alana Tavares scored 13 goals to lead the way for the Tigers. Abbey Kingman and Delaney Powell each scored two goals and Lorna Li made 13 saves in the win. Taylor Dube was the top scorer with five goals, Jill Burley added four goals, and Briana Maietta had a pair of goals, while Amber Stearns made eight saves in the loss.
Oliver Ames, 17 @ Norton, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames snapped four game skid with an impressive performance on both ends on the road at Norton. Olivia Piazza poured in a team-high six goals to pace the offense while Kendall Clifford and Chloe Kikelly each had four goals. Sofia Masciarelli chipped in with two goals for the Tigers. Ari Waldorf made five saves in goal for OA.
Boys Tennis
Franklin, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Neither of Franklin’s doubles teams lost a game and the Panthers won all five games in straight sets to beat Attleboro. The team of James Johnston and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles. In singles play, Rahul Herur won 6-3, 6-0 at first singles, Eli Brooks was victorious 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and freshman Rohan Herur notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles.
Foxboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final
Mansfield, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip picked up comfortable wins at first and third singles as well as second doubles to beat the Hornets. Cole Ginter won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles and Martin Matous won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles for KP. The team of Aidan Ignatius and Marco DiStefano won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles to get the third and final point. Mansfield’s Luke Nickerson won 6-4, 6-1 at second singles.
Milford, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro won a pair of matches at singles as well as doubles to defend home court against the Scarlet Hawks. Senior Zac Pfeffer won 6-4, 6-0 at first singles and classmate Barsomo Nuay won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles. The team of senior Daniel Zhang and junior Ben Pfeffer won 6-1, 6-2 at first doubles and senior Andrew Harris and junior Mayank Wadekar won 6-2, 6-2 at second doubles. Milford senior Sam Little won 3-6, 7-6, 10-6 at third singles.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton swept singles play and won three of its four matches in straight sets to take down Oliver Ames. Sophomore Brett Beaulieu won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, junior Mike Briggs won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and senior Eric Gwozdz won 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 at third singles. The team of sophomores Dylan Kullas and Charlie Fiske was 6-3, 6-4 at first doubles. Oliver Ames’ Greg Mueller and Michael Souza won 7-6, 7-5 at second doubles.
Sharon, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Sharon didn’t drop a game in any of its three singles matches on the road at Stoughton. Senior Griffin Fein and juniors Fred Bondar and Andre Olivei each won 6-0, 6-0 at first, second and third singles, respectively. Alex Romantz and Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Alberto Olivei and Ashwin Sreevatsa won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin won all five matches, three of them in straight sets to beat the Bombardiers. Senior Hannah Sweeney won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, senior Anja Deric won 6-3, 6-0 at second singles and junior Stephanie Schiavo won 3-6, 7-6, 10-6 at third singles. The team of seniors Julia Hogan and Madison Derby won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 at first singles and senior Sarah Labo and junior Jillian McLaughlin won 6-1, 6-3 at second doubles.
Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – The Warriors of Foxboro won all three singles matches in straight sets to defend home court. Sophia Prinos won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Julia Muise won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and Kayla Prag picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Olivia Dantona and Kendall Milender notched a 6-1, 3-6,6-3 at first doubles. Canton’s Stelina Michaelidis and Sarah Hernandez won 6-2, 7-5 at second doubles.
King Philip, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Neither of King Philip’s doubles teams dropped a single game and the Warriors also won two single matches in straight sets to pick up a win on the road. Freshman Erin Regnier won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles and junior Meghan Sepich won 6-2, 6-3 at third singles. The team of seniors Megan Davenport and Carly Adams won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and the senior Corinne Palumbo and junior Lucy Barnard won by the same score at second doubles. Mansfield’s Paulina Martin won the first set 6-1 and then battled back from an 0-3 hole to win the second set 6-4 at first singles.
North Attleboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final
Taunton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Taunton won all five matches in straight sets, dropping a total of four games in singles play and just one in doubles play. Olivia Sweeney won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Jordan Pagliuca notched a 6-0, 6-1 at second singles and Jillian Pagliuca recorded a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor didn’t drop a single game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles and Jordan Martin and Caroline Hebert won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.
Stoughton @ Sharon, 3:45
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Taunton earned its second sweep of Milford this season, notching a 25-21, 25-22, 25-23 win. Taunton head coach Toby Chaperon said sophomore Gabe Kingman had a strong game in the back row for the Tigers while Malik Charles had seven kills and three blocks. Milford senior Jack Winship notched 10 kills, nine digs and four aces while classmate Danny Zwonik had 27 assists and an ace. Sophomore Joao Boaventura added eight kills, six digs and two blocks and sophomore Zach Brown had four kills, three blocks and an ace.
