09/04/2018

Girls Soccer: 2018 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Kelley-Rex Girls Soccer Preview

Attleboro

2017 Record: 4-13-1
2017 Finish: Missed Playoffs.
Coach: Steve Santos

Attleboro improved last season, scoring 18 goals and showing signs of an improved passing game, which head coach Steve Santos has been trying to build over the past few years. An exciting group of younger players added speed to the Bombardiers and the team’s increased depth allowed them to be competitive against even the league’s best teams.

That group has continued to develop and sophomore forwards Isabella Salviati and Briley Harnois will be counted on to provide a consistent threat to the opposition defense. The midfield should be a strength for the Bombardiers this season with a group of versatile players that will set the foundation for the Attleboro passing game. Senior Sam Fasoldt will be joined by juniors Julia Reyes and Ashley Dame, who returns after missing 2017 with a knee injury, and sophomore Jessica Gates. Junior Sophia Salviati will help out in midfield and defense, where Attleboro returns just one starter from last year. Seniors Felicia Laguerre and Ashley Lauzier will be at the heart of the defense in front of goalies Taylor Drake (senior) or Ashley Macia (junior).

“The team looks good and is playing some good passing soccer,” said Santos about the Bombardiers in the preseason. “As a team, our speed is where we need it to be to keep teams on their heels and not let them dictate play.”

Franklin

2017 Record: 10-8-2
2017 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South first round.
Coach: Tom Geysen

Franklin battled injuries throughout the 2017 season and those injuries tested the Panthers depth, but heading into a new season head coach Tom Geysen is confident that this year’s squad can withstand the rigors of Hockomock play. The Panthers will be tested early, with King Philip, Mansfield, and Canton in the opening four games.

Versatility will be a key for the Panthers this season with players capable of slotting into different positions. One of those players is junior Anna Balkus, who can play up top or drop back into the midfield depending on the formation. Sophomore Sydney St. Marie will also play up top and Geysen said that she has shown real progress from last year. Junior Carly Alston will be in the heart of the midfield, while senior Halle Atkinson will give Franklin an outlet on one wing and sophomore Erin Qualie, fresh off an impressive rookie campaign, will be on the other. Defensively, Franklin will count on third-year center back Grace Gallo, fellow senior Maddie Stewart, and junior Sabrina Addi, who moved from the midfield to defense last fall. Athletic junior Breanna Atwood will jump into goal and continue Franklin’s run of strong goalkeepers.

“We have a good nucleus of kids coming back and kids moving around to new positions,” said Geysen. “There are a lot of freshmen with potential to develop into strong players. Everyone had a good attitude and has been working hard.”

King Philip

2017 Record: 20-2-2
2017 Finish: Reached Div. 1 state semifinal.
Coach: Gary Pichel

King Philip put together a dominant season in 2017, winning a league title for the first time since 2002 and then winning the Div. 1 South title as well. The Warriors scored 18 more goals than any other team in the Hockomock last year and also allowed fewer goals than all but two teams. With a loaded roster back this fall, KP has its sights set on even more in 2018.

Expectations are sky high for the Warriors this season because of the return of junior forwards Chloe Layne and Avery Snead, the reigning league MVP and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year. Layne and Snead were the top two scorers in the Hock last season and they continue to develop and improve. KP wasn’t a two-player team and they will also count on senior Abby Baker in the midfield along with wingers Makayla Griffin and Ally Stanton to provide outlets when defenses crowd the forwards and close down the middle of the park. Junior Olivia Berry will be in the heart of the defense and look to provide the leadership and physical play of graduated defender Emma Corcoran. Junior Faye Veilleux also stepped in at the end of last season and showed her growth as a defensive presence in midfield.

KP coach Gary Pichel said, “The team’s strength’s lie in the ability of our offense to create a great deal of scoring opportunities. There is a relentless desire to push hard up top and keep it there through pressure on ball at all times. We are fortunate to have players that have the ability to do so on a consistent basis.”

