Youthful Foxboro Makes the Big Plays to Beat Canton

Foxboro Football
Junior Lincoln Moore (42) pulls in one of Foxboro’s three interceptions in the Warriors 36-14 win over Canton at Martinelli Field. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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FOXBORO, Mass. – Foxboro came into the new season with a roster filled with underclassmen being asked to step into major roles on both sides of the ball. After a tough start to the fall, losing the opening three games, the Warriors seem to be turning a corner.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The youth movement was on full display on Friday night at Martinelli Field. Sophomore Mike Marcucella threw three touchdown passes, including one to freshman Rashaan Lewis and another to classmate Nolan Gordon, and the defense forced four turnovers, to come from behind and beat Canton 36-14.

“Once we focused a little more, we were able to do a lot of different things,” Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli said. “We threw, we ran the ball. It’s such a young team that it’s hard to put a finger on whether it’s going to be a slow start or a fast start. All in all, the kids played tough.”

It was a game that had playoff implications for both teams. Despite a losing record, Foxboro was the No. 9 team in the latest Div. 4 rankings, while Canton was No. 21.

The Bulldogs needed a win to climb back towards the top 16 and they came out of the gates with a strong start. On fourth and three from the Canton 16-yard-line, Ben Angelini (eight carries, 61 yards) was stopped for no gain by Luke Richards and James Robbins. On the second Foxboro possession, Robbins sacked Marcucella on first down and Josh Richards jumped on a tipped ball to get the interception.

After the return, the Bulldogs started at the Foxboro 19. On third and 11, Godson Ofonagoro (18 carries, 97 yards) took a sweep around the right side, bursting past the Warriors front seven and scoring from 20 yards out.

Foxboro started its next drive at its own 15. Marcucella (12-of-18, 206 yards) hit Gordon for a quick first down. Two plays later Brandon Mazenkes-O’Grady took the handoff to the left side of the line, cut it upfield, and then raced away leaving the Canton defense in his wake on a 72-yard touchdown.

The extra point was no good, so Canton held onto the lead into the second quarter. After forcing a three-and-out, Foxboro got the ball at midfield. Marcucella fired a pass underneath to Tony Sulham (four catches, 63 yards) for 23. On first down, the Foxboro QB threw a ball down the right sideline to Lewis and the freshman laid out at full stretch to haul in a 27-yard score.

On its next possession, Canton faced fourth down and one from its own 29. Fallon sensed that his team needed a boost and had confidence that his line could hold its block to get a yard. Owen Lane (6-of-18, 72 yards) had trouble fielding a high snap and Sully Kenneally was in the backfield to bring him down for a five-yard loss.

“It was half a foot,” Canton coach Anthony Fallon said about the decision to go for it. “I know it was bad territory but I was looking to build some momentum. Our linemen were feeling confident, they were getting off the ball, I thought we were playing some really good physicality.”

“We had it if we didn’t drop the snap. It’s tough to put your defense in a hole like that but I thought it was time to try and get a little momentum. Just didn’t work out.”

Foxboro only needed one play to take advantage of the short field. Marcucella, despite taking a big hit from Julian Prentence, was able to get the ball away down the field and Gordon out-jumped the coverage bringing down the 28-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion failed, but the Warriors led 19-7.

After the fourth down gamble didn’t pay off, things got even worse for Canton as Lincoln Moore jumped a route and picked off a pass to give the hosts the ball at the 26. Canton’s defense came up with a big stand, including a good tackle by Jack Flaherty on third down to force a 37-yard field goal by Sam Carpenter.

Nick Crowe returned the ensuing kick 44 yards to give Canton good starting field position. On third and 10, Lane hit Ofonagoro on a screen pass and he broke free for what looked like it was going to be huge gain. Mazenkes-O’Grady showed off his speed to chase down the Canton running back from behind and force a fumble, which Sulham recovered.

“Forty-four (Mazenkes-O’Grady) made a great play on that screen there,” Fallon said. “Godson looked like he was gone there, the kid caught him and made that play. I thought even after halftime we were going to come out and throw some punches and we did okay but they just wore us down a little bit. We just made too many mistakes in the first half.”

The Foxboro defense started the second half with another turnover. Sophomore Kaden Hassett picked off Lane at the Canton 38. Mazenkes-O’Grady got 10 on first down and 27 on the second play. Moore capped the drive with a one-yard plunge to make it 29-7.

“We had planned to play a seven-game box against them but 21 (Ofonagoro) is a good runner and 14 (Lane) is a good runner and we had to make some adjustments after the first touchdown they scored and the kids adapted well,” Martinelli explained.

Payton Francis and Anthony Porazzo combined to stuff an option attempt for a loss of five, forcing another Canton punt. Foxboro’s offense needed just one play to turn that into a bigger lead. Marcucella hit Eddie Feldman across the middle and the junior broke free, bursting away from the secondary and finding the end zone on a 66-yard score.

While the final result was a foregone conclusion, the Bulldogs weren’t quitting and put together their best drive of the night, going 79 yards on 13 plays to get back on the scoreboard. Ofonagoro has a 14-yard run to get out to the 45. On third and three, Lane got four on a keeper and then he hit Richards for 11 to the Foxboro 33. Ofonagoro had gains of 12 and 15 yards before he went around the right side for a five-yard TD.

“We’ve had three losses where we’ve had the last drive of the game to either tie or win and just weren’t able to pull that off,” Martinelli said when asked about his team overcoming an 0-3 start to the season. “I think being youthful has a lot to do with it but it’s good experience for the kids.”

Foxboro (3-4) has won three of its last four games and is tied for first in the Davenport division. The Warriors will head to Oliver Ames next week. Canton (3-3) will host Blue Hills on Friday in its final game of the regular season.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/23/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 1 – FinalMansfield didn’t record a hit but took advantage of its opportunity to steal a win over visiting Attleboro. Jimmy Gilleran led off the fourth with a walk, moved to second after Conner Zukowski was hit by a pitch, took third after a pop up, and scored on an error for the lone run of the game. Anthony Sacchetti did the rest, tossing a complete game shutout with six hits allowed and no walks, striking out seven for the win. Parker Sackett had a terrific outing in the loss, tossing a six-inning no-hitter with three walks and a pair of strikeouts. Junior Cooper Johnson had two hits, including a double, for the Bombardiers and one stolen base.

Foxboro, 6 @ Canton, 3 – FinalEach team scored in three innings but it was the visiting Warriors that took advantage of two runs in each the second, fourth, and fifth innings to secure a win over Canton. Canton sandwiched a pair of runs around Foxboro’s two runs in the top of the second, taking a 2-2 game into the fourth inning. Foxboro jumped back ahead after an RBI ground out from freshman Mike Marcucella and an RBI single from senior Jack Watts in the fourth. In the top of the fifth, both Ryan LeClair (single) and Sean O’Leary (walk) got on before Canton recorded back-to-back outs. Liam Mulkern (3-for-3, two runs, two RBI) came through with a clutch hit, sending a two-out single to center to bring both runs in to make it 6-2. Canton got a run back in the bottom half on an RBI single from Jack Digirolamo to score Andy Butler (walk), but the Bulldogs couldn’t get a run across in the final two innings. Foxboro freshman Nolan Gordon improved to 7-0 on the season, allowing three runs on nine hits and three walks, striking out seven in six innings of work. Matheiu Sullivan earned the save, retiring the side in order in the seventh.

Franklin, 16 @ King Philip, 5 – Final (6 Inn.)Scoreless after two innings of play, Franklin’s offense came roaring to life over the final four innings, scoring a season-high 16 runs in a win on the road over King Philip to clinch sole possession of the Kelley-Rex division title. Evan Raider hit a one-out double with the bases loaded to get the offense started, putting the Panthers ahead 3-0 in the top of the third. King Philip had the answer early as sophomore Travis Crawford singled in a run and junior Rudy Gately followed with a two-run double, but Franklin’s offense couldn’t be stopped the rest of the way. After scoring three more runs in the fourth, Franklin used three straight singles from Ben Jarosz, Joe Tirrell, and Ryan Gerety (4-for-4, four runs) to score three runs, and two at-bats later, Chris Goode smoked a two-run double to center to make it 11-4. The Panthers pushed across five more in the sixth as Jase Lyons and Eisig Chig had back-to-back RBI doubles, Tirrell brought a run in on a sac fly, and Goode added two more RBI with a double.

Milford, 2 @ Taunton, 12 – Final (6 Inn.)

North Attleboro, 10 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – FinalIn a back-and-forth, see-saw battle, Oliver Ames scored the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh, taking the win on a walk-off walk from sophomore Ian Kelly. The Tigers had it going early, scoring first in the bottom of the second, exploding for four runs in the third (highlighted by a two-out, two-run triple from Jack Muir, who had three hits), and then three more in fourth (including an RBI triple from Jake Waxman and an RBI double from Muir) to create a 8-1 lead. That lead quickly vanished when North’s offense erupted for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning, with Derek Maceda (three hits, two runs, two RBI) driving in a run with a single, Gavin Wells scoring on a passed ball, Danny Curran knocking in two with a single to right, Dillon Harding making it a one-run game with a triple to right, and Gio Martello tying the game at 8-8 with a double to center. But it didn’t take long for Oliver Ames to regain the lead as senior Jack Richardson smacked a two-out double in the bottom half to make it 9-8. The top of the sixth was North’s turn for offense as Maceda doubled in Tyler Bannon (three hits, two runs, one RBI) to tie it, and three at-bats later, Martello reached on an error and a run came home to make it 10-9. OA stranded the tying run at third in the sixth, but came through in the bottom of the seventh. Nathanial Lewis (three hits, three RBI) led off with a single to center, Richardson was hit by a pitch, and Nathan Carpentier reached on an error to bring in a run to tie the game. After an intentional walk to load the bases, North got the second out on a fielder’s choice with the force out at home, but Kelly drew a full-count walk to score the winning run.

