02/12/202202/14/2022

Sunday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/13/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 57 vs. Catholic Memorial, 52 – Final – Attleboro senior Alvin Harrison dropped a team-high 18 points and junior Jaiden Outland had some key plays in the final minutes to help Bombardiers secure a win over visiting Catholic Memorial. Senior Colin Morais converted a tough layup with 1:30 to go to put the Bombardiers ahead 52-49, but CM made it a two-point game with a free throw. The Knights had a chance to tie the game after an Attleboro turnover with just a minute to go both Outland raced back and combined with Harrison to steal the ball back. Outland sank a key free throw, and then leading by just one, he scored on a breakout with just under 20 seconds left to make it 55-52. Morais finished with 10 points while Outland had a career-high nine points for Attleboro, who overcame a 30-21 halftime deficit, starting with a 20-point third quarter in which seven players scored.

Milford, 78 vs. Ludlow, 21 – Final – Milford had 12 players get into the scoring column in a big win over Ludlow, its second win in a three-day span. Freshman Gustavo Coutinho hit three of the Hawks’ 11 three-pointers and finished with a career-high 18 points to lead the offense. Senior Justin Luchini scored all of his 13 points in the first three quarters while freshman Andrew Rivera had nine of his 11 points in by halftime.

Taunton, 67 vs. Durfee, 54 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos sank five three-pointers and finished with 12 makes from the field for a game-high 35 points as the Tigers avenged their loss to the Hilltoppers in December. Faisal Mass added 20 points and sophomore Troy Santos chilled in with eight points for Taunton, who had a 36-32 lead at halftime.

Girls Basketball
North Attleboro, 45 @ Sharon, 49 – Final – Tess Letendre led three Eagles in double digits to help them split the season series with the Rocketeers. Sharon led by two at halftime, but North came up with 17 points in the third quarter to take a five-point lead into the fourth. Sharon held the visitors to just six points in the fourth quarter to pull out the win. The Eagles scored 15 in the final quarter, including 6-for-10 at the line. North was only 5-for-12 from the free throw line for the game. Jasmine Davis added 12 points and Rachael Hager scored 11. Summer Doherty was North’s top scorer with 14 and freshman Sam Faria added 10. Ava McKeon and Sam Sweeney each scored seven points in the loss.

Boys Hockey
Canton, 4 vs. Reading, 3 – Final (OT) – Eamon Kelly scored his second goal of the game to give Canton the overtime win and seal the Walter Brinn Division championship of the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Hockey Classic. Reading twice had the lead in the game but Kelly, who was named tournament MVP, tied it at 1-1 and Patrick Drury made it 2-2. AJ Thomas put the Bulldogs ahead for the first time late in the second period, but the Rockets were able to score with 27 seconds left in the third to force the extra period. It was Canton’s 15th straight win.

Franklin, 0 vs. Natick, 2 – Final

Girls Hockey
Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Maggie McCaffrey scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with three minutes left to play, to help the Panthers pick up the road win. Molly Hurley had the first goal for the Panthers while Lindsey Dennett, Shaw Downing, Samantha Wong, and Dana Stott each had an assist. Maeve Anastasia and Kylie O’Keefe each scored for MOAF, the latter tying the game at 2-2 with nine minutes to play. Cammy Shanteler, Cierra Doherty, and O’Keefe each had an assist for the Warriors.

01/16/202201/18/2022

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/17/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Foxboro, 70 @ Abington, 65 – Final – Foxboro took a lead in the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the way in securing a win on the road over Abington. Senior Dylan Gordon hit 10 shots from the field, including just one three-pointer, on his way to a career-high 27 points to pace the Warriors, who led 13-8 after one and 33-25 at halftime. Junior Alex Penders added 18 points while the Warriors got key three-pointers from Sam Golub, Ryan LeClair, Andrew Finn, and Cam Barreira. Foxboro carried a 50-44 lead into the final quarter.

Mansfield, 65 @ BC High, 87 – Final – Mansfield held a one-point lead (19-18) after the first quarter but couldn’t recover from the 10-point deficit it faced at halftime to suffer its first loss of the season. Senior Matt Hyland had a team-high 20 points while Dante James and Jack Lasbury-Casey each chipped in with 12 points.

Girls Basketball
Mansfield, 54 vs. Notre Dame Academy, 40 – Final – Mansfield trailed by two after the first quarter but then put together an 18-8 second to take a lead that it wouldn’t relinquish, picking up a non-league home win. Abby Wager led the way for the Hornets with 16 points and Natalya Gill added 13, including three makes from beyond the arc. The duo combined for 10 of Mansfield’s 12 points in the first, but NDA led by two after eight minutes. In the second, Mansfield scored 18 points to head into the locker room up by eight. Wager and Hallie Popat (seven points) each scored five in the quarter and Gill knocked down a three. Wager and Gill were back at it in the third, teaming up for 11 of Mansfield’s 15, as the Hornets went into the fourth up by 10. NDA was held to just five points in the final quarter, as Mansfield locked down defensively to seal the win. Kara Santos scored six points on her return to the lineup.

Boys Hockey
Canton, 3 vs. Newburyport, 1 – Final

Franklin, 9 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro scored a first period goal to cut Franklin’s lead in half at 2-1 after a period of play, but the Panthers scored seven unanswered over the final two periods to secure the win. Ben Jarosz and Adam Quinn each scored twice and recorded two assists apiece to pace the Panthers’ offense. Dylan Marchand added a pair of goals and an assist, Dom Lampasona scored once and had one helper, and eight other Panthers recorded one point. Franklin freshman Jack O’Connor made 14 saves for the win. Ben Ricketts scored for Foxboro off of an assist from Derek Axon.