Mansfield

2017 Record: 13-2-2
2017 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South first round.
Coach: Kevin Smith

While King Philip earned a lot of attention for their run to the state semifinal, Mansfield was equally as strong in the league last year. The Hornets matched the Warriors step for step and earned a share of their second straight Kelley-Rex division title. With a number of players back again this year, Mansfield looks ready to battle for a three-peat and make a deep tournament run.

The Hornets feature 13 seniors on this year’s roster, so experience won’t be an issue. Melissa Reef and Bryn Anderson headline the midfield group, with Reef providing cover for the back line and Anderson acting as the fulcrum that gets the offense in motion. The defense will be spearheaded by Emily Vigeant, who has been on the top defenders in the league for the past couple of seasons. She is joined by versatile and physical defenders like Mikaela Maughn, Kerina Geminiani, and Erin Daniel. Goalkeeper Lauren Whitman will be back between the sticks this season.

There will be plenty of depth in the Mansfield attack this fall with Stephanie Kemp, Sydney Mulkern, Amanda Mangano, Cassidy McMahon, and freshman Maria Sevastos all expected to contribute. “We will be hoping to spread out the offense amongst multiple attackers,” said Mansfield coach Kevin Smith.

Oliver Ames

2017 Record: 11-8-0
2017 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South first round.
Coach: Britt Sellmayer

Oliver Ames had a number of new faces last year, but the Tigers were still able to earn a postseason appearance and were the only team in the league to beat King Philip during the regular season. With another year of experience, OA should be ready for another postseason run.

Defense should be a strength for the Tigers this season with plenty of varsity experience on the back line, including seniors Gabriele McLaughlin, Maeve Hogan, and Brianna Gibson. The defensive unit will help sophomores Emma O’Donnell and Emily Meyers get comfortable in goal, as they try to replace EMass all-star Regan Benton. Junior Abby Hodges will be a key component in the OA midfield this season. Junior Erin Holmberg and senior Maggie Ault will be up front for the Tigers, who will hope to improve on the 31 goals they scored last year.

OA coach Britt Sellmayer said, “We have a good mix of experienced players and younger players that have potential to develop into a good team. The key will be replacing one of the best keepers in EMass in Regan Benton. We are counting on the seniors in the back line staying healthy and providing leadership.”

Taunton

2017 Record: 5-13-1
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs.
Coach: Edith Dixon

It has been a few seasons since Taunton made history with a trip to the postseason and a road playoff win at Wellesley, but the program is continuing to build and head coach Edith Dixon expects the Tigers to be an “interesting” team in 2018 with a mix of youth and experience.

Taunton will clearly miss leading scorer Sam Tichelaar and defensive stalwart Kayla Felix, who both graduated after last season, but there is a lot of talent for the Tigers to build around. Grace Pimenta will be back between the pipes and her aggressiveness off her line will help the Taunton defense. Maggie Sullivan will be counted on to be the field general in midfield and Dixon praised her “never-ending motor.” Up front, speed will be a strength for the Tigers, who are hoping to use it to create numerous chances in transition and being aggressive attacking the opposition goal.

Dixon said, “ The best part about this team is their amazing attitude as a group. Everyone has bought into the team concepts and wants to contribute everything they have towards the team goals. This is the first season I’ve had at Taunton where there are no superstars, just 11 players all working together with great synergy.”

11/06/2017

King Philip Advances With Shutout Win Over OA

King Philip girls soccer — Oliver Ames’ Emma Pereira and King Philip’s Makayla Griffin battle for a 50-50 ball in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

WRENTHAM, Mass. – King Philip’s playoff contest against Oliver Ames started off nearly identical to when it hosted the Tigers in their first regular season matchup in mid-September.

Both times, the Warriors netted the opener in the fifth to take an early lead. But the first time around, the Tigers rallied for a pair of goals before halftime and walked away from Macktaz Field with a win – the only team to beat KP so far this season.

The fifth-seeded Warriors weren’t going to let history repeat itself this time.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

King Philip kept up the pressure after the fifth minute opener, adding a second in the 27th minute and buried an insurance tally in the 78th minute to pick up a 3-0 win over #12 Oliver Ames.

