06/08/2019

Milford Battles Back But Falls in Five-Set Thriller

Milford boys volleyball — Milford senior hitter Joao Boaventura helped the Hawks battle back and force a fifth set in the Central semifinal against Natick. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

MILFORD, Mass. – No offense to the teams that played earlier in the afternoon, but the nightcap felt like the final. From the atmosphere in the gym to the intensity of play on the floor to the ebb and flow of emotions on both sides of the net, Milford and Natick showed why they are both considered among the top teams in the state.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After falling behind in Friday night’s Central semifinal on its home court, Milford (20-4) rallied with its strongest game of the day to force a decisive fifth set. The hosts led 11-10 in the fifth only to have Natick score the final five points of the match to secure the 3-2 (25-17, 23-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-11) victory.

“My biggest fear tonight was coming in and getting overwhelmed by the moment,” said Milford coach Andrew Mainini, “but there was never a moment in the match where I thought they gave up. Some of the points and some of the rallies, the pursuits of the ball in the fifth set were great. They may have come away with the win but I thought we left all of our heart on the floor.”

Despite a raucous crowd cheering them on, the Scarlet Hawks got off to a tough start to the match. A series of unforced errors handed Natick the edge in the first set, running off five straight points to turn a 13-13 tie into an 18-13 lead that it wouldn’t surrender. Connor Reardon was the main weapon for the Red Hawks, while Milford’s serve-receive struggled to put the ball in good positions to attack.

The second set was back-and-forth, as Milford started to find its groove and find outside hitter Joao Boaventura. The senior had six kills in the set and he was a constant menace that the Natick block had to keep an eye on.

“Our offense has come so far in the last couple weeks that there have been a lot of matches where the ball was spread out a lot,” said Mainini. “[Joao] definitely came out to play tonight, definitely controlled the match and scored some really big points for us.”

Fellow hitter Tiago Filadelfo was also used frequently by setter Josh Orellana, recording four kills of his own, including a blast down the line to seal the set.

While it wasn’t the cleanest set for the hosts, who never led by more than three points throughout, Milford started to show some of its balance on offense. In addition to Boaventura and Filadelfo, Zachary Browne and Clayton Picket also got in on the action to keep the Natick defense honest in the middle of the net.

Natick tried to take the momentum back in the third set and jumped out to a 13-8 lead after three straight errors by Milford. The hosts started to battle back, with the help of a scoring error that kept Natick at 15 points. Despite the protests of the Natick bench, the officials kept the score the same and Milford took advantage to tie it after a pair of violations and a Browne block.

A kill by Filadelfo made it 17-16 but then Natick ensured that the controversy over the missing point would be short-lived by scoring nine of the next 13 points, riding the play of junior Brendan Carroll, to take control of the match.

“Their right side is not a very big guy but man does he play super well,” Mainini said. “We had a really tough time blocking the right side hitter. If we moved inside of the court, he hit outside of the block, if we moved out then he hit inside. To me, he won that match for them.”

With the season on the line, Milford put together its best set of the match. It was as though a switch had been flipped and the defense was better, the passing crisper, and the hits started to find open spots.

Browne snagged a point to bring the Hawks within one and then a block by Gabe Brandao tied the set at 6-6. Filadelfo had back-to-back hits to put Milford in front. Brandao had a block and kill that extended the lead to 11-6. Milford pulled ahead 17-12 on a kill by Boaventura, but Natick chipped away with three straight points. Needing a boost, Orellana set Picket in the middle and he buried his shot for a much-needed point.

As the crowd got louder and louder, Milford was able to hold off Natick in the fourth. Filadelfo with another couple of big hits down the stretch keeping Natick at bay and helping send the match to the fifth set.

“It would’ve been great had it been the final,” Mainini admitted, “but there was something special about it being at home and having the entire Milford community come out. The fan support was awesome. Since I’ve been here, we’ve never had an atmosphere that vibrant and intense.”

It was no surprise that the final set was close throughout. Boaventura had back-to-back kills to put Milford ahead 9-7, the second point coming after a long rally in which libero Tiago Carvalho laid out to make a spectacular dig on what seemed like a sure point for the visitors.

Boaventura added another hit to push the lead to 10-8 but then a net violation got one back for Natick and the visitors tied it on a kill by Will Landry. Browne put Milford back in front 11-10 and the crowd anticipated the completion of the comeback, but it would be the last point for Milford on the night. Natick got the final five points, four of them on errors, to grab the road win.

Mainini said, “The guys were diving everywhere to keep balls in play that I didn’t think could be. I feel like they left it all out there tonight. If a couple balls trickle over the net or are two inches in a different direction, the outcome of the game could’ve been completely different.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

10/29/201810/30/2018

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/30/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro scored a pair of goals in the last 10 minutes of the first half to secure a win in its final regular season game. Dylan Corrigan put things in motion for the opener, playing a ball through to Matt Conley, who crossed it to Joe Hilf in the 32nd minute. Five minutes later, James Sales converted a corner kick from Joey Coscarella. Kyle Briere recorded his 12th shutout of the season.

Mansfield, 0 @ Dartmouth, 2 – Final

Milford, 3 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Milford junior Walisson de Oliveira scored a pair of goals and had an assist, tying the program record for career points. Oliveira made it 1-0 in the first half off a feed from Lucas Da Silva, a lead the Hawks took into halftime. de Oliveira set up Tiago Carvalho for a 2-0 lead, and then scored his 22nd goal of the year (from Leo Coelho), putting him in a tie for the golden boot. Carter Gerome made 22 saves in net for Stoughton.

Girls Soccer
Sharon, 0 vs. Milton, 1 – Final
Milford, 0 vs. Holliston, 3 – Final
Taunton, 5 @ Coyle & Cassidy, 2 – Final

Field Hockey
Milford @ Sharon – Postponed to Thursday, 11/1.

10/26/201810/26/2018

Milford Clinches Davenport Title With Dramatic Win

Milford boys soccer — Milford’s Jordan Borges plays a ball forward while being defended by Canton’s Paolo Ruggeri in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

MILFORD, Mass. – Heading into Thursday evening’s matchup with Canton, the Milford boys soccer team needed just one point to clinch at least a share of its first Davenport division title.

But that’s not what head coach Brian Edwards told his team.

Edwards told his team it was a must-win in order to become Davenport champions.

“We didn’t want to share,” Edwards said.

His team responded, using a goal in the final five minutes to earn a dramatic 3-2 win over the visiting Bulldogs. It marks Milford’s first ever Hockomock Davenport division title, and the program’s first league title since 1999 when it won the Mid-Wach A crown.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I told them before the game they had to play for the win, and they are all about that,” Edwards said. “I thought this was one of the most entertaining games I’ve seen in a long time. I thought both teams just played incredibly hard, played good soccer…you saw contrasting styles but either team could have won this game.”

It was only fitting that the game had a dramatic ending after it was filled with goal scoring chances, terrific saves, solid defense, and timely goals.

The build-up started just before midfield at the beginning of the 77th minute with junior Jordan Borges electing to keep possession instead of forcing anything up field. He found sophomore Leo Coelho on the right flank, and Coelho quickly switched fields to senior Tiago Carvalho.

Carvalho slid a pass back up the middle to Borges, who used a deft touch with the outside of his right foot to get free from a defender. The junior took a touch towards goal and ripped a hard, dipping shot that found the side netting on the far post for a 3-2 lead in the final moments of the game.