Baseball
Sharon, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final (8 inn.) – Sharon overcame a two-run deficit, tying the game in the fourth inning and then taking the lead in the eighth inning. Sharon senior Jake Marglous had a two-run single in the top of the fourth to tie the game 2-2. In the top of the eighth, Danny Emerman (2-for-4) led off with a triple. Aiden Arnold brought the winning-run home. Sharon junior Max Tarlin had a strong day on the mound, allowing four hits without an earned run in seven innings of work. Tarlin struck out four as well. Brad Zongetti picked up the save with a scoreless eighth inning. Attleboro’s Eoin Kelleher also had a solid day on the mound, going seven innings with four strikeouts, four hits and one earned run.
Franklin, 4 vs. Walpole, 3 – Final (9 inn.)
Softball
Canton vs. Watertown, 10:00AM
King Philip, 11 vs. Walpole, 8 – Final – King Philip’s offense came alive, scoring a season-high 11 runs and connecting on six home runs in a win over Walpole. Betsy Walsh had two of those home runs and three RBI total, pacing the Warriors’ offense. Jess Bonner, Brooke Taute and Sydney Phillips all had home runs for KP as well. With the game tied, Meghan Gorman belted a three-run home run to put KP ahead. Elise Pereira earned the victory, giving up two runs in 5.1 innings of work.
Milford, 9 @ Hopkinton, 4 – Final – Hopkinton took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third but Milford tacked on two runs in each of the next four innings to hand the Hillers their first loss of the season. All nine players in the Hawks’ lineup hat at least one hit in the win, totaling 15 hits as a team. Katie Irwin went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, Emily Piergustavo went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, a two-run home run and three RBI total, Kelley Reichert had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI and Emily Hartman was 2-for-4 with a double. Ali Atherton earned the win, striking out six with seven hits allowed in 6.1 innings of work.
North Attleboro, 0 vs. Bishop Feehan, 14 – Final
Boys Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 9 vs. Silver Lake, 6 – Final – Tied 3-3 at halftime, Oliver Ames’ offense exploded for six second half goals to split the season series with the Lakers. The Tigers had seven different players find the back of the net in the win, led by a hat trick from Colin Bourne. Liam Brown, Owen Gallagher, Jack Lang, Mike Young, Sam Stevens and Shane Kikelly each scored once for OA.
Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 12 @ Canton, 2 – Final
Foxboro, 10 @ Medfield, 9 – Final
Franklin, 8 @ Walpole, 2 – Final – The Panthers dominated the second half, scoring six goals while shutting out the Rebels. “The defense was overall very solid and played as a team,” said FHS head coach Kristen Igoe Guarino. Alex Field had three draw controls, four ground balls and two caused turnovers while Gianna Cameron recorded 10 saves in net. Annie Walsh netted a hat trick on the offensive end while Kendall Reardon and Kelsey MacCallum each scored twice. Jordan Jette and Erin Walsh each had two assists.
Milford, 7 vs. Ashland, 14 – Final
Girls Tennis
King Philip @ Walpole, 10:00AM
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 0 @ Nipmuc, 3 – Final
Taunton, 3 vs. Norwood, 1 – Final – Taunton picked up its seventh win of the season with a 25-15, 25-12, 24-26, 25-23 win over the Mustangs. Lens Esquil paced the offense with 16 kills and two aces, David Fusiecki had nine kills, three aces and a block and Malik Charles had five kills, five aces and five blocks. Nate Grant set the offense up with 35 assists, five kills and an ace.
Baseball
Attleboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 14 – Final – Stoughton’s offense exploded for 20 hits with seven players registering at least two hits for the Black Knights. Ruben Gonzalez went 4-for-5 with a triple, three runs and two RBI, Pat Hagerty was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, three runs and two RBI and Jack Connelly was 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI. Luke Johnson (double, triple, 3 RBI), Ryan Sullivan and Nick Hardy each had two hits. Justin Hutchinson (3-for-3, 2 RBI) earned the win on the mound, tossing 4.1 innings with four earned runs. The senior struck out 10, including six straight, and scattered three hits.
Mansfield, 15 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Mansfield scored in each of the first five innings, including six in the third inning to break the game open. The Hornets connected for 15 hits and reached base on 11 walks. Senior Matt Farragher led the way from the nine hole, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored, Anthony DeGirolamo went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, Max Boen was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored and Zach Peterson had a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored. Nolan Dousa tossed a complete game shutout to earn the win, striking out six while allowing just three hits and one walk.