Sharon, 2 @ Stoughton, 9 – FinalStoughton closed out the season with its best offensive output of the season, taking down rival Sharon 9-1 at home, but as a the away team. The Black Knights scored twice in the first and took a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning where the offense came alive for four runs and stayed hot an inning later with three more in the sixth. Senior Owen Wiesnberger got things started with a two-out, two-run single to bring Anthony Tilton (single) and Anthony Girolamo (error) home for the early edge. Sharon cut the deficit in half in the bottom half on an RBI single from Ryan Baker, but the Eagles’ offense stayed quiet for the rest of the game. In the top of the fifth, Wiesnberger and Joe McNulty earned back-to-back bases loaded walks to bring in a run each, and senior James Price drove in a pair with a single to left for a 6-1 lead. A two-out error allowed Tilton to reach in the sixth and brought Brad Franey home. Two more Eagle errors turned into two more runs for the Knights. Tilton tossed a complete game for the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits and no walks, striking out seven.








Softball
Mansfield, 0 @ Attleboro, 6 – FinalAttleboro used a four-run fifth inning to break open a one-run game and pull out the division win on senior night. Lily Routhier tossed a complete game shutout and helped her cause at the dish with three hits and an RBI. Hailey Perry made her return to the lineup and went 3-for-3 with two RBI in her season debut. Rylie Camacho, Lindsey Perry, Sarah Maher, and Lauren Eby all contributed to the offense with hits and RBIs. Mansfield was held to just four hits on the day, getting singles from Callie Lake, Cat Kipp, Casey Moussette, and Alanna Conley.

Canton, 2 @ Foxboro, 5 – FinalVittoria Cuscia tossed a complete game and Peyton Feldman drove in a pair of runs as Foxboro knocked off visiting Canton. Cuscia struck out seven to get the win while Feldman collected a pair of hits and a pair of RBI in the win. Sophomore Fiona Dunn added two hits for the Warriors. For Canton, Sophia Santos pitched well with six strikeouts. Chloe Guerschuny had a hit and a run scored, Jess Wright had a hit and an RBI, and Taylor Reynolds added a double for the Bulldogs.

King Philip, 10 @ Franklin, 1 – FinalKing Philip picked up its 18th win of the season, jumping out to a 4-0 lead through the first three innings and then tacking on six more between the fifth and sixth on the road at Franklin. Freshman Liv Petrillo got the scoring started with an RBI single in the second, and in the third, Meg Sherwood and Taylor Regan had back-to-back sacrifice flies before Charlotte Raymond (3-for-3) drove in another run with a single. Sherwood led off the fifth with a deep solo home run and Maddie Paschke made it 6-0 with a sac fly to right. In the sixth, Regan doubled in a run, Raymond brought one home on a sac fly, Petrillo added an RBI double, and Paschke capped KP’s scoring with an RBI single. Franklin freshman Sarah Boozang smacked a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to score Dana Stott to get the Panthers on the board. Emma Sheehan got the win for the Warriors, allowing one run on eight hits and two walks, striking out five in a complete game effort.

Taunton, 7 @ Milford, 0 – FinalTaunton took the lead in the top of the first and that was enough as freshman Cate Larson and senior Liv Mendonca combined for a one-hitter on the road at Milford. The Tigers scored three runs in the first, one in the second, and three more in the fourth on a total of 12 hits. Taunton’s top three hitters — Kyleah Plumb, Angie Lynch, Kaysie DeMoura — combed for seven of those hits and five of the runs with Lynch (homerun) driving in four runs on the day. Larson tossed two scoreless innings with a strikeout to start the game, allowing one hit. Mendonca tossed the final five innings and was perfect, retiring all 15 batters she faced with four strikeouts.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – FinalOA scored an unearned run in the first inning, but North tied the game in the second and then pushed ahead the winning runs in the fifth to secure another league win. Kelley Colleran struck out 17 and blasted a two-run homer to help North pick up the victory. After OA jumped into the lead, North rallied in the second. Maryellen Charette reached on an infield hit, took second on an Emma Hanwell bunt, and scored on a grounder by Grace Simmons. In the fifth, Simmons got things started with a single and Grace Barry followed by beating out a bunt hit. Ally Levine plated the eventual game-winner with a sac fly, before Colleran stepped up and added two more runs with a homer. Colleran struck out the side in the seventh to close it out.

Stoughton, 17 @ Sharon, 1 – Final (5 inn.)Stoughton grabbed its 10th win of the season with a league win on the road in Sharon. Kerry Driscoll earned the winning, allowing three hits with four strikeouts in five innings of work, getting exceptional defense behind her from Alyssa Edwards and Madison Hinds. Camryn Whitman led the offense for Stoughton with three hits, including a double, and an RBI while Edwards and Melody Casna each added a single, a double, and combined for five RBI. Kate Bulger chipped in with a three-run triple for the Black Knights.




Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 5 @ Franklin, 25 – FinalFranklin exploded for 20 goals in the first half on its way to a win over visiting Canton, completing another undefeated year against Hock opponents. Jake Davis (three assists) and Jayden Consigli (two assists) each pumped in five goals while John Walshe, Eddie O’Brien, and Ryan Grasso each scored a pair in the first half. Drew Hansen added three first half points with a goal and two helpers and Tyler Sacchetti recorded a goal and five assists.

Foxboro, 17 @ Milford, 3 – FinalFoxboro had nine players find the back of the net in a big win on the road at Milford. Junior Conor Noone led the charge with four goals and four assists while Tommy Sharkey and Lincoln Moore each chipped in with two goals apiece. Freshman John Sacchetti scored a hat trick in the win, Finn Stapleton added a pair of goals and an assist, sophomore Sully Kenneally scored once, and both sophomore Tony Sulham and freshman Aidan Waller

King Philip, 8 @ North Attleboro, 11 – Final

Sharon, 10 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Taunton, 5 @ Attleboro, 7 – FinalFor Taunton, Cali Melo scored a hat trick, Sarah Clark added two goals, and Mel Jesus recorded six saves in net.

Franklin, 17 @ Canton, 1 – FinalThe Panthers completed yet another perfect Hock season, going 10-0 against league foes capped with Monday’s big win over Canton. Stella Regan (four goals, one assist) and Kaitlyn Carney (three goals, two assists) paced the offense with five points apiece, Kate O’Rourke (three goals, one assist, six draw controls) and Katie Peterson (one goal, three assists) each had four points, and Jamie Tanner (one goal) played well defensively for the Panthers. Allie McCabe scored for Canton while Elyse Broderick made nine saves in net.

Milford, 4 @ Foxboro, 15 – FinalFoxboro got goals from seven different players to pick up a big win at home and clinch its 10th straight league title. Kate Collins led the attack with six points, scoring three goals and assisting on three others. Paige Curran scored a team-high four goals and added a helper, Cate Noone had a pair of goals and three assists, and Val Beigel scored two and assisted on two. Mary Collins also had a pair of goals, adding an assist as well, while Mya Waryas (one assist) and Grace Riley each found the back of the net once. Audrey Campbell made five saves to secure the win.

North Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip, 19 – FinalKing Philip celebrated senior night in grand fashion as Haley Izydorczak became the latest Warrior to hit a career milestone. Izydorczak had four goals to hit the 100-point mark for her career. Izydorczak and fellow seniors Lily Brown, Julia Marsden, Morgan Cunningham, Margo Riley, Colleen crowther, Laura Gelsomini, Rachael Anderson and Ally Peterson played well in the win.

Mansfield, 12 @ Sharon, 3 – FinalFor Sharon, Bailey Garta scored a pair and Anna Hertzel added one goal. Tess Letendre had another great game in net for the Eagles, making 15 saves.




Boys Tennis
Mansfield, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – FinalMansfield swept all three singles matches and added a fourth win from doubles play to take the win over Attleboro. Kailash Elumelai took the win at first singles (6-3, 6-0), Neema Khosravani added a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at second singles, and Jesse Colchamiro emerged from his match at third singles with a 6-3, 6-1 verdict. Sophomores Iniyan Karruppusami and Nikhil Nain delivered a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles for the Hornets. Attleboro’s Luke Hinton and Brady Rosen secured a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Canton, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – FinalWith two wins in singles action and one more from doubles, Foxboro fended off visiting Canton with a close 3-2 win. Bo Canfield (6-0, 6-0) and Raj Jetty won in singles action for the Warriors while Ryan Fossella and Luca Meyer secured a 7-5, 6-2 win at first doubles for Foxboro. Canton’s Suraj Ramanathan emerged from first singles with a 6-1, 6-0 win and the team of Davis Lamb and Justin Ngan captured a tight 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) win at second doubles.

King Philip, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – FinalFranklin defended home court with a sweep and clinched the Kelley-Rex division title outright for the second straight season, and third straight title overall. The Panthers dropped a total of just two games in singles action with seniors Vayshanv Malhotra and Sameen Shaik each winning 6-0, 6-0, and senior Drew Mahoney taking a 6-2, 6-0 decision. Seniors Thomas Broyles and Tim O’Keefe battled to a 6-3, 7-5 win at first doubles, and the sophomore duo of Jay Gorgas and Ahan Shetty secured a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win at second doubles.

Taunton @ Milford, 4:30

Oliver Ames, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – FinalA doubles sweep and two wins from singles action delivered Oliver Ames a 4-1 verdict on the road at North Attleboro. OA seniors Raphael Vache (7-6 (2), 7-5) and Kylash Ganesh (6-0, 6-0) were victorious at second and third singles, respectively, while the team of Patrick Dolan and Alex Efremidas took first doubles (6-1, 6-1), and the tandem of Ben Dias and Alex Vasiliou earned a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win at second doubles. North Attleboro senior Will Folan captured a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles.

Sharon, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – FinalAttleboro sophomore Maddie Fuscaldo overcame a one-set deficit to prevail in three, clinching a 3-2 win on the road for the Bombardiers. Fuscaldo dropped a tight first set (4-6) but came back to win two in a row (6-3, 6-2) while senior Ella Lynch-Bartek added a 6-1, 6-1 first singles win and the sophomore tandem of Kyra Johnson and Presley Biller earned a 7-5, 6-2 win at second doubles. Mansfield’s Caroline Guravage captured a 6-2, 6-1 win at third singles while Savannah Grey and Alexis O’Keefe earned a 6-2, 6-4 first doubles win.

Foxboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – FinalTaking two wins from singles and another from doubles, the Warriors captured a tight 3-2 win on the over Canton. Athena Li continued to dominate at first singles for Foxboro taking a 6-0, 6-0 decision while Hailey Kornbluth added a 6-1, 6-0 second singles win for the Warriors. Foxboro added a third win when Emily Stow and Sydney Lebow secured a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles. Canton’s Olivia Maloney earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles and the team of Grace Powers and Olivia Durham gave the Bulldogs a 6-4, 1-6, 10-7 win at first doubles.

Franklin, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – FinalKing Philip kept its division title hopes alive with a 4-1 win over Franklin, taking two wins from both singles and doubles action. The Warriors got straight set wins from Ahunna James at first singles (6-3, 6-2) and Shea Mellman at second singles (6-3, 6-1) while Franklin’s Sarah Schiavo secured a 6-2, 6-0 win at third singles. That meant the match would come down to doubles action, and both matches went into a third set. KP ended with winning both as the junior tandem of Priya Riar and Carlie Burns emerged with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win at second doubles to clinch the win. Resha Ajoy and Lauren Casper added a fourth win, prevailed with a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) win at first doubles. KP will play Franklin again on Wednesday in a continuation of a rain-delayed match from last week. Franklin will host Foxboro on Tuesday with a chance to clinch at least a share of the division title heading into Wednesday’s clash.

Milford, 1 @ Taunton, 4 – Final

North Attleboro, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – FinalOliver Ames closed out the season by earning a 4-1 victory over North Attleboro, finishing the season at 13-3. Freshman Hannah Farber (6-0, 6-2) and senior Elizabeth O’Brien (6-0, 6-1) had the singles wins for the Tigers, at first and third singles, respectively. Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper dropped just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles and the team of Olivia Querzoli and Marina Mierzwinski rallied from a one-set deficit to capture a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 win at second doubles. North Attleboro’s Grace Noreck won 6-3, 6-4 at second singles.

Stoughton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final

Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Nipmuc, 5:00 (@ Blackstone Valley HS)
Taunton, 0 @ Greater New Bedford, 3 – Final

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/16/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Taunton, 17 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final (5 Inn.)

North Attleboro, 5 @ Canton, 1 – FinalNorth Attleboro jumped in front with three runs in the third inning and tacked on two key insurance in the top of the seventh to secure a win on the road over Canton. The win clinched at least a share of the Davenport division for the Rocketeers, who would win it outright with one more win or a Foxboro loss. Jack Digirolamo drove in a run on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the first to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead but North took the lead for good with three in the third. Danny Curran reached on an error that allowed Derek Maceda to score, Dillon Harding followed with an RBI sac fly, and Jordan Paradis had a one-out RBI single to give the visitors the 3-1 edge. in the top of the seventh, Maceda and Tyler DeMattio had back-to-back singles and both scored on a base hit from Curran to make it 5-1. Curran got the win on the mound as well, allowing just the one run on six hits and four walks, striking out four in 3.1 innings of work. Harding came on in relief and tossed 3.1 scoreless innings with three hits allowed and two strikeouts.

Sharon, 1 @ Foxboro, 3 – FinalFoxboro freshman Nolan Gordon had another strong outing on the mound and the Warriors’ offense came through with some timely two-out hits to secure a win at home over Sharon. Gordon scattered five hits in 6.1 innings of work, allowing one (unearned) run with one walk and six strikeouts for the win. Sean O’Leary came on for the final two outs to record the save, getting back-to-back outs against the tying run at the plate. Louis Carangelo had a leadoff walk, stole second, and put the Warriors ahead on a two-out double from Tom Marcucella in the bottom of the second. Foxboro doubled its lead an inning later when Ryan LeClair was hit by a pitch with two outs and scored on a double from O’Leary. Sharon got a run back in the top of the fourth when Will Hippler led off with a double, moved to third on a single from Dan Okstein and scored on a grounder from Dylan Labbe that was mishandled. Marcuella drew a two-out walk in the top of the sixth and scored off a triple from Kenny Mello for a key insurance run. Sophomore Luke Meixel pitched well for the Eagles in the loss, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks, striking out three in 5.2 innings of work.

Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 4 – FinalFranklin took the lead with a run in the first, added three in the third, and that was enough for junior Alfred Mucciarone as the Panthers prevailed from a tight contest with a win over rival Mansfield. In the bottom of the first, Chris Goode drew a two-out walk, stole second, and then scored on an RBI single up the left side by Evan Raider. The Panthers struck again with two outs in the third as sophomore Henry Digiorgio hit a base-clearing double to left to score Ryan Gerety (walk), Jack Marino (single), and Raider (single) to make it 4-0. Mucciarone tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits — a two-out single in the fourth, a one-out single in the sixth, and a two-out single in the seventh, but none advanced first — and two walks (both in the top of the third) along with 10 strikeouts.

King Philip, 11 @ Milford, 1 – FinalKing Philip’s offense roared to life with 11 runs on 14 hits, taking down Milford at Fino in the Warriors’ best offensive output of the month. KP pushed across a pair of runs in the second and third, but blew the game open with five runs in the fourth inning. Max Robison (two hits, stolen base, run) had a leadoff single in the fourth and both Shawn Legere and Brendan Sencaj (3-for-4, three runs, stolen base) were hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a wild pitch brought Robison home, Rudy Gately (RBI, two runs) drove in Legere with a single to right. Matt Kelley (three RBI) followed with a RBI sac fly, Aiden Astorino (two hits, two runs, RBI) smacked a two-out double to bring in a run, and Eli Reed (two hits, three RBI) had a two-out single to make it 9-0. Nick Viscusi got the win on the mound, allowing one run (unearned) on five hits and three walks, striking out for in 4.1 innings of work. Tommy McLeish tossed 1.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and Legere tossed a scoreless inning in relief as well. Evan Cornelius had a hit, two walks, and an RBI for the Scarlet Hawks.

Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 12 – Final (5 inn.) Oliver Ames belted out 14 hits in a balanced attack, putting up eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to secure its third straight win. Every player in the Tigers’ lineup had a hit, including two apiece from Ian Kelly (three RBI), Jake Waxman (three RBI), Jack Richardson (RBI, two runs), Nathan Carpentier (RBI), and Jack Muir (RBI, two runs). Nick Clark pitched all five innings for the Tigers, allowing one run on three hits and two walks, striking out eight. Jonah Ly had two hits for the Black Knights.








Softball
Attleboro, 6 @ Taunton, 2 – FinalAttleboro put it all together to secure arguably its biggest win as a program since joining the Hockomock League, knocking off defending state champs Taunton. The Bombardiers had it going pitching, defensively, and offensively to get the win, getting key defensive plays from Lindsey Perry at shortstop and Lauren Eby at second to deny Taunton’s comeback bid. Attleboro did all its damage on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, scoring all six of its runs. Consecutive hits from Perry, Sarah Maher, Lily Routhier, Eby, Kayla Goldrick and a double from Rylie Camacho to make it 5-0 in favor of the visitors. Emily Eby added a two-out single to bring Camacho home to make it 6-0. Routhier pitched five innings for the win, allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Perry came on for the save, tossing the final two innings.

Canton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 14 – Final (5 Inn.)North clinched at least a share of its third straight Davenport division title with a shutout of Canton. It is the first time in program history that the Rocketeers have won three straight league titles. Zoey McDonough dominated in the circle, recording 14 strikeouts and allowing only a walk and an infield hit. Ally Levine and Shaelyn Burns led the offense with two hits apiece. Kelly Colleran, Maryellen Charette, Emma Hanwell, Grace Simmons, and McDonough each had a hit and scored twice. Mandi Hanewich had a hit and drive in three, while Mary Rogers had a run scored and drove in a run with a sac fly.

Foxboro, 14 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (6 Inn.)Emma Callahan went the distance allowing only three hits and striking out four to get the shutout for Foxboro. Callahan also added a pair of hits at the plate. Peyton Feldman sparked the Foxboro offense with four hits, three runs scored, and three stolen bases. Ava Hill also chipped in with a pair of hits.

Franklin, 8 @ Mansfield, 3 – FinalFranklin rallied with six runs in the top of the seventh inning to come back from a run down and pick up a big road win. Freshman Sarah Boozang delivered the big hit, coming on as a pinch-hitter and smacking a double that plated the tying and the go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh. Juniors Georgia Harvey (run, RBI) and Katy Liberman (two runs) each had two hits on the day while Hannah Cacciapaglia (run) and Julia White (two runs, RBI). Aislinn Lavery got the win, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks, striking out eight for the Panthers. each had a triple. After the Panthers jumped ahead 2-0 in the second, Mansfield answered back with a pair of runs in the third on a Julia Kelly single and Olivia DeTrolio homer. Jill Koppy gave the Hornets their first lead with a solo homer in the fifth, but the Panthers turned the game on its head with a six-run seventh. Callie Lake and Alanna Conley also had hits for Mansfield.

Milford, 0 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (5 inn.) King Philip scored in each of the five innings, including three runs in the second and five more in the third to secure a win at home over Milford. Senior Meg Sherwood (two runs, double) and sophomore Taylor Regan (two RBI, two runs) each had three hits apiece for the Warriors while Maddie Paschke had a big day at the plate with a pair of hits, including a triple, and three RBI. Senior Mia Bennett added two runs, senior Lauren Hooper had a hit and a run scored, and senior Emma Sheehan added a hit and two RBI at the plate and tossed a shutout in the circle, allowing three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Cae Pellegrini had a double and two walks for the Scarlet Hawks.

