04/04/2017

2017 Hockomock Girls Lacrosse Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017 Hockomock Girls Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

2016 Record: 6-12
2016 Finish: Missed Postseason
Coach: Kevin Patton

Attleboro is still a relatively young program but has taken strides to be competitive with the rest of the teams in the Hockomock and first-year head coach Kevin Patton is hopeful that the large number of players at tryouts is a sign that the Bombardiers are heading in the right direction.

One of the reasons for Attleboro’s confidence coming into the spring is the experienced players that will take the field, including senior Mish Logie, who is a four-year varsity midfielder. Joining Logie as a captain for this year’s team is goalie Hadley Porreca, who is in her second year in net.

In addition. juniors Emily Patton and Ali Wall return in attack, while classmates Kim White and Graycen Cassidy will keep things tight on the defensive side of the ball. Midfield depth will be provided by sophomores Kyra Lyons and Alex Compton, who are both coming off strong rookie seasons on varsity. Freshman Sydney DiLiddo will also have the chance to step in and contribute in midfield this season and junior Ashlyn Salisbury and sophomore Shea Harrison will see time on defense.

“We had our largest player turnout in the program’s history,” said Patton, “and we have girls that want to work hard and succeed. With only two seniors on this year’s team, I will be looking to certain underclassmen to take on added leadership roles. This will help us not only this year but going forward.”

Canton

2016 Record: 8-9
2016 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Christine O’Connor

Canton won five of its final seven games last season to get back to .500 and qualify for the state tournament and the Bulldogs will be hoping to carry that momentum over to this spring with a roster that features nine seniors and eight juniors.

Some of the key returning players for Canton this season include senior attacker Mary Kent, senior defender Tessa Cudmore, and senior goalie Kathryn Doody, who form a solid spine for the Bulldogs to build on. Caroline Hagan, Rebecca Eckler, and Maria Mackie are among the other seniors that will be contributing for Canton.

One of the younger players to watch is sophomore attacker Leah McClellan, who is one of several players that helped the girls’ hockey team reach the state title game at the TD Garden. Another sophomore, Maggie Malloy, has already had strong seasons for the field hockey and ice hockey teams and will provide depth this spring.

“We look to gain strength as the season progresses,” said O’Connor. “We will look to the seniors for leadership and intensity in order to be competitive.”

Foxboro

2016 Record: 16-5
2016 Finish: Reached Div. 2 East Semifinal
Coach: Brittany Sherry

Foxboro won its fifth straight Davenport division title last spring and returned to the Div. 2 South semifinal for the second straight season and expectations will be even higher this season for head coach Brittany Sherry, as the Warriors return 15 players to try and make it six league titles in a row.

Among the many experienced players coming back is an exciting core of sophomores that have made instant impacts, including the reigning HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Sophia DiCenso, who scored 65 goals and had 31 assists last year. Joining DiCenso up front will be classmates Caroline McGeary and Meghan Curran and juniors Jackie Brion and Catherine Luciano.

Defensively, senior Hallie Canfield will be back to anchor things and provide leadership. Junior Christina Rogers and sophomores Jenna Stamatov and Molly Murphy will also be back to limit opposing offenses. Freshman Sara Addeche will take over in goal and is another in a line of talented underclassmen that Sherry is excited to see develop over the course of the season.

“Our goals stay about the same every year, most importantly getting another round further!” Sherry said. “The last two years our season has ended in the semi finals but I’m hoping with the scheduling and tourney experience last year we will have the edge we need to get to the finals.”

Franklin

2016 Record: 19-5
2016 Finish: Reached the Div. 1 State Semifinal
Coach: Kristin Igoe Guarino

Another spring and another league title for Franklin, which completed another perfect season in the Hockomock and then carried that success into the playoffs to win a second Div. 1 East title with a dramatic, one-goal victory over Acton-Boxboro. Even though they only return five players, the Panthers enter the season as the favorite in the Kelley-Rex division and with sights set on challenging for a state title.

There is experience coming back for the Panthers with seniors Grace McDermott and Dana Lewandowski coming back to control things on the defensive end, while former Underclassman of the Year Kendall Reardon and fellow senior Caroline Lounsbury will provide leadership in the attack.

Franklin always seems to have players ready to step in and, despite there being a youth movement on the varsity team, the Panthers have already started 2-0 with wins against Needham and Lincoln-Sudbury. Sophomore midfielder Annie Walsh and her freshman sister Erin have both gotten off to strong starts with sophomore Halle Atkinson helping out with a hat trick in the win over L-S as well.

“I am very excited for the 2017 season!” said Igoe Guarino. “Our freshmen and sophomores bring a lot of energy and competitiveness to practice and games, while our juniors and seniors bring the discipline and experience. The two combined could bring us very far again this year!”

King Philip

2016 Record: 12-10
2016 Finish: Reached Div. 1 East Quarterfinal
Coach: Julie Boudreau

King Philip surprised some last spring when the Warriors went on the road to beat Westford Academy in the first round of the Div. 1 East tournament and that experience could pay dividends as KP returns a number of key players with the intent making a run at earning a first league title since 2012.

Senior Angela Vellante is back and head coach Julie Boudreau called her the “quarterback” for the attacking unit. Vellante will be looking to feed junior Katie Crowther, who was the team’s and the league’s leading scorer as a sophomore with 111 points. Senior Meghan Wagner was a starter as a freshman and scored in every game but missed the last two years with an injury and is now back to make an impact on offense.

KP can also count on a strong sophomore class led by a core of midfielders: Caroline Klim, Alli Meehan, Victoria and Olivia Tormey, and Dana Truini. Also back is sophomore goalie Caroline Watson behind a defense of juniors Molly Mullins, Christina Hathaway and Izzy Agricola. Also making a return is assistant coach Mary Pasquantonio, Boudreau’s sister, who brings experience as a former KP player and will help the current crop of Warriors on draw controls.