Foxboro, 1 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Senior Kyle Guenthner initiated a game-ending 4-3 double play as the Warriors hung on for a 2-1 win over Foxboro. Foxboro loaded the bases in the seventh but Guenthner’s double play helped KP survive. Will Weir wen 2-3 with three stolen bases, scoring both of King Philip’s runs. First, Weir had a two-out single in the first inning, stole both second and third and then scored on an error. Weir scored again in the sixth, connecting on another two-out second, stealing second and then scoring on a single from Ben Furfari. Foxboro had tied the game in the fourth when AJ Bubencik singled, stole second and scored on two passed balls. Sophomore Jack Webster got his first career win, tossing two scoreless innings in relief with just two hits allowed. Junior Jackson Sheibler went 4.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one run and junior Jeremy Rhines got the save with a scoreless seventh inning.
Franklin @ Milford – Postponed to Thursday, 4/13 at 3:45.
Taunton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro seized the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth but Taunton responded, grabbing two runs in the top of the sixth to edge the Rocketeers. The Tigers cashed in on three walks and two hit batters to pushed across the tying and winning run. Taunton’s David Schofield earned the walk to draw in the game-winning run in the top of the sixth. Joe Manchester (1-for-3, run) and Jack Moynihan also had an RBI for Taunton, while Matt Machado had two hits. Moynihan tossed four scoreless innings while striking out five. Danny Keogh earned the win, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings with one strikeout. North Attleboro’s Nate Pearce (3-for-4, double, triple, RBI) allowed just one run in five innings of work. Zach DeMattio added two hits, an RBI and a run and Nick Crawley added a pair of hits for the Rocketeers.
Sharon, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames got its offense going early, scoring in the first inning for the second straight game and then adding four more runs in the third inning. Junior Mitch Goulet had a pair of hits in the win for the Tigers.
Softball
Attleboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – McKenzie Bergdoll made an impact both in the circle and at the plate, leading the Bombardiers to a walk-off win over Stoughton. Bergdoll tossed a complete game, scattering six hits while striking out nine. Attleboro was the home team despite the change of venue, giving them the opportunity to bat last. In the bottom of the seventh, Bergdoll connected for a double, driving in MacKenzie Killough (2-for-4) for the winning run. AHS head coach Mark Homer said Jordyn Lako and Ashley Macia had strong games defensively for the Bombardiers.
Canton, 7 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final – Megan Letendre pitched a complete game for the Hornets allowing six hits and striking out six batters. She also went 1-for-3 with an RBI at the plate. Kara Bendanillo went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and Kerran Holmes went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs for Mansfield. Caty DeMassi had three hits and Hayley McGowan had two for the Hornets. Lillian Carrington and Samantha Keefe each hit a home run for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro @ King Philip, 3:45
Milford @ Franklin – Postponed to Thursday, 4/13 at 3:45.
North Attleboro, 1 @ Taunton, 8 – Final – Courtney Fisher picked up the win with a complete game, allowing only one run on six hits, while striking out four. MacKenzie Handrahan powered the offense, going 3-for-3 with three RBI, and Kya Enos chipped in with two hits and two RBI and Katie Van Zandt hit a homer for Taunton. North Attleboro junior Amelia Murphy was 2-for-3 with a double.
Sharon @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Boys Lacrosse
Mansfield, 12 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Mansfield raced out to a 6-2 lead and kept that pace up in the second half to earn the win over Attleboro. Mansfield junior Hunter Ferreira had his way, scoring eight goals while notching an assist as well. Midfield Joe Cox was a top distributor, recording five assists while finding the back of the net once. Cullen Murphy and Danny DeGirolamo each scored once and had two assists and Sam O’Connell scored once. Sean Powers made nine saves in net for the Hornets.
Stoughton @ Canton – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Foxboro goalie Jake Addeche turned away 11 shuts and Pat Stapleton had a strong game on defense with five groundballs as the Warriors blanked Oliver Ames. Foxboro scored three goals in each half, led by Trey Guerini’s two goals and one assist. Sophomore Pete Conley scored once and had two assists while Brendan Tully, Mike Collins and Sam Blake each scored once in the win.
