Tag: Olivia Dunham

2022 Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars

Below are the official 2022 Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Hockomock League MVP

Ella Pisani, King Philip

Hockomock League All Stars

Emily Dunlea, Attleboro
Jamie Davies, Attleboro
Emily McCabe, Canton
Mekhala Costello, Canton
Erin Foley, Foxboro
Norah Anderson, Franklin
Rachel Welch, Franklin
Anya Zub, Franklin
Kelly O’Connor, Franklin
Ella Pisani, King Philip
Grace Lawler, King Philip
Heidi Lawrence, King Philip
Kara Santos, Mansfield
Bridget Hanley, Mansfield
Olivia Salisbury, Mansfield
Dani Atherton, Milford
Emma Pratt, North Attleboro
Lucinda Li Cotter, Oliver Ames
Mary Cross, Oliver Ames
Taylor deVos, Oliver Ames
Emma Gavin, Oliver Ames
Sofia Goclowski Sharon
Autumn Simon, Sharon
Shayla Ford, Stoughton
Emma Tran, Stoughton
Juliana Matos, Taunton

Honorable Mentions
Bethany Alves, Attleboro
Han Hong, Canton
Lindsey Resnick, Foxboro
Haylie Aniki, Franklin
Danielle Lomuscio, King Philip
Olivia Dunham, Mansfield
Serena Borges, Milford
Clara Giuliano, North Attleboro
Sophia Byron, Oliver Ames
Sally Brouhard, Sharon
Katrina Varnum, Stoughton
Emily Calderon, Taunton

Below are the official 2022 Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. 2022 Hockomock League Girls Soccer All Stars

Salisbury Saves the Day, Mansfield Advances on PKs

Mansfield girls soccer
Mansfield senior Olivia Salisbury pushes aside a Longmeadow penalty, her second save in the shootout, helping the Hornets advance to the D2 quarterfinal. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


MANSFIELD, Mass. – Penalty shootouts are unnerving experiences. Your season is on the line and most of the team can do little more than watch from the middle of the field, as teammates step to the spot or toe the goal line and try to become heroes. If you’re going to have to go through a shootout, then it helps having a record-holding senior standing in goal.

Olivia Salisbury made five saves in regulation and overtime, but it was her two stops in the shootout that eventually decided Wednesday night’s visit of Longmeadow to Alumni Field. The Hornets advanced 4-3 on penalties after the game finished 2-2.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Longmeadow forward Samantha Goodrich, who scored the first for the Lancers as they battled back to force overtime, stepped up to take the first penalty. Salisbury bounced a couple of times, planted, and dove to her right, getting two hands to the shot. After Bridget Hanley made no mistake to put the Hornets ahead 1-0, Salisbury, who set a new school record for career clean sheets this season, was able to this time go down to her left and palm Jamie Greenman’s shot around the post.

“We do at least two or three rounds [of PKs] every day, so it’s definitely a lot of practice but then again you never know when it’s people that you’ve never taken PKs against,” Salisbury said afterwards. “You have to just go in thinking that you can save it.”

She added, “After saving the first one, it definitely set the pace for me. I got way more excited and then after stopping the second one I was very, very excited.”

Mansfield would put the next penalty over the bar and Longmeadow scored to cut the lead to 2-1, but Brooke Penney and Courtney Croak, a pair of players who saw little action during the game, both scored to put the Hornets on the brink.

Catherine Pelliccia powered her penalty past the dive of Salisbury, meaning senior Olivia Homsi would get the chance to close things out and keep her, and Mansfield’s season, alive. She gave the Longmeadow keeper no chance, finding the bottom left corner to seal the win. As she raced back to midfield, Homsi was engulfed by half of her teammates, while the rest went to congratulate Salisbury.

“She made two good saves,” Mansfield coach Kevin Smith said about Salisbury. “She’s been fantastic. I’d put her up against anyone in the state as a goalie, I really would.”

When asked about his final goal scorer, Smith added, “She broke her wrist in the OA game and she said, I’ll be ready for PKs coach, I’ll be ready for PKs and thankfully she got cleared to play.”

Mansfield started the game well. Maddie Fernandes played Avery Hawthorne into the left channel and her deflected shot was held by the keeper. Two minutes later, Olivia Dunham’s corner was flicked onto classmate Lauren Signoriello at the back post, but the freshman’s shot went wide.

In the 18th minute, Alexandra Fernandes, who was a menace to the Longmeadow back line all night, made a smart turn and put a shot on goal that was spilled for a corner. This time, Dunham’s cross was to center back partner Kara Santos and she looped her header back across goal and over the keeper’s dive to make it 1-0.

Longmeadow was struggling to create good looks. Greenman tried an angled ball to Gracie DiStefano, but Dunham and Jill Koppy combined to clear the dangerous pass.

Eight minutes before the break, Mansfield doubled its lead. Hawthorne hit a cross-field pass to Fernandes on the right. The freshman had a beautiful touch to take it past her marker and then she fired a shot into the bottom far corner to make it 2-0.

Mansfield seemed to be in total control of the match, but the Lancers halved the deficit just seven minutes into the second half. Goodrich made a nice move onto her right foot and curled a 20-yard shot past the dive of Salisbury and just under the bar.

The Lancers had the momentum and nearly tied it when Teia Vengco crossed from the right to the back post, but Greenman wasn’t able to make clean contact and Salisbury was able to collect. A couple minutes later and the visitors did equalize. Goodrich played a beautiful one-touch pass over the top for Greenman in the left channel. The Mansfield back line was stretched and DiStefano was open in the middle for a tap in.

“Even being up 2-0, they were fantastic, they were a great team,” Smith said about the Lancers. “At halftime, we were talking that even up 2-0 we needed to keep going because they were so good that they can come back at any time and they did.”

Dunham would have one more chance before the end of regulation on a 30-yard free kick. The freshman hit it pure but the ball wouldn’t dip quite enough, crashing back off the crossbar.

In the second overtime, it was Longmeadow’s turn to come close to a winner. Goodrich was again the catalyst, turning her marker on the right side and smacking the bar from a tight angle. The rebound fell to Greenman bur again the contact wasn’t great and Salisbury was gratefully able to snag the shot.