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Quincy, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Sean McCarthy scored a hat trick but the Tigers fell on the road to Quincy. Sophomore Andrew Livingstone lit the lamp twice and had three assists for OA while freshman Shaun Teehan scored once and had one assist. Sophomore Sean Kearns had a pair of assists while McCarthy and Matt Lawson each tallied one helper.

Stoughton, 5 vs. East Bridgewater, 6 – Final – Stoughton’s Sean Farley found the back of the net twice but the Black Knights lost a tight contest with East Bridgewater. Charlie Caputo, Ryan Summers, and Cooper Card also scored for the Black Knights.

Taunton, 1 @ Somerset-Berkley, 4 – Final

Girls Hockey
Franklin, 1 @ Algonquin, 1 – Final (OT) – Franklin scored with under a minute left in the third period to earn a comeback point against Algonquin. Down 1-0, the Panthers pulled the goalie and Ava Villella redirected a shot from Maggie McCaffrey with 5.9 seconds to go to pull even.

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Longmeadow, 2 – Final

King Philip, 5 vs. Archbishop Williams, 1 – Final

Gymnastics
Attleboro @ North Attleboro – Postponed to TBD.
Mansfield @ King Philip, 12:30
Sharon, 127 @ Taunton, 124 – Final

01/07/202201/09/2022

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/08/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Sharon, 76 @ Oliver Ames, 61 – Final – Sharon scored 22 points in the opening quarter to build a double-digit lead that it never relinquished for its first win over Oliver Ames since 2016. Senior Will Hippler, junior Matt Baur, and sophomores Nate Katznelson and Jacob McLaughlin all connected from three-point range in the opening eight minutes as the Eagles shot nearly 60% from the field to establish a 22-11 lead. Katzneslon, McLaughlin and junior Jack Bates each added a three in the second for the Eagles, who hit seven of their 12 threes in the first half. Baur finished with a team-high 16 points and five rebounds to lead the way for Sharon, who held a 37-25 lead at half and a 55-35 lead going into the fourth quarter. Katznelson added 15 points and eight rebounds, McLaughlin finished with 13 points and five assists, and senior John Baez had eight points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Zach Tagliamonte led OA with a game-high 17 points and five rebounds while senior Drew Baxter and freshman Cole Craffey each had 10 points.

Boys Hockey
Mansfield, 4 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield exploded for four goals in the second period to skate away with a league win over Attleboro. Senior Dillon Benoit scored a pair of goals for the second straight game, senior Ryan Doherty added one, and freshman Matt Tourigney scored his first career goal. The Hornets went a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, improving to 9-for-9 on the kill in league games this year.

Canton, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Canton sophomore Brian Middleton scored the game-winning goal with just over three minutes left in the third period to help the Bulldogs avenge its loss to Franklin from earlier this season, this one in league action.

North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 2 – Final

Taunton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Sophomore Andrew Livingstone scored twice and junior Brandon Burke recorded 30 saves to help Oliver Ames edge out Taunton. Junior Noah Isleib scored his first career goal while sophomore Jack Corey scored once. Junior Sean McCarthy recorded two assists while junior Jack Perron, sophomores Matt Lawson and Jake Cunningham, and freshman Patrick DeLoughrey each had one assist.

Stoughton vs. Cardinal Spellman, 0 – Final – Four different players lit the lamp as Stoughton skated to a shutout win over Cardinal Spellman. Aidan Obrock, Joe McNulty, Colin Alessi and Sean Farley each scored once for the Black Knights while Chris Andrade posted the shutout in goal.

Girls Hockey
Canton, 0 vs. Norwood, 3 – Final

Franklin, 2 vs. Dedham, 1 – Final – Franklin picked up its second win over Dedham in the past two weeks, this time with a 2-1 decision in regulation. Julia Flynn and Shaw Downing (from Maggie McCaffrey) scored for the Panthers while Izzy Brown had a great game in net to earn the win.

Stoughton/Sharon, 2 vs. Old Rochester, 8 – Final – Molly Corvino and Zoe Bangs each scored for the Black Knights while Ava Buckley registered an assist on each goal but Stoughton fell to Old Rochester.

Wrestling
Canton, 24 @ Silver Lake, 51 – Final – All four of Canton’s wins on the day were by pinfall, each earning six points but the Bulldogs fell on the road to Silver Lake. Yurii Leskiv (113, 2:14), Max Kupferman (126, 0:34), Cillian Collins (182, 1:52), and Ruairi Ritson (195, 4:28) each won for Canton.

Panther Invitational (Foxboro, King Philip), 10:00 (@ Whitman-Hanson) – King Philip had five finalists and two individual champions to take first place in the Panther Invitational held at Whitman-Hanson. The Warriors had a total of 140.5 points while second place Milton had 131 points. Foxboro had 47 points. Hunter Hastings won all three of his matches by pinfall, including the 195-pound championship with a fall in 1:52 in the championship round. After a bye in the first round, heavyweight Dan Nineve won the semifinal by pin in 1:37 and then took the championship with a pin in 3:24. Sam Debaggis (126), Colby Cloutier (152), and William Conniff (170) each finished second for the Warriors while Lodan Wells (120) took third and Michael Gorman (145) took fourth. Foxboro’s Maxwell Kornbluth (160) and Ryan Addeche (170) finished third while Adam Addeche (120) and Sebastian Zerpa Aguilar (285) finished fourth.