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Stoughton, 5 – FinalAfter building a three-run lead over the first three innings, Oliver Ames broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning and secured a 12-5 win over Stoughton, sweeping the season series. Juniors Maddie Homer (3-for-5, two doubles, three runs) and Caitlin Miller (3-for-5, three runs, three RBI led the charge offensively for the Tigers. Freshman Emily Martin added two hits, a run, and an RBI, freshman Devon Morris drove in two runs and scored a run, and sophomore Madison Monteiro went 4-for-5 with an RBI, a double, and a run scored. Sydney Menz (run) and Melody Casna (two runs, RBI) each had a pair of hits for Stoughton.




Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 17 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final

Franklin, 16 @ Foxboro, 8 – FinalTommy Sharkey scored half of Foxboro’s goals, while Tony Sulham, Dylan Kerrigan, and Sully Kenneally each netted one for the Warriors. Adam Addeche had a strong game in goal with 10 saves.

Milford, 2 @ King Philip, 19 – Final

North Attleboro, 15 @ Mansfield, 4 – FinalNorth dominated the draw, as Jared Vacher won 15-of-18, and got big days from a few of its attackers to clinch at least a share of its first league title since 2017. Connor Ruppert led the way in attack with six goals and a pair of assists, while Matt Antonetti scored four times and dished out six helpers. Jack Regan also stepped up offensively with four goals and a hat trick of assists. Ethan McGrath made 11 saves for the Rocketeers.

Oliver Ames, 9 @ Sharon, 13 – FinalBen Reardon scored four goals and Wyatt Fritchman added three for the Tigers. Ryan Jaco added one for OA and freshman Shawn Teehan scored his first varsity goal. Noah Isleib did his best to keep the Tigers in the game, making 27 saves.

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 4 @ Canton, 14 – FinalCanton jumped out to a 9-1 lead at halftime and got hat tricks from three different players to pick up the home win. Carly Fitzgerald, Ella Yeaton, and Allie McCabe each scored three times for the Bulldogs, while Maggie McCready notched her first career goal. Elyse Broderick made five saves in the win.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 18 – FinalFranklin earned a big win against fellow division leader Foxboro to close in on another league title. This is the 96th consecutive league win for the Panthers (92nd in a row under head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino). Kaitlyn Carney led the way for the Panthers with six goals. Kate O’Rourke had four goals and pulled down seven draws and Katie Peterson had two goals, three assists, and five draws. Stella Regan added a hat trick, Jackie O’Neil had a pair of goals, and Lindsay Atkinson found the back of the net once for Franklin. Freshman Ella Mahoney made five saves to pick up the win in goal. Cate Noone scored twice and Paige Curran had one goal for the Warriors. Mary Collins had an assist and Audrey Campbell made a pair of saves in the loss.

King Philip, 18 @ Milford, 7 – FinalJulia Marsden scored four times, including the 100th goal of her career, to lead the Warriors to a big road win. Morgan Cunningham and Makenzie McDevitt recorded five points apiece for KP. For Milford, Aislin Bennett (assist) and Emily Croteau each scored twice, Carley Haley had one goal and one assist, Jordan Douglas and Stephanie Goulet each scored once and Fiona Jordan had one assist. Caitlyn Bangert made 10 saves in net for the Hawks.

Mansfield, 9 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final

Sharon @ Oliver Ames, 6:00




Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – FinalIt took three sets for three matches, but Attleboro won them all plus a win at second doubles to take a win on the road over Taunton. The team of Brady Rosen and Connor Coleman claimed a 6-2, 6-1 win at second doubles for Attleboro’s lone win in straight sets. Ethan Johnson prevailed with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 win at second singles while Tyler Rocchio earned a 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 victory at third singles. Arnav Sodhani and Evan Sousa overcame a one-set deficit for a 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 win at first doubles. Taunton’s Michael Kimmer secured a 6-3, 6-2 win at first singles.

Canton, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – FinalA sweep of doubles play and a win at third singles handed North Attleboro a 3-2 decision over visiting Canton. Junior Griffin Rodden teamed with sophomore Quinn DiFiore for a 6-1, 6-3 first doubles victory while sophomores Arnav Raghuvanshi and Caleb Cheney teamed up for a hard-fought 7-5, 6-2 win at second doubles. Freshman Darren Liang battled to a 6-3, 6-3 win at third singles for North’s third win. Canton sophomore Max Kupferman grabbed a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles and senior Suraj Ramanathan earned a 6-1, 6-0 second singles win.

Foxboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final

Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – FinalIt took a second-set tiebreaker at second doubles and a tightly contested three-set battle at first singles, but Franklin prevailed with a 3-2 win in a great match against rival Mansfield. Senior Vayshanv Malhotra split the first two sets but took care of business in the third set to win 6-7, 6-7 (1), 6-2 for the Panthers’ lone point from singles action. The team of seniors Tim O’Keefe and Thomas Broyles rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles while the team of sophomores Jay Gorgas and Ahan Shetty prevailed with a 6-4, 7-6 (6) win at second doubles to get the win for Franklin. Mansfield freshman Neema Khosravani took a 6-1, 6-2 verdict at second singles and sophomore Iniyan Karruppusami secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles for the Hornets.

Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – FinalKing Philip collected wins from second and third singles, plus both doubles matches, in a 4-1 decision over visiting Milford. Jonathan Cohen (6-1, 6-0) and Connor Sachleben (6-1, 6-1) were victorious at second and third singles, respectively, for the Warriors while the team of Adam Gousie and Leo Manning earned a 6-3, 6-4 win at first doubles, and the duo of Arjun Kullo and Ashrith Epuri grabbed a 6-4, 6-2 win at second doubles. Milford junior Tyler Andreotti battled to a 6-4, 4-6, 10-5 win at first singles.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – FinalOliver Ames went on the road and won all five matches, including four in straight sets, to knock off the Black Knights. Sophomore Nick Westerbeke notched his seventh win of the season with a 6-0, 6-0 verdict at first singles. Ben Dias and Alex Vasiliou were pushed to a third set tiebreaker but prevailed 10-8 to complete the sweep.

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 1 @ Attleboro, 4 – FinalAttleboro continued its strong season with a pair of wins in both singles and doubles for a 4-1 decision over visiting Taunton. Senior Ella Lynch-Bartek claimed a 6-1, 6-3 win at first singles and sophomore Maddie Fuscaldo added a 6-0, 6-0 victory at second singles for the Bombardiers. Seniors Tina Lam and Saharla Yusuf won the first set in a tiebreaker and then rolled in the second set (7-6 (3), 6-1), and seniors Ally Rebelo and Delia Barthel emerged from second doubles with a 6-0, 6-0 win. Taunton sophomore Ava Alves earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Canton, 1 – FinalThe Rocketeers took wins from all three singles match plus one from doubles action for a 4-1 verdict on the road at Canton. Lauren Hunt (6-1, 6-1), Grace Noreck (6-2, 6-0), and Kyna Shah (6-3, 6-3) swept the singles matches for the Big Red, and the team of Ashlyn Cziria and Teresa Fan secured a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles. Canton’s Panayiota Michaelidis and Liv McCloskey prevailed from second doubles with a 6-4, 4-6, 11-9 win.

Sharon @ Foxboro, 3:45

Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – FinalFranklin won all five matches to defend home court against Mansfield, inching closer to a division title with the victory. Izzy Trull dropped just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 first singles win, Chloe Essum grabbed a 6-4, 6-0 win at second singles, and Sarah Schiavo prevailed 6-3, 6-4 in a hard-fought battle at third singles. The team of Allison Bagley and Vedika Vinayak won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles while Amulya Jayam teamed with Shriya Rajesh for a 6-3, 6-0 second doubles decision.

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 0 – FinalKing Philip took care of business, taking all five matches in straight sets for a win on the road at Milford. Ahunna James flexed her strong shots on her way to a 6-0, 6-0 win, Shea Mellman toughed it out at second singles to secure a 6-2, 6-2 win, and Sammie Taylor used a consistent top spin to roll to a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Resha Ahoy and Lauren Casper improved as the day went on in a 6-3, 6-0 first doubles win while Palina Yakimovich teamed up with freshman Jaelyn Dang, who was making her varsity debut, for a 6-1, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – FinalOliver Ames celebrated its six seniors by defending home court in a win over Stoughton. Senior Ally Brass battled to a 4-6, 6-4, 12-10 win at third singles, seniors Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 verdict at first doubles, and seniors Kate McLaughlin and Shelby Brass emerged from second doubles with a 6-4, 6-1 win. Hannah Farber added a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles for OA while Emilia Lada grabed a 4-6, 6-4, 13-11 win at second singles for Stoughton.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip vs. Norwood, 6:00

Taunton, 0 vs. North Quincy, 3 – Final

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/06/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – FinalAttleboro took the lead with a run in the bottom of the second but Canton surged ahead with a three-run fourth, tacking on an insurance run in the fifth to take a 4-1 verdict on the road. Owen Taber had a leadoff double in the bottom of the second, moved to third on a groundout from Matt Harvie, and scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0. Canton jumped ahead on a two-run home run from Hayden Rose and Matt Lesser added a two-out RBI double in the same inning as the Bulldogs took a 3-1 edge. Matt Hart added a two-out RBI double to push across an insurance run in the fifth. Rose got the win on the mound, allowing just the one run (unearned) on three hits and two talks, striking out three in a complete game effort.

Foxboro, 1 @ Taunton, 7 – FinalFoxboro pushed across the first run of the game to stake a 1-0 lead through four innings of play but Taunton grabbed the lead away with two runs in the fifth and put the game away with a five-run sixth inning. Louis Carangelo doubled home Ryan LeClair to give the visiting Warriors a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth but a solo home run from Ryan MacDougall and an RBI single from Colby DeCouta in the bottom of the fifth had the hosts ahead. MacDougall added an RBI double to start the fifth, AJ Lewis brought in two runs with a single to left, and DeCouta recorded two more RBI with a base hit to left. Evan Cali earned the win on the mound, allowing one run on two hits and two walks, striking out three in four innings of work. Shawn Cali pitched three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three.