“The first game, we were all over them but their goalie [Regan Benton] is a phenomenal keeper, just phenomenal. That was what we were primarily worried about tonight as well,” said King Philip head coach Gary Pichel said. “The second game, when we went to OA we gave them a good game and won 3-0, and we were hoping to do the same tonight. But you never know in the playoffs, anything can happen.”

The Warriors cashed in on their first shot on goal of the game, taking the lead in the fifth minute. With possession on the right wing, senior Julian Massarone created some space before hitting a low cross to the near post. Sophomore Avery Snead made the run, getting a touch a step ahead of the defense, one-timing her shot in at the near post to make it 1-0.

“It was huge, it was what we were hoping for,” Pichel said of the early strike. “Because if you give them even a little inch, then things go sour for you really fast against Oliver Ames. They’ve been the cream of the crop for many, many years.”

In the first meeting, Oliver Ames cashed in on a pair of corner kicks to take the lead before half. This time around, the Warriors didn’t allow the Tigers a single corner in the first half, and kept the majority of the play in its attacking third.

In the 12th minute, KP’s Makayla Griffin played Snead in behind the defense and she ripped a left footed shot but Benton made the comfortable stop the near post. Seven minutes later, Ally Stanton put a perfectly weighted cross right onto the six-yard line that Snead met with her head, but her bid was just over the bar.

OA’s first chance came in the 20th minute, earning a free kick a couple yards outside the box. But Maggie Ault’s bid went over the bar without testing KP Keeper Emma Durant.

Snead grabbed her second of the game with one of the better shots of the season. Junior Abby Baker played Snead in the middle of the field, the sophomore took a couple of touches towards goal and ripped a shot upper corner at the near post from 25 yards out to make it 2-0.

“If [Oliver Ames] gets any momentum, they are all over you,” Pichel said. “But we kept the pressure [to get the second goal]. We kept the pressure on up top, and between Makayla Griffin and Ally Stanton on the outsides — they were causing all sorts havoc — and then, of course, you have Chloe [Layne] dancing around in the middle and Avery striking balls in.”

Snead nearly had a first half hat trick a minute later when Griffin linked up with Snead again, and Snead drove a low shot to the bottom corner, but Benton made a tremendous diving one-handed save to push the bid aside.

OA had a chance to cut the deficit in half just two minutes later, with Ault and Abigail Hodges causing havoc in KP’s box. Ault had a chance pushed aside by a defender with Hodges latching onto the loose ball with a shot that looked destined for the goal, but a KP defender did well to block the shot.

Just before the half, Stanton had a chance from in close after Snead flicked on a free kick from Emma Corcoran, but Benton did well to close the angle and force the shot high.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The second half evened out in terms of possession, but both sides side had chances. Benton made a comfortable stop on Layne’s bid from atop the area in the 50th minute; OA’s defense got a deflection on Layne’s close-range bid in the 51st minute after Massarone got a touch to Corcoran’s service; and Stanton hit the post off a corner kick in the 62nd minute.

As OA began to push numbers forward, King Philip’s backline stood tall. The Warriors didn’t allow the Tigers many spells of possession in the final third and Durant was forced into just one save.

“I thought our backline was super strong,” Pichel said. “Faye Veilleux as a stopper really botched things up for them when they were trying to come down the middle, so that was a big deal for us. And our keeper didn’t have an awful lot of work which was nice.”

With numbers forward for the Tigers, the Warriors went on the counter-attack. Snead carried possession across for midfield before sliding a pass to Layne in single coverage. She touched the ball onto her left foot and ripped a low shot into the corner to ice the game in the 78th minute.

King Philip girls soccer (17-1-2) advances in the D1 South tournament to visit #4 Bridgewater-Raynham (16-1-1) on Tuesday at 6:00. The Trojans’ tie and loss came against Bishop Feehan. King Philip defeated Feehan in the season-opener in September.