Norton Quad (Mansfield, Taunton) – Taunton senior captain Christian Balmain became just the second wrestler in program history to reach 100 wins and the Tigers went 3-0 on the day at the Norton Quad, beating the host Lancers (50-24), Mansfield (61-15), and Quabbin (72-12). Balmain, who wrestles at 152, earned a forfeit win, a major decision (12-4) over Norton, and a pinfall in 1:20 against Mansfield. Michael Leskoski (106), Xavier Sandoval (138), Ethan Harris (182), Avery Justa (195) also went 3-0 on the day while Ryan Jones (113), Brandon Mendes (126), Anthony Vieira (132), Ben Mandeville (145), John Mandeville (160), Charlie Rabel (170), Peter Ye (220), and Robert Tran (285) each won twice.

St. John’s Prep Super Quad (North Attleboro) – North Attleboro picked up three wins on the day, pinning down victories over Bridgewater-Raynham (42-36), Marblehead/Swampscott (55-24), and Beverly (51-24). Three Rocketeers won all three of their matches with Braxton Ferro (132) and Christopher Galligan (138) each grabbing three pinfalls and Jaad Ismail (170) had two pins and one decision. Tanner Ferguson (120), Tyler Tobias (126), Masen Oyola (145), Benjamin Lodi (160), Greg Berthiaume (182), Austin Dean (195), and Keysun Wise (285) each won twice for North.

Sharon Quad (Sharon) – Sharon picked up three wins at home, beating Belmont (57-24), Concord-Carlisle (48-27), and Catholic Memorial (54-18). Vehnil Rangaraman, Adam Landstein, Cam Birnbaum, Nick Varvak, Aaron Cashton, Philip Varvak, and Cormac Horlbogen all went undefeated for the Eagles on the day.

Oliver Ames Quad (Oliver Ames), 10:00

Central Catholic Tri (Milford), 9:00

Gymnastics
Attleboro, 131 @ Sharon, 123 – Final
Taunton @ Canton, 4:00

12/15/2021

2021-2022 Hockomock Girls Hockey Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Girls Hockey Preview

Canton

2020-2021 Record: 6-1-1
Coach: Dennis Aldrich
Canton will be back on the ice defending its league title and its Div. 2 state title (shared with Wellesley) from the 2019-20 season. The Bulldogs became the first team to repeat as Hockomock champion since the league introduced girls hockey and would love to add a third straight title to its trophy case this winter.

There will be a few changes in the lineup this year, as leading scorers Maria Femia and Lizzie Tassinari both graduated, but the Bulldogs remain a defense-focused team and will have preseason MVP favorite Allie McCabe leading things on that end of the ice. McCabe will have help on the blue line from junior Mya Battista, a three-year varsity player, and they both have plenty of experience to call on. Junior Carolyn Durand has been a standout in goal for the past two seasons and the Bulldogs will be hoping that a preseason foot injury won’t keep their netminder sidelined for too long.

On offense, Canton is going to be hoping for several forwards to step up and fill in the production lost to graduation. Seniors Payton McDonough and Tess Khoury will bring plenty of energy, leadership, and physicality to the forward line and junior Audrey Koen is poised for a breakout season after scoring six times as a sophomore. Junior Ellie Bohane and sophomore Devin Spinale could also play bigger roles this year.

“As always, the Bulldogs will be a defensively responsible and offensively opportunistic team,” said Canton coach Dennis Aldrich. “The hard work and toughness shown by the girls from day one of tryouts has been remarkable and should prove to benefit us this season.”

Franklin

2020-2021 Record: 6-3-1
Coach: Margie Burke
Franklin has a true blend of veterans and rookies this season and will be hoping that combination can lead to a Hockomock League title.

The Panthers have just under a dozen players back from last year but got a big boost to the roster from the freshmen class, with six skaters and two goalies. While head coach Margie Burke is counting on the freshmen to make contributions throughout the year, she’ll be leaning heavily on her upperclassmen.

Having to replace the top two scorers from last season will be a challenge but the Panthers have plenty of capable options to step up. Senior forward Maggie McCaffrey is off to a good start with two goals in the opening game, and the same goes for junior Molly Hurley. Senior Samantha Wong and juniors Avery Greco and Dana Stott add a lot of skill to the offense. Shaw Downing will be a key piece along the blue line for Franklin.

“We will be young and competitive,” Burke said. “We will be looking to our defensive play to contribute to our success this season.”

King Philip

2020-2021 Record: 6-5-2
Coach: Ken Assad
King Philip will be trying to break through this winter and add a third team to the list of Hockomock League champions, ending the two-year run of Canton at the top. The Warriors will bring plenty of experience into the season and plenty of scoring punch, as their top four scorers from last year are all back to make a run at a league title and a deep run in the postseason.

Senior forwards Sydney O’Shea, Morgan Cunningham, and Jen Daniels will bring experience and leadership to the top two forward lines. O’Shea is the league’s top returning scorer after recording 21 points in just 13 games last year. Sophomore Kelly Holmes is also back after an impressive rookie season, scoring a team-high nine goals, and looking to build on that performance now that she has a year of varsity experience. Freshman Cate Hart will be a newcomer to watch in the attack with sophomores Nicole McDonald and Rylie Ryan and junior Sydney Cloutier all getting opportunities to contribute.