“It was a great ball, my teammates put me in a great spot and I just happened to finish it,” Borges said. “Everybody has their chances on this team, we play together as a team, this was my chance. When I hit it, I knew right away when it came off my foot, it was pretty sweet.

“Our goal was to win the league title after we got into the playoffs. Coming in today, we knew Canton was a tough team so we felt like it was a must win. It was the best feeling to get the goal late and win the game.”

It was Borges’ third goal of the season, giving him seven points on the season.

“What a baller,” Edwards said of Borges. “That’s the kind of goal we expect froma Jordan. He’s the kind of player who does all of that hard work, like Tiago Carvalho and Joao Boaventura, those three guys do so much work and don’t get a ton of headlines. They don’t always show up in the scoresheet…but Jordan deserves that goal. He’s a three-year varsity player, he works tirelessly. He watches film more than I do, he’s always trying to improve. I couldn’t be happier for him.”

The final goal was the fifth of the second half alone. The teams played a scoreless 40 minutes to begin the game before the fireworks began in the second half.

It took Canton less than five minutes into the second half to get on the scoreboard. Senior Paolo Ruggeri drew a foul on the left flank and senior Paul Corcoran stood over ready to deliver a cross.

Corcoran whipped in a service but the ball eluded a pair of Canton runners. However, it was enough to freeze Milford keeper Josh Orellana (eight saves) and the ball hit off the far post and in for a 1-0 lead in the 44th minute.

Canton saw its advantage evaporate just minutes later as the Hawks pulled even with an immediate response. In the 46th minute, senior Joey Madden used a long throw-in into the area and the Canton clearance was knocked down by Joao Vitor Neiva. The block went right to the feet of sophomore Lucas Da Silva all alone at the far post and he blasted his shot in for make it 1-1.

“It was important just to kind of take a little gas out of their engine,” Edwards said of replying right away. “They’re already a great team, and when they get up on you, they can be incredible because they are so confident and the style they play can be difficult to come back against so coming back so quickly was vital.”

The chances continued for both sides as Ruggeri saw his shot go just over the bar in the 48th, and Borges had a header saved in the 50th minute.

Back on the other end, Griffin Roach latched onto a long throw from Corcoran behind a defender, made a nice move by another Scarlet Hawk, and ripped a low shot that was turned aside by Orellana. The rebound fell right back to Roach and he put hit his shot into the what appeared to be an open goal but Da Silva positioned himself perfectly on the goal line and cleared it away to keep the game level.

Milford capitalized on the goal line stop three minutes later to take its first lead of the game. After a nice combination from Walisson de Oliveira and Neiva, the latter was dispossessed by a nice tackle from Avery Minkin atop the area. Before Canton could clear, de Oliveira jumped onto the ball, raced to the end line and played a low cross back into the area and Neiva slid in-between a trio of Canton defenders to tap it in at the near post.

Similar to how Milford erased Canton’s lead in moments, the Bulldogs returned the favor by tying the game just two minutes later. Again it was a long throw from Corcoran that got things started. His throw was knocked down in the area right to the foot of senior Simon Cruz and he quickly one-timed a shot just inside the post to make it 2-2.

The next scoring chance was Borges’ game-winner in the 77th minute.

“We settled down a bit at the end,” Edwards said of the final 15 minutes of the game. “We really didn’t play our style for most of that game, we kind of got caught up in the moment and I think our inexperience in this type of game showed. We have experience but not in a game like this. Beside the last game of last year against Nipmuc, this is the closest thing we’ve had to a playoff game. I thought we were a bit too direct at times but we settled it down at the end and as you saw, good things happened.”

While the first half didn’t have any scoring, it wasn’t for a lack of chances. The first half had just as many scoring opportunities as the second half, and even saw Canton find the back of the net only for a whistle to take it off the board.

In the 19th minute, Cruz latched onto a loose ball and looked to play Roach in. Cruz was taken down on the play and as Roach turned and hit a shot that found the back of the net, the ref whistled for a foul on the play against Cruz.

Canton nearly scored on the ensuing free kick as well. Roach ripped his shot over the wall but Orellana came up with a key one-handed stop to keep it out.

“First off, hats to Milford for winning the Davenport, they deserve it,” said longtime Canton head coach Danny Erickson. “They are a great team and they are a real dangerous team, I’m real impressed with them. Having said that, I thought we played really well in the first half. I thought we dominated the entire half and I was really disappointed that we scored a goal that really would have made a difference and the referee had blown the whistle early. It happens, ref’s are fallible, it happens. That goal would have a big difference for us. But Milford put us under a lot of pressure the last 15 minutes of the game and they deserve to win that game. I’m real proud of my kids. We didn’t lose the Davenport today, we lost it over the last couple of weeks when we didn’t get some of the results we needed.

“When we wake up tomorrow and can worry about the future, today will have helped us. But it stings right now.”

Milford raced down the other end and nearly opened the scoring. After beating a couple of defenders, de Oliveira’s shot was blocked by a slide from Corcoran. The ball popped into the air and de Oliveira was first there, getting a head that went over the keeper but Canton senior Mike Mazzola covered perfectly, heading the chance off the line and out.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

In the 33rd minute, the Bulldogs had a pair of great chances, again starting with a free kick from road. Roach drilled a dipping shot from 30 yards out that forced a low save from Orellana. The rebound fell to the feet of Alejandro Correal and he put a good shot on goal but Orellana got up and made a spectacular sprawling effort to get in the way to keep the shot out.

“We could have been down 3-0 in that first half if not for the play of Josh Orellana,” Edwards said. “He made some outstanding saves to keep us in that game. Thankfully he did because that could have been a very different game.”

Milford’s two best chances of the first half came in the final five minutes. Coeleho linked up with de Oliveira in the area but the junior’s header glanced just wide in the 36th minute. And in the final minute of the half, de Oliveira worked his way past a pair of Canton defenders before playing Neiva in alone. Neiva was forced a touch wide by keeper Dylan Coyne and sophomore Matt Giglio recovered to block the shot.

Milford boys soccer (10-1-5 overall, 9-1-5 Hockomock) returns to action on Friday against non-league rival Hopedale, and finishes the season on Monday at Stoughton. Canton (9-4-4, 8-4-3) closes the regular season out on Saturday against Foxboro.

10/21/201810/22/2018

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/22/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Taunton, 0 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Will Halben set up two goals and scored one himself, leading the Bombardiers to a big win at home. Halben had two assists in the opening half, setting up sophomore Justin Lurssen twice as the Bombardiers took a 2-0 advantage into halftime. Joey Soucy and Halben scored in the second half for Attleboro.

Foxboro, 2 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Sharon scored first and last, the final tally in the final five minutes to earn a draw with visiting Foxboro. Junior Michael Baur opened the scoring on a corner kick to put the Eagles up 1-0. Foxboro tied things up with under two minutes to go in the first half when Dylan Barreira finished off a service from Brian Gardner. Gardner put Foxboro ahead in the second half with his first career goal, getting on the end of a service from Joe Cusack. Baur brought the Eagles level with a penalty kick in the 76th minute.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – After a scoreless first half, Franklin scored a pair of goals early in the second half to earn a victory over visiting Oliver Ames. Tim Duval opened the scoring for the Panthers off an assist from Nitin Chaudhury. Before the 50th minute, the Panthers added to their lead when Nick Barry set up Donny Tappin to make it 2-0.