That left penalties to decide things and Salisbury to provide the winning moments.

“It’s what the game is all about, that high intensity,” Salisbury explained. “In a game like this, where if you don’t win you’re done, it’s a crazy feeling and you want nothing more than to win. It’s such a different feeling than a regular season game or winning 3-0. It’s so more of a rewarding feeling.”

Smith added, “After full time, I said adversity makes champions, so what are we going to be? We finally had some adversity and it was good. It tested us and we came out the other side.”

Mansfield (13-3-4) will now travel to No. 3 seed Minnechaug on Saturday afternoon.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/07/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Division 1
#23 Belmont, 0 @ #10 Franklin, 1 – Final (OT)

Division 2
#32 Reading, 0 @ #1 Oliver Ames, 2 – Final

Girls Soccer
Division 1
#25 Belmont, 0 @ #8 Franklin, 4 – Final

#31 Attleboro, 0 @ #2 Hingham, 7 – Final – After pulling out a win against Bridgewater-Raynham in the play-in round, Attleboro fell in the Round of 32 to second seed Hingham. Alexis Campbell played well in goal for the Bombardiers, coming through with a number of big saves against one of the state’s top teams. Attleboro coach Steve Santos praised his team’s fight and the leadership he got this season from his senior class.

Division 2
#27 Walpole, 0 @ #6 Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield’s unbeaten run extended through the opening round of the playoffs. Maddie Fernandes provided a brace to lead the way for the Hornets, while Bridget Hanley added a third goal off an Olivia Dunham corner. Kara Santos and Lyle Nappa each provided assists in the win. Mansfield heads to the Sweet Sixteen to face Longmeadow.

#24 Scituate, 0 @ #9 Canton, 2 – Final

#17 Marblehead, 1 @ #16 Stoughton, 2 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this match.

Field Hockey
Division 1
#32 Attleboro, 0 @ #1 Walpole, 4 – Final

Volleyball
Division 1
#10 Needham, 2 @ #7 Attleboro, 3 – Final

Division 2
#13 Canton, 0 @ #4 Dartmouth, 3 – Final
#28 Mansfield, 1 @ #12 Masconomet, 3 – Final

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/29/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Taunton vs. Durfee, 10:00AM
Oliver Ames @ Concord-Carlisle, 3:00

Girls Soccer
Canton vs. Medfield, 4:30

Mansfield, 4 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Alexandra Fernandes scored a brace of goals and her sister Maddie added a goal and assist to help the Hornets close out the regular season with a win. Mansfield heads into the tournament on a 13-game unbeaten run. Avery Hawthorne opened the scoring off an Olivia Dunham corner. Maddie Fernandes double the lead three minutes later and Alexandra Fernandes got the third at the half-hour mark. Meghan McCann assisted on the third goal. Alexandra Fernandes got her second, assisted by her sister, to seal the win. Olivia Salisbury recorded her 10th clean sheet of the season, adding to her school record for career shutouts.

Field Hockey
Oliver Ames @ Sharon, 12:30

Cross Country
Hockomock Championships (@ Wrentham Development Center), 9:00AM

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/26/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
King Philip, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – King Philip scored a pair of goals inside the opening 15 minutes, pushed the lead to three by the break, and tacked on two more in the second half to get a win on the road. Matt Crago had a hand in four of the five goals for the Warriors, scoring once and recording three assists while Will Bowen added a goal and two assists. Andrew Seropian, Dermott Amorim, and Brad Lynn each scored once.

Girls Soccer
Mansfield, 1 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Canton scored with two minutes remaining, freshman Alyssa Wong finishing off a free kick that landed in the box, scoring her first varsity goal to secure a point in a battle of teams sitting in the top 10 in Div. 2. Mansfield took the lead when Kara Santos scored off a feed from center back partner Olivia Dunham. Wong equalized in the dying minutes when Gisella Berardi’s cross caused a scramble in the box and Wong was able to knock it home. The Bulldogs close out the regular season against D2 rival Medfield on Saturday. The Hornets are one point back of league leader OA with one league game left for both teams.

King Philip, 0 @ Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final

Field Hockey
Attleboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final

Mansfield, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final

Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 11 – Final – A second quarter explosion led the Panthers to a big win at home, capping an undefeated (15-0-1) league schedule for Franklin. Shaw Downing scored twice in the first quarter and finished with a hat trick, Kaitlyn Carney and Payten Crandall each had a pair of goals, and Haley Wernig, Kaeley Dubriske, Ella Griffin, and Delaney Hess each scored once.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip celebrated senior night with a shutout win over visiting Taunton. The Warriors took the lead in the opening quarter but didn’t find an insurance goal until three minutes left in the game. Makenzie McDevitt gave the hosts the lead and senior Lauren Barriero added the second. Seniors Haley Bright and Samantha Sweetman combined for the shutout. Jasmine Lucier made six saves in net for Taunton.

Stoughton, 2 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Stoughton went on the road and returned home with a 2-0 shutout win over Sharon. Senior captains Katherine Giroux and Carly Sanda each scored for the Black Knights while Andrea Khouzmani and Cat Melo had strong performances. Stephanie Costeira earned the shutout in net for Stoughton.

Volleyball
Mansfield, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton ended the regular season on a high note, earning its 13th win of the season with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-10, 25-15) win over visiting Mansfield. Zoe Scibelli’s precision passing (15 digs, three aces) allowed for Erin Bigham (24 assists) to run the offense. “It was a complete team effort a good end to the regular season,” said Canton head coach Pat Cawley.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – The Davenport division champions fended off another test from Foxboro, this time securing a 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-19) win over the Warriors. Maddie Homer (17 digs, 16 serve receptions) and Saia Rivera anchored the defense for the Tigers, Clare Kavolius dished out 30 assists, and Claire O’Rourke (10 kills, two aces) and Addyson Smock (five kills, four blocks) played well at the net.