“We have a deep bench with many sophomores and will be looking to run lines and sub regularly to keep everyone fresh,” said Boudreau. “Our theme for the season is ‘grit=hard work + passion’.”

Mansfield

2016 Record: 5-11
2016 Finish: Missed Postseason
Coach: Alexis Kobey

Mansfield won its opening two games of the 2016 season, but the Hornets struggled during a difficult middle part of the spring and missed out on the state tournament. The Hornets showed flashes of potential during the year, including a close loss to perennial tournament team Hingham, and hopes are high that they can get back into the postseason this year.

Expectations are boosted by the return of a strong core of experience players. Senior Maire Foley will be a focal point of the Hornets attack this year, while classmate Maggie Dunn and junior Ann Maher will return in the midfield. Senior Jen McCabe will provide leadership in defense and sophomore Kaity Garvin will build off her rookie season in attack.

Among the new faces this spring are sophomore midfielders Maggie Danehy, who had a solid winter with the girls’ basketball team, and Lauren Whitman

“Our team really has been working together as a unit day one,” said head coach Alexis Kobey. “They came into the season ready to go and work on what they needed to work on to get better, from draw controls, ball movement, attack/defense they have been showing up everyday. They also really love playing with each other, working with each other, making each other better.”

Milford

2016 Record: 3-15
2016 Finish: Missed Postseason
Coach: Tim Dowd

It has been a tough run for Milford since moving to the Hockomock League, but the Hawks bring back an experienced roster for first-year head coach Tim Dowd and he is hopeful that the program will continue to improve over the course of the season.

Dowd’s excitement for the new season is in part built on the leadership of his senior class, including captains Taylor Dube, Jill Burley, and Jordyn Lombardo, who Dowd said would all have “incredible seasons.” He praised all three for their competitive spirits and for pushing their teammates to improve.

Another senior, Brainna Croteau, will be in charge of the defensive unit and Dowd is counting on the development of a talented group of sophomores and juniors. Milford also has two freshmen, Hannah Bangert and Anne Flanagan, who will be on the varsity roster this season and who Dowd thinks will make an impact.

“I think one of our strengths is going to be teamwork and work ethic,” said Dowd. “We want to be a team that goes the extra mile for each other and constantly works to win battles on the field. We’re going to try to outwork other teams. We’re going to try to focus on the little things to hopefully make big improvements.”

North Attleboro

2016 Record: 13-7
2016 Finish: Reached Div. 2 East Quarterfinal
Coach: Mike Vitelli

Under first-year head coach Mike Vitelli (who had previously led King Philip to a Hockomock League title and a South final), North Attleboro made a jump into second place in the Kelley-Rex division and won 13 games, while reaching the playoffs for the first time. After a loss to eventual state champ Walpole, Vitelli has built up North’s schedule with perennial powers Notre Dame Academy, Natick, and Walpole to get the Rocketeers prepared for a tournament run.

North will clearly miss last year’s Player of the Year Hana Caster (who is now at UMass Lowell), the Rocketeers return a number of important players, including six of the team’s seven defenders. Seniors Samantha Taggart, Emily Schromm, Emma Cromidas, and Alaina Mello will provide an experienced defensive unit in front of junior goalie Kayla Moulin, who Vitelli believes will have a great season.

Up front, North will turn to junior Kenzie Rosenberg and senior Erin Holley, who had breakout seasons for the Rocketeers in 2016. Chloe Olsen, Julia Dakin, and Julia Tolfa will also be counted on to provide offense for North Attleboro, while Camille Pizzaro and freshman Katie Lindstrom will be newcomers to watch this spring.

“I really like the depth of our bench as well,” said Vitelli. “Lots of hybrid players who can play in many roles…Biggest question I’ve gotten this offseason has been ‘how can you replace Hana Caster?’ My response is we can’t. But that being said, I don’t think any player is replaceable…It just becomes an opportunity for other players to step in and make their mark.”

Oliver Ames

2016 Record: 8-11
2016 Finish: Reached Div. 1 East First Round
Coach: Abby Tepper

Oliver Ames reached the postseason last year by finishing second in the Davenport division and will look to build on that in 2017 in the Tigers first season in the Kelley-Rex and first season under new head coach Abby Tepper, who is only one year removed from the end of a very successful college playing career at Salve Regina and a solid first season as coach of the OA field hockey program this fall.

Tepper inherits a roster with several key returning players that provide a foundation for the Tigers, who won the opening two games of the spring. Junior captain Sofia Masciarelli will be the main attacking cog for OA this season with senior Katie Davenport back in the heart of the defense and junior goalie Ari Waldorf will be back between the pipes.

Also back for OA and expected to make a step up into the starting lineup are senior captain Kendall Clifford in the midfield, junior Chloe Kilkelly in the attack, and sophomore midfielder Olivia Piazza.

“The girls have been working hard each day at practice to prepare for the tough schedule they will face,” said Tepper. They continually improve their skills and lacrosse IQ each day. I have been impressed with how the girls have pushed one another to get better and have committed themselves to the program.”

Sharon

2016 Record: 10-9
2016 Finish: Reached Div. 1 East First Round
Coach: Colleen Carchedi

In her second season in charge, Sharon head coach Colleen Carchedi (née Manning) led the Eagles to their first ever playoff appearance. On their home grass, the Eagles put in a great performance to battle perennial playoff competitor Bishop Feehan and the experience has generated a lot of excitement in the program as the new season begins.

Sharon has five key players returning from last season, including leading scorer Alex Rabb and twin sister Sam, who is one of the team’s top defensive players. Senior Anna Crosby will be the motor in the midfield and junior midfielder Sabrina Robbins has verbally committed to the University of Colorado. Carchedi said of Robbins, “She is someone who always gets the job done and deserves more credit than she gets. She is reliable and hard working, never afraid to take a risk.”