Oliver Ames finishes the season 11-8.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

10/13/201710/14/2017

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/13/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Game of the Week – Football – Click here for a recap and photo gallery from the game.
North Attleboro, 35 @ Stoughton, 21 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Alex Sjoquist 2-yard rush, Josh Cocchi XP good; (NA) Nick Raneri 6-yard rush, Geoff Wilson XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) Chad Peterson 4-yard rush, G. Wilson XP good; (S) Justin Ly 65-yard rush, J. Cocchi XP good.
3rd Quarter: (NA) C.Peterson 1-yard rush, G. Wilson XP good.
4th Quarter: (NA) Nathan Pearce 8-yard rush, G. Wilson XP good; (NA) C. Peterson 2-yard rush, G. Wilson good; (S) Johnny Medina 51-yard pass to J. Ly, J. Cocchi XP good.

Football
Mansfield, 31 @ Attleboro, 7 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery from the game.
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (M) Michael DeBolt 26-yard field goal; (M) Aidan Sacco 27-yard fumble return, M. DeBolt XP good; (M) Damani Scott 53-yard pass to M. DeBolt, M. DeBolt XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) D. Scott 18-yard pass to Hunter Ferreira, M. DeBolt XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) A. Sacco 2-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good; (A) Joseph Llanos 14-yard rush, Tyler Evans XP good.

Foxboro, 24 @ Milford, 30 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Sean Lehane 42-yard field goal.
2nd Quarter: (F) Mike Henri 4-yard rush, Russell Neale XP good; (M) Colby Pires 32-yard pass to Will Pointer, S. Lehane XP good; (F) M. Henri 4-yard rush, R. Neale XP good; (F) R. Neale 39-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (F) M. Henri 31-yard rush, R. Neale XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Ryan Pearl 4-yard pass to Joey Everett, S. Lehane XP good; (M) W. Pointer 31-yard rush, S. Lehane XP good; (M) Ryan O’Toole 62-yard rush, 2pt failed.

Taunton, 14 @ Franklin, 21 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (F) Jake Noviello 71-yard pass to Ryan Driscoll, Matt Zucco XP good; (F) Nick Gordon 3-yard rush, M. Zucco XP good; (F) J. Noviello 31-yard pass to Sean Leonard, M. Zucco XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 1-yard rush, John Teixeira XP good; (T) N. Leonard 15-yard pass to Jahmeir Lewis, J. Teixeira XP good.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ King Philip, 42 – Final
1st Quarter: (KP) Shane Frommer 10-yard rush, Cole Baker XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) S. Frommer 12-yard rush, C. Baker XP; (KP) S. Frommer 17-yard rush, C. Baker XP good; (KP) Brendan Lydon 17-yard pass to Andrew Dittrich, Cole Baker XP good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 4-yard rush, Lazar Rogosie XP good; (KP) R. Halliday 5-yard rush, L. Rogosie XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Boys Soccer
King Philip, 0 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Attleboro freshman Joey Soucy scored his first career goal inside the first 10 minutes of the game to help the Bombardiers earn their first win of the season.

Sharon, 0 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro scored three goals in the opening 10 minutes and never looked back in a win over visiting Sharon. Shane VandenBoom, Nic Biegel, and Matt Rongione each scored to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead. VandenBoom converted a penalty kick in the second half for the final tally. VandenBoom also had an assist, as did keeper Bobby Harrison.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Matt Alvarado scored his first of two goals in the first half and Oliver Ames added three more in the second half to grab two points on the road. Alvarado’s goal, assisted by Nathaniel Cardoza, gave the visitor’s a 1-0 lead at the break. Michael Nikiciuk put OA up 2-0 before the Panthers cut the deficit in half at 2-1. Alvardo and James Gillespie added goals to give the Tigers insurance. Cardoza finished with three assists while Brandin Osborne had one.

Mansfield, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Mansfield scored three goals in the second half to turn a close game into a big win on the road. Cullin Anastasia opened the scoring on a Luke Savoie corner in the 34th minute to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead at the break. Sam Hyland converted off another Savoie corner in the 58th minute to make it 2-0. Four minutes later, Anastasia grabbed his second on a penalty kick. Jackson Murphy capped the scoring in the 70th minute on an assist from Colin Caridi. Nick Ferraz made three saves for his fourth shutout of the season.