Mansfield, 1 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Mansfield grabbed the lead late in the first half and fended off the Warriors the rest of the way to grab two points on the road. Freshman Dylan Buchanan headed in a corner kick from Luke Savoie in the 32nd minute for the game-winner. Cam Bovey made eight saves for the Hornets to record the shutout.

Stoughton, 1 @ Milford, 9 – Final – Milford junior Walisson de Oliveira scored three goals in the first half as the Hawks picked up a big win at home. de Oliveira finished with four goals and an assist as Milford assumed a 4-0 lead at half. Anthony Salvador and Omar Lema each had a goal and an assist, and Lucas Da Silva and Pedro Da Silva each scored once for Milford. Leo Coelho, Jordan Borges, and Tiago Carvalho all had one assist. Stoughton’s Ted Lucas scored his second goal of the season, heading in a corner from John Neves.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro @ Taunton, 6:30

North Attleboro, 1 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Canton scored less than a minute into the contest but North Attleboro was able to pull even before the break, and that’s how the game finished. After the Bulldogs seized a 1-0 lead in the first minute, North Attleboro’s Ashlyn Gaulin scored in the 19th minute off an assist from Kayla Pasqual to level the score. North Attleboro head coach Bill Wallace said Haley Ferrin, Lydia Santos, Bri Westcott and Sam Hawkins played well in the middle for Big Red.

Sharon, 0 @ Foxboro, 7 – Final – Foxboro earned a big win at home and clinched the Davenport division title outright, the program’s first Hock championships since 1993. Lizzy Davis had a goal (assisted by Kailee McCabe) and two assists, setting up Jordyn Collins twice as Foxboro rolled at home. Collins also had an assist, setting up Kenzi Fraser. Kailee McCabe, Katelyn Mollica, and Yara Fawaz all scored once for Foxboro.

Franklin, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames took a 1-0 lead late in the first half but Franklin equalized early in the second half to help the Panthers grab a point on the road. Daniella Ferrini put OA ahead in the 38th minute but Sam Powderly tied things up in the 44th minute on an assist from Anna Balkus. Bre Atwood had 10 saves in net for the Panthers while Emily Meyers and Emma O’Donnell both had strong games in net for the Tigers.

King Philip, 2 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Milford, 5 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Stoughton’s goal was scored by Gabi Diaz on an assist from Nicole Weir.

Field Hockey
Taunton, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Taunton scored just seconds into the game and held on the rest of the way to earn the win and punch its ticket to the postseason. Alana Tavares scored 22 seconds into the game on an assist from Cierra Bartel for the lone goal of the game. Taunton coach Liz Hathaway said Jocelyn Pagliuca, Jillian Pagliuca, and Lauren Torres all had strong games and goalie Emma Sheehan made 11 saves for the shutout.

Canton, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final

Foxboro, 7 @ Sharon, 0 – Final

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin raced out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back against visiting Oliver Ames. Regan Paterson (from Ashley Reutlinger) opened the scoring in the 7th minute, Amanda Lewandowski (from Cassi Ronan) made it 2-0 in the 11th minute, and Victoria Quinn (from Lewandowski) scored in the 18th minute for the 3-0 lead. Ronan (from Lewandowski) made it 4-0 midway through the second half. Georgia Costello got the Tigers on the board on an assists from Kayla Lozzi. Anna Jardine had eight saves for the Panthers while Kara Orstrander made 10 saves for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 1 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game – Stoughton opened the scoring before the midway point of the opening half but Milford knotted the game before the break, and that’s how the game finished. After a good hustle play from Brittani Paul, Haley Nelson put a shot on goal and Allie Howe knocked in the rebound to put Stoughton up 1-0. In the 23rd minute, Milford’s Tatiana Martinez found classmate Kathryn Swineford open in front for the tying goal.

Mansfield, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip scored once in each half to earn a hard fought win over visiting Mansfield. The Warriors took the lead in the 18th minute when Claire Lawler found the back of the cage on a pass from Meghan MacDonald. KP added an insurance goal at the midway point of the second half as Alli Meehan scored on an assist from Kate Lindmark.

Volleyball
Taunton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro defended its home court, knocking off visiting Taunton 3-2 (26-24, 25-15, 15-25, 21-25, 15-10). Attleboro won the first two sets but Taunton rallied to tie it 2-2 before the Bombardiers prevailed in the fifth set. Ana Leonardo had 13 assists, six kills, and four aces, Amanda Kadisveskis added seven kills, five blocks, three aces, and three assists, and Chelsea Calcagni finished with eight kills and a pair of aces for the Bombardiers.

Canton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – After falling behind 1-0, the Rocketeers rattled off three straight wins to stun the Bulldogs, 3-1 (22-25, 27-25, 26-24, 25-23). Hayley Gaskin paced the North Attleboro offense while 41 assists with Tatiana Sotelo (22 kills) and Kylie Melanson (18 kills) leading the charge at the net. For Canton, Erin Devine had 10 kills and five blocks, and Nicole brown finished with 28 assists, 20 digs, and four kills.

Foxboro, 0 @ Sharon, 3 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin took care of business on its home court, handing Oliver Ames a 3-0 loss (25-17, 25-17, 25-18). Lauren McGrath dished out 26 assists for the Panthers with Maggie Doyle (four aces) recording nine kills and Lily Galluccio adding seven kills. Riley Marino anchored the Panther defense with 12 digs. For Oliver Ames, Jordan Bosse had 12 kills, Allie Kemp handed out 20 assists and Sadie Homer finished with 23 digs.

Mansfield, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip defended home court with a 3-0 sweep of Mansfield (25-18, 25-21, 25-11). Shayla Weitzman had a strong game for the Warriors with eight aces, nine digs, and 18 service points, Nicole Coughlan added eight kills and three blocks, and Lily Carlow chipped in with seven digs and a pair of aces. Emily Dardinski led the Hornet offense with six kills, while Greenly Kelly and Olivia McGrath each finished with five kills apiece.

Stoughton, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Stoughton prevailed with a 3-2 win on the road over Milford. Delaney Nagel went on a tear at the service line, finishing with seven aces in the fifth set to help the Knights grab the win. Amaya Morris led the Black Knights offensively with 14 kills and 12 blocks, while Molly Turner and Hanna Holden combined for 21 kills.

10/19/201810/21/2018

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/19/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Game of the Week – Football
North Attleboro, 14 @ Canton, 10 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (NA) Nick Raneri 4-yard rush, Tyler DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) Gersom Rivera 5-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) O. Lehane 34-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (NA) Brendan McHugh 54-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Football
Attleboro, 24 @ Franklin, 31 – Final
1st Quarter: (F) Nick Gordon 2-yard rush, Parker Chevront XP good; (A) Justin Cote 83-yard kick return, Colby Briggs XP good.
2nd Quarter: (A) Jason Weir 1-yard rush, C. Briggs XP good; (F) P. Chevront 31-yard field goal; (A) C. Briggs 35-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (A) J. Weir 10-yard pass to Ethan Cameron, C. Briggs XP good; (F) N. Gordon 55-yard pass to Marcus Quintina, P. Chevront XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) N. Gordon 11-yard pass to Jack Nally, P. Chevront XP good; (F) N. Gordon 52-yard pass to J. Nally, P. Chevront XP good.