Sophomore Emma Eberhardt is another player coming back that Carchedi believes will be able to take on a much larger role this spring. Eberhardt will add size in the midfield and, particularly, on draw controls. Carchedi said, “She is an all around stud athlete and is for sure a player to watch.” Sophomore Rose Wald is a newcomer that takes over in goal.

“I know we are going to be a really well balanced team,” Carchedi added, noting that the Eagles had six different goal scorers in the season opener against Milford. “I am so excited for the season and ready to hit the ground running after a big game against my old high school, KP.”

Taunton

2016 Record: 2-16
2016 Finish: Missed Postseason
Coach: Kerry Northup

With a win against Norton on Monday, Taunton avenged a pair of losses to the Lancers from 2016 and is halfway to last year’s win total. The Tigers are still a young program at the varsity level and, as such, head coach Kerry Northup knows there will be a learning curve against Hockomock opponents, but she is also excited about the team’s potential.

The Tigers will turn to seniors Delaney Powell, Annie Tate, and Abbey Kingman to provide consistent offense this spring and all three had big games in the opener against Norton, combining for 12 of the team’s 17 goals. Powell led the way with six goals in the win and junior Lorna Li had 12 saves in another strong performance for the Tigers’ “confident” goalie.

Taunton also has plenty of youth that will be gaining valuable experience this spring, including three sophomores, a pair of freshmen, and three eighth graders. One of the eighth graders, Alana Tavares, made the most of her varsity debut on Monday, potting five goals against Norton and will be one of the newcomers to watch in the Hock this season.

“We have a solid group of girls this season,” said Northup. “Our strength players have a nice balance throughout the field from offense, mid, to defense. We are not a powerhouse team, but a team with passion, drive, and grit. These girls play to the end and don’t give up until that last whistle sounds.”

11/12/2016

Second Half Surge From Medfield Sinks Canton

Canton girls soccer — Canton’s Sarah Collins and Medfield’s Annie Phipps battle for possession on Friday afternoon. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

MILFORD, Mass. – For the first 30 minutes of the D2 South Semifinal, 15th-seeded Canton was not only the better side, but the Bulldogs were dominating sixth-seeded Medfield and held a 3-1 lead.

But a late surge from the Warriors resulted in two goals in the final three minutes to bring the teams level just before halftime. Medfield used that momentum — and the advantage of the wind — to go on and score four goals in the second half and come away with a 7-3 victory of the Bulldogs.

From the opening minute, Canton seized control of the play,. Junior Sarah Connolly won possession just over half, dribbled her way through the Medfield defense and unleashed a shot from atop the area that forced a save.

Canton finally broke through in the 18th minute when Hannah Link sent a pinpoint through ball that Tessa Cudmore ran onto. Cudmore muscled her way past one defender and held off another as her shot from just inside the area found the far post for a 1-0 lead.

Four minutes later, the Bulldogs doubled the lead. Riley Duserick whipped in a curling corner kick that forced Medfield keeper Sarah Graham into a save but the rebound fell right to Julia Hamilton, who one-timed it in from in close.

Medfield applied pressure after a timeout, first with Kathryn Doody coming off her line to thwart a break from Alanna Cooney. But a minute after the save, Cooney gained some space on the right wing and ripped a shot to the far post to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.

Canton was quick to respond, with Duserick nearly scoring an olimpico off a corner but the linesman deemed it didn’t cross the line. In the 27th minute, the ball popped into the attacking area and Cudmore played it perfectly, shielding off a defender to get some space before placing it into the corner for a commanding 3-1 lead.

But in the 37th minute, Annie Phipps used a turn just outside the area to gain a bit of space and fired top shelf to bring the Warriors within one. Two minutes later, Phipps centered a cross to Taylor Sherman, who got a touch past Doody as she charged out, and slid the ball into the net to make it 3-3.

“The momentum swung in their favor completely and it hammered us,” Canton head coach Kate Howarth said. “I think it’s a completely different game if we go into halftime with a 3-1 lead. It took the wind out of our sails for sure. We had the momentum for the whole first half until the last 10 minutes and we just crumbled.

“You lose all the footage that you gained. Instead of going forward a step, you go back three steps. It was still a winnable game but we just didn’t have it today. If we came out like we did the last two games I think we would have destroyed them. We didn’t have 80 minutes in us today.”

Medfield scored the game-winner in the 55th minute as a long throw eluded Canton’s defense and Sherman raced onto it. The break forced Canton’s defense to commit and Sherman centered to Cooney in the middle for an open shot and goal.

The Warriors made it 5-3 when a long throw found Maggie McCarthy at the near post for a flick to the far post. Medfield added a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes as the Bulldogs pushed numbers forward.

In total, eight of the 10 goals scored in the game came from the team playing with the wind at its back.

“The wind affected the game a lot,” Howarth said. “It’s not just a breeze, it’s significant. It can help take the ball when you have it and it can kill you when you’re against it.

“We weren’t come at the same level that we were the last few games. Some games you come into and you can’t be beaten, some games you struggle through. This was one we were going to have to struggle through. We didn’t look good, they didn’t look good. They kicked the ball around a lot. It was going to be a struggle for both sides but they struggled better than us and found ways to score some goals. I think if we played the second half like we played the first 30 minutes of the game, it’s a completely different game.”

Canton girls soccer finishes the season at 10-8-2. The Bulldogs, who were seeded 15th in the D2 South Sectional, knocked off #2 Greater New Bedford and #10 Milton in their tournament run.

“I don’t think our wins and losses showed exactly how good this team was,” Howarth said. “We play in one of the toughest leagues around here. You go into the tournament against someone who’s 13-1 and play nobody, we were able to go in and destroy them. We gained from playing tougher teams during the regular season. We’ve been through the adversity.”