North Attleboro, 6 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Franklin held a 3-2 lead at half, extended it to 7-3 early in the fourth quarter and then held off North Attleboro’s late charge of three straight goals. Franklin goalie Connor O’Rourke had 10 saves and came up big in the final minute as the Panthers held on to their one goal lead. Chase Tanner scored twice and had one assist to lead the Panthers, Kyle McEinry and Packie Watson each scored once and had an assist, Sam Arsenault had a pair of assists and Nitin Chaudhury and Jake Davis each scored once. North Attleboro’s Dan MacDonald made 15 saves to keep the Rocketeers in the contest while both Jack Dakin and Zach McGowan scored twice and had one assist. Tommy Lindstrom added a goal and an assist and Nick Moore also found the back of the net for Big Red.
Sharon, 6 @ King Philip, 14 – Final – The Warriors opened the season with a win as senior Tim Watson accounted for eight points and classmate Paul Macrina made 13 saves in goal. Watson scored five goals and had three assists while sophomore Colin DeVellis scored twice and had three assists. John DeLuca scored twice and had one assist and Zach D’Amico had one goal, one assist and 11 groundballs for the Warriors.
Milford, 9 @ Taunton, 3 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 19 – Final
Canton, 1 @ Braintree, 14 – Final
Foxboro, 16 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames goalie Ari Waldorf made 19 saves for the Tigers while head coach Abby Tepper said Sydney Hedrick had a strong game on defense.
North Attleboro, 7 @ Franklin, 13 – Final – North Attleboro took a 4-3 lead into the halftime break but Franklin’s offense came to life with 10 second half goals. Seven different Panthers found the back of the net, led by senior Kendall Reardon’s four goals. Annie Walsh, Erin Walsh and Kelsey MacCallum each scored two goals for Franklin. Freshman Gianna Cameron made nine saves in net while head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino said freshman Alex Field played well defensively and on the draw.
King Philip, 13 @ Sharon, 7 – Final – King Philip raced out to a 8-2 lead at halftime and never looked back to open the season with a win over Sharon. Katie Crowther, Meg Wagner and Caroline Klim each scored a pair of goals in the for the Warriors while Alli Meehan, Angela Vellante, Dana Truini, Victoria Tormey and MacKenzie Mazur each scored once. Caroline Watson made 13 saves in net for KP.
Taunton, 12 @ Milford, 11 – Final (OT) – Taunton won its second game in a row to start the season thanks to a game-winning overtime goal by eighth grader Alana Tavares, her sixth of the game and 11th in the first two games of her varsity career. Delaney Powell chipped in with three goals for the Tigers and Lorna Li made 12 saves. Emily Hayley had three goals for the Hawks, while Jordyn Lombardo, Taylor Dube, and Jill Burley each had two.
Boys Tennis
Stoughton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro’s Shawn Gordon and Abdul Khatib each won three set thrillers to help the Bombardiers edge Stoughton and pick up their first win of the season. Shawn Gordon won 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 at first singles and Khatib won 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. The team of Eli Araujo and Ryan Gordon picked up a 6-0, 6-4 win at second doubles. Stoughton’s Tony Jordan won 6-1, 6-3 at second singles and the team of Jon Podesta and Erik Anderson won 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 at first doubles.
Canton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final
Foxboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Foxboro’s Andre Jabari won the deciding match, winning in a three-set thriller at second singles to help the Warriors edge King Philip. Jabari dropped the first set 6-7 (7-9) but battled back to win the next two 6-3, 6-3 to earn Foxboro the win. Foxboro swept doubles play for its other two points. The team Shawn McNamara and Matt Tierney won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles and Brandon Wasserman and Ben Dorman won 6-4, 6-2 at second doubles. King Philip’s Cole Ginter won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles and Blake Ginter won 6-3, 6-3 at third singles.
Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin picked up a sweep, winning all five matches in straight sets to beat Milford. Rahul Herur won 6-3, 6-4 at first singles, Eli Brooks won 6-3, 6-0 at second singles and Rohan Herur won 6-3, 6-2 at third singles. The team of James Johnston and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-3 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg paired together for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.
North Attleboro, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro etched its first tally into the win column for 2017 with a sweep on the road at Taunton. Senior Zac Pfeffer won 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 at first singles, senior Dan Zhang won 6-4, 6-2 at second singles and junior Alex Rinaldi won at third singles without dropping game, 6-0, 6-0. Junior Ben Pfeffer and senior Andrew Harris won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and senior Mayank Wadekar and sophomore Vikram Senthilakumaran won 6-3, 6-1 at second doubles.