Milford, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Milford scored once in each half to pick up two points on the road at Stoughton. Sophomore Walisson de Oliveira kept his hot streak going, opening the scoring in the first half on a volley on a feed from Joey Madden. Anthony Salvadore added an unassisted tally in the second half for the Scarlet Hawks. MHS head coach Brian Edwards said freshman Leo Coelho and sophomore Bryan Traya both played great in the midfield.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ King Philip, 6 – Final – The Warriors got a combined five goals and six assists from sophomores Avery Snead and Chloe Layne to stay in a tie at the top of the Kelley-Rex standings. Makayla Griffin opened the scoring in the second minute off a Layne assist and then Layne added her first 14 minutes later on a Snead assist. Four minutes later, Layne set up Snead for a third goal. Julia Hayes scored off a 20-yard free kick for Attleboro’s lone goal, but KP added three in the second half. Layne scored on a Snead assist five minutes after the break and then the same combo added another four minutes later. In the 58th minute, Snead added an unassisted goal to wrap up the scoring.

Canton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro set the tone early, scoring the opener less than three minutes into the game. Big Red then added one late in the first half and two more in the final five minutes of the game. Kayla Pasquel netted the opener on an assist from Aine Mendonca in the third minute. Haley Guertin, assisted by Leah Jette, made it 2-0 with just two minutes to play in the first half. Emma Gaulin made it 3-0 in favor of Big Red with four minutes left in the game off an assist from Ashlyn Gaulin and then Guertin finished the scoring on a feed from Haley Ferrin with just a minute to play. Emma Noreck earned the shutout in net – “with a smothering defense in front of her,” said NAHS head coach Bill Wallace.

Foxboro, 6 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Foxboro took a 2-0 lead into halftime and broke the game open with four goals in the second half. Mackenzie Fraser netted a pair of goals for the Warriors while Lily Sykes, Shaina Abbott, Katelyn Mollica and Yara Fawaz each scored once. “We played with a lot of energy and passion today,” noted Foxboro head coach Katie Stalcup.

Franklin, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Jackie Mills scored a last-minute goal, her second of the game, to secure a dramatic two points for the Tigers. Franklin had a chance from the penalty spot in the second half, but OA defender Maggie Ault stepped in between the pipes (starting goalie Regan Benton was forced to the bench with a yellow card) and made the save. Anabella Walsh and Abby Reardon had assists for the Tigers.

Taunton, 0 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – The Hornets stayed in a first-place tie atop the Kelley-Rex behind a Stephanie Kemp brace. Cassidy McMahon added a goal and two assists and Emily Vigeant scored one for the Hornets.

Stoughton, 1 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Milford senior Leeanne Kibbee and Ashleigh Starks each scored a pair of goals as Milford cruised to a win at home. Senior Maggie Boyle also found the back of the net while freshman goalie Carly Ferreira notched her first career win. Mia Greene had the goal for the Black Knights.

Volleyball
King Philip, 3 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip bounced back from an opening set loss to earn a win on the road, beating Attleboro 19-25, 25-15, 25-18, 25-9. Sydney Phillips led the offense with 11 kills, Michaela Palumbo had five kills with five service points, including four aces and Rachael Veillieux had 18 service points, including eight aces. Kat Kmetz added 10 service points and five kills and Grace Ely chipped in with five kills.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Despite falling behind 2-0, North Attleboro rallied with three straight wins to pick up a big division win on the road (20-25, 22-25, 25-15, 25-8, 15-8). Amelia Murphy led the offense with 22 kills and four blocks while classmate Kezia De La Cruz had 15 kills and four aces. Leah Marceau put the offense in motion with 28 assists. For Canton, Nicole Brown had 20 assists, 11 digs, and four kills, Hannah Jerrier had 10 kills, and Megan McDonough had 15 digs and a pair of aces.

Sharon, 3 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin junior Lauren McGrath spread the ball around in the Panthers sweep of the Tigers, recording 29 assists as well as three kills and two aces. Maggie Doyle (four blocks), Meaghan Maguire (two blocks) and Hailey Sanders (block) each had six kills for Franklin. For Oliver Ames, Katie Flynn had seven kills while junior Sadie Homer had 22 serve receptions and 10 digs.