There is also a lot of leadership on the blue line with seniors Ally Donovan and Meg Sherwood back to guide the defensive unit. Junior Katarina Precobb and sophomores Mara Boldy and Emma Sullivan will also be key contributors on defense. Junior Mallory Johnston is back in goal for the Warriors, but she will get a push from junior Haley Bright.

“Overall, if we can maintain our tough forecheck and play hard in all three zones, I believe with the hard work we have just as good a chance as any other team make a run for the Hock title this year and then look at getting into the state tournament,” said KP coach Ken Assad.

Mansfield/Oliver Ames

2020-2021 Record: 5-4-2
Coach: Jamie Mullen
The Mansfield/Oliver Ames/Foxboro co-op team has been a competitive squad for a solid stretch now and a big reason has been their ability to reload instead of rebuild.

That will be the case again this year as the Warriors still have a real strong core group of players back after graduating an impressive senior class. And the goes for behind the bench too after Roy Bain retired, as former assistant Jamie Mullen takes over the reins of the program.

One big advantage have is in net with senior captain Jess Widdop back between the pipes. Widdop is one of the most experienced goaltenders in the league having played since her freshman year. Her aggressiveness and quickness in net really gives the Warriors a boost on the defensive end. On the other end of the ice, the Warriors have a strong group of forwards. Samantha Ledin is one of the quickest in the Hock, Kylie O’Keefe has great playmaking skills, and senior Cierra Doherty sets the tone with her energy.

The line of Cammy Shanteler, Mya Waryas, and Maeve Anastasia gained some valuable experience last year and will be one to watch as this season plays out. Look for newcomers Emma Rabinovich and Madison Guilfoyle to help returner Julia Muttart on the blueline.

“I think we have a group that is going to surprise some people,” Mullen said. “We have some strong returning players and some new players that will help round out the team. Our humble leader Jess is solid between the pipes providing essential confidence for our defense. This team has a lot to prove to themselves, but I have full confidence in their enthusiasm and passion for working hard. We have a group that is determined to work hard, push themselves and their teammates to continue to improve, and play together.”

Stoughton/Sharon

2020-2021 Record: 0-8-2
Coach: Chad Kelley
Stoughton/Sharon has struggled for numbers over the past few years and the still relatively young co-op program will be playing an independent, rather than a Hockomock League, schedule this winter under first-year coach Chad Kelly. Despite the small roster, Kelly is happy with the energy and effort from the team during the preseason.

With players from four towns, building rapport between the players on the ice will be a key. Kelly is turning to his experienced players to help provide leadership, including senior forward Zoe Bangs and junior Ava Buckley, both from Stoughton. Senior defender Mikayla Snyder and senior forward Nina Hatch, also from Stoughton, will add to the experience in the lineup and senior goalie Janelle Murphy from Brockton could be a standout for the team this season.

There are several new faces from all of the towns, some who are new to the sport. Sophomores Samantha Calapai and Molly Corvino are new additions from Brockton that can help out on the blue line. From Sharon are two freshman forwards, Peri Rodman and Heather Kelly, who bring a lot of energy to the ice. Sophomores Nicole Reid and Brianna Moreno and freshman Leila Uchani, each from Stoughton, are also new to hockey and have impressed with their efforts so far.

“We have a great group of kids from our four towns,” said Kelly. “Our success will come from the net on out. Janelle is an all-star-caliber goalie and our defensive corps is excellent. We will struggle a bit on the offensive side of the ice.”

12/15/202112/16/2021

Girls Hockey: Players to Watch in 2021-2022

By HockomockSports.com Staff

Player are listed alphabetically

Girls Hockey: Players to Watch in 2021-2022

Carolyn Durand, Junior – Canton

Durand has already put in two excellent seasons between the pipes for the Bulldogs, leading the league’s top defensive team each of those two years and she added a strong season in goal for field hockey this fall as well. A solid goaltender, who always seems to be in the right positions, Durand saved more than 92 percent of the shots she faced last season and only allowed about one goal per game. With quick reflexes, Durand can make the highlight-reel save when necessary, but she reads the shooters well and is frequently in the right place to make the saves look easy. Canton is a defensive-minded team anyway but even when teams are able to find shooting lanes against the Bulldogs, Durand is there making the crucial saves making sure that it remains hard to find the back of the Canton goal. Although Durand will be sidelined with an injury to start the season, Canton will be hoping for a quick return to solidify the defensive zone.

Kelly Holmes, Sophomore – King Philip

Holmes was an instant star in the KP attack last season, jumping into an experienced forward line and providing clutch goals for the Warriors, looking like a player who had been out there for years. Holmes was second in the league with nine goals and tied for second on the team with seven assists, finishing second on KP with 16 points in just 13 games. A strong skater with seemingly endless energy, Holmes was a terror in the offensive zone. Her powerful, accurate shot makes her a threat as soon as she crosses the blue line and she was also willing to get into the dangerous areas in front of goal, capable of scoring the “ugly” goals as well as the snipes to the top corner. KP wants to be the third team to claim a Hockomock League title and will have hopes of a tournament run, with a year of varsity experience Holmes is looking to provide the firepower that helps the Warriors move up the standings.