Foxboro, 17 @ Sharon, 8 – Final

Taunton, 7 @ King Philip, 24 – Final

Mansfield, 36 @ Oliver Ames, 8- Final
1st Quarter: (M) Michael DeBolt 5-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) V. Holmes 7-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good; (M) Aidan Sacco 12-yard pass to Khristian Conner, M. DeBolt XP good; (M) V. Holmes 6-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
3rd Quarter: (OA) Nathan Cabral 5-yard rush, Cam Perron conversion pass to Darnele Ryan.
4th Quarter: (M) Conner Smith 23-yard pass to Shane Downey, Aridan Archambault 2-point rush good.

Milford, 18 @ Stoughton, 15 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (S) John Burke 26-yard pass to Alex Iverson, Josh Cocchi XP good; (M) Colby Pires 1-yard pass to Shapel Feaster, XP blocked.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (M) C. Pires 16-yard pass to Brendan White, 2-pt conversion no good; (S) Christopher Ais 12-yard rush, J. Burke conversion pass to Malachi Green-Hightower; (M) Ryan Pearl 1-yard rush, XP no good.

Boys Soccer
King Philip, 0 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final

Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Stoughton scored a pair of first half goals but Foxboro had four straight unanswered goals to pick up a win on the road. The Black Knights opened the scoring in the 16th minute but headed into halftime down 3-2, after being tied 2-2 late in the half. Foxboro added three more goals in the second half. Joe Cusack had four assists and Shane VandenBoom added a pair of goals and an assist to pace the Warriors. Dylan Barreira, Ronnie MacLellan, and Max Beigel all scored once while Nic Beigel had an assists. Stoughton freshman Dante Eschleman scored on a free kick to put the Knights up 1-0. Senior Carter Gerome also scored his first career goal for the Black Knights, assisted by Ryan Reis.

Franklin, 3 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Franklin built a 1-0 lead at half, doubled that advantage in the second half, and walked away with a 3-1 decision to qualify for the state tournament. Nick Barry opened the scoring on an assist from Donny Tappin to give the Panthers a lead by halftime. Tim Duval and Lucas Moura scored second half goals for Franklin.

Mansfield, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Mansfield senior Ethan Brill-Cass scored game-winner in the 78th minute to give the Hornets a win and at least a share of the Kelley-Rex division title. After a long throw from Dylan Buchanan, Oliver Ames’ clearance was knocked down by a partial block from a Mansfield player. Brill-Cass latched onto the loose ball and placed it into the far corner for the winner.

Milford, 0 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Both teams had chances to find the back of the net but didn’t convert as North, Milford settled for their second draw of the season. Kyle Briere made three saves for the Rocketeers while Tiago Carvalho and Lucas Da Silva had strong games for the Hawks.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 6 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – KP broke the game open with five goals in the second half. Avery Snead scored a hat trick and had an assist for the Warriors. Snead opened the scoring off an assist by Chloe Layne in the first half. Snead doubled the lead with a penalty kick in the second half and then assisted on a Layne goal. Ally Stanton made it 4-0 from Layne and then Layne assisted on Snead’s third. Layne wrapped up the scoring with her second goal (and fourth point) off an assist by Molly MacDonald.

Foxboro, 8 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Jordyn Collins had two goals and two assists for the unbeaten Warriors, who maintain their lead at the top of the Davenport division. Mackenzi Fraser had two goals and an assist, Kailee McCabe had a pair of goals, Aislinn Serveas scored her first goal of the season (assisted by Katie Huether), and Lizzy Davis chipped in with a goal as well.

Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Anna Balkus scored twice and Calen Frongillo had a pair of assists to lift Franklin to a big win to keep pace with league-leading Mansfield. Sydney St. Marie and Bridgette Ginley also scored goals for the Panthers. Hailey Toolin and Kaylee DeSimone each had assists. Franklin goalie Breanna Atwood made three saves for the clean sheet.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Juliana France opened the scoring for Milford, but Kayla Pasquel answered with a 20-yard strike to tie the game at 1-1. In the second half, Alex Moulson scored off a pass from Lydia Santos for what turned out to be the game-winner and Ashlyn Gaulin, who assisted on North’s first goal, scored off a Pasquel assist to seal the two points. With a goal and assist on Friday, Gaulin moved into third on North’s career scoring list with 82 points.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Bryn Anderson scored a pair of goals to keep Mansfield in first place in the division. Maria Sevastos and Kerina Geminiani also scored goals for the Hornets, while Katie Garvin, Steph Kemp, and Kaylee Smith all recorded assists in the win. Allison Evin scored for Oliver Ames.

Field Hockey
Attleboro, 4 @ Bishop Feehan, 0 – Final – Alex Compton and Anna Beck each scored twice for the Bombardiers against their cross-town rivals, while Shea Harrison made 14 stops to earn the shutout.

Sharon, 0 vs. Norwell, 3 – Final

Stoughton, 3 vs. Brockton, 2 – Final – Stoughton broke a tie game inside the final five minutes of the game to earn a win over the Boxers. Alanna McCormick scored the game winner with 4:40 left, while Haley Nelson scored Stoughton’s first two goals.

Taunton, 3 vs. New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton took a 1-0 lead into halftime and then scored two late goals to secure the win over visiting New Bedford. Cierra Bartel, Caitlin Connors, and Kennedy Thielker each scored once for the Tigers.

Volleyball
King Philip, 0 @ Needham, 3 – Final – King Philip suffered a 3-0 (18-25, 15-25, 16-25) setback on the road at Needham. Kristen Masse led the offense with eight kills while Nicole Coughlan had seven kills for the Warriors. Shayla Weitzman finished with 10 digs.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield overcame a 2-1 deficit, winning the final two sets to prevail 3-2 (3-25, 25-19, 25-27, 25-21, 15-12) in a non-league win over North Attleboro. “It was a great team effort by the whole team,” said Mansfield head coach Melissa Heeden. Abby Sullivan has 18 service points with half of those coming in the fifth set to help the Hornets each the win. Greenly Kelly added 12 kills and four blocks, Olivia McGrath had 11 kills, had Katie Dardinski finished with 15 service points and five digs for Mansfield. For North Attleboro, Brooke Street had a great defensive game while Grace Munley had a strong game at the net with four blocks.

Milford, 3 @ Nipmuc, 0 – Final

Stoughton, 3 @ Brockton, 2 – Final – In one of the tightest matches of the season, Stoughton avenged a five-set loss to the Boxers from earlier in the season with a 3-2 (26-24, 27-25, 23-25, 17-25, 16-14) win on the road. Molly Turner led the Stoughton offense with 18 kills while Delaney Nagel added 14. Amaya Morris recorded nine blocks and Mia Bennett was strong on defense with 38 digs.

Taunton, 3 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 2 – Final

Golf
Franklin, 160 @ Oliver Ames, 150 – Final – In the final dual match of the season, Oliver Ames knocked off Franklin to earn a share of the Kelley-Rex title with the Panthers. Nolan Donze led the way with a 35, both Liam Barry and Justin Shapiro fired rounds of 38, and Thomas Walsh chipped in with a 39.

10/16/201810/17/2018

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/16/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames scored once in each half, earning a 2-0 win over Attleboro to punch its ticket to the state tournament for the 10th straight season. Sophomore Anthony DaCosta gave the Tigers the lead in the 14th minute, hitting a half volley at the top of the box. DaCosta’s shot deflated off an Attleboro defender, catching the keeper going the wrong way. In the second half, sophomore Colin Milliken made it 2-0 in the 58th minute. After a long ball forced the keeper way off his line, Milliken collected the loose ball and lofted a shot from 40 yards out into the open net.