Sharon, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final
Girls Tennis
Attleboro @ Stoughton, 3:45
Mansfield, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – The Hornets of Mansfield took care of singles play, winning all three in straight sets and also grabbed a win in doubles to beat Canton. Paulina Martin won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Sarah Doyle took second singles 6-1, 6-0 and Elizabeth Elsner won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles. Mansfield’s fourth win came from the team of Chloe Peters and Tessa Garufi, notching a 6-0, 6-1 victory at first doubles. Canton’s Jenna Paynter and Stelina Michaelidis won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.
King Philip, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro swept singles play to edge King Philip on Wednesday afternoon. Sophia Prinos won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Lexi Nelson didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at second singles and Julia Muise won 7-5, 6-1 at third singles to clinch the win for the Warriors. King Philip’s Corrine Palumbo and Carly Adams won 6-4, 6-1 at first doubles and the team of Lucy Barnard and Caitlin Gonser won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.
Franklin, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Franklin won in straight sets at first and second singles and then used three-set win at second doubles to edge the Scarlet Hawks. Senior Hannah Sweeney didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and classmate Anja Deric won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles. The team of senior Julia Hogan and junior Jillian McLaughlin won the deciding point with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 decision at second doubles. Milford’s Caitlin Cafarella won 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) at third singles and the team of seniors Victoria Beyer and Daniella Arojo won 6-2, 6-4 at first doubles.
Taunton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro had to claw back at both first singles and first doubles to claim a win over North Attleboro in a rematch of last season’s epic playoff showdown. North’s Emily Chiasson dropped the first set 0-6 but rallied back to win the next two, 6-4, 6-1. The team of Gabby Duva and Azka Siddiq fell behind after losing the first set 2-6, but won a huge tiebreaker 10-8 to win the second set 7-6 and then took the third 6-3. Jordan Willis won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and the team of Katie Demontigny and Hana Hershey won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles for Big Red. Taunton’s Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-2 at third singles for the Tigers.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sophomore Nupur Shukla and freshman Emily Zhang won in straight sets, at first and second singles respectively, without dropping a game as the Eagles picked up the win. The team of juniors Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and sophomore Sachi Bhasin and Sydney Gordon won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles. Oliver Ames freshman Maura Kiernan made her varsity debut with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win at third singles.
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 0 vs. St. John’s Prep, 3 – Final
Taunton, 3 @ North Quincy, 0 – Final – Taunton picked up its third straight sweep and second in a row on the road with a 25-14, 25-21, 25-21 win over North Quincy. The Tigers used a balanced attack with Lens Esquil leading the way with 12 kills and three blocks. Malik Charles added six kills and one block, David Fusiecki had six kills and four aces and Collin Hunter had five kills and two blocks.
Sophomore attacker Sophia DiCenso (1) and Foxboro will be favorites for a sixth straight Davenport division crown this season but will face tough challenges from North Attleboro, Sharon, and Canton. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2016 Record: 6-12 2016 Finish: Missed Postseason Coach: Kevin Patton
Attleboro is still a relatively young program but has taken strides to be competitive with the rest of the teams in the Hockomock and first-year head coach Kevin Patton is hopeful that the large number of players at tryouts is a sign that the Bombardiers are heading in the right direction.
One of the reasons for Attleboro’s confidence coming into the spring is the experienced players that will take the field, including senior Mish Logie, who is a four-year varsity midfielder. Joining Logie as a captain for this year’s team is goalie Hadley Porreca, who is in her second year in net.
In addition. juniors Emily Patton and Ali Wall return in attack, while classmates Kim White and Graycen Cassidy will keep things tight on the defensive side of the ball. Midfield depth will be provided by sophomores Kyra Lyons and Alex Compton, who are both coming off strong rookie seasons on varsity. Freshman Sydney DiLiddo will also have the chance to step in and contribute in midfield this season and junior Ashlyn Salisbury and sophomore Shea Harrison will see time on defense.
“We had our largest player turnout in the program’s history,” said Patton, “and we have girls that want to work hard and succeed. With only two seniors on this year’s team, I will be looking to certain underclassmen to take on added leadership roles. This will help us not only this year but going forward.”
2016 Record: 8-9 2016 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Christine O’Connor
Canton won five of its final seven games last season to get back to .500 and qualify for the state tournament and the Bulldogs will be hoping to carry that momentum over to this spring with a roster that features nine seniors and eight juniors.
Some of the key returning players for Canton this season include senior attacker Mary Kent, senior defender Tessa Cudmore, and senior goalie Kathryn Doody, who form a solid spine for the Bulldogs to build on. Caroline Hagan, Rebecca Eckler, and Maria Mackie are among the other seniors that will be contributing for Canton.