10/22/2016

Bulldogs Find Defensive Form to Beat Sharon

CANTON, Mass. – The pitch was slick from two days worth of rain, but the Canton defense showed no ill effects and zero slip-ups, as it corralled Sharon’s top two attacking threats, Alex Rabb and Ally Filipkowski, limiting the Eagles to only a couple clear scoring chances.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

It was a major turnaround for the Bulldogs, who had allowed six goals last time out against Milford. The back four, with help from the midfield, held firm on Saturday morning at World War II Veterans Memorial Field and Canton pulled out a 2-0 victory that edges the Bulldogs closer to a spot in the state tournament.

“After the Milford game, I took the back line and we talked about some issues,” explained Canton coach Kate Howarth, “and there was a little bit of confusion I wasn’t aware of. We cleared everything up and you could see the back line was so solid today.”

Chances were at a premium for both teams in the first half. The Bulldogs has the first shot on goal when Tessa Cudmore’s shot was handled by Sharon keeper Natalie Gray. A corner three minutes later from Sarah Connolly had to be cleared off the line by Amanda Klayman and then Lauren McCabe had the rebound saved by Gray in the bottom corner.

The Bulldogs’ best scoring opportunities were coming from Connolly’s set piece deliveries. She fired in a long free kick that Gray caught cleanly and then in the 27th minute she was credited with the opening goal when her corner was deflected off the leg of a Sharon defender and just over the line.

The defensive effort for Canton started with the midfield trio of Julia Hamilton and freshmen cousins Lauren and Morgan McCabe, who bottled up Filipkowski by sending multiple players at the junior playmaker as often as possible. Even without Riley Duserick, who was out with an injury, the Bulldogs put the clamps on the Sharon midfield in the first half.

“She’s a good player and I think when you can shut her down they don’t really create a lot of chances,” said Howarth of Filipkowski. “[Julia] fought hard and I think she stood her ground with Ally.”

When the Eagles did get the ball forward, Rabb was regularly alone up top surrounded by Connolly and Carly Hutchinson. At halftime, the Eagles made an adjustment to try and get more runners out wide and it created Sharon’s best chance in the 46th minute.

Filipkowski managed to shrug off the attention of the Bulldogs and slid a pass into Victoria Zambello angling in from the right wing but Canton keeper Kathryn Doody was off her line quick to block the shot. Ally Steinberg also started to find space on the right side going one-on-one with Canton right back Sarah Collins and created a couple dangerous crosses that Doody and the defense managed to clear in front of Rabb.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We made a formation change in the second half to try and isolate Ally [Steinberg] one-on-one out wide,” said first-year Sharon coach Brad Furnival. “We were able to create a few chances. Their keeper dealt well with some crosses, but unfortunately we didn’t have enough players in the box to score goals, which kind of killed us in the end.”

When asked about opponents focusing on Filipkowski to try and stunt the Eagles attack, Furnival replied, “I thought Filipkowski had a good game. I’d like her to get more shots off but even if teams put two or three players on Ally, she’s still going to create chances because she’s that kind of player.”

Canton had its chances to close out the victory. Cudmore was causing problems with her speed, running at the Sharon back line, and Lauren Fitzpatrick added some good minutes off the Bulldogs bench.

Cudmore nearly doubled the lead in the 48th minute when she chased down a deflected pass but it was saved by back-up keeper Isabella Berger and the follow-up by Hannah Link sailed over the bar. In the 52nd minute Cudmore had another good look but her curling effort from the edge of the box smacked off the bar.

“We had a couple other chances that would have been easy finishes,” said Howarth, “and we didn’t get them in and those are the ones that we talk about every week. If we put away some of the easy chances…we would be beating teams by a lot more than we are.”

In the 64th minute, Cudmore set up the goal that sealed the win. She hustled to keep a loose ball alive on the near side of the box and laid a pass into the path of Catherine Leonetti, who had just come into the game, and she hit it first time off the underside of the crossbar and across the line.

Howarth said, “Once we got that I think everybody calmed down a little bit. It took the pressure off and we could finish the game.”

With the win Canton (7-6-1, 7-5-1) moves back into second place in the Davenport, one point ahead of Foxboro, which the Bulldogs will face on Tuesday afternoon. Sharon (5-9-1, 4-9-1) will step out of the league on Monday for a trip to Norwood.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

10/22/2016

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/22/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 27 @ Franklin, 41 – Final

Mansfield, 41 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Anthony DeGirolamo 33 yard pass to Mike Shannon, 2pt failed; (M) Nick Graham 22 yard rush, Diogo DeSousa XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) A. DeGirolamo 12 yard rush, D. DeSousa XP good; (M) Joe Cox 49 yard rush, D. DeSousa XP good; (M) A. DeGirolamo 14 yard pass to Aidan Sacco, D. DeSousa XP good.
3rd Quarter: (OA) Liston Funai 1 yard rush, Anthony Berksza 2pt rush; (M) A. Sacco 12 yard rush, D. DeSousa XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Taunton, 8 @ King Philip, 28 – Final

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final

Sharon, 2 @ Canton, 0 – Final

Milford, 0 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final

King Philip, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – King Philip senior Cam Mullins scored the game-winning goal in the first half on a penalty kick (drawn by Colby Koch). Anthony Bozza and Cam Koch scored second half goals, both on assists from Tyler Mann and John Cullen capped the scoring on a feed from Nils van den Boogaard.

Girls Soccer
Sharon, 0 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Sarah Connolly scored directly off a corner after a deflection to put Canton ahead in the first half. Catherine Leonetti, off a pass from Tessa Cudmore, doubled Canton’s lead with a strike off the crossbar and in.

09/25/2016

Duserick Strike Decisive as Canton Beats Milford

CANTON, Mass. – Coming off a 4-0 loss to North Attleboro on Tuesday, in a game that head coach Kate Howarth admitted her team was not ready to play, Canton was looking to bring back the intensity and defensive discipline that Howarth demands when it hosted Milford on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs brought back the physical play all over the pitch, stayed composed and organized in the back four, and got a first half strike from Riley Duserick to get back on track with a 1-0 victory over Milford at World War II Veterans Memorial Park.