Canton, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Canton took an early lead and added a late insurance goal to pick up two points against Stoughton. Paul Corcoran and Griffin Roach each scored once for the Bulldogs. Stoughton’s Fabio Ponce de Leon hit the crossbar just before half as the Knights nearly tied it before the break. Nolan Gerome had 23 saves in net for the Knights.

Milford, 2 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Milford took a late 1-0 lead in the first half, Foxboro stormed back in the second half to take a 2-1 lead but the Hawks equalized just minutes later to earn a draw on the road. Jordan Borges put Milford up in the 39th, heading in a free kick from Tiago Carvalho. Nic Beigel tied it 1-1 in the 52nd minute on an assist from Shane VandenBoom. VandenBoom then set up Dylan Barreira in the 64th minute for the 2-1 advantage. Milford leveled the match six minutes later when Anthony Salvador found the back of the net on an assist from Lucas Caetano. Borges and Leo Coelho both had strong games for the Hawks.

Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Franklin goalie Jack Rudolph thwarted a dozen scoring chances and the Panthers’ team defense helped keep the Hornets off the scoreboard in a scoreless draw. Rudolph had 12 saves while Mansfield keeper Anthony Salisbury also had a shutout.

King Philip, 3 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first half and then had to hold off a furious rally from King Philip in the second half to get the win. Mateusz Hagemajer had a natural hat trick, scoring the first three goals of the game, opening the scoring in the 9th minute off an assist from Evan Melo. Hagemajer made it 2-0 off an assist from Brett Beaulieu in the 16th minute and 3-0 in the 24th minute. Alec Nunes made it 4-0 in the 31st minute. King Philip scored three times in a 20-minute span in the second half. Jimmy Dumont (40’), Stephen Griffin (55′), and Zac White (60′) each scored for KP.

Girls Soccer
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Caroline Peper made her mark in her first varsity game, scoring the lone goal to help the Tigers earn two points on the road. OA head coach Britt Sellmayer said Brianna Gibson, Emma Pereira and Olivia Carroll played well for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 2 @ Canton, 8 – Final – Stoughton’s Mackenzie Manning scored both goals for the Knights, with Hannah Papagno assisting on the first strike. Manning added a second from the penalty spot.

Milford, 0 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Franklin, 2 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – The Panthers edged Mansfield in a back-and-forth game behind goals from Sam Powderly and Sydney St. Marie. Sydney Mulkern scored the goal for the Hornets. With the win, Franklin moves to within just one point of league-leading Mansfield.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Ashlyn Gaulin had another big game for the Rocketeers, as the league’s leading scorer had a hat trick and an assist to keep North three points back of Foxboro in the Davenport. Lexi Sinacola and Kayla Pasquel also scored for North, while Emma Noreck and Regan Fein split time in goal to keep a clean sheet. Hannah Davis, Lauren Pezzi and Tess Collins also played well for the Rocketeers.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 7 – Final – Jenna Hitchens led the way for the Warriors with a hat trick and an assist, as KP got back on track, ending a five-game winless streak. Avery Snead and Chloe Layne each had a goal and two assists in the win. Jaida Caruso also scored off an assist from Jillian Anderson and Ally Stanton had one goal for KP.

Field Hockey
North Attleboro, 1 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Haley Nelson scored for Stoughton while Tara Nair scored for North Attleboro as the teams each took a point from the game.

Volleyball
Sharon vs. Norwood, 5:00

Boys Cross Country
Franklin, 15 @ Attleboro, 48 – Final

Canton, 47 @ Milford, 15 – Final – Milford swept the top five spots in the race on its way to a big win over the visiting Bulldogs. Milford’s Anthony DiStauro, Max Manor, and Brendan O’Shaughnessy were the top three runners, while Canton’s Kyle Downing took sixth overall as the top finisher for the Bulldogs.

Top 10: 1. Anthony DiStauro (Mil, 16:46) 2. Max Manor (Mil, 16:59) 3. Brendan O’Shaughnessy (Mil, 17:10) 4. Gianni Panno (Mil, 17:21) 5. Chris Berthrong (Mil, 17:22) 6. Kyle Downing (Can, 17:32) 7. Miguel Torres (Mil, 17:32) 8. Alex Maddestra (Can, 17:35) 9. Gabriel Pardo Cota (Mil, 18:18) 10. Ryan Kelley (Mil, 18:26).

Foxboro, 39 @ North Attleboro, 22 – Final

King Philip @ Oliver Ames, 3:45

Mansfield, 17 @ Taunton, 55 – Final – Mansfield took the first four spots in the race, with all four runners clocking in under 17 minutes, in a win over Taunton. Jason Windvogel was first overall with fellow Hornets Patrick Heavey, Mike Mullahy, and Paxton Howard crossing in a seven-second span. Taunton’s Nolan Tavares was the top Tiger, finishing fifth overall.

Top 10: 1. Jason Windvogel (Mans, 16:50) 2. Patrick Heavey (Mans, 16:54) 3. Mike Mullahy (Mans, 16:55) 4. Paxton Howard (Mans, 16:57) 5. Nolan Tavares (Tau, 17:97) 6. Cullen Lancaster (Mans, 17:19) 7. Justin Miller (Mans, 17:31) 8. Ty Cali (Tau, 17:41) 9. Peter Sullivan (Mans, 18:01) 10. Sam Donnellan (Mans, 18:11).

Stoughton, 50 @ Sharon, 15 – Final – Sharon swept the top five finishers on its way to a win over Stoughton, which clinched the outright Davenport division championship for the Eagles. The Eagles swept the entire top 10 with Jared Osofsky getting his first win of the season. Alex Starovoytov, Jacob Dubin, Jordan Saks, and Nathan Stockton rounded out the top five. Stoughton’s Colin Rahaman was the top runner for the Knights at 17:15.

Top 10: 1. Jared Osofsky (Sha, 16:24) 2. Alex Starovoytov (Sha, 16:25) 3. Jacob Dubin (Sha, 16:25.1) 4. Jordan Saks (Sha, 16:25.2) 5. Nathan Stockton (Sha, 16:31) 6. Bradley Weiss (Sha, 16:34) 7. Noah Wieland (Sha, 16:45) 8. Mark Starovoytov (Sha, 16:46) 9. Kanishka Sethi (Sha, 16:53) 10. Tim Liu (Sha, 16:53.1).

Girls Cross Country
Franklin, 27 @ Attleboro, 37 – Final – Attleboro had the first two runners cross the finish line but Franklin swept 3-5 and clinched the win by getting seventh and eighth in the win. Julia Fenerty (19:41) was the top Panther, taking third, followed by Sydney Hawkins in fourth and Kat Walbert in fifth. Attleboro’s Shea Jamieson was first overall while Kelly Neuendorf took second.

Top 10: 1. Shea Jamieson (Att, 18:59) 2. Kelly Neuendorf (Att, 19:07) 3. Julia Fenerty (Frank, 19:41) 4. Sydney Hawkins (Frank, 19:43) 5. Kat Walbert (Frank, 20:00) 6. Diana Blouin (Att, 20:19) 7. Mary Viera (Frank, 20:28) 8. Brandi Osborne (Frank, 20:34) 9. Steph Malachowski (Frank, 20:35) 10. Mackenzie Wildrick (Att, 20:36).

Canton, 34 @ Milford, 21 – Final

Top 10: 1. Lexi Marcolini (Mil, 20:59) 2. Sara Comisky (Mil, 21:21) 3. Lillian Thibeault (Mil, 21:43) 7. Kate Donahue (Mil, 23:20) 8. Stephanie Goulet (Mil, 23:25).