One of the younger players to watch is sophomore attacker Leah McClellan, who is one of several players that helped the girls’ hockey team reach the state title game at the TD Garden. Another sophomore, Maggie Malloy, has already had strong seasons for the field hockey and ice hockey teams and will provide depth this spring.
“We look to gain strength as the season progresses,” said O’Connor. “We will look to the seniors for leadership and intensity in order to be competitive.”
Foxboro won its fifth straight Davenport division title last spring and returned to the Div. 2 South semifinal for the second straight season and expectations will be even higher this season for head coach Brittany Sherry, as the Warriors return 15 players to try and make it six league titles in a row.
Among the many experienced players coming back is an exciting core of sophomores that have made instant impacts, including the reigning HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Sophia DiCenso, who scored 65 goals and had 31 assists last year. Joining DiCenso up front will be classmates Caroline McGeary and Meghan Curran and juniors Jackie Brion and Catherine Luciano.
Defensively, senior Hallie Canfield will be back to anchor things and provide leadership. Junior Christina Rogers and sophomores Jenna Stamatov and Molly Murphy will also be back to limit opposing offenses. Freshman Sara Addeche will take over in goal and is another in a line of talented underclassmen that Sherry is excited to see develop over the course of the season.
“Our goals stay about the same every year, most importantly getting another round further!” Sherry said. “The last two years our season has ended in the semi finals but I’m hoping with the scheduling and tourney experience last year we will have the edge we need to get to the finals.”
2016 Record: 19-5 2016 Finish: Reached the Div. 1 State Semifinal Coach: Kristin Igoe Guarino
Another spring and another league title for Franklin, which completed another perfect season in the Hockomock and then carried that success into the playoffs to win a second Div. 1 East title with a dramatic, one-goal victory over Acton-Boxboro. Even though they only return five players, the Panthers enter the season as the favorite in the Kelley-Rex division and with sights set on challenging for a state title.
There is experience coming back for the Panthers with seniors Grace McDermott and Dana Lewandowski coming back to control things on the defensive end, while former Underclassman of the Year Kendall Reardon and fellow senior Caroline Lounsbury will provide leadership in the attack.
Franklin always seems to have players ready to step in and, despite there being a youth movement on the varsity team, the Panthers have already started 2-0 with wins against Needham and Lincoln-Sudbury. Sophomore midfielder Annie Walsh and her freshman sister Erin have both gotten off to strong starts with sophomore Halle Atkinson helping out with a hat trick in the win over L-S as well.
“I am very excited for the 2017 season!” said Igoe Guarino. “Our freshmen and sophomores bring a lot of energy and competitiveness to practice and games, while our juniors and seniors bring the discipline and experience. The two combined could bring us very far again this year!”
King Philip surprised some last spring when the Warriors went on the road to beat Westford Academy in the first round of the Div. 1 East tournament and that experience could pay dividends as KP returns a number of key players with the intent making a run at earning a first league title since 2012.
Senior Angela Vellante is back and head coach Julie Boudreau called her the “quarterback” for the attacking unit. Vellante will be looking to feed junior Katie Crowther, who was the team’s and the league’s leading scorer as a sophomore with 111 points. Senior Meghan Wagner was a starter as a freshman and scored in every game but missed the last two years with an injury and is now back to make an impact on offense.
KP can also count on a strong sophomore class led by a core of midfielders: Caroline Klim, Alli Meehan, Victoria and Olivia Tormey, and Dana Truini. Also back is sophomore goalie Caroline Watson behind a defense of juniors Molly Mullins, Christina Hathaway and Izzy Agricola. Also making a return is assistant coach Mary Pasquantonio, Boudreau’s sister, who brings experience as a former KP player and will help the current crop of Warriors on draw controls.
“We have a deep bench with many sophomores and will be looking to run lines and sub regularly to keep everyone fresh,” said Boudreau. “Our theme for the season is ‘grit=hard work + passion’.”
Mansfield won its opening two games of the 2016 season, but the Hornets struggled during a difficult middle part of the spring and missed out on the state tournament. The Hornets showed flashes of potential during the year, including a close loss to perennial tournament team Hingham, and hopes are high that they can get back into the postseason this year.
Expectations are boosted by the return of a strong core of experience players. Senior Maire Foley will be a focal point of the Hornets attack this year, while classmate Maggie Dunn and junior Ann Maher will return in the midfield. Senior Jen McCabe will provide leadership in defense and sophomore Kaity Garvin will build off her rookie season in attack.