Girls Hockey: Players to Watch in 2021-2022

Molly Hurley, Junior – Franklin

Franklin junior Molly Hurley has been a strong presence in all three zones over the past couple of seasons, not only stepping up offensively to give the Panthers some needed punch on the offensive zone, she does a nice job backchecking and helping the defense. As a freshman, Hurley made an immediate impact for the Panthers. She scored four goals and had five assists and was one of the top scorers on the squad. With a lot of the offensive production from last year not on the ice this year, Hurley will be called upon to fill the void.

Girls Hockey: Players to Watch in 2021-2022

Sammy Ledin, Senior – Mansfield/Oliver Ames

MOA senior Sammy Ledin has been an impact player for a long time for the Warriors, one of the top contributors on the offensive end in each of the last couple of seasons. The senior forward will be the focal point of MOA’s top line this winter and her strong stick skills, accurate shooting, and speed in the attacking zone makes her one of the top forwards in the league coming into the season. Someone is willing to pick up the puck in the defensive zone and use her speed to carry it the length of the ice, Ledin can also battle in the corners or post up on the edge of the crease, her versatility making her a tough matchup for any defense. MOA is looking for its first Hockomock title and Ledin will try to provide the firepower for the Warriors as they look to unseat Canton and Franklin from the top of the league.

Maggie McCaffrey, Senior – Franklin

One big challenge that Franklin has this season will be on the offensive end as the Panthers graduated two of its top three scorers from last year, and the other — Lyndsay Atkinson — is out hurt. But that means there will be plenty of opportunities for new faces to step up. One candidate for a breakout season is senior Maggie McCaffrey. McCaffrey has a lot of varsity experience and made an impact early on in her career, scoring six goals along with two assists for eight points during his sophomore season. She is confident with the puck on her stick and a strong skater that can make a lot of things happen in the offensive zone.

Allie McCabe, Senior – Canton

Coming into the season, McCabe is arguably the league’s top player. The senior is the leader of Canton’s defensive corps, but her impact is felt in all three zones. A dominating presence in the defensive end of the ice, commanding the corners and clearing space in front of goal, McCabe is just as likely to carry the puck through the neutral zone and spark a quick Canton break. With great stick skills, vision, and energy, McCabe is definitely the on-ice leader for the Bulldogs and she can provide offensive punch too, scoring twice and adding six assists in the shortened 2020-21 season. Canton is looking to retain the league title and also make a push in the state tournament and McCabe will be the key player for the Bulldogs this winter, pushing the Bulldogs against what has become a very competitive, balanced league.

Sydney O’Shea, Senior – King Philip

The league’s leading scorer last season, O’Shea is one of a handful of experienced forwards that will try to fire the Warriors to the top of the Hockomock standings this winter. In just 13 games last year, O’Shea scored eight goals and had a league-best 13 assists for KP’s top line. An energetic forward, who is willing to drop back and help out in the defensive zone and then lead the rush up ice, O’Shea is a talented finisher around the goal. She isn’t afraid to mix it up in the corners and finds ways of creating shooting lanes from all angles, meaning you have to keep an eye on her no matter where she is in the offensive zone. With the goal of trying to end Canton’s reign atop the league, KP will be leaning on its experienced forwards to try and power the Warriors to the top of the Hock standings, with O’Shea trying to lead the way again.

Jessica Widdop, Senior – Mansfield/Oliver Ames

Widdop wasn’t expecting to be the starting goalie when she joined the team as a freshman but was willing to lean on her youth hockey experience between the pipes to take on the challenge. Now, she enters her senior season as a dependable mainstay for the Warriors. Her quickness and athleticism means that she is almost never completely out of a play, capable of pulling off some unlikely saves. She allowed less than three goals per game last year, stopping nearly 91 percent of the shots she faced and recording 205 saves (which was second-best in the Hock). Widdop has improved her positioning each season and her communication with her defense, rarely giving up the soft goal even in the highly pressured atmosphere of Hock games. The Warriors want to add a new name to the list of Hockomock champions and Widdop’s presence in net means they can be confident of being tough to score against.

01/23/202101/24/2021

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/23/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Franklin, 65 @ Taunton, 72 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Girls Basketball
Taunton, 10 @ Franklin, 59 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. The Panthers continue to roll through the first three weeks of the season, completing the sweep of Taunton with a strong defensive performance and with 12 players getting on the scoresheet. Franklin jumped out to a 15-3 lead after one quarter, but things got tighter in the second as the Panthers were held to just eight points. Things picked up offensively for the hosts after the break, as they scored 20 points in the third and 36 for the second half. Taunton was held to just three made field goals for the game (one in the first, third, and fourth quarters). Olivia Quinn led the way with 13 points in the win, including eight in the second half and three made three-pointers. Franklin continues to showcase its depth. Elizabeth Wilson had eight points, Kaleigh Houlihan added seven, and Katie Peterson and Brigid Earley both had six. Jaelyn Fernandez paced the Tigers with four points (all from the line in the second quarter).

Canton, 56 @ Mansfield, 65 – Final – In a back-and-forth battle, Mansfield scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to pull out the non-league victory. The Hornets led 27-21 at halftime, but the Bulldogs came storming back with a 21-point third quarter to take a one-point lead into the final eight minutes. Kayla Vine scored 18 points, Ashley Santos had 15, and Abby Wager added 13 to hand Canton its first loss of the season. Ally Prentis also had a pair of big threes in the first half to put Mansfield in front. Sydney Gallery scored a game-high 22 points and Kiara Cerruti chipped in with 16 for the Bulldogs.

Boys Hockey
Franklin @ Taunton – Postponed to TBD.