Mansfield, 3 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Mansfield snapped its three-game skid with a 25-23, 25-13, 25-14 win on the road at Taunton. Meg Hill had a team-high 18 kills while Julia Harrison added 10 kills. Emma Ascoli had 28 assists and 10 service points and Lexi Gardner had 17 service points and four kills.

Milford, 1 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Stoughton picked up its 13th win of the season with a 3-1 decision over visiting Milford. Senior Val Whalen led the way for the Black Knights with 13 kills, 14 digs, and nine aces while Junior Hanna Holden chipped in with 13 digs and eight assists.

Golf
Canton, 170 @ Sharon, 176 – Final – Canton’s Thomas Singleton and Sharon’s Corey Carter shared match medalist honors, each carding a round of 40 but the Bulldogs came away with a close win. Joey Vaughan shot a 41 whole Chris Lavoie added a round of 44 in the win. Matt Grosser shot a round of 44 for the Eagles.

Franklin, 168 vs. Medway, 170 – Final

Oliver Ames, 145 @ King Philip, 159 – Final – Oliver Ames seniors Ryan McGarry and Mark Bissonette earned co-medalist honors, each carding a low-round of 35 to lead the Tigers to their 12th win of the season. Nolan Donze shot a 37 and Matt Kelley added a round of 38 in the win.

Taunton, 100 @ New Bedford, 73 – Final (Stableford) – Taunton picked up a win on the road, beating New Bedford in a match decided by Stableford points system. Jack Patneaude led the way with a 42 for the Tigers while Spencer Andrews shot a 43 and Jack Giebel carded a 44.

09/23/201709/24/2017

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/23/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Sharon, 8 @ North Attleboro, 42 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (NA) Brendan McHugh 4-yard rush, Geoff Wilson XP good; (NA) Nick Raneri 6-yard rush, G. Wilson XP good; (NA) B. McHugh 5-yard rush, G. Wilson XP good; (S) Chris Gong 5-yard rush, XP blocked.
3rd Quarter: (S) Safety; (NA) B. McHugh 2-yard rush, G. Wilson XP good.
4th Quarter: (NA) N. Raneri 4-yard rush, G. Wilson XP good; (NA) Ryan Boyle 25-yard rush, Devin Slaney XP good.

Boys Soccer
Oliver Ames, 0 vs. Masconomet, 1 – Final

Girls Soccer
Milford, 0 @ Holliston, 2 – Final – MHS head coach Jay Mastaj said Juliana France played well for the Scarlet Hawks in the loss.

Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Brockton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames scored once in each half to sweep the season series with neighboring Brockton. Anabella Walsh opened the scoring the first half, finishing off a cross from Abby Hodges to put the home side ahead. Anna Tempestoso doubled the Tigers’ lead in the second half, converting a penalty kick. OAHS head coach Britt Sellmayer said Maeve Hogan and Maggie Ault anchored OA’s back line.

Field Hockey
Franklin, 0 vs. Walpole, 3 – Final – Franklin junior goalie Anna Jardine made a highlight-reel save with a beautiful slide tackle on a breakaway as one of her career-high 16 saves but the Panthers fell to state perennial power Walpole. FHS head coach Lisa Cropper noted sophomore Maeve Ledwith and junior Cassi Ronan also played well for Franklin.

Stoughton, 5 @ East Bridgewater, 0 – Final – Allie Howe led Stoughton’s offense with a pair of goals while Brittni Paul, Julia Russell and Alanna McCormick each netted a goal apiece.

10/27/2016

Mansfield, OA Finish Even Again in Division Showdown

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – With the Kelley-Rex title on the line, it’s no surprise that offense was at a premium and mistakes were few and far between at Val Muscato Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Oliver Ames entered its final league game of the year with a one point advantage over Mansfield, who still has a game to go. A win for either side would have clinched the Kelley-Rex division but the Tigers and Hornets finished 1-1 – their second draw of the season.

“They’re a great team, they’re a tough team,” Mansfield head coach Kevin Smith said. “It’s great to play against a great team. We’re happy with the point. It’s two great teams battling the heck out of each other. It was great defense all around, midfield play was strong. Any attacking was at a premium because the teams were both playing so hard. Both goalies made some good stops. It was just a great game all around, OA is a great team.”