North Attleboro, 7 @ King Philip, 6 – Final (9 inn.) – North Attleboro rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh inning to keep the game going, and then used aggressive base running in the ninth inning to score the winning run in a close game against King Philip. North pushed across a single run in each the second and third, but KP answered with two runs in the bottom half each time for a 4-2 lead. Rudy Gately had an RBI ground out in the bottom of the fifth as KP extended its lead to 5-2, which lasted until the final inning. North loaded the bases to start the seventh as Dillon Harding and Gavin Wells each singled and Aidan Conrad with hit by a pitch. Tyler Bannon drew a bases loaded walk and an infield error allowed Derek Maceda to reach and Wells to score to make it a one-run game at 5-4. A fielder’s choice allowed the tying run to come home and Danny Curran put the Rocketeers ahead with a sac fly. Shawn Legere walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh for KP, stole second, and scored after an error to force extra innings.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Mansfield, 5 – FinalMansfield senior Jimmy Gilleran capped a big comeback from the Hornets with a walk-off home run to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning. Oliver Ames jumped out to a 4-0 lead after just a half an inning but Gilleran, who also started on the bump, settled in and pitched six scoreless innings after that. The Hornets cut the lead in half with two runs in the third and then pushed two more acrsos in the fifth to tie the game, setting up Gilleran’s heroics in the final inning. Patrick Finnerty brought in two runs after reaching on an error, Joe Cicchetti drew a bases-loaded walk for another run, and Lucas Riley had an infield hit for an RBI to make it 4-0. Both Conner Zukowski (single) and Anthony Sacchetti (walk) came around to score on a pair of passed balls in the third to make it 4-2, and Connor Curtis and Jake Maydak had back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth to tie the game. Gilleran got the win, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks, striking out nine in a complete game effort.

Stoughton, 0 @ Milford, 6 – FinalMilford took the lead with two runs in the first inning and that was enough for junior Evan Cornelius, who tossed a complete game shutout to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a 6-0 win over Stoughton. Cornelius scattered five hits and two talks, striking out eight to get the win. Alex McColl put the hosts ahead with a two-run, two-out double in the bottom of the first, and that 2-0 lead lasted until the fifth inning. Damien Carter extended the advantage with an RBI single and Keith Lee added a two-out RBI double to make it 4-0 in favor of the hosts. Mason Baldic tacked on two key insurance runs with a two-run single in the sixth inning.








Softball
Attleboro, 12 @ Canton, 3 – FinalRiding the combination of timely hitting and good defense early, Attleboro picked up a 12-3 win on the road at Canton. The Bombardiers had 12 hits as a team and the first seven hitters in the lineup came around to score in a big first inning for the visitors. Attleboro tacked on four more runs in the fourth and one more in the seventh. Lauren Eby made her return to the lineup with a splash, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, Sarah Maher (two RBI), Kayla Goldrick (two RBI), and Emily Eby (RBI) each added two hits in the win and Lindsey Perry had one hit, two walks, and two RBI in the win. Lily Routhier picked up her fifth win of the season in the circle, scattering seven hits with four strikeouts for the win.

Taunton, 15 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final (6 inn.)Taunton got off to a great start with six runs in the top of the first inning and then tacked on nine runs over the final three innings to take down Foxboro. Angie Lynch (five RBI, two runs, home run) and Kylie Thorpe (one RBI, three runs) paced the Tigers offense with three hits apiece, and Hayley Krockta had two hits, including a home run, and three RBI and two runs scored in the win. Liv Mendonca (3.1 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) and Cate Larson (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) combined for the win on the mound for the Tigers.

King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 0 – FinalKelly Colleran set a new school record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game with 19, but the Warriors were able to get the one run of the game to sweep the season series with North. KP pushed across the lone run of the game in the top of the third as Maddie Paschke reached on an error to start the inning. Courtesy runner Liv Ali stole second and moved to third on a bunt single from Ava Lanza, who accounted for half of KP’s six hits on the day. Meg Sherwood then reached on a bunt single to bring in the lone run of the game. The Rocketeers had a chance to tie the game in the seventh with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with two outs but a bang-bang play at first ended things. For KP, sophomore Jordan Bennett tossed a complete game shutout, scattering six hit and a pair of walks while striking out nine. For North, Grace Simmons had a pair of hits and reached base three time, while Ally Levine, Mandi Hanewich, Shaelyn Burns, and Colleran each had one hit.

Mansfield, 12 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – FinalMansfield pounded out 16 hits as a team and held off a furious OA rally in the final two innings to get the bounce back win on the road. The Hornets took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Callie Lake (five hits) singled and came in to score on a Cat Kipp groundout. Casey Moussette plated two more with a single. OA wasted no time getting back into the game, scoring six runs in their half of the first and making it 6-3. Mansfield closed within one with a pair of two-out runs in the third. Jill Koppy started the rally with a double and scored on a Julia Kelly base hit. Following singles by Olivia DeTrolio and Lake, Alanna Conley would make it 6-5 with a bases loaded walk. The game was tied in the fourth, Conley coming home on a deep sac fly by Molly Kucharski. The Hornets jumped back in front in the fifth. DeTrolio, Lake, and Kipp all reached and Liv Madeira drove in a run with a sac fly and Mansfield added two more to make it 9-6. The lead doubled in the sixth. Koppy (three hits) doubled in a run, Lake singled to score one, and Kipp’s base hit made it 12-6. OA nearly pulled off the comeback, scoring three times in the sixth (RBI double from Katherine Farley and a single from Maddie Homer [3-for-5, two RBI] plated two) and adding two more in the seventh (RBI single from Lexi Galsband and a sac fly from Emily Martin) but Mansfield was able to survive, stranding the tying run at second to take the victory. Katie Melendy had four hits, an RBI and two runs scored for OA.

Milford, 0 @ Stoughton, 12 – Final (5 inn.)Junior Kerry Driscoll tossed a five-inning no hitter for the Black Knights, striking out three to get the win. The defense backed Driscoll up in the circle as just the Hawks had just four base runners on the day. Offensively, Alyssa Edwards got the hosts off to a good start with a two-run home run and Stoughton scored in each of the next four innings. Driscoll and Maddie Hinds each had a pair of hits an an RBI while Sydney Menz (three walks, one HBP) scored three runs for the Knights. Camryn Whitman (triple), Julie Powers (double) and Melody Casna each chipped in with a hit.




Boys Lacrosse
Foxboro, 12 vs. Hopkinton, 1 – FinalFoxboro had eight players find the back of the net in a balanced scoring attack that led to a dominant win over Hopkinton. Lincoln Moore had a team-high thre goals, Conor Noone scored twice with three assists, and Tommy Sharkey had a multi-point effort with two goals and an assist. Finn Stapleton, Sully Kenneally, Ryan Cotter, Tony Sulham, John Sacchetti all added one goal for the Warriors.

North Attleboro, 7 @ King Philip, 8 – Final

Oliver Ames, 11 @ Middleboro, 6 – FinalJunior Ben Reardon recorded seven points to lead Oliver Ames to a big non-league win on the road at Middleboro. Reardon scored a hat trick and added four assists to pace the offense while Wyatt Fritchman scored four goals and Ryan Jaco scored twice in the win. Noah Isleib made 13 saves in net while defenders Kyle Szumylo, Cam Tower and Adams Becerra had strong games.

Girls Lacrosse
Canton @ Quincy – Postponed to TBD.

Foxboro, 11 @ Hopkinton, 8 – FinalFoxboro went on the road and picked up an impressive victory over Hopkinton as both Mya Waryas (two assists) and Paige Curran each scored three goals apiece. Val Beigel added two goals and two assists in the win while Mary Collins (two assists), Grace Riley, and Kate Collins each scored once. Audrey Campbell made seven saves in net for the Warriors.

King Philip, 19 @ North Attleboro, 5 – FinalEmily Campbell and Haley Bright combined to make six saves in net as King Philip rolled on the road at North Attleboro. Morgan Cunningham orchestrated the offense with six assists, scoring once as well, while Julia Marsden (two goals three assists) had five points and Julia Marsden added four goals.

Oliver Ames vs. Middleboro, 3:45

Sharon, 3 @ Holliston, 20 – FinalBailey Garte continued her solid scoring form with a pair of goals for the Eagles and Anna Hertzel added the other. Sharon coach Shara Ginthwaine highlighted the effort of her defense, Serena Bien-Aime, Ava Jacobson, Keira Lydeard, and Lauren McLaughlin, for battling against the Panthers for the full 50 minutes.




Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – FinalAttleboro sophomore Tyler Rocchio overcame a one-set deficit to win two straight, clinching the third point to give Attleboro a 3-2 win over Canton. Rocchio grabbed a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 win to clinch the victory at third singles. Luke Hinton and Brady Rosen added a 6-2, 6-1 first singles win and the Bombardiers also won in straight sets at second doubles. Max Kupferman (first singles) and Suraj Ramanathan (second singles) continued to roll, both winning in straight sets.

Taunton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final

King Philip, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – FinalBehind a pair of wins in singles action and one more in doubles, North Attleboro defended home court with a 3-2 win over King Philip. Senior Will Folan captured a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles and junior Brody Carter secured a 6-1, 6-4 win at second singles for the Big Red. Juniors Griffin Rodden and Brody Gaulin added a 6-2, 6-1 win to clinch the win for the hosts. Freshman Jackson Hom won 7-6 (15), 6-2 at third singles for KP and the team of Adam Gousie and Arjun Kollu earned a 6-3, 7-6 (1) win at second doubles.

Milford @ Stoughton, 3:45

Girls Tennis
Canton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – FinalAttleboro continued to have strong performances in doubles action and added another key win from third singles to knock off visiting Canton. Seniors Tina Lam and Saharla Yusuf continued to impress at first singles, overcoming a one-set deficit to earn a hard-fought 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory while the sophomore tandem of Kyra Johnson and Presley Biller secured a 6-3, 6-3 win at second doubles. Attleboro junior Zoe Stanley added a 6-4, 6-2 win at third singles to give the Bombardiers the edge. Canton’s Camila Cutter won 6-2, 6-4 at first singles while senior Laura Correal added a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2 win at second singles.