“This is the first game that we played the way that I’ve taught for the past three years,” said Howarth. When asked if this could be a foundation on which the team could build, the always demanding coach added, “I think they need to.”

The outcome could have been very different if Milford took its early chance. In the 14th minute, Madeline Boyle played a corner from the left that just eluded the far post and was knocked out for a chance from the opposite side. Boyle’s second corner found Nicole Dahlgren alone in the box but her header was blocked on the line. The ball bounced around and a second chance from inside the six was saved by sprawling Canton keeper Kathryn Doody.

“Huge save,” said Howarth. “She time and time again comes up with these big saves and she just puts herself in the right place at the right time and it works. That’s just what she does and she’s done it for three years now.”

Milford coach Jay Mastaj added, “I think that point at time we had the momentum. We were starting to string together a few passes, we had them back on their heels, but again their defense came up including their keeper and that’s what you need.”

The save spurred Canton into action and the Bulldogs midfield started to assert itself, led by Duserick, Julia Hamilton, and Kendra Farrelly. Controlling the middle of the field allowed Canton to get the ball forward to Hannah Link and Tessa Cudmore in the channels and stretch the Milford defense.

It took to the 29th minute for the Bulldogs to create a clear scoring chance and Cudmore played a ball across the edge of the box that was deflected into the path of Duserick. The junior midfielder calmly side-footed a lefty shot inside the far post to break the deadlock.

“It doesn’t matter how much possession you have, how much of the ball, it doesn’t matter how many chances, if you don’t put one in then the game is still 0-0,” Howarth noted. “So, putting that in got us on a different level and we really started pushing after that.”

Canton upped the pressure another gear after the goal and again started to play balls in behind the Milford defenders. Morgan McCabe was nearly in on one chance only for Milford defender Rachel LeBlanc to get across at the last second and block the shot. Cudmore also struck the bar with a cross from the left two minute before the break.

In the second half, Canton started strongly again with Duserick having another shot from outside the box that sailed just over the bar. But Milford slowly grew into the game and had its chances going forward when Mastaj switched to a 4-4-2 to try and get help up front for Kristen Franzini.

Gabbie Riley added another outlet for the Hawks who won a corner that Doody needed to palm away and had a couple of chances that they could not put on target. Canton was finding room on the break and left back Sarah Collins found herself with room in the box to have a shot but it was blocked and center back Sarah Connolly let fly with a long-range shot that went over.

“Their defense kind of bent a few times but didn’t break,” said Mastaj. “We came up with stuff but they found a way and unfortunately luck wasn’t on our side in this one, but overall I was very happy. This was the intensity that we needed.”

The second half was mostly a battle of center backs with Dahlgren on the Milford side and Connolly on the Canton side both stopping attack after attack.

“Nicole since day one has just been a standout for us,” said Mastaj, “and she just continues to get better. Her calm on the field is such an influence on the kids. There’s no panic in her eyes at any point in time and she just plays the right ball.”

After shipping four goals earlier this week, Howarth was pleased to see her defense keep a clean sheet. She said, “This back line was completely different than the North Attleboro game. [Against North] we just came out flat and…we were horrible. When we have a solid back line and we possess out of the back, it’s different, you can tell that we can dominate.”

Canton (2-2) will try to continue the forward momentum on Monday at Sharon, while Milford (2-3-1) will try to get back to .500 when it travels to Foxboro.

09/17/2016

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/17/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Milford, 2 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – The Scarlet Hawks netted a pair of goals in the first half to earn their first win of the season. Andre Oliveira opened the scoring off an assist from Marcello Panno and then Panno doubled Milford’s lead, scoring off an assist from Joey Madden. Danny Zwonik made three saves in the win.

Girls Soccer
King Philip, 2 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Canton scored an early goal to open the game but King Philip rallied for a pair of goals in the second half to get the win. Tessa Cudmore opened the scoring, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the 3rd minute of the game. The Warriors potted a pair of goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Senior Corinne Palumbo tied the game in the 48th minute and classmate Rachel Hogan scored the game winning in the 55th minute. Both goals were assisted by freshman Chloe Layne.

Taunton, 0 vs. New Bedford, 1 – Final

Volleyball
Taunton vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 1:00

Field Hockey
Mansfield, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Four different players scored in Mansfield’s road win at Taunton.

09/07/2016

Girls Soccer: 2016 Davenport Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2016 Davenport Girls Soccer Preview

Canton

2015 Record: 13-5-1
2015 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Kate Howarth

The Bulldogs will be happy to see Oliver Ames move on to the Kelley-Rex after finishing just behind the Tigers in the Davenport title race each of the past two seasons. Head coach Kate Howarth is now in her fourth season and Canton seems poised to make an even bigger impact this year with a number of returning players, despite still being a very young team that has only three seniors on the roster.

Canton’s strength starts at the back where senior goalie Kathryn Doody has developed into a solid shot stopper and also an extra sweeper who can cover when the defense steps up to press the play. Just in front of the keeper, Sarah Connolly will be in her third year on varsity and brings “loads of experience,” according to Howarth.

Junior Riley Duserick is back to run the middle of the pitch for the Bulldogs after a pair of all-star seasons. Her range of passing and her long-range shooting will force defenses to keep an eye on her at all times, which can open lanes for the pass into senior forwards Hannah Link and Tessa Cudmore. Both are in their fourth year on varsity and Howarth is counting on their experience to be in the right place to finish opportunities.

Howarth added, “We have some great depth this year. When we make subs I don’t think our quality will go down at all and that is very exciting.”