Among the new faces this spring are sophomore midfielders Maggie Danehy, who had a solid winter with the girls’ basketball team, and Lauren Whitman
“Our team really has been working together as a unit day one,” said head coach Alexis Kobey. “They came into the season ready to go and work on what they needed to work on to get better, from draw controls, ball movement, attack/defense they have been showing up everyday. They also really love playing with each other, working with each other, making each other better.”
2016 Record: 3-15 2016 Finish: Missed Postseason Coach: Tim Dowd
It has been a tough run for Milford since moving to the Hockomock League, but the Hawks bring back an experienced roster for first-year head coach Tim Dowd and he is hopeful that the program will continue to improve over the course of the season.
Dowd’s excitement for the new season is in part built on the leadership of his senior class, including captains Taylor Dube, Jill Burley, and Jordyn Lombardo, who Dowd said would all have “incredible seasons.” He praised all three for their competitive spirits and for pushing their teammates to improve.
Another senior, Brainna Croteau, will be in charge of the defensive unit and Dowd is counting on the development of a talented group of sophomores and juniors. Milford also has two freshmen, Hannah Bangert and Anne Flanagan, who will be on the varsity roster this season and who Dowd thinks will make an impact.
“I think one of our strengths is going to be teamwork and work ethic,” said Dowd. “We want to be a team that goes the extra mile for each other and constantly works to win battles on the field. We’re going to try to outwork other teams. We’re going to try to focus on the little things to hopefully make big improvements.”
2016 Record: 13-7 2016 Finish: Reached Div. 2 East Quarterfinal Coach: Mike Vitelli
Under first-year head coach Mike Vitelli (who had previously led King Philip to a Hockomock League title and a South final), North Attleboro made a jump into second place in the Kelley-Rex division and won 13 games, while reaching the playoffs for the first time. After a loss to eventual state champ Walpole, Vitelli has built up North’s schedule with perennial powers Notre Dame Academy, Natick, and Walpole to get the Rocketeers prepared for a tournament run.
North will clearly miss last year’s Player of the Year Hana Caster (who is now at UMass Lowell), the Rocketeers return a number of important players, including six of the team’s seven defenders. Seniors Samantha Taggart, Emily Schromm, Emma Cromidas, and Alaina Mello will provide an experienced defensive unit in front of junior goalie Kayla Moulin, who Vitelli believes will have a great season.
Up front, North will turn to junior Kenzie Rosenberg and senior Erin Holley, who had breakout seasons for the Rocketeers in 2016. Chloe Olsen, Julia Dakin, and Julia Tolfa will also be counted on to provide offense for North Attleboro, while Camille Pizzaro and freshman Katie Lindstrom will be newcomers to watch this spring.
“I really like the depth of our bench as well,” said Vitelli. “Lots of hybrid players who can play in many roles…Biggest question I’ve gotten this offseason has been ‘how can you replace Hana Caster?’ My response is we can’t. But that being said, I don’t think any player is replaceable…It just becomes an opportunity for other players to step in and make their mark.”
2016 Record: 8-11 2016 Finish: Reached Div. 1 East First Round Coach: Abby Tepper
Oliver Ames reached the postseason last year by finishing second in the Davenport division and will look to build on that in 2017 in the Tigers first season in the Kelley-Rex and first season under new head coach Abby Tepper, who is only one year removed from the end of a very successful college playing career at Salve Regina and a solid first season as coach of the OA field hockey program this fall.
Tepper inherits a roster with several key returning players that provide a foundation for the Tigers, who won the opening two games of the spring. Junior captain Sofia Masciarelli will be the main attacking cog for OA this season with senior Katie Davenport back in the heart of the defense and junior goalie Ari Waldorf will be back between the pipes.
Also back for OA and expected to make a step up into the starting lineup are senior captain Kendall Clifford in the midfield, junior Chloe Kilkelly in the attack, and sophomore midfielder Olivia Piazza.
“The girls have been working hard each day at practice to prepare for the tough schedule they will face,” said Tepper. They continually improve their skills and lacrosse IQ each day. I have been impressed with how the girls have pushed one another to get better and have committed themselves to the program.”
2016 Record: 10-9 2016 Finish: Reached Div. 1 East First Round Coach: Colleen Carchedi
In her second season in charge, Sharon head coach Colleen Carchedi (née Manning) led the Eagles to their first ever playoff appearance. On their home grass, the Eagles put in a great performance to battle perennial playoff competitor Bishop Feehan and the experience has generated a lot of excitement in the program as the new season begins.
Sharon has five key players returning from last season, including leading scorer Alex Rabb and twin sister Sam, who is one of the team’s top defensive players. Senior Anna Crosby will be the motor in the midfield and junior midfielder Sabrina Robbins has verbally committed to the University of Colorado. Carchedi said of Robbins, “She is someone who always gets the job done and deserves more credit than she gets. She is reliable and hard working, never afraid to take a risk.”