Foxboro @ Taunton, 3:45

North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – FinalKing Philip junior Ahunna James prevailed from a highly contested first singles match that went on for over two hours to help the Warriors claim a 3-2 win over North Attleboro. “Not many unforced errors by both players and the level of intensity was incredibly high,” said longtime KP tennis coach Bob Goldberg. “It was very high level tennis by both players.” James earned a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win for the point. KP also swept doubles play as senior Resha Ajoy and junior Lauren Casper used strong net play to secure a 6-3, 6-3 win at first doubles, and juniors Carlie Burns and Sammie Taylor played a consistent match for a 6-3, 6-1 verdict at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – FinalOA senior Elizabeth O’Brien won a third-set tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets to get the win and complete the sweep on the road for the Tigers. O’Brien prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 10-3 while Hannah Farber added a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and Mia Corradini secured a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles. Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou earned a 6-1, 6-3 victory at first doubles, and the team of Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli added a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles for OA.

Stoughton @ Milford, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Agawam, 0 – Final
Taunton @ Durfee, 5:15

2022 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview
Following a first South final appearance, Franklin returns a strong group to go after a state title. Find full previews for all teams below. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

2021 Record: 3-11
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Kevin Patton
Attleboro had some growing pains during the 2021 campaign, but has a good chunk of the roster back in the fold for 2022 and will try to take the next step forward as a program.

The Bombardiers will have a strong foundation on the defensive end of the field. Captain Fred Wheaton is back for another year to anchor the defense and he’s joined by fellow returners Bobby Sawyer and John Wheaton to give Attleboro a solid veteran nucleus to try and shut down some of the top offenses in the league. Attleboro also has sophomore Harry Wheaton back in net after gaining valuable experience in the cage in 2021.

Having last year’s top scorer in Carter Shelton back in the fold will give the Bombardiers a good start in the attack. Shelton scored 30 goals and had 15 assists, finishing 12th in the Hock in scoring. Captain Keigan Conley is also back to bolster the attack, coming off a 22 goal, 10 assist campaign a year ago. Freshman Nathan Conroy is also in the mix already in the attack.

Attleboro’s midfield will be anchored by captain Ryan Betts along with Chad Beaupin and Seth LaPlace. The Bombardiers also expect contributions from Cole McKenna, Patrick McAvoy, and Spencer Scherck.

“We have a lot of returning guys that picked up valuable varsity experience last season,” said Attleboro head coach Kevin Patton. “We are looking forward to a strong season in 2022.”

Canton

2021 Record: 14-2
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal
Coach: Ryan Quinn
Canton split its two games with Foxboro to win a share of the Davenport title in 2021, just the third league title in program history and were an overtime goal away from reaching the Div. 2 South final. The Bulldogs have a lot of experience in the attack and the midfield this season with the goal of putting in another challenge for the league crown and putting together another state tournament push.

The Bulldogs had a dynamic attack last spring and the league’s leading scorer Sam Carlino headlines a strong group this season as well. Junior Jeff Chaput joins Carlino in the attack and the midfield group is filled with experience from last season. Sophomore Brendan Tourgee, juniors AJ Thomas and Chris Hamilton, senior Eddie Gillis, and Charlie Vaughn will all give Canton playmaking at the middie position.

Defensively, Canton will definitely miss graduated goalie Dylan Coyne but the Bulldogs have a talented group of poles that should be tough to score against this season. Senior Sean Connolly will lead that defensive group alongside sophomores Luke Darling and Colin Blake.

“I am really excited about this upcoming season,” said second-year coach Ryan Quinn. “Our student-athletes have been working hard to build on our success from last season, but are very aware that everything we achieve is based upon the work we put in this year, every day.  We are led by a small, but strong senior class, and have depth across all four grades levels. This group is a very coachable group and we are very excited to begin”







Foxboro

2021 Record: 11-4
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal
Coach: Matt Noone
After graduating just two seniors from last year’s team, Foxboro is back with a strong lineup that will look to reclaim the Davenport title that it shared with Canton in 2021. The Warriors will have depth up and down the field with the goal of not only returning to the top of the division but also being ready for a deep run in the statewide tournament.

Foxboro’s attack is all back from last season. The Warriors finished third in goals scored in the league in 2021 and a year’s worth of experience should make them even more dynamic. Junior Conor Noone was the league’s third-leading scorer last season and he will lead the line again alongside sophomore Lincoln Moore, coming off a breakout rookie campaign, and senior Jack Avery. Senior Tommy Sharkey was an all-star middie last season and he will be joined by junior Finn Stapleton and sophomore Tony Sulham, another player who made a strong varsity debut as a freshman.

Depth should be a strength for the Warriors, who return their second midfield group as well, including sophomores Sully Kenneally, Ryan Cotter, and Ian Foley. Foxboro’s defense is returning as a group too. Seniors Dylan Kerrigan and Ben Ricketts are the leaders at the back and will be joined by classmate Mark Jansen. Senior Matt Grace will start at LSM with sophomore Jack Sullivan backing him up. Sophomore Adam Addeche is back in goal, backed up by classmate Nate Urman, and freshman midfielder John Sacchetti and defender James Dee Gaffney are newcomers with potential.

“The Warriors graduated two seniors and return the core of their team,” said Foxboro coach Matt Noone. “Everyone is a year older with varsity experience which will help us in our 2022 push.”

Franklin

2021 Record: 18-1
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final
Coach: Lou Verrochi
After reaching the program’s first sectional final in 2021, Franklin brings a typically strong lineup of experienced players who will be aiming to make a run in the new statewide tournament. The Panthers have loaded up their regular season schedule to prepare for the rigors of the tournament with state powers Medfield, Lincoln-Sudbury, and St. John’s Prep among the teams that Franklin will challenge itself against to be ready to shoot for silverware this spring.

Franklin’s attack scored more than 300 goals in 19 games last season and should be just as dynamic this year with junior All-American Luke Davis joined by classmate Jayden Consigli, who were both in the top five in scoring in the league in 2021. Junior Tyler Sacchetti will be the third member of the attacking crew. Sophomore Drew Hansen and Ed O’Brien and junior John Walshe will make up the first midfield. Junior Justin Alexander was one of the best face-off middies in the state last year and the Panthers will be counting on him to control possessions again this season.

Senior Kyle Palmieri will lead the defensive group, which should once again be a challenge for the opposition to score against. Junior Ben Harvey and senior Billy Gardner will also be key players at close defense. Sophomore goalie Matt Corvi will step into the cage this spring and has the potential to be a standout.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

“Once again, we will have a very competitive team this spring with a very tough schedule,” said Franklin coach Lou Verrochi.




King Philip

2021 Record: 9-5
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Hal Bean
With more than a dozen players back in the fold from last year, King Philip is looking to take another step forward after posting a 9-5 record last year.

The Warriors have key pieces in the lineup all over the field, starting with senior goalie James Boldy. Boldy had a great campaign a season ago and will be among the top goalies in the league this year. He will work with fellow senior captain Will Weiblen and senior Shaun Fitzpatrick as the anchors of the King Philip defense.

There is a strong core of midfielders back in the mix this year, starting with returning faceoff specialist Thomas Brewster. He will be joined by a very experienced group that features seniors Ben Riggs, Sean McCarthy, Andrew Longobardi, Nolan Feyler,
Brayden Thompson, John Campbell, and Ian Hill, along with sophomore standout Noah Minkwitz. Riggs (31 points last year) will be one of the most dangerous two-way players in the league but KP has a lot of depth in the position.

Offensively, King Philip has Sean Crowther back in the fold, who was just one of six Hock players to reach the 40-goal mark on the season. He’s joined by Kip Bishop and Colin Lightbody, who both registered 19 points a year ago, as well as Colin Gillis and sophomore Donovan DeVellis.

“King Philip boys lacrosse expects to compete in every game and anticipates a productive season and playoff run,” said KP head coach Hal Bean “We all are looking forward to a fun season!”

Mansfield

2021 Record: 6-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Tim Frias
With a handful of young faces fighting for spots in the lineup, Mansfield is hoping to pick up valuable experience early and make a late charge for a spot in the state tournament.

The Hornets do have some experience on the defensive side of the ball with Ryan DeGirolamo starting in the cage and senior captains Zander Holmes and Mark DiGirolamo patrolling the space in front of him. Mansfield has a handful of young poles that will be in the mix including Liam Barry, Patrick Gormley, Nolan Bordieri, and James DeGirolamo.

The group of upperclassmen will make up the majority of the field with senior Dash Munson joining a trio of talented juniors in Grady Sullivan, Drew Sacco, and Cody Gordon. The Hornets have a lot of young players looking to find spots in the midfield and lineup and general, and new names that could contribute early on include Aidan Steele, Jake Feinberg, and Liam Steele.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

In the attack, senior Jack Roberts will be accompanied by a pair of sophomores in Tommy Smith and Andrew Burnham.




Milford

2021 Record: 2-11
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Austin Costa
Under the guidance of new head coach Austin Costa, the Scarlet Hawks are aiming to show improvement throughout the season and set the program on an upward trajectory.

There is a strong mix of veteran leadership and new faces eager to find a spot in the lineup for Costa and the Scarlet Hawks this season. Senior captain Eric Landry is set to be the leader on the defensive end, and his experience will be key as Milford tries to fend off some lethal offenses. Landry will be joined by Brian Goncalves and junior Nick Casilli, both returners for the Scarlet Hawks. Defensive experience will be key as the Hawks turn to Alex McGuire for his varsity debut in the cage.