Mansfield controls its own destiny with its last league game on Friday night against Canton at Gillette Stadium. A tie against the Bulldogs would mean a share of the title and a win would equal the division crown outright. Oliver Ames would earn a share of the title along with Mansfield if there is a tie and would win the title outright if the Bulldogs beat the Hornets.

“I was very pleased with how the team came back in the second half,” Oliver Ames head coach Britt Sellmayer said. “They showed a lot of composure, a lot of character. Mansfield is a great team, they’re well coached.”

Between the weather – wind and rain – and the high stakes of the game, neither side was able to get into a real groove in the opening half. Mansfield had the best two chances of the half, starting with Stephanie Kemp‘s shot in the seventh minute that was saved.

Four minutes later, Mansfield’s Hannah Reiter nearly opened the scoring, ripping a shot from just inside the area that looked destined to sneak under the crossbar. Instead, Oliver Ames junior keeper Regan Benton timed her jump perfectly, punching the shot over the bar.

Oliver Ames’ back line of Dana Lowney, Zoe Chazan, Emily Freeman and Maggie Ault– with Claudia Ferrara in front as a defensive mid – limited the Hornets from registering any other chances.

On the other end, center backs Emily Vigeant and Emily Sullivan anchored the Hornets back line with Allison Verge, Mikaela Maughnand Kerina Geminianiall seeing time as outside backs in front of keeper Emily Gaumond.

Both teams settled down in the second half as the rain ramped up. It took the Hornets less than four minutes into the second stanza to find the opener.

Mansfield earned a free kick along the right sideline, just outside the area. Vigeant delivered the service to the near post where Reiter ran onto and latched onto it with a volley that found the far post for a 1-0 lead.

“Hannah Reiter’s a special player, it took her four years to get a goal on us,” Sellmayer said. “You can’t give [Mansfield] restarts near the box. Vigeant and [Reiter] have been a great combination all year long.”

“With her, you have a leader that’s been through some battles,” Smith said of Reiter. “Her club team has been #1 in the nation, she’s played in the finals. She knows what it’s like to play in big games. She’s just a field general out there, she’s calming people down. She actually called our timeout, she said we needed it because we were a little flustered and I trust her to make judgements like that.

“She calls the plays out there, she reads the game so well. She steps up in the big times. She scored against Franklin the first game, she scored here…she has so many game-winning goals in the big games, like King Philip the other day. She likes to pop up at the right times, it’s a joy to coach her.”

Oliver Ames was close to finding the equalizer in the 62nd minute when Chazan’s free kick from the wing hit off the crossbar and out. Two minutes later, Mansfield almost doubled the lead when Bryn Anderson connected with Kemp but her bid was over the bar.

A minute later, the Tigers did come through with the tying goal. Freeman, from her own half, delivered a perfect diagonal ball through Mansfield’s defense. Lauren Wright ran onto and slotted her shot past an oncoming Gaumond, the ball hitting the far post and going in to make it 1-1.

“We started to play with four forwards near the end because we were desperate,” Sellmayer said. “We played with three in the back, three in the middle and then sort of a diamond up top. Losing 2-0, 3-0 didn’t make a difference, we had to go for it and we did. We played better in the second half.”

The Hornets had a chance three minutes after OA’s equalizer with a pair of corner kicks. On the first, Vigeant’s service skipped through the area for a close chance but Freeman was in perfect position to block the shot.

With a lot of numbers pushed forward at the end, Oliver Ames had one final chance in the final seconds. After a partial clearance, OA’s Jess Robarge sent a ball back in that was deflected down. Junior Abby Reardon sprinted towards the ball but Gaumond came off her line and smothered the loose ball to preserve the tie.

Mansfield (14-0-3, 12-0-3) will look to earn the division title when they play Canton at Gillette Stadium on Friday at 8:00. Oliver Ames girls soccer (13-0-4, 12-0-4) will conclude the regular season with a trip to Brockton on Saturday at 1:00.