Milford, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Milford put the Panthers on upset alert with a win in the first set before Franklin fought back and finished off the win, 3-1 (23-25, 25-10, 25-17, 25-7) to clinch a share of the Kelley-Rex division title. It marks Franklin’s fifth straight title. Freshman Makayla Kuykendall followed up her big game on Monday with another strong showing, putting down 16 kills along with 10 digs and three aces while junior Taylor Lacerda had another strong all-around game with 12 kills, 11 digs, and an ace.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip earned its fourth straight win to close the season, and third straight league win, to clinch a share of its fourth straight Kelley-Rex title with a 3-0 sweep (25-10, 25-6, 25-8) of Taunton. The Warriors had a dominant showing at the net with Emily Sawyer notching 11 kills, two blocks, and two aces, Sami Shore recording nine kills, and Ahunna James adding seven kills and four digs. Kiera Hagen finished with 10 assists and Ava Kelley had seven digs.

Stoughton, 3 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.

Attleboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Attleboro shook off a pesky North Attleboro squad in the third set to complete a 3-0 sweep (25-18, 25-12, 25-23) and clinch a share of the program’s first ever Kelley-Rex division title. Natalie Brojek dished out 30 assists to go along with three kills and two aces while the Bombardiers used a balanced attack at the net with Julia Leonardo (17 kills, two aces), Addie Shelton (seven kills, two aces), and Ellie Shelton (seven kills) all playing well.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/24/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Franklin, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Franklin converted a penalty kick 15 minutes into the second half to get a win on the road over Attleboro and clinch the Kelley-Rex division title. An unlucky hand ball on a service into the area from Noah Cain gave the visitors a chance from the spot. Senior Trey Lovell stepped up and buried a low shot for the only goal of the game.

Canton, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final

King Philip, 0 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro scored once in each half to record a win at home over visiting King Philip. Givany Carney found Zach Smahi at the top of the box and he deposited his shot into the back of the net just five minutes into the game for a 1-0 advantage. Smahi returned the favor in the second half, setting up Carney at the 50th minute mark to double the hosts’ advantage. Cole Templin had some big saves for North Attleboro to keep the Warriors off the board. “I’m extremely proud of the effort from all of the seniors tonight,” said North Attleboro head coach Mike Lacasse.

Mansfield, 2 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – A back-and-forth battle ended in a 2-2 draw with each side taking a point. Senior Matheus Groberio blasted a free kick into the back of the net from just outside the area to give the hosts the lead but just two minutes later Connor Palinski finished off a cross to bring the Hornets level. Mansfield carried that momentum and scored again less than 10 minutes after tying it as Dan Checkoway headed in a corner kick from Grady Sullivan. Stoughton came back and found the equalizer before the break as Groberio set up Sam Santos to make it 2-2. Mansfield freshman goalie Troy Lasbury-Casey made 13 saves and played well in his first career start.

Milford, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – The Scarlet Hawks deposited a pair of goals in each half to return home with two points via a 4-0 win over Taunton. Eduardo Santana opened the scoring, running onto a long ball from Nate Dinis and poking it past the keeper to make it 1-0. Rodrigo Lourenço drew a foul with clever dribbling and Lucas Nalon Ribero buried the free kick to double the lead going into the half. Ribero grabbed his second of the day, blasting a rocket of a shot from 40 yards away to make it 3-0. Kaua Pereira capped the scoring for the Hawks, finishing off a corner from Lourenço.

Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames broke the stalemate midway through the second half to get a win at home over visiting Sharon. Senior Mirray DaSilva converted a pass from Joey Carney in the 60th minute for the lone goal of the game.








Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Anya Zub’s hat trick pushed the Panthers to a big home win and maintained their lead at the top of the Kelley-Rex. Selene Hammad opened the scoring for Franklin just two minutes into the game, with Zub picking up the assist. Zub would score the next three goals. Kelly O’Connor, Olivia Costa, and Hammad had the assists. Jamie Davies added a late goal for the Bombardiers, converting a penalty after Tatum O’Brien’s nice run into the box drew a foul. Alexis Campbell made double digit saves in the loss.

Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final – After Foxboro battled back to tie the game, Mekhala Costello’s second half goal lifted Canton to the win and kept the Bulldogs within two points of league-leading OA heading into the final game of the regular season. Canton grabbed the lead in a first half that was delayed by lightning. Foxboro answered back three minutes into the second half. Grace Riley got the equalizer off a Shea Dorney corner. Costello found the winner with a blast from distance to secure two points.

North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Mikayla Thompson scored twice and Heidi Lawrence and Ella Pisani each recorded two points to keep the Warriors in the league title mix with one match remaining. KP sits just a point back of Franklin in the division. Lawrence opened the scoring for KP when she took a nice pass from Pisani and lifted it over the keeper. Pisani also had the helper on KP’s second goal four minutes later, putting in a perfect cross for Thompson to tap home from close-range. Thompson would add KP’s third in the second half, this time getting a toe to a cross from Lawrence.

Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Olivia Salisbury set a new school record with her 30th career clean sheet (ninth of the season), as Mansfield continued its impressive run. The Hornets have gone 11 games without a loss and picked up a sixth straight win. Avery Hawthorne made it three straight games with a goal, scoring what turned out to be the winner 10 minutes into the second half. Bridget Hanley’s ball over the top set up the goal. Mansfield added a second just two minutes later when Lyla Nappa scored off a cross from Olivia Dunham.

Taunton, 1 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Milford celebrated senior night with its biggest win of the season. Dani Atherton scored a brace to the lead the way for the Hawks, who scored four unanswered in the second half to break open a close game. Kaylee Whitney, Serena Borges, Paige Caldon, and Ava Baglione each scored once for Milford and Kayleigh Tourtellot had a solid game in goal. Juliana Matos had the lone goal for the Tigers.

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Emma Gavin recorded three goals and Lucinda Li Cotter had four points (two goals and two assists) to lift the Tigers to a win in a back-and-forth game in the rain at Sharon. With the win, OA kept hold of a two-point lead on Mansfield and Canton going into the final match of the regular season. Jolie Diaz added a goal and Jenna Gilman had a pair of assists for the visitors. Sharon battled back two get within two twice, Autumn Simon finishing with a brace. Sofia Goclowski and Jessica Li had the assists. Taylor Standring had a strong game in net for the Eagles.