Foxboro, 25 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final

King Philip @ Oliver Ames, 3:45

Mansfield, 22 @ Taunton, 33 – Final – Mansfield’s Margaret Riley and Tessa Lancaster took the top two spots and the supporting cast of Jessica Alestock, Brinly Meelia, and Emma Lamson all finished inside the top eight to secure the win and the Hockomock League Kelley-Rex division championship. For the first time this season, Riley crossed the finish line in under 20 minutes (19:56).

Top 10: 1. Margaret Riley (Mans, 19:56) 2. Tessa Lancaster (Mans, 20:17) 3. Kailey Melito-Santos (Tau, 20:35) 4. Nia Mainer-Smith (20:49) 5. Jessica Alestock (Mans, 21:06) 6. Brinly Meelia (Mans, 21:07) 7. Olivia Weber (Tau, 21:09) 8. Emma Lamson (Mans) 9. Olivia Dias (Tau, 21:39) 10. Lily Icovic (Tau, 22:01).

Stoughton, 44 @ Sharon, 17 – Final – The first four runners to cross the finish line were all from Sharon as the Eagles ran away with a win over visiting Stoughton. Eliana Boxerman took first place with Daphne Theiler, Juliana Dudziak, and Margaret Li all crossing just a second later. Stoughton’s Rebecca Lally took fifth overall, clocking in at 20:37.

Top 10: 1. Eliana Boxerman (Sha, 20:27) 2. Daphne Theiler (Sha, 20:28.1) 3. Juliana Dudziak (Sha, 20:28.2) 4. Margaret Li (Sha, 20:28.3) 5. Rebecca Lally (Sto, 20:37) 6. Julia Franey (Sto, 21:20) 7. Ariella Levy (Sha, 21:38) 8. Berta Faktorovich (Sha, 21:39) 9. Kavya Anbarasu (Sha, 21:39.1) 10. Catherine Griffin (Sha, 21:39.2).

Golf
Milford, 163 @ Canton, 158 – Final – Canton edged Milford by five strokes, earning a win and clinching the program’s second straight Davenport division title. Tommy Dimock was the match medalist with an impressive low-round of 33 to pace the Bulldogs. Thomas Singleton added a round of 38, Mike Gobbi shot 43, and Mike Leonetti chipped in with a 44. Justin Applebee and Alex Klosen each had a 40 for the Hawks, Riley Lynch added a round of 41 and Ed Madden finished with a 42.

Foxboro, 172 @ Sharon, 169 – Final – Sharon defended its home course, beating the visiting Warriors by three strokes. Corey Carter led the way for the Eagles with a round of 37 while Andrew Glaser shot a 40. Noah Hicks shot 40 to lead Foxboro.

Franklin, 158 @ Mansfield, 154 – Final – Mansfield pulled off its second straight upset, knocking off visiting Franklin. A day after beating Oliver Ames, the Hornets earned a four-stroke victory over the Panthers. A trio of sophomores – Jason See, Joseph Gormley, and Nate Morreale – all shot 38 to pace Mansfield while sophomore Brandon Kemp added a round of 40.

King Philip, 160 @ North Attleboro, 163 – Final – King Philip earned a nice crossover win over North Attleboro on the middle course at Heather Hill Country Club. Kayla Schuberth had a low-round for the Warriors, shooting a 39 while Jack Hastry and Ian Nally each shot 40 and Nate Ihley added a 41. North Attleboro’s Jillian Barend was the match medalist with a 2-over par round of 37. Marcus Costa (40), Matt Wanless (42), and Pat Roberts (44) also scored for the Rocketeers.

Oliver Ames, 147 @ Stoughton, 183 – Final – Oliver Ames’ top four golfers all had rounds of under 40 and the Tigers rolled to a big win at Easton Country Club. Nolan Donze led the way with a medalist round of 35, Liam Barry and Sam Becker each shot 37, and Brad Powers finished with a 38. Kyle Stone and Nick Szum each shot a 42 for the host Black Knights.

10/08/201810/08/2018

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/08/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Franklin, 1 @ Xaverian, 0 – Final – Franklin scored the game-winning goal midway through the second half to earn its second win over Xaverian this season. Senior Ethan Bowen converted a pass from junior Lucas Moura in the 60th minute to help the Panthers grab two points.

Sharon, 1 vs. Wellesley, 2 – Final – Sharon’s Daniel Lilienfeld put the hosts up midway through the second half but Wellesley scored two goals in the final five minutes to steal the win. Ethan Kantor had a strong game in net for the Eagles.

Milford, 3 vs. Blackstone Valley, 0 – Final Milford built a 2-0 advantage by halftime and added an insurance tally in the second half to beat Blackstone Valley. Lucas Da Silva put the hosts up 1-0 off an assist from Tiago Carvalho. The Hawks doubled the lead late in the second half when Leo Coelho set up Joao Vitor. Walisson de Oliveira converted a penalty kick in the second half to cap the scoring. Tiago Filadelfo and Zach Browne had strong games on defense for Milford.

Girls Soccer
Foxboro, 2 vs. Walpole, 0 – Final – Foxboro scored a goal in each half and used a staunch defensive effort to beat Walpole and stay unbeaten on the season. Lizzy Davis opened the scoring off a cross from Jordyn Collins in the first half, and Kenzi Fraser scored a late unassisted goal to seal the victory. Alex Stamatos had a standout game, anchoring a strong defensive performance from the Warriors.

Milford, 1 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro held off a “spirited” Milford team to win a game that tight throughout. Ashlyn Gaulin scored the opener on an “olimpico” 10 minutes into the game and then assisted on a Kayla Pasquel goal three minutes later, doubling North’s lead. Milford cut the lead back to one in the second half, but the Rocketeers secured the two points when Lydia Santos headed in an Alex Moulson free kick with three minutes left to play. North coach Bill Wallace said that Emma Gaulin had a strong game in midfield.

Golf
Stoughton, 191 @ King Philip, 166 – Final – King Philip’s Kayla Schuberth earned match medalist honors as the Warriors fended off the visiting Black Knights. Schuberth carded a match-low round of 39, Nate Ihley and Jared Curran each shot 42 and Raymond Mullin shot 43. Luke Bainton led Stoughton with a team-low round of 43.

10/01/2018

Milford Impresses In First Win Over Oliver Ames

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – The Milford boys soccer team hasn’t had much success against Oliver Ames since it joined the Hockomock League in 2012.

That changed in a big way on Monday night in a rainy contest on the turf at Val Muscato Stadium.

Milford had a dominant showing, scoring four first half goals on its way to a convincing 5-0 win. It marked the Scarlet Hawks’ first win over the Tigers since joining the league, snapping a 10-game winless streak.

“We talked about coming out strong in this game,” said Milford head coach Brian Edwards. “Some of our previous games, we started out weak and were fortunate to get points out of them because of the way we started. So it was a point of focus the last couple of days, and I was very happy with the energy level.

“This is going in the right direction. I still think we have a ways to go in all honestly, but today and the Foxboro game, our approach and the way we came out of the gate, and attention to detail was great. Tonight, the defense and the effort from our outside mids, that allows us to play well. The work we put in off the ball defensively allowed us to do what we did with the ball. If we keep working like that, I think we’ll keep getting better.”