Foxboro

2015 Record: 9-9-0
2015 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Kaitlin Lamothe-Vaughn

The Warriors were one of several teams that battled injuries last season. Foxboro started the fall without its starting keeper, one of its primary forwards and with its star midfielder playing through an injury suffered in the off-season. The Warriors still reached the postseason but with a full roster set to start 2016, expectations are even higher.

The key player is junior midfielder Lily Sykes, who head coach Kaitlin Lamothe-Vaughn referred to as the team’s “rock.” Sykes has recovered from the injury problems she dealt with last year and will be the primary playmaker in behind the forwards. She will have plenty of experienced players to look for with the return of senior Kristen Bortolotti, who was one of Foxboro’s top scorers as a sophomore but missed all of last year with injury. Also up top, the Warriors will feature Olivia Dantona, Shaina Abbott, and Hannah Burns.

Another key returner is senior goalie Hallie Canfield, who missed significant time last year. She adds even more confidence to a returning back four of seniors Devon Mollica, Lauren Flahive, and Jamie Gorman and sophomore Alex Stamatos. With Hailey Maling and Riley Collins running the wings, Foxboro has plenty of familiar talent coming back to try and win the program’s first league title since 1993.

Milford

2015 Record: 8-9-2
2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Jay Mastaj

For the past several seasons, Milford has been incorporating younger players in an effort to get back to the postseason, but injury troubles have limited the Hawks in the ultra-competitive Hock. This year, the Hawks have a good balance between senior leadership and young talent and could be poised for a breakthrough season.

The key players for Milford are senior captains Nicole Dahlgren, who is a strong presence in the center of defense with the ability to step into the midfield, and Kristen Franzini, who was the team’s leading scorer from a year ago with nine goals. The four-year starters will have help from midfielder Maggie Boyle and defender Rachel LeBlanc.

Head coach Jay Mastaj is excited about a strong crop of freshmen, including Maddie Boyle, Ashleigh Starks, Annie Flanagan, and Juliana France. Mastaj said that the team has plenty of depth this season. He added, “This is the most talented team that we have fielded in my four years here at Milford.”

North Attleboro

2015 Record: 13-5-3
2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Semifinal
Coach: Glenn Pasquel

While the Rocketeers had a solid regular season under first-year head coach Glenn Pasquel, not many expected North Attleboro to make a run through league rivals OA and Franklin to reach the Div. 1 South semifinal (a 2-1 loss to Whitman-Hanson). Key players like Hana Caster and Grace Guertin are gone, but North has a lot of returning talent for its first season in the Davenport and expectations are high at Kelly Field.

Much of the excitement around the program is in the attacking third where junior Haley Guertin will try to have another season like 2015 in which she scored 19 goals, led the league in scoring, and was named HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year. She will receive help up top from winger Felicity Monfils, who emerged last year as a threat on the right wing for the Rocketeers. Emily Schromm and Julianna DiRenzo will try to fill the holes in midfield from the strong crop that graduated.

Goals are important but it was the development of the North defense that propelled the Rocketeers to a tournament run. The move of Rachel Labonte to sweeper turned into a masterstroke as she seemed to block every attack and move the ball quickly back into the attack. Emily Chiasson will join Labonte in the back line in front of new goalie Emma Noreck. Pasquel said, “Great start to the season, plenty of returning players…Looking forward to a great season.”

Sharon

2015 Record: 3-13-2
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Brad Furnival

First-year head coach Brad Furnival has spent the preseason installing his style of play and building the organization needed to compete in the Hockomock League. So far, he said that results have been positive and he is excited to get the season underway. It may be a new coaching staff, but the Eagles have plenty of familiar names from last year’s young and talented squad.

Senior captains Anna Crosby and Ally Steinberg will be the players that Furnival is expecting to be leaders on and off the pitch and both have the potential to make an impact in the midfield. Ally Filipkowski has the foot skills and moves to create scoring chances for herself and her teammates.

In addition, Sharon will also have St. Michael’s College-commit Victoria Zambello and Ithaca College lacrosse commits Alex and Samantha Rabb back this season to add aggressiveness and energy to the team. There is a lot of talent on hand and Furnival is trying to find the right “vision” to mold the talent into a competitive team. He said, “I’m looking to have the perfect balance this season between players with a technical and physical prowess, which will make Sharon a much harder team to play against.”

Stoughton

2015 Record: 4-14-0
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Tara Daniels

Head coach Tara Daniels enters her second season with the Black Knights looking to continue the development of the program to compete in the very competitive Davenport division. Stoughton has several players that Daniels believes could make a big impact this season and see the Black Knights make a move up the standings.

The key for Stoughton will be the midfield where Emerson Sprague will try to run things from the center of the pitch. Daniels praised Sprague’s distribution and her ability to keep the Black Knights in possession. On the outside, senior captain Amelia Cochran will be racing up and down the wing and junior Mia Greene will be helping Sprague with the playmaking duties. Up front, sophomore Gabby Diaz will try to build on a solid freshman campaign.

The defense is led by junior captain Sarah Wildrow. Daniels said of the vocal outside back, “I’ve never seen Sarah get out-hustled.” Daniels added, “Hard work and staying healthy will be key to our success. Our goal this season is to keep our mind focused on teamwork and connecting passes.”

05/16/201604/21/2019

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

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
King Philip, 0 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Senior Nate Tellier was masterful on the mound for the Bombardiers in a complete game shutout. Tellier struck out 13 batters while allowing just one hit to keep the Kelley-Rex leading King Philip Warriors at bay. At the plate Tellier had a pair of hits. Freshman Dakota Kirby was a perfect 3-3 for Attleboro, having an RBI single in the fifth inning that made it 2-0. Senior Tyler Stowe have Attleboro the lead two at bats prior, singling in Brent Cook.