Offensively, look for veterans Jacob Ligor and Eric Farrell to be major contributors for the Scarlet Hawks. Both have a good amount of experience playing at this level and know what it takes to compete in the Hockomock League. Other returners for Milford include Kyle Donelan, Shawn O’Donnell, and Ronn Swineford while freshmen Alex Maietta and Jayden Martins have impressed early on and could be key contributors right away.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

North Attleboro

2021 Record: 7-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal
Coach: Kevin Young
North Attleboro finished in a tie for third in the Davenport division last year and had an impressive playoff win over Belmont before being beaten by sectional finalist Medfield. The Rocketeers only graduated two players from last season’s team, so Big Red comes into the spring with big expectations of competing for a first league title since 2017 and being a threat in the state tournament.

The North attack should be an area of strength this season with seniors Matt Antonetti, Connor Ruppert, and Clayton Billingkoff all back up top. Antonetti led the team with 57 points in 2021. Juniors Jack Regan and Luke Ward have both had strong preseasons, while freshmen Ethan Gustafson and Brady Brackner could be poised for breakout debuts. Senior Jared Vacher will do his best to get as many possessions as possible for the North attack by winning draws.

North’s defense has plenty of experience as well. Senior Max Hobbs, Anthony Ferro, and James Brennan will get plenty of help from sophomore Connor Rajotte and junior LSM Julian House. The Rocketeers can also count on two experienced goalies with senior Ethan McGrath and junior JT Gallagher both back in the cage this spring.

“We know the Hockomock will be strong this year,” said North coach Kevin Young. “I am excited to watch this group compete and grow as a team.”

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Oliver Ames

2021 Record: 3-11
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Ben Devlin
Oliver Ames coach Ben Devlin stepped down after last season, but he was convinced to come back this spring to lead a young Tigers team. Twenty-four of the 34 players in the program this year are either freshmen or sophomores, so OA will be counting on younger players to step up across the field and Devlin is excited about the promise he sees during the preseason.

Senior midfielder Wyatt Fritchman and junior attacker Ben Reardon will be the leaders on offense. Fritchman was second on the team in scoring last year and Reardon went on a run of nine goals in the final three games of his sophomore season. Senior Wes Tower is back to run things in the midfield and sophomores Ryan Jaco and Alex McAndrew have the potential to find the back of the net.

On the other end of the field, senior Cam Tower has been converted to LSM this season. The other poles will be led by junior Jake Manthous, who also was in charge of the face-offs last year, and sophomore Landon Grothe. Junior Noah Isleib returns in goal to keep things organized on defense and sophomore Ethan St. Jean will be his backup.
 
“Despite being much younger, we are looking to improve on last year’s results and continue building the program,” said Devlin. “We expect to have some growing pains early in the season, but look to improve as the younger players get experience and develop their game during the season. It’s never easy to rebuild in a talented league like the Hock. There aren’t any easy games as every team is talented and well-coached…but we are setting our sights on winning enough games to reach the postseason.”

Sharon

2021 Record: 9-6
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Jon Shocket
Sharon has a solid core back from last year’s nine-win team but without any juniors on the squad, there will be a lot of young players in the lineup with most getting their first taste of varsity lacrosse.

With over a half dozen seniors on the roster, head coach Jon Shocket will lean heavily on their veteran leadership and experience as the new players get integrated into the lineup and acclimated with the speed of the high school game. The senior trio of Ben Shocket, Brady Daylor, and Ryan Zunenshine are this year’s captains.

The other seniors on the team include Jace Nestler, Matt Mahoney, James Lillenfeld, and Chance Hanah, and all four will be vital as the Eagles make a push for the postseason. There are four freshmen already in the lineup including Matt Powers in net, Jordan Burke at attack, and Zach Bernstein and Ben Goldberg at defense. Sophomores Gabe Korn, Ryan Brown, Jacob Kaufman, and Ronin Widland will also be in the mix for the Eagles.

“I hope to get a lot of growth from our team as we get more experience,” Shocket said.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Medway Scores Late Winner, Sinks Foxboro Upset Bid

Foxboro boys hockey
Sophomore Trevor Marder made 27 saves, but Medway scored inside the final thre minutes to avoid Foxboro’s first round upset bid. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


FRANKLIN, Mass. – This has been a tough season for Foxboro. The Warriors have battled injuries to its top players, seen portions of the team miss time due to COVID, and even had to start a player in goal who had never played the position before. After winning its final two games of the regular season, Foxboro (10-11-0) clinched its tournament berth and was given the No. 27 seed.

If there was any doubt that, when full strength, Foxboro had the potential to earn a much higher seed, Saturday afternoon’s Div. 3 first round playoff game against Medway at Pirelli Veterans Arena was proof.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Warriors gave the Mustangs all that they could handle in front of the partisan crowd, with sophomore goalie Trevor Marder standing out in his playoff debut. The game was scoreless with less than three minutes to play and a few nervous Medway fans were thinking Foxboro might be able to pull off the upset.

But, a turnover in the defensive zone gave Medway one more chance and a perfect pass set up the game’s only goal, as the No. 6 seed skated away with the 1-0 win and advanced to face its rival Medfield in the second round.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” said Foxboro coach Mark Cedorchuk. “We’ve dealt with a lot of adversity this year. I couldn’t be prouder of this senior class because they really showed some true grit and true leadership at the end.”

He added, “It just goes to show that we were a better team than what we were seeded. Some of those games that we were just missing guys, we showed tonight that we were better than a 27-seed.”

Medway dominated zone time throughout the game and would have a sizable advantage in shots on goal (28-18) but rarely felt like it had full control. Laurence Eaton broke free for Medway’s first good chance but Marder (27 saves) stayed tall to stop the backhand attempt at the post. The Mustangs would also hit the post in the first.

It took Foxboro 11 minutes to create its first shot on goal, with Jack Watts teeing up Matt Grace for a snap shot from the high slot that forced Medway goalie Evan Monaghan into a save. Derek Axon got in behind the medway defense on a rush up the left side but the back check of Camden Condlin denied the shooting chance.

After a relatively clean first period, the second was riddled with penalties. Alex Infanger had one of Medway’s best power play chances with a shot from the point that was blockered aside and the Mustangs had a goal waved off when Pari Lykourinos knocked in a rebound with his hand.

Foxboro continued to create scoring chances in transition. Tom Marcucella had a rush down the right wing but just missed the net from the face-off circle. Steven Bridges played a pass from behind the net to Axon out in front but Monaghan reacted quickly to smother the shot. Watts and Grace nearly combined to good effect only for Grace’s shot to slide just wide of the post.

The Warriors had a great breakout of the zone with two minutes left in the second. Watts played the puck up the boards and Axon’s deft touch took it past the defenseman and into the path of Grace, but Monaghan stuck out a pad to deny the opening goal. Marder then pulled off a nice glove save to rob Jack Carr in front.

Marder was just getting started and he would get plenty of help from his defensemen as well. Carr had another great look from the slot but Dylan Pothier put himself in the way to block. Just seconds after Sean Murphy hit the post with a rocket of a wrist shot, Nathan VanSaun was free in the slot until Sully Kenneally came diving across to block.

Then it was time for the Foxboro goalie to steal the show. Marder moved quickly to deny VanSaun, who was wide open in the slot, and he threw out a pad to stop another close-range chance VanSaun. Just seconds later, after Watts nearly hit on the break only to have Monaghan get a toe to a shot from the wing, Marder robbed Ryan Gagnon on the doorstep.

“Trevor played lights out,” said Cedorchuk. “Our D played spectacular. They all played well and our goalie really stepped up. He made some spectacular saves. There were a couple leg saves he made that I just thought that’s going in and he stuck out the leg.”

In the end, Marder could only do so much. A poor clearance from deep inside the defensive zone was picked off at the blue line and gave Eaton a free path to goal. The Medway defenseman saucered a pass across the crease to Gagnon coming in at the far post and he slammed it into the back of the net to finally end Foxboro’s resistance.

The Warriors would have one last chance with two minutes to go, but Ben Ricketts couldn’t get a clean shot off from the slot and Monaghan saved it comfortably. Medway saw out the final seconds to move on.

Cedorchuk said, “They got that one little play at the end when we were trying to come out of the zone. We misplayed the puck that one time and that was the break that they capitalized on but our guys came to play.

“They definitely left everything out on the ice and they played with intensity and fast pace and I thought for the most part we matched them.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 1-8-0
Coach: Greg Chamberlain
Attleboro had a difficult 2020-21 season, as delays and big breaks early in the season led to three games in three days to close things out. The Bombardiers will be hoping that they can build off that experience and make a push to get back into the postseason mix with several underclassmen stepping in to supplement the returning corps.

The offense has depth to it this season and head coach Greg Chamberlain is expecting a lot of grit and effort in the attacking zone to create scoring chances. Senior Nate Parker will be the leader of the forward line but he will get help from juniors Colin Flynn and Mike Lachance, who have both had two seasons on varsity already. Freshmen Austin Bessette and Nate Conroy have impressed the coaches in the preseason and could be ready to contribute right away.

Defense could be a strong unit this season, as the Bombardiers have decent skaters and decent depth along the blue line. Senior Sean Marshall will be the key to that group, providing on-ice leadership. Sophomore Dane Holske had a good first season on varsity and can help out both in defense and at forward. Senior Nick Piazza is capable of being one of the top netminders in the league and will be back between the pipes for Attleboro this season.

“Biggest thing that is a positive for us is the guys wanna earn some respect and be tough to play against,” said Chamberlain. “We understand what we have but we think our schedule can help us gain some real confidence.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Canton

2020-2021 Record: 11-0-1
Coach: Brian Shuman
The Davenport division has been ruled by Canton, which has won the title every season since the league split. The Bulldogs bring back a lot of returning players to hunt a 12th straight league title and defend the Div. 2 state title that they won back in 2019-20, but for many of the players, this will be their first season with a full slate of games.

Canton is known for its goalscoring, but the Bulldogs typically start from the defensive zone and this year should be no different. Senior Sean Connolly, the reigning league MVP, will be back at the blue line alongside classmate Ryan Doucette. Juniors James Young and Leo Owens should also see plenty of time on the ice with seniors Brennen Pecararo and Jay Kelleher slotting in at defense or at forward. The goalie job is up for grabs coming into the season with a three-way battle going on between senior Aiden French, junior Carson Eagles, and freshman Collin Davis.