Girls Hockey
Franklin, 7 vs. Boston Latin, 0 – Final – Franklin senior Amanda Lewandowski scored a hat trick as the Panthers skated to a win over BLA. Junior Maggie McCaffrey added a pair of goals while Molly Hurley and Libby Carter (two assists) each scored once in the win. Lyndsay Atkinson added three assists in the win while Gabby Colace had the shutout.

Gymnastics
North Attleboro @ Taunton, 4:00

01/06/2021

Canton Shuts Out Title Rival Franklin in Season Opener

Canton girls hockey — Canton sophomore Audrey Koen (17) scored a pair of goals to lead the Bulldogs to a season-opening win against Franklin. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

CANTON, Mass. – So much about this season is unfamiliar and out of place, but with its return to the new and improved Metropolis Rink (aka Ponky) Canton found something recognizable. It was a lot brighter (and considerably warmer) than its previous incarnation but the Bulldogs looked right at home in Wednesday night’s season opener.

Audrey Koen scored twice and Carolyn Durand made 12 saves to record a shutout, as defending Div. 2 state co-champ Canton beat rival Franklin 4-0 to kick off its league title defense.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin started quicker. The Panthers tested Durand early, forcing her into three saves in the opening minutes. Lindsay Atkinson had the best chance for the visitors after a shot from the point bounced to her on the edge of the crease but Durand stayed with it to make the stop.

“Our big thing was making sure we had a good start and I think we did that but as the game went on we may have gotten a little away from our position,” said Franklin assistant Mike Lubin, who was in charge in the absence of head coach Margie Burke. “For us having a few girls out and it being the first game, I thought we played excellent. I think we’ll definitely build on it.”

It took Canton seven minutes to get its first shot on target, as sophomore Maya Battista forced Gabby Colace into a glove save. Battista went almost all of last season before scoring her first career goal, but she was Canton’s best offensive threat in the first period, recording five of the team’s seven shots on goal.

“I thought she was going to be better, but she’s been awesome, the confidence she’s been playing with” Canton coach Dennis Aldrich said of Battista. “My personality is that I’m a defensive coach, but I’ve got to let the horses run a little bit and we’ve got to talk about picking our spots. She was incredible.”

With 4:35 left in the first, the Bulldogs got a power play opportunity that seemed to flip the momentum of the game. Although Canton wouldn’t find the back of the net, the ice started to tilt towards Colace.

Payton McDonough set up Battista in the slot for a good chance then McDonough got a stick on a blast from Allie McCabe that Colace tipped aside. Koen drove to the net and left the puck for Ellie Rae Roberts but Stephanie Bell was able to clear off the line. Roberts teed up Battista for a drive from the point that Colace (28 saves) was able to stay with through a crowd.

“I told the girls the first five minutes are going to be crazy and don’t get too high or too low,” said Aldrich. “They just grind and you’ve just got to withstand and then hopefully our legs will take over. You don’t have to score on the power play, you just have to turn the momentum a little bit. We’ve been working on it and I thought we got some good looks.”

The momentum carried into the second, which was dominated by the home team. Canton outshot the Panthers 14-2 in the period. Another power play early in the second sparked the Bulldogs into life. Battista’s cross-ice pass to Maria Femia forced a pad stop from Colace and then McDonough went cross-ice to Battista, drawing another good stop.

Colace continued to impress, stopping McDonough on a breakaway after the forward snuck behind the defense.

“Gabby always comes up big,” said Lubin. “She’s just a rock and such a calming presence for everyone. It’s just nice to know she’s back there and always competing.”

The pressure finally paid off with 5:10 left in the period. Tess Khoury’s initial shot was saved and the rebound led to a scrum in front of goal. Lizzie Tassinari managed to knock in the loose puck for what turned out to be the game-winner. One minute and one second later, Koen picked off a pass and was free in the slot, ripping a wrister to the blocker side for a 2-0 advantage.

Aldrich noted that the Bulldogs are missing 30 goals from last season, after standout freshman Olivia Maffeo transferred, and he is counting on a team effort to make up the difference. He said, “Last year Audrey worked so hard and I think she got half her goal output tonight that she had all last year and that’s what we’re expecting. I need six [players] to get five [goals] and I think that’s the mentality.”

Franklin bounced back in the third period and created a few chances to try and get back into the game. Nina Iannuzzi set up Atkinson in front but Durand stayed with the tip. Ashley Puleo would later force a blocker stop from the Canton goalie and Maggie McCaffrey weaved her way through traffic and found Atkinson at the post but Durand was in the right spot to make the save.

By then Canton had put the game away. Again, the Bulldogs struck twice in a short span, this time two goals in 41 seconds.

Ellie Bohane got free in the left circle and her wrist shot was blocked down by Colace but right to the stick of Koen, who smashed in the rebound. McCabe would tack on one more with a shot from the point that went through a crowd in front and snuck inside the post.

It was a convincing win to start the season, but Aldrich knows there are a lot of challenges to overcome for the Bulldogs to claim another league crown. He chuckled, “We’re carrying this target. I’m good friends with all of those coaches but I know they want to beat me every time they see me.”

Canton (1-0) and Canton (0-1) will meet again on Saturday afternoon at Pirelli Arena.