Field Hockey
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Attleboro kept it close, trailing just 2-0 at halftime, but Franklin scored a late goal in the third quarter and two more early in the fourth to pull away for the win. After a scoreless first quarter, Emily Carney scored three minutes into the second (from Kaitlyn Carney and Sophia Cuneo) and then again with under a minute to play until halftime (from Haley Wernig and Cuneo). Payten Crandell (from Kaitlyn Carney) pushed the Panthers’ lead to 3-0 with just over a minute to play in the third, and both Wernig and Kaitlyn Carney scored inside the first five minutes to make it 5-0. Siany Ortez made 10 saves in net for the Bombardiers.

Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield scored two goals in each the first and third quarters and tacked on one each in the second and fourth quarters to get a win over Stoughton. Ava Adams opened the scoring and Danni Cuzzi scored back-to-back goals, one in the first quarter and one in the second to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead at halftime. Adams grabbed her second in the third, Kristina Kipp made it 5-0 in the third quarter, and Adams completed her hat trick with the lone goal of the fourth.

Taunton, 3 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Kaysie DeMoura scored a pair of goals to lead the Tigers to a shutout win on the road at Milford. Caelen O’Leary added one goal to go along with DeMoura’s two while Jasmine Lucier made three saves in net for the shutout.

Oliver Ames @ Sharon – Postponed to Tuesday, 10/25 at 3:30.

Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Mary Collins scored midway through the fourth quarter to cancel out Maggie McCready’s opener and send both times home with a point. The first half was a defensive struggle, with Foxboro having the only shot on net in the opening 30 minutes. Canton turned things around in the third, dominating the quarter and breaking the deadlock. Carolyn Schiavo created space on the right side and fired a shot that Kathryn Ferguson needed to save. The rebound sat in the crease for a couple seconds before McCready pounced to knock it home. Foxboro took control of play in the fourth. Carolyn Durand made a series of good saves but eventually Mya Waryas’ shot from distance was tipped in the circle by Collins. The ball caromed out from the back of the net, causing confusion, but after a discussion between the officials the goal was given.




Volleyball
North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip landed a dominate win at home, and along with Franklin’s win over Attleboro, the Warriors moved back into a first place tie atop the Kelley-Rex division with one match to go. Emily Sawyer landed 10 kills along with seven aces and three blocks to lead the Warriors to a 3-0 (25-15, 25-7, 25-11) win over the Rocketeers. Sami Shore (three aces) and Ahunna James (five digs) each added seven kills while Olivia O’Neil finished with four kills and two aces.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Junior Claire O’Rourke had a big day at the net to help Oliver Ames shake off a close loss in the third set and finish off the win, 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 24-26, 25-15). O’Rourke notched 13 kills while Sarah Hilliard added 12 kills to lead the offense. Maddie Homer had 16 digs and six aces, Clare Kavolius recorded 35 assists and five aces, and Cecelia Cupples had a strong game at the net.

Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Foxboro, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton rallied from a 2-1 deficit to stay alive and force a fifth set and then outlasted visiting Foxboro to get the win, 3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 15-9). Jess Wright had an efficient night at the net, hitting 0.425 with 19 kills while Liana Lamparelli added 13 digs, three kills, and three blocks for the Bulldogs. Seniors Haley Duhaime, Nevaeh Osborne, Liz Beal and Riley Costa played well in the five set battle.

Stoughton, 3 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final

Taunton @ Milford, 5:15

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/20/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Stoughton, 4 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Stoughton junior goalie Ben Shirey made a terrific one-handed stop on a point-blank header with just under five minutes to play as the Black Knights prevailed from a see-saw battle with a win on the road over Foxboro. Foxboro opened the scoring in the 11th minute as Pradyu Gubbala finished off a corner kick from John Hollis as the hosts staked an early lead. Stoughton equalized just before the half hour mark as Kyle Grant was fouled in the box and Matheus Groberio buried the pen to make it 1-1. Just minutes later, Groberio pierced the defense with a through ball that Grant was able to run onto and eventually tuck a shot into the corner. The Warriors equalized just before the halftime break when Alex Penders headed in a service from Jack Sullivan. The scoring continued in the second half as the Knights went back in front just a minute into the second half when a free kick from Alex Kozak was flicked on by Groberio in behind the defense and Anthony Damasio finished in alone on the keeper. Penders got his second, latching onto a pass from Timothy Kerzner-Greenwall and finishing at the near post to make it 3-3. Stoughton’s game-winner came in the 54th minute when Joao Marotti buried a header into the corner on a service from Kozak.

Taunton, 0 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Attleboro scored a pair of goals in each half to earn a shutout win at home over visiting Taunton. The Bombardiers took the lead just minutes in after Steve Etienne found the back of the net. A long throw from Zachary Diffenderfer was partially cleared by only as far as Lucas Marques, who nodded it back into the mix. Etienne was able to control it off of his chest, turn, and finish from in close for a 1-0 lead. With 10 minutes to go in the first half, Esvin Morales’ free kick from just outside the area smacked the crossbar and bounced out, Marques’ follow up header was denied by the keeper but Billy Badger pounced on the loose ball and buried it to make it 2-0. Taunton had a strong start to the second half but Attleboro cashed in after another failed clearance on a service into the area. This time it was Badger’s corner that bounced in the area and junior Alex Vecchioli was the first to it, burying a half volley for a 3-0 lead. Marques capped the scoring, taking down a centering pass from Morales, driving pass the Tigers’ defense, and finishing past the keeper to make it 4-0.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin saw its two-goal first half lead disappear but the Panthers pounced for two more in the second half to secure two points. It took less than five minutes for Franklin to find the back of the net. Senior Trey Lovell sent a through ball in for junior Hansy Jacques, who was met by the keeper off of his line, and the rebound fell right to sophomore Garrett Scagliarini and he one-timed a shot that just made it across the line for a 1-0 lead. An interception from right back Ben Costa started a counter for Franklin just minutes later; Costa found Scagliarini, who quickly linked up with Andrew O’Neill and he played Hansy in behind the defense. Jacques took one touch to settle and then slid a shot under the oncoming keeper to make it 2-0 in the eighth minute. After a timeout from the visitors, they cut the deficit in half in the 16th minute when Carson Dameron intercept a pass, carried possession forward with speed and found Givany Carney streaking in behind the defense and his one-touch finish beat the keeper. North used a creative set piece in the 60th minute to equalize as Patrick Etienvre played Ethan Almeida short on the ground and his one-timer from just inside the box found the back of the net. Franklin regained the lead with just under 10 minutes to play as Noah Cain played a corner on the ground and Lovell latched onto it with a one-timer that snuck in at the near post. Jacques grabbed his second, running onto a long ball from Matt Honekamp, won a one-on-one battle and finished on a tight angle with five minutes to play.

Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Milford finally unlocked a defensive-minded King Philip squad with just under 15 minutes to play to earn a key two points on the road with a 1-0 decision. Freshman Johnny Castro played in Eduardo Santana behind the defense and he smashed a shot off the crossbar and in for the lone goal of the game, and his third goal in the past two games.

Mansfield, 0 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – After a scoreless first half, Sharon’s goal just past the midway point of the second half was enough as the Eagles took two points in a win over the visiting Hornets. Diego Martinez set up Adam Eastman, who found the back of the net in the 26th minute for the winner.








Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 3 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Freshman Tatum O’Brien continued her rich vein of form, scoring twice and assisting on the third goal, to get Attleboro back on track. Alexis Campbell earned the clean sheet with a couple of key saves. Jamie Davies added an assist for the Bombardiers, while Emily Dunlea, Bethany Alves, Ayla Santoro, and Presley Biller did their best to limit the chances for Taunton on a tough, physical game from both teams. Taunton had one of its best performances of the season, celebrating seniors Emily Calderon, Christina Da Costa, and Hayleigh Porter. Porter finished with 12 saves for the Tigers.

Foxboro, 0 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Morgan Cook’s penalty kick was the lone goal to lift the Black Knights to the win. Katrina Varnum made eight saves to preserve the clean sheet for Stoughton. Allison Touhey and Lindsey Resnick had strong performances for the Foxboro defense and Erin Foley worked hard in the midfield to try and creat scoring opportunities for the Warriors.

Franklin, 2 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Franklin extended its lead back to three points at the top of the division with a win at North. Norah Anderson got the eventual game-winner, finishing off a pass from Bridget Leo. Leo would then get a goal of her own, assisted by Selene Hammad, to make it 2-0 before the break. Rachel Welch earned the clean sheet in the Franklin goal.

King Philip, 7 @ Milford, 0 – Final – A Heidi Lawrence hat trick led the way for the Warriors in a big road win. Lawrence opened the scoring 16 minutes into the game, finishing a through ball from Dani Lomuscio. Two minutes later, Lomuscio was on the end of a cross from Lawrence to make it 2-0. Lawrence added her second at the midway point of the half, this time assisted by Ally Smith. Ella Pisani wrapped up the scoring in the first half by getting on the end of a deft chip by Addisyn Lamothe-Vaughn. Lawrence completed her hat trick eight minutes into the second half, Lomuscio again providing the killer through ball. Rachel DeFlaminis would add a brace, scoring twice in less than a minute. The first was assisted by Pisani and the second by Eilish McGowen.

Sharon, 0 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Mansfield extended its unbeaten run to nine games by scoring four times within 15 minutes midway through the second half. Lyla Nappa, Kara Santos, Stella Moore, and Avery Hawthorne each found the back of the net for the Hornets. Santos, Nappa, Olivia Dunham, and Bridget Hanley had assists.




Field Hockey
Canton, 2 vs. Braintree, 1 – Final – Junior Maggie McCready gave Canton the early lead while freshman Carolyn Schiavo scored the game-winner with less than a minute to play as the Bulldogs took an exciting 2-1 decision over Braintree, a top 10 team in Division 1. McCready’s goal presented Canton with a 1-0 lead before the visiting Wamps leveled the game with a goal in the second quarter. After a nearly scoreless second half, Schiavo found the back of the net with just seconds left to earn the win.

King Philip, 1 @ Uxbridge, 3 – Final – King Philip put up a great right on the road but came up short to undefeated Uxbridge, who sits atop the Division 4 power rankings. Mara Boldy finished off a cross from Leah Santoro for KP’s lone goal while Haley Bright had a great game in net with seven saves.

North Attleboro, 6 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Holding just a one-goal lead at halftime, North Attleboro used a third quarter goal to extend its lead and three goals in the fourth quarter to pull away for good. Caroline Folan, who finished with a hat trick, opened the scoring for the visitors five minutes into the game, finishing off a pass from Emily Burnham off of a corner. Julia Puccio (from Kelsey Thompson) doubled North’s lead at 10:28 of the second quarter but Milford scored with under five minutes to go in the first half to make it 2-1 at the break. Burnham got her first varsity goal with 54 seconds left in the third off of an assist from Ava Spencer. In the fourth, Puccio got her second and Folan scored back-to-back goals in a two-minute span — both assisted by Puccio — to push the lead to 6-1.

Volleyball
Sharon @ Norwood, 5:00
North Attleboro @ Norton, 6:00

Golf
Hockomock Championships (@ Foxboro CC), 10:00AM

Mansfield Survives Wild Finish to Hold Off OA

Mansfield girls soccer
Mansfield players celebrate the opening goal by Maddie Fernandes in a 2-1 win over league-leading Oliver Ames. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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MANSFIELD, Mass. – Sometimes the final minutes of a game are about calmness, composure, and coolly holding onto possession to see out the result. Other times, those last few minutes are all about holding on for dear life and doing anything and everything to keep the ball out of your net.

The finish to Tuesday night’s Davenport division clash at Alumni Field was anything but calm.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Maddie Fernandes scored twice in two minutes to put Mansfield in front but fellow freshman Jolie Diaz halved the deficit for Oliver Ames with 11 minutes play, setting up a wild, frenetic ending. In a game that had playoff intensity, the Hornets demonstrated a trait that could serve them well in two weeks, when tournament play begins, holding off OA’s late charge and pulling out a 2-1 win.

“I told Britt those last 10-plus minutes you guys were making every crack for us evident and you got one of them through and I was waiting for the next one to get through, but we kind of held it together,” Mansfield coach Kevin Smith explained. “We’ll learn from it.”

“We’ll learn how to clear the ball and how to have composure. It’s a great learning experience for us. We did hold…enough, so that was good. We’re getting better every day.”