It was all Hawks from the get-go, registering their first scoring chance just over 60 seconds into the contest.

Sophomore Leo Coelho played a perfectly weighted through ball on the ground that found junior Walisson de Oliveira right inside the area, but his touch was smothered by OA keeper Jacob Lerman. Although de Oliveira had his first chance denied, it was far from the last time he would factor in.

In the 5th minute, de Oliveira blasted a free kick from 35 that went just high and wide at the near post. In the 8th minute, Coelho made a darting run out of the back, combining with de Oliveira to eventually find Joao Vitor, but his shot went just over the bar.

The visitor finally converted in the 12th minute. Jordan Borges played a long ball out of the back that skid on the turf past the defense. Miscommunication between the OA defense and keeper allowed Vitor to come streaking in and get a touch past the keeper. de Oliveira was in the perfect spot and cleaned up the loose ball, burying it into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

OA had a nice spell of play over the next 10 minutes, nearly drawing level of two chances. First, sophomore Colin Milliken took a feed from classmate Jimmy Keane and ripped a dipping shot from 25 yards. The ball nearly skipped in front and almost slipped through Milford keeper Josh Orellana’s hands, but the senior positioned himself well to cover.

Just a minute later, a free kick from Niko Byron fell to the feet of Brady deVos, and the sophomore had a go from atop the area, but Orellana made a terrific jumping save and gobbled up the rebound.

Just seconds later, Milford’s Anthony Salvador traced down the left flank, centered to Vitor and his curling shot from just before the 18-yard line found the back of the net despite a partial save.

“It could have been a totally different game,” Edwards admitted. “Once we went up 1-0, I thought we were fortunate because [Oliver Ames] had a nice spell of play. If they score there and it’s 1-1, this is a totally different game. The score was a bit misleading. So that’s an area we still have to get better because we can’t afford to slow down.”

After going up 2-0, Milford continued to apply a heavy dose of pressure while controlling possession of the game. In the 32nd minute, de Oliveira really put the Hawks in the driver’s seat. The junior used a nice cut to get past a defender, took a touch towards goal and fired a laser from 25-yards out that went just under the bar for a 3-0 lead.

The Hawks added to their lead with another terrific goal just two minutes later. An attack throw from Tiago Carvalhoj was flicked on by de Oliveira to sophomore Lucas Da Silva. Da Silva took a touch to get the ball on his right foot and then ripped a volley to the far post for a terrific goal, giving Milford a 4-0 lead heading into halftime.

“Wally is a beast, first and foremost,” said OA head coach John Barata. “But today was the first time our inexperience really showed to be honest. It’s not an excuse, but it really showed today. And on top of that, we gave up two bad goals to start. We had a miscommunication on the first one and the second one was unfortunate. When you go down two to them, you have to come out and go for it. We played great for 15 minutes, and then they put in two in two minutes.

“You make mistakes we like we did against that team, you’re going to get punished. They have guys that can play, I think that’s the best playing team in the Hock that I’ve seen.”

The second half featured fewer scoring chances for both sides, but quality chances nonetheless. de Oliveira had a free kick from 40 yards out tipped over the bar from OA sophomore keeper Drew Nikla.

In the 49th minute, Milliken curved a free kick to the far post from 25 yards out, but Orellana covered nicely to deny the shot. Two minutes later, Carvalho had a long clearance bounce over the OA defense. Vitor ran onto it, but Nikla came well off his line and blocked the shot with his body outside of the area.

Milford capped the scoring in the 65th minute when Salvador got his second assist, setting up de Oliveira’s hat trick. Salvador sent a ball into space between two OA defenders. de Oliveira made a diagonal run to beat his defender and latched onto a shot from inside the area that found the back of the net.

“The work rate that I’m seeing from these guys is what I want to see,” Edwards said. “That’s how we want to play, we want to play pretty soccer and play from the back to front. We don’t want to be too direct, we want to move the ball.”

Milford boys soccer (5-1-2 Hockomock, 5-1-2 overall) is back in action on Thursday in a big division clash against Canton at 6:30. The Bulldogs sit two points ahead of Milford with one more game played. Oliver Ames (3-1-4, 3-1-4) will try to bounce back from its first loss when it hosts King Philip on the same day at 3:45.

09/04/2018

Boys Soccer: 2018 Davenport Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Davenport Boys Soccer Preview

Canton

2017 Record: 10-5-4
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Danny Erickson

The Bulldogs have been one of the top offensive teams over the past two seasons, and that trend will likely continue with the personnel returning this season. The goal this season is to equal that success on the defensive end of the field.

“We have had lots of success the past two seasons in scoring goals but we have not been stingy enough with allowing goals,” said Canton head coach Danny Erickson.

Hockomock League leading scorer Paul Corcoran is back for his senior season and has been one of the top producers in the final third over the past two seasons. His nine goals in 2016 helped earn him HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year honors and last year he led the Hock with 15 goals and 23 total points. He is joined by HockomockSports.com Best XI selection Griffin Roach in the midfield. Roach is one of the best two-way players in the league and will undoubtedly be relied upon to help both the offense (10 goals, five assists last year) and the defense. Simon Cruz is another player with a good amount of varsity experience that will likely factor in.

While the offense looks to be in good shape, shoring up the defense won’t be easy after losing starting goalie Abe Garber and center back John Agnitti. However, Erickson can rely on Paolo Ruggeri to lead the way in the back. Ruggeri has a ton of varsity experience and will be the quarterback of the defense, organizing and keeping the back four in shape. Junior Alejandro Correal will step in as the starting keeper.

Foxboro

2017 Record: 11-5-4
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Joe Franchino

Foxboro head coach Joe Franchino isn’t afraid to talk about how confident he is in this year’s team.

“The Hockomock title is coming to Foxboro,” Franchino said.

Although Foxboro graduated a dozen seniors, the players that the Warriors do return are the reason why Franchino is so confident in this group. Starting up top, Foxboro has both of its strikers back, including leading scorer Shane VandenBoom. Last year, VandenBoom was second in the league in the regular season with 21 points, scoring 12 goals and adding nine assists. He will be joined up top by Dylan Barreira, who had a strong sophomore season.

In the midfield, everything will run through junior Joe Cusack. There aren’t many midfielders that have the poise on the ball that Cusack does and he will likely be the engine for the team. He isn’t the biggest player on the pitch but his vision is among the best and his ability to play balls over the top and through the defense make Foxboro’s offense very dangerous. Nic Beigel will complement Cusack in the middle to give the Warriors a solid 1-2 combo.

Defensively, the Warriors are hoping to see more of the same after only allowing 15 goals through 18 regular season games. The good news is that Foxboro has plenty of experience returning in the back with Matt Garcia, Brian Gardner, and Will Regan back in the fold. Franchino stressed that the team must put defense first and buy into the system, and then the team can go forward — an area the Warriors are very confident in.

Milford

2017 Record: 7-8-3
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Brian Edwards

After missing out on the postseason by just one game, the 2018 Scarlet Hawks are laser-focused on making it into the state tournament and having a run at the division title.

Third-year head coach Brian Edwards saw his team go from four wins to seven over the first two years and is hoping that upward trend will continue in 2018.

“We are looking to build upon the lessons learned last year,” Edwards said. “We want to work on maintaining focus and closing games out this season. With many players coming back for their third varsity season we are hopeful that our experience helps us work towards our goals this season.”