Milford, 14 @ Canton, 6 – Final

Foxboro, 0 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Stoughton junior Ryan Sullivan had one of his best outings of the year on the mound for the Black Knights, striking out 10 in a complete game shutout. Sullivan scattered five hits with just one walk and didn’t allow a run. The Black Knights’ offense cashed in in the bottom of the third. After Doug Seaman singles and stole second, Jack Connelly knocked in his team-leading 16th run of the season with a two-out single. Seaman went 2-3 and Connelly reached base twice with a stolen base.

Taunton, 2 @ Franklin, 6 – Final – Franklin turned a two run lead in the fourth inning to a comfortable cushion in a league win over Taunton. Nick Santucci connected for a two-out RBI triple in the inning, finishing the game 3-4 with a run. Jake Lyons added two RBI while Joe Corsi was 2-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. Josh Macchi added two hits, including a double, and scored a run for the Panthers. Sophomore Jason Ulrickson was solid on the mound in a complete game effort, scattering five hits while walking one to get the win. Ulrickson struck out four with just one walk. Taunton’s Kevin Griffin went 2-3 with an RBI while Luke Figueira (2-3) and Joe Manchester (1-3) each scored a run for the Tigers.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – North Attleboro’s Andy Katch had no-hit Mansfield through five innings but the Hornets were finally able to break through in the sixth inning. Aidan Cahill got the team’s first hit with a one out single and Mike Arnold was hit by a pitch to reach. A sacrifice fly from Tyrone Pascual advanced the runners and Jake Tryder connected for a two-RBI double to score the only runs of the game. Jake Neureuter got the win for Mansfield, allowing just three hits in a complete game shutout. Neureuter struck out three and issued three walks in the win.

Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final (8 inn.) – Oliver Ames walked off with a win for the second straight game and seniors Josh Minuskin and Ryan Adams were right in the middle of it. After Minuskin’s home run tied the game on Friday against Mansfield, he led of the bottom of the eighth inning with a single. Two wild pitches later, Minuskin was at third and Adams, who scored the winning run on Friday, knocked in the winning run. Senior Zach Sato pitched a two-hit shutout complete game for Oliver Ames, striking out four. Sharon sophomore starter Max Tarlin pitched seven scoreless innings for the Eagles.

Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final

Canton, 1 @ Milford, 12 – Final – Milford’s Ali Atherton carried a no hitter through the sixth inning before the Bulldogs’ offense broke through. Atherton finished with eight strikeouts in a complete game to get the win. Offensively, freshman Emily Hartman had his first career home run for the Scarlet Hawks, blasting a two run shot. Jess Tomaso was 2/2 with a pair of walks and two RBI while Kaitlyn DeCapua was 2-4 with an RBI.

Stoughton, 5 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Stoughton scored all five runs in the fifth inning and held off a Foxboro four-run rally in the seventh. Bri Fernandez, Karly Estremera, and Gina Carafa each had two hits for the Black Knights. Shannon Flaherty threw a complete game with six strikeouts to pick up the win.

Taunton, 6 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – The Tigers’ offense cashed in in the fifth and sixth innings to get the win over the Panthers. Taunton scored four runs in the fifth and then tacked on two more in the sixth inning while Franklin scored twice in the seventh. Aimee Kistner got her 11th win of the season, striking out five while scattering four hits in a complete game effort. Kistner also paced the offense, going 4-4 with a pair of RBI while Jordan Wade was 3-3 with a triple, a walk and an RBI. Jaime Brown went 1-2 for the Tigers with a sac bunt, a walk and an RBI and Kya Enos added a double and an RBI. Allie Shea went 1-2 for Franklin with a pair of walks and knocked in both of the Panthers’ runs.

Mansfield, 2 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – The Rocketeers turned to small ball to get its offense going, plating all six runs in the fifth inning. With one out in the inning, North Attleboro had eight straight batters reach and it resulted in six runs. Big Red had a pair of infield hits and a pair of bunt singles to get the offense going. Kaylea Sherman and Megan Barlow each went 2-3 at the plate for North while Gina Miceli was a perfect 3-3. Amelia Murphy struck out nine in a complete game effort for the Rocketeers. Mansfield responded with its two runs in top of the sixth off of four hits. Marissa Staffier went 1-2, Megan Letendre was 2-3, Mady Bendanillo went 1-3 with an RBI and Maddie Letendre was 1-2 with an RBI. Maddie Letendre struck out 10 batters while allowing seven hits for Mansfield.

Oliver Ames, 14 @ Sharon, 10 – Final – The Oliver Ames Tigers belted out 17 hits on the day, using its offense to best Sharon. Victoria Ziner was 3-5 with two RBI, including a home run, and two runs scored, Katie Pursley went 4-4 with four RBI, including a pair of home runs and a triple and scoring two runs for OA. Jamie Gottwald was 3-5 with a triple an RBI and three runs scored, Rachel Han scored three runs and Dalene Gomes (2-5) and Emma Papargiris (1-4, two RBI) each had a triple and scored for OA while Caroline Mahoney (2-5) also had an RBI and a run scored for the Tigers.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final

Canton, 11 vs. Abington, 8 – Final – Canton built a 3-0 lead and that was all the separation that the Bulldogs needed to beat Abington. Shaun Kirby was the driving force behind the offense, registering a hat trick and adding a trio of assists in teh win. Thomas Monagle and Kevin Albert returned to net a goal each while Dan Nadeau stretched his goal scoring streak to two games. Canton got a boost from sophomore Charlie O’Connor, who dominated at the faceoff X for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 3 vs. Wayland, 8 – Final

King Philip, 6 @ Franklin, 13 – Final

Milford, 0 vs. Nipmuc, 19 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 13 – Final – Oliver Ames kept its playoff hopes alive, moving within two wins of a postseason berth with the shutout win. Senior attack Matt Gilson had three goals and three assists, senior Middie Max Bamford had two goals and one assist, senior middie Aidan Connly added a pair of goals and one assist, senior middie Connor Howe had a goal and an assist and senior middie Mike Sullivan scored once. OA Senior goalie Jake Aronson had the shutout in the cage.