While OA coach Britt Sellmayer was happy that his team kept fighting to the final whistle, he wanted that level of intensity much sooner. “Happy how we played the last 15 minutes but you have to play 80 minutes and we didn’t have that sense of urgency when we came out.”

“The idea is not to put yourself in that position and we did.”

From the opening kick, Mansfield made it a point to put the pressure on OA, trying to put balls in behind the defense and pressing high up the pitch. The Hornets started the game well, pinning OA back and limiting the chances to move through midfield, but they also weren’t creating many opportunities of their own.

Despite the home team having an edge in territory in the opening 40 minutes, it was the visitors who had the best chances.

Lindsey Nosalek created the first look at goal after 12 minutes, crossing a ball from the right wing to Rhiya Fisher, whose first-time effort was comfortably held by Mansfield keeper Olivia Salisbury (five saves). Two minutes later, Mary Cross teed up a long shot for Taykor deVos but again it was easy for Salisbury.

Midway through the first half, Mansfield had its first good look. Freshman Olivia Dunham played an angled free kick into the box to her center back partner Kara Santos, but the junior headed wide of the far post. Carly Devine then had a chance with a quick turn after a throw in and OA keeper Janiya Mathier was able to push the shot around the post.

OA finished the first half with a flurry of chances. Diaz chased a long ball down the right wing, won the battle for possession, and cut back inside before firing a shot that Salisbury had to hold near the post. Inside the final five minutes, Jenna Gilman got loose on the left and cut the ball back. Mansfield was unable to clear cleanly and Emma Gavin popped up with a shot on target from the edge of the box.

“Mansfield played so well in the first half,” said Sellmayer. “We played seven minutes in the first half, they dominated about 30 of it. We were lucky to be there at that point. We decided to play the last 15 minutes of the match and that’s not good enough. That’s a life lesson and we’re going to have to learn from it.”

Mansfield turned the game on its head 10 minutes after the break.

Olivia Homsi played the ball to freshman Alexandra Fernandes, who worked space for a powerful strike that Mathier (four saves) kept out at full stretch. The OA keeper was quick to her feet and charged down Lyla Nappa, who was racing in to get the rebound. Dunham curled the resulting corner to the back post where Maddie Fernandes was able to get enough of the cross to sneak it inside the post.

With the momentum of the opening goal, Mansfield quickly doubled the advantage. Good pressure down the right wing forced a loose ball about 20 yards from goal. Fernandes ran onto and drilled a shot up over the keeper and just under the bar.

“We don’t have a lot of big-time, double-digit goal scorers,” Smith said about how his team seems to have a different player stepping up each game. “We kind of spread it around and it’s a team effort. We’re a good sum of our parts.”

The cliche is that a two-goal lead is the most dangerous in soccer. It started to feel that way for the Hornets when OA suddenly picked up the tempo of its play in the final quarter of an hour.

With 11 minutes to go, the Tigers were able to get on the board. deVos angled a long free kick to the back post where Gavin rose highest and cleverly nodded it back across the face of goal. The Hornets were drawn to the first ball and Diaz was alone in the six to head it in.

OA seemed to have wind in its sails and started to deliver a series of free kicks into the Mansfield penalty area. Each one seemed to bounce around multiple times before it was eventually cleared. Diaz also created a chance with a cut back to deVos that Salisbury was able to hold and with three minutes to go deVos had another set piece that hit players on both sides before Salisbury gratefully fell on it a few feet from the goal line.

“One of our three keys is put so much pressure on the other team that they have trouble playing forward,” Smith said about his team’s energy level from the start. “We know we can do that and we can come up with that second ball, force errant passes, and then go on our attack. We did it really well for a large part of the game tonight.”

Mansfield (7-3-3) extended its unbeaten run to eight games, since a loss to OA in the first meeting, and will try to keep that going when Sharon comes to Alumni Field on Thursday. Oliver Ames (10-2-1) saw its 11-game unbeaten run come to an end on Tuesday, but can still seal at least a share of the league title with a win against Canton on Friday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/07/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
King Philip, 14 @ Attleboro, 7 – Final
1Q: (KP) Kyle Abbott 46-yard rush, Matt Kelley XP good.
2Q: No scoring.
3Q: (KP) Will Astorino 32-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.
4Q: (A) Matt Harvie 33-yard pass to Anthony Salviati, Josue Salguero XP good.

Canton, 7 @ Oliver Ames, 19 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (OA) Chad Silva 3-yard rush, Nick Ferrini XP good; (OA) Wayne Casey 21-yard pass to C. Silva, XP blocked.
2nd Quarter: (C) Godson Ofonagoro 13-yard rush, Hayden Rose XP good; (OA) W. Casey 10-yard pass to C. Silva, Conversion no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Foxboro, 31 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1Q: (F) Lincoln Moore 1-yard rush, Sam Carpenter XP good.
2Q: (F) L. Moore 2-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good; (F) Mike Marcucella 29-yard pass to Nolan Gordon, S. Carpenter XP good; (F) T. Marcucella 9-yard pass to Jaden Becker, S. Carpenter XP good.
3Q: (F) S. Carpenter 30-yard field goal.
4Q: No scoring.

Franklin, 35 @ Taunton, 14 – Final
1Q: (T) Malachi Johnson 8-yard rush, Sete Deletoile XP good; (F) Jase Lyons 12-yard pass to Derek Dubriske, Garrett Portesi XP good; (T) Bryan Batista 1-yard rush, S. Deletoile XP good.
2Q: (F) J. Lyons 25-yard pass to Luke Davis, G. Portesi XP good.
3Q: (F) J. Lyons 61-yard pass to L. Davis, G. Portesi XP good.
4Q: (F) J. Lyons 13-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good; (F) L. Davis 30-yard interception return, G. Portesi XP good.

Mansfield, 24 @ Haverford (PA), 14 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Conner Zukowski 25-yard pass to Trevor Foley, Travis Hennessey XP good; (M) C. Zukowski 20-yard pass to T. Foley, T. Hennessey XP good.
2nd Quarter: (H) Wright 1-yard rush, XP no good; (M) C. Zukowski 6-yard pass to T. Foley, T. Hennessey XP good.
3rd Quarter: (H) Wright 8-yard pass to Marciano, 2-point conversion good.
4th Quarter: (M) T. Hennessey 21-yard field goal.