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02/09/2020

Lewandowski Lifts Franklin Past MOA and Into Playoffs

Franklin girls hockey — Franklin junior forward Amanda Lewandowski scored a pair of goals, as the Panthers beat 3-1 to clinch at least second place in the Hock. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

FRANKLIN, Mass. – Sometimes goal-scoring is about being in the right place at the right time and for the second time this season Franklin’s Amanda Lewandowski found herself in the right spot to score a game-winning goal against Mansfield/Oliver Ames.

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Lewandowski was left alone on the far post to tap in the game-winning, power play goal with just under six minutes remaining in Saturday evening’s league encounter at Pirelli Veterans Arena. Franklin added an empty net goal in the final minute to beat the Warriors 3-1, sweeping the season series, and in the process clinching at least second place in the league and a postseason berth.

“She’s that player that’s always on,” said Franklin coach Margie Burke about Lewandowski. “Every game this season has been tough and always against this team. They always come to play.”

Both meetings between the Warriors and Panthers have been tight, low-scoring, and evenly-matched. In games like that, one lapse can prove decisive and that is what happened to the Warriors on Saturday.

MOA coach Roy Bain said, “To have the game fall on a third period power play when it was 1-1 kind of stinks, but you go on the power play then it’s our job to defend the net and they were able to put it away.”

He added, “When you play Hockomock foes, it’s going to be a tight game, only a goal or two is going to separate the teams, but when you leave Lewandowski unattended…you can’t do that.”

Franklin came out in the first and was the aggressor. The Panthers dominated zone time and the shot total for the majority of the period. Lewandowski had the game’s first good look and many in the rink thought she had the first goal. She split a pair of defenders and fired a wrist shot that MOA goalie Jess Widdop was able to get a piece of and keep it out.

Maggie McCaffrey had the next good chance when she got space in the left circle on a two-on-one and forced a save out of Widdop. The MOA goalie had to come up big 90 seconds later when Lewandowski collected a pass from Lyndsey Atkinson and put a backhand shot on net. McCaffrey then teed up Atkinson but Widdop stopped the first show and Lewandowski’s rebound.

The Warriors picked up the pace as the period wore on and had a couple of chances in the closing minutes. The best chance came with two minutes left when Emma Pereira fired a diagonal pass to Emma Garland at the far post but Gabby Colace was in the right place to make the stop.

After Franklin held the 9-4 lead in shots in the first, MOA came out stronger in the second. Atkinson nearly got the breakthrough when she split a pair of defenders but the puck slid just wide of the net and Pereira had a good scoring chance at the other end, forcing a pad save from from Colace.

Lewandowski opened the scoring with seven minutes left in the second. She crossed the zone from right to left and showed great patience before lifting a backhand shot over the glove hand. However, the lead lasted less than a minute. Melissa Shanteler answered right back for the Warriors on a shot that rang in off the bar.

Franklin continued to put the puck on net, something that Burke said was a priority after the first meeting. Molly Hurley got free of the defense and then deked past Widdop but was unable to put a shot on the open net. After Gianna Cameron kept the puck in at the blue line, McCaffrey got a shot off from the slot and then Lewandowski set up Libby Carter for a one-timer that drew a save out of Widdop.

The game remained tied well into the third period when the Panthers were given their first power play chance. Franklin needed only 14 seconds to make the advantage count. Tina Pisano fired a shot from the point that was deflected in front of goal and fell right to the stick of Lewandowski on the post and she was able to stuff in what turned out to be the game-winner.

“Get the puck on net and get the traffic in front of the net,” said Burke about the message after the first game against MOA. “That’s one thing that I feel we need to remind them every game. It’s the traffic. They don’t have to be pretty, it all counts the same.”

MOA sprung into life almost immediately after falling behind. Kylie O’Keefe fired a shot from the left circle that snuck through Colace’s armpit but trickled wide of the post. Pereira got free in the slot for a golden opportunity but was denied by a sliding block from Gina Vignone. With 3:40 left Pereira drove down the right side and nearly set up O’Keefe at the back post but her tip went just wide.

“No one was going to quit and they all knew what was at stake,” said Bain. “We know that we’re going to get their best for 45 minutes, no doubt about it. We knew we had to bring 45 minutes of continuous checking and we brought, I don’t know, 43? They played their hearts out, they did exactly what we wanted them to do.”

After scoring twice to put Franklin in front, Lewandowski missed a chance to wrap up the points when she sent it wide of the empty net, but the Panthers would finally seal the win when Jordan Dwyer picked out Atkinson in front to make it 3-1 inside the final minute.

“We’ve been in every game even against the big teams,” said Burke. “We could go into tournament and win a couple games and do alright, you know? Even though we’re squeaking in there, we’ll see.”

Franklin (6-8-4, 5-1-1) will have a shot at sharing the league title when it hosts Canton on Wednesday night. Mansfield/Oliver Ames (6-8-1, 3-4-0) will start its final playoff push when it travels to Stoughton.

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01/12/202001/14/2020

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/13/20

Today’s games are listed below.

Girls Basketball
Milford, 32 vs. Hopedale, 29 – Final – Freshman Brooke Ferreira scored a game-high 14 points to lead the Hawks to their third non-league victory of the season. Jillian Michelson added six points, while Emily Croteau (13 rebounds) and Carley Ferreira (11 rebounds) dominated the glass.