As usual, the Bulldogs should be potent in front of the goal this winter. Senior Eamon Kelly, the team’s leading scorer last year, is back for his fourth season on varsity. Seniors Andrew Valkanas, Tommy Phaneuf, Sam Carlino, and Eddie Gillis will all chip in and junior Jeff Chaput could be poised for a big season after scoring 13 points last year.

“Solid team defense is the expectation as always this season, and we ask all positions to be important players all over the ice,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman. “Our forwards need to be able to shut down opponents and our defense must contribute to our offensive production to have a successful year.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Foxboro

2020-2021 Record: 4-6-0
Coach: Mark Cedorchuk
Just two years removed from one of the best seasons in program history, Foxboro comes into the winter with an experienced squad, featuring nine seniors, to try and make another push for a state tournament berth. Although the Warriors went 4-6 in the shortened 2020-21 season, four of those losses were against Franklin and Canton and the other two were to North Attleboro by a combined three goals, so there is potential for the Warriors to get back to their 2019-20 form.

The forward line should have plenty of firepower this season with the return of seniors Jack Watts, Matt Grace, and Ben Ricketts, who combined for 13 goals in 10 games last year. Fellow forwards Derek Axon and Steven Bridges will give Foxboro good leadership and depth in the forward line. The Warriors also got plenty of scoring from the blue line, with senior Tom Marcucella adding four goals and three assists last winter.

Improvements in the defensive zone (and not playing almost every game against the league’s top-scoring teams) will be expected this season. Marcucella is listed as a defenseman but has the versatility to line up in multiple positions and he will be helped on defense by classmates Dylan Pothier and Brady Callahan. Junior Alex Coviello and sophomore Sully Kenneally are also going to step into bigger roles on the blue line this season.

“I would say all nine of our seniors are going to be major contributors and that’s definitely a first for Foxboro hockey and it’s a good thing!” said Foxboro coach Mark Cedorchuk. “I would say we will be skilled and experienced.”

Franklin

2020-2021 Record: 10-2-1
Coach: Anthony Sarno
This will be a new-look Franklin team that takes the ice this season, looking to win its 11th straight league title and make a deep run in the postseason. The Panthers graduated 16 seniors from last year’s team and only return seven players with significant varsity experience to try and manage a schedule loaded with some of the best teams in the state.

Senior forward Dylan Marchand is the key returning player in the forward line. The team’s leading scorer last year, the speedy center scored eight goals and nine assists in 13 games. Seniors Justin Magazu and Domenic Lampasona and juniors Ben Jarosz and Ryan Sicchio will also return to add more firepower to the attacking end of the ice. With 14 new players on the roster, there could be a lot of new names on the score sheet this winter.

Defensively, the Panthers will lean on experienced players like seniors Aidan Hunt and Jack MacKinnon to guide the younger players, as they take on the high-end talent that Franklin will face right from the start of the season. In goal, sophomore Cole Pouliot-Porter and freshman Jack O’Connor will both get chances between the pipes.

“I am optimistic with the youth we have and excited to watch us grow together,” said Franklin coach Anthony Sarno. “We will just have to weather the ebbs and flows, try to remain even-keeled, communicate, and trust each other as a team in order for us to grow and move forward as a complete unit.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

King Philip

2020-2021 Record: 9-1-0
Coach: Paul Carlow
Last season, King Philip won a share of its first league title since 2006, picking up a rare win against rival Franklin in the process. With 12 returning players and a roster that has 16 upperclassmen, the Warriors will try to make more history by winning back-to-back titles for the first time in program history and also put together a run in the state tournament.

There are four players coming back this year that averaged a point per game in 2020-21. Three of those players are forwards. Seniors Shaun Fitzpatrick and Sean Crowther and junior James Boldy, who combined for 15 goals and 22 assists in 10 games last season. Senior Nolan Feyler will be a big boost, as the forward had a strong sophomore season but missed all of last year due to an injury. Senior Kevin Birenbaum is another of the nine seniors on the forward line.

Sophomore defenseman Brad Guden is the fourth Warrior who averaged a point per game last year. He broke into the lineup and scored 10 times and had 10 assists in his first varsity season. Seniors Nolan Jackson and Quin Garstka add leadership and experience at the blue line and sophomore Max Robison returns after an impressive rookie season. Senior Kyle Abbott will be back between the pipes for the Warriors.

“We have a tough schedule this season but we are looking to challenge for another Hockomock League title,” said KP coach Paul Carlow. We have great leadership from our seniors and a good mix of skill and speed with the younger players. I’m really looking forward to working with this group and build on last year’s success.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Mansfield

2020-2021 Record: 5-6-0
Coach: Mike Balzarini
With its top six forwards all back from last year, there is optimism that Mansfield will consistently put the puck in the back of the net and in turn, challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title.

And another big positive for the Hornets is junior Chris Hormann back between the pipes with a solid amount of varsity experience now under his belt. That combination of experience in the offensive zone and in the crease is what Mansfield is hoping translates to success. The challenge will be getting a new mix of defensemen working together as the Hornets graduated the majority of that unit.

Leading scorer Mark DeGirolamo returns with a lot of varsity experience under his belt, coming off a season with eight goals and five assists. He’s joined by Dillon Benoit (7 goals, 5 assists), Kyle Oakley (2 goals, 5 assists), Doherty (2 goals, 3 assists), Liam Anastasia (6 goals, 5 assists), and Brayden Purtell (4 goals, 2 assists). As the stats suggest, the Hornets have a very even top two lines which means head coach Mike Balzarini can trust both units to get it done.

Looks for the line of Cullen Egan, Cody Gordon, and Connor Davey to provide energy and some offensive punch throughout the season. Balzarini is looking for some new faces to step up on the blue line. A mix of depth pieces are back, and the Hornets have converted some forwards to defensemen looking to solidify that unit. Patrick Gormley, Brendan Flynn, Will Cameron, Ryan DeGirolamo, and Ty Carroll are all in the mix to get some minutes.

“Last season was difficult for everyone so we’re excited for a more normal year,” Balzarini said. “We’re going to be quick and we have multiple lines that can be a factor for us. We’ve seen some success on offense in our scrimmages so scoring should be a strength, these kids are working well together.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

North Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 8-6-0
Coach: Kyle Heagney
North Attleboro returns 14 players from last year’s roster, including two of the league’s top three scorers, and the Rocketeers will be looking to use that experience under first-year coach Kyle Heagney (who formerly coached Norton and was a North assistant the past two seasons) to challenge Canton at the top of the Davenport division and to put together a playoff run.

Although the Rocketeers bring back senior forwards Nik Kojoain and Brady Sarro, who combined for 41 points in 14 games last year, North is a team built on hard work and team effort in the offensive zone, rather than on individual stars. Seniors Sam Clarke and Nick Longa and juniors Joe Quinn and Mark Ayvazyan will provide plenty of help in front of goal and all have plenty of experience at the varsity level.

North graduated only one of its defensemen from last year. Senior Austin Comery will be the leader for North at the blue line and he will be assisted by classmate Anthony Westcott. Sophomore Kyle Gruber is back in goal for North after an impressive debut season, where he was thrown in against some of the league’s top teams, including a first appearance against Canton.

“Our strength is that we are not a team of superstars,” said Heagney. “We are a team of hockey players that will win first in the locker room before the ice. We look forward to the season and having fun. These are memories that will live forever with our players.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Oliver Ames

2020-2021 Record: 1-10-0
Coach: Mike Zucarelli
Oliver Ames has been in a rebuilding phase under head coach Mike Zucarelli. The Tigers won just once in the shortened 2020-21 season and head into this winter with a roster loaded with underclassmen. While this may be a difficult season, Zucarelli is excited for the potential on his team and the growth the program is making for the future.

Seniors Cam Tower and Eliot Cohen will be instrumental in shoring things up at the blue line. The two defensemen will need to provide leadership for the younger players and help limit the opposition scoring chances. Junior forwards Sean McCarthy and Jack Perron will hope to improve the team’s scoring punch as well, after OA was held to 10 goals in 11 games last year. Zucarelli is already seeing more confidence and better decision-making in the offensive zone and is hoping the team’s work rate will lead to more chances.

With seven sophomores on the roster, OA will rely on its youth movement to turn things around. After a lot of growth in the offseason (both physically and mentally), Zucarelli thinks that the septet is ready for the challenges of playing varsity hockey day-in, day-out. Winger Andrew Livingstone and center Matt Lawson will add to the team’s production in the offensive zone and defenseman Landon Grothe could be a standout in the defensive end of the ice. Junior Brandon Burke had a solid summer with his club team and will be the starting goalie for the Tigers this winter.

“If we continue to put in the effort I have seen both on and off the ice to start this year, I believe these young men have the opportunity to do something special,” Zuccarelli said.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Taunton

2020-2021 Record: 0-6-1
Coach: Kris Metea
Taunton had a tough 2020-21 season, as the Tigers were only able to six games, and come into a winter of transition. The roster is going to be very young, with only nine upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) in the program, so there will be a lot of younger players getting their first taste of varsity action and others experiencing a full season for the first time.

The forward line has a lot of speed and the Tigers are going to rely on that energy to try and create scoring chances. Senior Nathan Fernandes is the most experienced forward returning and he will be joined up top by junior Connor McGrath.

Defensively, the Tigers will be an inexperienced group but there is potential and the desire to get better over the course of the season. Senior Ethan Ross will be the leader at the blue line and junior Colton Scheralis can add his experience there as well. Freshman Cameron Tomaszycki will be jumping between the pipes this season to get his first varsity action.

“We are happy to be back for a full year,” said Taunton coach Kris Metea. “Last season was full of delays, pauses, and feelings of frustrations that made for a very long, short, season. The lessons learned from last season has made the players within the program grateful for a return to a more normal season. We will plan to improve every day and be a better, more complete team by the end of the season.”