North Attleboro, 15 @ Milford, 33 – Final
1Q: No scoring.
2Q: (M) Evan Cornelius 1-yard rush, XP failed; (M) Nicholas Araujo 43-yard field goal.
3Q: (M) N. Araujo 40-yard field goal; (NA) Greg Berthiaume blocked punt fumble recovery in the end zone, G. Berthiaume 2pt rush; (NA) Nathan Shultz 17-yard rush, Austin Clemente XP good.
4Q: (M) E. Cornelius 16-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (M) E. Cornelius 24-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (M) Romeo Holland 26-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.

Sharon, 36 vs. Roxbury Prep, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.
1Q: (S) Liam Conway 3-yard rush, Jace McCarron XP good; (S) L. Conway 12-yard pass to Anthony Piron, J. McCarron XP good.
2Q: (S) Mason Lelling 30-yard interception return, 2pt rush failed; (S) Safety; (S) L. Conway 20-yard pass to Kyle Samuels, J. McCarron XP good; (S) Gabe Korn 8-yard rush, J. McCarron XP good.
3Q: No scoring.
4Q: No scoring.








Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 2 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final

Milford, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – A strong first half resulted in a pair of goals for the visiting Hawks, and that proved to be enough to secure a key two points on the road to pull into a first place tie with Franklin. Nick Ribeiro’s cross found Eduardo Santana for the opening goal of the game, and Milford doubled its lead when John Borges played Jonny Tacuri Castro in to make it 2-0. Milford played the final 20 minutes down a man after a red card, and Franklin cashed in just moments later when Rex Cinelli finished a free kick from Noah Cain, but the visitors were able to play out the rest of the game with the lead. Lucas Fernandes had a strong game, including a massive second half save to preserve the lead.

Taunton, 1 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip rallied for a pair of second half goals to earn a win on its senior night. The visiting Tigers took the lead in the 12th minute on a penalty kick, and carried the 1-0 advantage into halftime. Just under 10 minutes into the second half, the Warriors pulled level as Matt Crago finished off a feed from Will Bowen on a set piece to make it 1-1. Just minutes later, Colin Dervin set up Bowen for what turned out to be the game-winner. Connor O’Reilly made six saves in net for the win.




Girls Soccer
Canton, 2 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Mansfield and Canton split four goals and each team walked away with a point. Mekhala Costello opened the scoring from the penalty spot, after drawing a foul in the box, but Kara Santos equalized for the Hornets off an Olivia Dunham corner. Alexandra Fernandes gave Mansfield the lead off a Meghan McCann assist, but Emily McCabe would score Canton’s second penalty of the game to level the score. Canton keeper Marissa Staffiere made a great save on a blast from Avery Hawthorne in the closing minutes to preserve the draw, and made several crucial stops throughout the afternoon. Canton coach Idris Senyonjo said it was a game that either team could have won and that a draw felt like a fair result in an even match.

Foxboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this match. OA scored three times in the second half, including a pair of Mary Cross goals, to earn its ninth straight win. In a first half with very few chances, Emma Gavin provided a moment of class to put the Tigers in front. Just three minutes before halftime, Gavin pressed the Foxboro defense, stole the ball, and fired a 25-yard shot off the bar and in. Jolie Diaz almost doubled the lead seconds later but Allie Sougaris made a nice save and Jenna Gilman hit the rebound over the bar. One minute after the break, OA grabbed a second. Diaz hit a cross from the right that landed in the six, took a bounce off a defender, and then appeared to go off Gilman’s face and in. Eight minutes later, Sophia Byron’s corner was knocked down in the box by freshman Caroline Bowers and Mary Cross pounced on the loose ball. In the 64th minute, Byron again delivered a great corner that dropped in the box. Cross was on hand to knock in the loose ball for her brace. Erin Foley came closest for the Warriors with a quickly taken free kick that went just over the bar.

Franklin, 3 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Franklin scored late in the first half and added a pair of late goals to pull out the road win. Caitlyn Bruno opened the scoring with three minutes left in the first half, from a Chloe Stavely assist. Olivia Costa had a brace in the second half for the Panthers. Anya Zub and Bridget Leo had the assists. Rachel Welch and Hailey Aniki combined for six saves and a clean sheet. Milford coach Lou Colabello praised his team’s performance against one of the league’s elite, taking a lot of positives from the game. He noted the play of freshman Kaleigh Tourtelot, who impressed in only her third varsity game in goal.

King Philip, 6 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Heidi Lawrence and Makayla Thompson each scored twice to lead the Warriors to a big road win. Lawrence opened the scoring 13 minutes into the game, finishing off a diagonal pass from Ella Pisani. Thompson scored three minutes later on a corner from Danielle Gresham. Dani Lomuscio made it 3-0, taking a pass from Gresham and finding the net from 20 yards. Ilah Weiblen scored her first varsity goal with 15 minutes to go before the break. Kylie Menendez had the assist on the fourth goal. Lawrence got her second, again from Pisani, seven minutes after halftime and Thompson added a second goal from a corner, this time after a short pass from Addisyn Lamothe-Vaughn.




Field Hockey
Franklin, 14 @ Milford, 0 – Final

Volleyball
Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames picked up its third win of the week, sweeping visiting Bridgewater-Raynham in straight sets, 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-20). Junior Rachel Fleischman gave the Tigers a big boost with a strong defensive effort (12 digs) while adding three aces. Sophomore Clare Kavoulis dished out 34 assists in the win with Sarah Hilliard (14 kills) leading the offense. Maddie Homer added 30 digs and sophomore Ava Barth added 10 digs and four aces.

King Philip, 3 vs. Medway, 0 – Final – King Philip made is nine in a row, defending home court against non-league foe Medway with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-12) win. Ahunna James had a strong all-around game with eight digs, seven kills, and four aces, both Emily Sawyer (seven kills) and Sami Shore (six kills) played well at the net, and junior Ava Kelley chipped in with six digs.

Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 3 – Final – The Bulldogs secured their second win of the week, pulling out a close win in the fourth set to fend off a feisty Stoughton squad, 3-1 (25-18, 25-18, 21-25, 28-26). Jess Wright had a big day for the hosts, recording 17 kills to pace the offense while Sally Hoban added nine kills for the Bulldogs. Zoe Scibelli continued to anchor the Canton defense with 25 digs and added three aces. Charlotte Clyve gave the Bulldogs a big boost off the bench with a few big kills.

Taunton vs. New Bedford, 4:00

Golf
Oliver Ames, 171 @ Foxboro, 173 – Final – Oliver Ames tackled the tough course at Foxboro Country Club and a strong Foxboro squad to grab a close 171-173 win, clinching at least a share of the Davenport division title, the program’s first division title since 2018 and first Davenport crown since 2015. Junior Sean Kearns fired a 39 to lead the Tigers, sharing medalist honors with Foxboro’s Patrick Callahan (five pars, one birdie). David Rodgers added a 42, Daniel Paul chipped in with a 44, and Braden Shapiro capped his strong week with a 46. Reese Curreri and Louis Carangelo each shot a 44 and Mat Sullivan finished at 46 for the Warriors. Oliver Ames travels to Mansfield on Tuesday with a chance to clinch the division title outright with a win.

Canton, 170 @ Sharon, 171 – Final

Taylor Nets Again, Lifts Foxboro to Win at Mansfield

Foxboro girls soccer
Foxboro sophomore Neve Taylor scored her third goal in two games and led the Warriors to a league win at Mansfield. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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MANSFIELD, Mass. – For the first time in the opening 25 minutes, Foxboro found a path into the Mansfield penalty area. Neve Taylor ran onto a looped pass from Lauren Miley in the left channel. The sophomore forward squared up her marker, cut into the box on her right foot, and fired a shot into the left bottom corner.

It was Taylor’s third goal in two games this season and proved to be the decisive moment, as Foxboro held on for a 1-0 win on Tuesday night at Alumni Field.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“She is just that outside-mid force that is just our secret weapon that no one is ready for all the time,” first-year Foxboro coach Jen Lippolis said of Taylor, who has scored all the Warriors’ goals so far this season.

“Milford was a little shock to a lot of the girls because it was their first time ever playing in a varsity game and experiencing that level of physicality. They were ready today and they pushed back today.”

Foxboro’s goal came against the run of play, as Mansfield started brighter in what turned out to be a combative, competitive, hard-fought battle between two teams with league title aspirations.

The Hornets had a good chance after seven minutes, when Jill Koppy intercepted a pass and fed Alexis O’Keefe in the center of the pitch. O’Keefe laid a pass into the path of left winger Olivia Homsi, who won possession back immediately after it was stolen and curled a shot wide of the far post.

Ten minutes later, Mansfield was on the attack again. Lyla Nappa slipped a pass in behind the Warriors back line and freshman Alexandra Fernandes hit a shot across the front of goal that Foxboro keeper Allie Sougaris held onto. Following the goal, Fernandes had another good look from the center of the box but Sougaris was able to get down quickly to her right to tip the shot past the post.

“When you’ve got young kids, four freshman, a lot of new sophomores, even some juniors who’ve never played varsity before, right from the preseason they’ve been bringing it,” Mansfield coach Kevin Smith said about his young attackers. “They brought it tonight and we had tons of shots and opportunities but just couldn’t score.”

Foxboro gained confidence from its goal and started to get a larger foothold in the match. Part of that was the move of Erin Foley into the center of midfield, where her physicality and composure were vital to the Warriors getting forward.

“She sets the tone for the team and everyone sort of follows her pace,” Lippolis said. “I’ll take the fouls at the 40 just to sort of push back because sometimes you have to. She never shies away.”

At the half hour mark, freshman Morgan Riley was able to deflect a ball into the path of classmate Shea Dorney for a shot that forced Mansfield’s Olivia Salisbury into a save. Sophomore Meghan McCann showed her strength to earn Mansfield a chance, winning the ball in the box and cutting it back to freshman Lauren Signoriello for a shot just wide.

With nearly the last kick of the half, Foxboro was nearly two goals in front. Foley won the header in midfield and Miley played another perfect through ball into the channel for Taylor. This time, her left-footed shot flashed just wide of the far post.

Mansfield came out of the break on the front foot and had two early chances to equalize. McCann again was able to win a duel with her marker to gain possession in the box but her shot from the left was across the face of goal. Two minutes later, freshman Olivia Dunham stepped up from center back to win the ball. O’Keefe’s one-touch pass sprung Reagan Trout down the left wing. After a 50-yard run, Trout’s shot was charged down by Lindsey Resnick.

The pattern continued midway through the half. Sophomore Aniela Diieso was able to win the ball on the right edge of the box and cut the ball to Gabby Seifert making a late run from midfield. The first-time shot was just wide. Brooke Penney then got the ball to Fernandes on the wing and she cut inside to create space, but her shot was right at Sougaris.

“Lindsey, this is her third year starting at center back so she’s calm,” Lippolis said about her team’s defensive effort. “Having her see the whole field and directing everyone, and they listen to her, which is great. And Allie behind her in net, the two of them are such a force.”

Foley nearly put the game away with five minutes to play. She ran onto Dorney’s corner and hit a cushioned volley on target, but Salisbury came up with a full-stretch save to deny the Foxboro junior a stunning goal.

As time wound down, there was a moment of controversy. Fernandes again cut into the box from the left and held possession against tight marking. A whistle came from across the field. Although the play was in the box at the time of the call, the official on the far side ruled that the foul started outside the box and awarded a free kick right on the line. Dunham curled her shot over the wall, but Sougaris (seven saves) was able to get two hands to it and was fouled in the attempt to collect it fully.

There was still time for Taylor to have another chance. This time she got in behind the Mansfield defense, which was pressing forward to try and tie the game, but Salisbury (five saves) was able to get a palm to the clipped shot and keep the deficit at one.

“We just couldn’t finish,” Smith explained. “Credit to their defense, credit to their goalie. She made some great saves and they were able to put us off a step or two there to hit some wide, fingertip to some.”

Foxboro (2-0-0) will have its home opener on Thursday against Franklin. Mansfield (1-2-0) will try to bounce back with a home game against North Attleboro.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.