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 6 @ Cardinal Spellman, 1 – Final
Taunton, 2 @ Apponequet, 2 – Final

Girls Hockey
Franklin, 7 @ Leominster, 0 – Final – Franklin scored four goals in the first period and never looked back in a big win on the road over Leominster. Freshman Molly Hurley (from Katelyn Brown and Maggie McCaffrey) and sophomore Emma Hunt each scored once in the first period while junior Katelyn Brown scored a pair of goals. Shaw Downing, Samantha Wong, Maggie McCaffrey, and Hurley had assists on Brown’s two goals. Libby Carter, Maddi Dolan, and Olivia Stoller also scored in the win for Franklin while Kelli Maple had a pair of assists. Gabby Colace made 16 saves for the shutout.

King Philip, 6 @ Walpole, 2 – Final – Makenzie Shandley and Morgan Cunningham each scored a pair of goals to lead the Warriors to a big win on the road. Sydney O’Shea and Avari Maxwell each scored once in the win.

Girls Gymnastics
Mansfield. 141.85 @ Franklin, 139.15 – Final – Franklin posted its best score in program history but came up just short against powerhouse Mansfield in a clash of two of the top programs in the league.

Oliver Ames, 133.95 @ King Philip, 128.7 – Final

01/04/2020

Lewandowski Lifts Franklin Past Mansfield/OA

WALPOLE, Mass. – Goals are at a premium in league games this season and that remained the case when Mansfield/Oliver Ames hosted defending Hockomock champion Franklin at Rodman Arena on Saturday afternoon.

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Amanda Lewandowski scored against the run of play in the second period and Gabby Colace made 25 stops to preserve a 1-0 victory for the Panthers in a game in which they were kept on the back foot for the first 30 minutes.

“Definitely a slow start, but we know that every Hockomock League game is going to be like this,” said Frankin coach Margie Burke. “We’re not going to put a lot of pucks on the net this year. We’re going to have to count on good defense and a few lucky breaks.”

The Warriors came flying out of the gates, taking advantage of their team speed to put Franklin on its heels and force the Panthers to defend for long stretches. After Maggie McCaffrey got an early chance on goal for Franklin, MOA started to step on the gas. Tess Luciano started it with a shot from the right circle and Alex Ledin let fly with a slap shot from the high slot that Colace stopped.

With four minutes remaining in the first Reese Pereira managed to get to the front of the net and get a tip from close range. The puck came back around to Ledin and she sent her shot from the slot just wide of the post.

Franklin had been forced back into a shell for much of the period, but did manage a late flurry of chances on the other end. Lewandowski was the catalyst as he forced Jessica Widdop (17 saves) into a stick save from a tight angle and after Gina Vignone threw one at net she forced a blocker stop while falling down.

The hosts were relying on their defensemen to create offensive chances, with Emma Pereira, Julia Muttart, Megan O’Hara, and Melissa Shanteler all getting looks from the point. Vignone and Gianna Cameron led the Franklin defense in trying to clear out any rebounds from the crease.

“They really played well, they blocked shots, they kept their heads up, they didn’t panic against the boards when they were pressured by two players,” MOA coach Roy Bain said about his blue line corps. “I can’t be upset with the way that anyone in that locker room played.”

MOA held an 11-6 edge in shots after the first and the momentum continued following the short breather between periods. Ledin again got a good look at net that went off Colace’s blocker and straight into the air. Cameron cleared before Reese Pereira could get a stick on the loose puck.

“We had a lot of the zone time, we were breaking out as we want to, and their game plan became obvious early, which was to crash the ‘D’ and pinch on the wings,” said Bain. “The goaltender gave up a lot of rebounds but their defense is very responsible in front of their net and stopped us from getting a lot of follow-up chances.”

Libby Carter sent a warning to the Warriors when she got free on a defensive zone turnover only to have Widdop make a big pad save. The breakthrough came three minutes into the second. Vignone flipped a high pass towards goal. Lewandowski managed to bring it down right on the edge of the crease, kicking it to her stick and sliding it past Widdop’s pad for a 1-0 lead.

“That goal tonight, it was a kick, a drop, and a reach,” said Burke. “It was like a soccer or field hockey goal but not an ice hockey goal. I tell them all the time that ugly goals count the same as pretty goals and ugly wins count the same as pretty wins.”

There were more chances for the Warriors to try and even things up in the second, as MOA outshot the Panthers 10-4 in the period and had a four-minute power play, but Lily O’Brien’s shot from the right circle was an example of how Franklin kept the middle of the ice clear.

It was clear that Burke spent the second intermission emphasizing the need to get on the attack, as the third period was by far the best that Franklin played in the offensive zone.

Burke said, “Absolutely, we talked about how everything in the first two periods was a reach and a poke but no body. You have to reach in with your stick and then with your body. They got more physical for sure.”

Lewandowski continued to be a thorn in MOA’s side. She skated behind the net and fired a pass all the way out to Vignone at the point for a shot through traffic that Widdop saved, and then stopped the rebound effort as well. Freshman Shaw Downing had an effort from the blue line that Lewandowski managed to tip in front but Widdop again stayed tall to stop.

The Warriors kept pushing for an equalizing goal, but Franklin continued to hold them at bay. Colace came up with a huge glove save on a blast by Emma Pereira from the edge of the left circle. It was the last good look for the home team.

“It’s tough when you lose by a goal but you can’t be upset that you lost by a goal because every single person played their heart out,” Bain said. “We played great, they were just one goal better.”

Franklin (2-2-1) will face a battle against the first league champion, Canton, on Wednesday. Mansfield/Oliver Ames (3-4-1) will have a short turnaround to try and end its three-game losing streak when it hosts Stoughton on Sunday.

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