Sophomore Emma Eberhardt is another player coming back that Carchedi believes will be able to take on a much larger role this spring. Eberhardt will add size in the midfield and, particularly, on draw controls. Carchedi said, “She is an all around stud athlete and is for sure a player to watch.” Sophomore Rose Wald is a newcomer that takes over in goal.
“I know we are going to be a really well balanced team,” Carchedi added, noting that the Eagles had six different goal scorers in the season opener against Milford. “I am so excited for the season and ready to hit the ground running after a big game against my old high school, KP.”
With a win against Norton on Monday, Taunton avenged a pair of losses to the Lancers from 2016 and is halfway to last year’s win total. The Tigers are still a young program at the varsity level and, as such, head coach Kerry Northup knows there will be a learning curve against Hockomock opponents, but she is also excited about the team’s potential.
The Tigers will turn to seniors Delaney Powell, Annie Tate, and Abbey Kingman to provide consistent offense this spring and all three had big games in the opener against Norton, combining for 12 of the team’s 17 goals. Powell led the way with six goals in the win and junior Lorna Li had 12 saves in another strong performance for the Tigers’ “confident” goalie.
Taunton also has plenty of youth that will be gaining valuable experience this spring, including three sophomores, a pair of freshmen, and three eighth graders. One of the eighth graders, Alana Tavares, made the most of her varsity debut on Monday, potting five goals against Norton and will be one of the newcomers to watch in the Hock this season.
“We have a solid group of girls this season,” said Northup. “Our strength players have a nice balance throughout the field from offense, mid, to defense. We are not a powerhouse team, but a team with passion, drive, and grit. These girls play to the end and don’t give up until that last whistle sounds.”
Boys Lacrosse
Franklin, 11 vs. Falmouth, 6 – Final – Franklin coach Lou Verrochi said junior Eric Civetti was unstoppable and sophomore Jacob Alexander dominated in the face off X to pace the Panthers past a senior-laden Falmouth side. Civetti scored five goals and had two assists while Alexander won nearly 80% of the draws. Junior Connor O’Rourke made 10 saves in goal and Verrochi said Wyatt Arsenault, Patrick Morrison and Spencer Briggs played very well defensively. Verrochi added LSM Jack Platner, short stick defensive midfielder Will Harvey and Aaron Mallo all played well. Chase Tanner scored twice and added an assist, Sam Arsenault had a goal and an assist, Packie Watson notched two heklpers and Kyle McEniry, Nitin Chaudury and freshman Jake Davis each scored once.
Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 12 vs. Needham, 7 – Final – Franklin led by just a goal (6-5) at halftime but had a very strong second half to open the season with a win over the Rockets. Freshman Erin Walsh impressed in her debut, netting a team-high four goals to pace the Panthers. Classmate Gianna Cameron also had a solid debut in goal, registering 10 saves in net. Halle Atkinson added three goals and Kendall Reardon notched two goals and an assist. Head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino said senior Grace McDermott played well defensively with five caused turnovers.
Boys Tennis
Taunton, 4 @ Coyle & Cassidy, 1 – Final – The Tigers opened the 2017 campaign with a victory over rival Coyle, taking wins at first and second singles and both doubles. Sophomore Brett Beaulieu won 7-6, 6-2 at first singles and junior Mike Briggs took a 7-6, 6-0 decision at second singles. The team of sophomores Charlie Fisk and Dylan Kullas won 6-4, 6-0 at first doubles and sophomore Trevor Hart and junior Kyle Dennehy teamed up for a 6-4, 6-3 win at second doubles.
Girls Tennis
Taunton, 5 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 0 – Final – The Tigers started the season with a clean sweep of rival Coyle at home on Thursday afternoon. Olivia Sweeney (first singles) and Jordan Pagliuca (second singles) both won 6-0, 6-0, while Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The teams of Emily Moor and Caroline Hebert (first doubles) and Jordan Martin and Vanessa Rosa (second doubles) each won 6-1, 6-0.
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 @ Medfield, 1 – Final
Taunton, 3 vs. Braintree, 0 – Final – Taunton picked up the sweep (25-22, 25-19, 25-21) over the Wamps to begin the season. Junior Lance Law paced the offense with nine kills, four aces and two blocks while adding 11 digs. Nate Grant finished with 20 assists and three kills and Lens Esquil had six kills, an ace and a block for the Tigers.