Sharon, 14 vs. Westwood, 22 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 19 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – It was a day of milestones for North Attleboro in a non-league win over rival Attleboro. Hana Caster found the back of the net for the 200th time in her career while teammate Erin Holley notched her 100th career goal in the win.

Canton, 13 @ Milton, 8 – Final – Canton head coach Chrissy O’Connor praised the defense of Lauren Peplau and Tessa Cudmore, saying they played excellent in the Bulldogs’ win. Lindsey Nolte paced the offense, potting four goals for Canton.

Foxboro, 19 @ Sharon, 11 – Final

King Philip @ Hopkinton, 3:45

Mansfield @ Bishop Feehan, 3:30

Milford @ Nipmuc – Postponed to 5/26 to 3:45 at Milford

Boys Tennis
King Philip, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – The Warriors of King Philip took care of business in singles play and got another win at doubles to beat Attleboro. Cole Ginter won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Garrett Schneider won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles and Blake Ginter took a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at third singles. Justin Rohan and Marco DiStefano won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles for KP. Attleboro’s Zain Yusuf and Shaun Gordon battled for a 7-5, 6-4 win at first singles.

Milford @ Canton, 4:00

Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – It was a clean sweep for Franklin, who won all five matches in straight sets. Rahul Herur won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles, Eli Brooks ton 6-2, 6-0 at second singles and Dan Barrow won 6-3, 6-2 at third singles. Cam Piana and James Johnston took home a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Junior Zack Pfeffer handled his match at second singles and classmate Barsomo Nuay battled for a three set win at third singles to lead Big Red. Pfeffer won 6-2, 6-2 while Nuay got a 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 win. Doubles teams of Jeff Yao and Nick Lockavitch (6-2, 6-3) and Jake Fontes and Daniel Zhang (6-3, 6-3) each won at first and second doubles respectively. Mansfield junior Benny Lin earned a 6-4, 6-2 at first singles for the Hornets’ lone win.

Sharon, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – After a weekend at the MIAA individual tournament, Sharon had an adjusted lineup but still clinched a win. Andre Olivei won 6-1, 6-3 at second singles and Andrew Tarnoff won 6-2, 6-0 at third singles. Alex Romantz and Adam Dobbin swept 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and Tilak Mehta and Danujan Thirumavalavan also swept 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles. Oliver Ames senior Thomas O’Leary won 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-7) at first singles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – Becca Ricci won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles for KP, Emily MacDonald won 6-3, 6-1 and Meghan Sepich took home a 6-0, 6-0 decision at third singles. The team of Kelly Masse and Carly Adams won 6-2, 6-0 at first doubles and Molly Citarell and Andrea Li won 6-3, 6-0 at second doubles.

Canton, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – The Bulldogs of Canton got a pair of wins in singles play and clinched the victory with a win at doubles. Carly Scanlan won 6-4, 6-2 at first singles and Skyler Jabbour won 6-3, 6-1 at second doubles for the Bulldogs while the team of Tiffany Ha and Sarah MacQuarrie won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles. Milford’s Kate Rosenblatt won 6-2, 7-6 at third singles and the team of Jess McIntire and Kayla Thongpul won 7-5, 6-4 at second doubles.

Stoughton, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final

Franklin, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Franklin went on the road and extracted a bit of revenge by avenging an early season loss to the Tigers. The Panthers used a sweep in singles play to edge of the Tigers. Junior Hannah Sweeney won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles while senior Anna Humphreys won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles and junior Anja Deric swept 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. Taunton’s Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor won 7-6 (7-2), 3-0 (forfeit) at first doubles and Caroline Hebert and Jillian Pagliuca won 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles.

Mansfield, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon singles players cruised through in straight sets to help the Eagles earn the win. Lulu Yuan won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Nupur Shulka won 6-2, 6-0 at second singles and Emily Wen won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. Pooja Puttigampala and Michal Kondratiev won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles for Sharon. Oliver Ames’ Claudia Ferrara and Rachel Stryke won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 at second doubles.

Boys and Girls Outdoor Track
Hockomock League Championships (@ Taunton High), 2:30

Boys Volleyball
Taunton @ Barnstable 5:30

11/20/2015

The 2015 Hockomock Girls Soccer All Stars & HMs

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

Hockomock League MVP

Francesca Calabraro, Oliver Ames

Honorable Mentions

Rebekah Entwistle, Attleboro
Tessa Cudmore, Canton
Lauren Rudolph, Franklin
Riley Collins, Foxboro
Brooke Thomas, King Philip
Anna Chairolonza, Mansfield
Katie Brown, Milford
Grace Guertin, North Attleboro
Emily Freeman, Oliver Ames
Ally Filipkowski, Sharon
Marissa Williams, Stoughton
Emily Serpa, Taunton

11/20/2015

The 2015 Hockomock Girls Soccer All Stars & HMs

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

Hockomock League MVP

Francesca Calabraro, Oliver Ames

Tag: Tessa Cudmore

2017 Hockomock Girls Lacrosse Preview

2017 Hockomock Girls Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

Canton

Foxboro

Franklin

King Philip

Mansfield

Milford

North Attleboro

Oliver Ames

Sharon

Taunton

Second Half Surge From Medfield Sinks Canton

Bulldogs Find Defensive Form to Beat Sharon

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/22/16

Duserick Strike Decisive as Canton Beats Milford

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/17/16

Girls Soccer: 2016 Davenport Division Preview

2016 Davenport Girls Soccer Preview

Canton

Foxboro

Milford

North Attleboro

Sharon

Stoughton

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

The 2015 Hockomock Girls Soccer All Stars & HMs

Hockomock League MVP

Hockomock League All Stars

Honorable Mentions

The 2015 Hockomock Girls Soccer All Stars & HMs

Hockomock League MVP

Hockomock League All Stars

Honorable Mentions