One big reason for optimism is junior Walisson De Oliveira, who exploded as one of the best offensive threats in the league in the second half of the season. After playing in the midfield for half the year, Edwards moved De Oliveira up top and the move paid off big time. The striker scored 14 goals (second most in the Hock) and had three assists.

In the midfield, the Hawks boast a trio of talented and experienced players. Tiago Carvalho, Joao Boaventura, and Jordan Borges have all shown improvement over the offseason and will be counted on to handle the middle of the pitch. Seniors Joey Madden and Zach Brown return to anchor the defensive unit in front of senior goalie Cam Doherty.

North Attleboro

2017 Record: 11-2-6 (Davenport Division Champions)
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Geoff Burgess

Despite graduating over a dozen seniors from last year’s Davenport division-winning squad, North Attleboro head coach Geoff Burgess believes his team will be ready to defend its league title.

The Rocketeers will have to find a replacement for HockomockSports.com Best XI selections Gabe Pinhancos (center mid) and Brendan Matracia (goalie), as well as the entire back line, but Burgess does have options to fill the voids.

“I’m excited to see what this group can accomplish,” Burgess said. “We have a good nucleus of talented players and high expectations.”

Senior striker Joe Hilf was second on the team in points last year after scoring six goals and adding two assists and Big Red also has junior midfielders Dylan Corrigan (four goals, three assists) and James Sale back in the fold. All three have plenty of varsity experience and should be major factors for North this season. Junior Joey Coscarella will see more playing time as well this season.

Senior captain Evan Rosenberg will step in at center back to anchor the new back four. Burgess is also optimistic about his options in net with junior Kyle Briere taking over as the starter.

Sharon

2017 Record: 5-9-4
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Bryan Kelly

Only one year removed from winning the Davenport title, Sharon is hoping its versatility will help get them back to the top of what is shaping up to be a very competitive division.

“We have some dynamic players this year which gives us the ability to use different formations making it difficult for teams to plan for us,” said Sharon coach Bryan Kelly. “We have a rotation of players who can play two or more positions and play them well. If we stick to our game plan, we will be a tough team to reckon with.”

The Eagles have a strong core of returning players that Kelly can build off of. Ethan Kantor is back for his third year in goal and will be the leader of the defense. Alex Dias returns from a torn ACL to take up one of the outside back positions. Kelly expects Brendan Arnold and Daniel Gunduz to step up on defense this season.

In the midfield, junior Michael Baur (HockomockSports.com Second XI selection) will be a key piece and help the Eagles transition from defense to offense. Baur is also one of the more dangerous free kick takers in the league. Baur will work with the speedy Isaiah Stessman and Norway-transfer Viktor Schneider on the wings in the midfield.

Kelly is looking for junior Brian Higgins and Daniel Lillenfeld to form a dynamic partnership up top while Antonio Elkoury and Eli Berkowitz can step in and provide depth in both the midfield and up front.

Stoughton

2017 Record: 1-16-1
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Joshua Aubin

After three straight years in the playoffs, the Black Knights had a down season a year ago but new head coach Joshua Aubin is anxious to get Stoughton back into playoff contention.

“This is definitely a team that is not afraid to get down and dirty,” Aubin said. “We’ve got some scrappy players who will not be backing down from the challenges ahead.”

Stoughton will be relying on its 10 seniors to set the pace this season, starting with captain Fabi Ponce de Leon. In his fourth year on varsity, Ponce de Leon will be the engine in the middle of the field and help facilitate things for the Black Knights. Aubin is looking for some new faces to step up around Ponce de Leon to take some pressure off the senior and give him some space. Fellow captain John Ortiz will be a leader for a defensive group that is looking to improve on last season.

All-Hockomock selection Carter Gerome returns as the starting goalie for the Black Knights.

“We do have a lot of athletes where we hope to be able to maximize on their individual abilities,” Aubin said. “We have a little bit of everything – some height, some speed, some strength, some physicalness, and some finesse.”

05/31/2018

After Slow Start, Hawks Soar Into Second Round

MILFORD, Mass. – While Milford volleyball has enjoyed plenty of success as a program, this year’s roster is loaded with juniors (there are only three seniors on the team) that have little tournament experience and the Hawks looked like a team that was learning on the fly on Thursday night in the playoff opener against Burncoat (Worcester).

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The visiting Patriots took advantage of Milford’s mistakes to win the first set, but the Hawks bounced back, settled down, and took control to win the final three sets and earn the 3-1 (23-25, 25-9, 25-16, 25-14) victory that sends them into the Central quarterfinal.

“I was counting after the first set and three or four of them may have played in one playoff match before in their life,” said MIlford coach Andrew Mainini. “You could see it on their faces. They lost their cool at times, on one another, on themselves, on me and after the first set I had to say to them, relax. This is par for the course.”

The first set was a grind for the hosts, who entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed. Milford held a 9-6 lead but neither team had a lot of big hits or strong rallies, and it only got more difficult for the Hawks, who hit a shot long, one into the net, had a carry violation to fall behind. After a kill by Zach Browne tied the set at 18-18, the teams traded four straight serves out of play.

Milford then committed two violations on passes and one at the net to give Burncoat a late lead. The Hawks fought back to tie it at 23-23, only to have a shot into the net and then another hit go wide to put to the No. 12 seed Patriots in front in the match.

Mainini said, “I think they may have underestimated their opponents. They don’t know them. I think it was a learning curve in the middle of the match that when the postseason comes anyone can win and every team that makes it is good.”

The second set started in similar fashion to the first with Burncoat down just one after a Milford hit into the net made it 8-7. A violation on the Patriots got the Hawks back the serve and they turned to junior Tiago Carvalho. By the time Carvalho gave the serve back, Milford was only a point away from winning the set.

“Tiago deserves a lot of credit for going in there and taking control of the match,” Mainini said. “He served aggressively at a point when the match was tight and we were down a set already. He was mentally tough and reset the tone of the match.”

The Hawks won 16 straight points by keeping the ball in play, putting the pressure on the Patriots to not make mistakes. Two shots into the net and one that went long gave Milford momentum and the hitters started to get into the game. Josh Orellana had one kill, Browne had three in a row, and Andre Oliveira (one of the team’s seniors) smashed a shot through the defense for a 18-7 lead.

An ace from Carvalho and a pair of kills by Browne kept the pressure on and, after Burncoat won two straight points to delay the inevitable, Browne rocketed another kill, his seventh of the set, to tie the match.

In the third set, Milford started to look shaky again, struggling to keep the ball in play at times. Burncoat held a 15-13 lead and the home fans were getting a little restless when Mainini called timeout.

“I pulled them off the court and told them we need to focus on each point and not on the big picture,” he explained. “I also focused a lot on our blocking because a lot of hits were coming down between us and the net and we weren’t giving ourselves a chance to play the ball or score a point.”

The timeout turned the momentum of the match and Milford won 12 of the next 13 points to close out the set and take control. Joao Boaventura and senior Chris Rivera both had kills to get things going and two more kills by Boaventura put the Hawks on the brink. Tiago Filadelfo closed out the set with a block and, after an error by Burncoat, smashing a kill down the line.

The third set was all Milford, as the home team and higher seed looked completely comfortable for the first time in the match. This was more like the way the Hawks had played during its strong closing stretch of the regular season, where they won nine in a row before close, hard-fought losses to two unbeatens, Taunton and Agawam.

“I thought we were hitting our stride,” said Mainini of the late-season run that earned the Hawks a share of the league title. “Even in those two losses, we were banging balls back and forth, there was great defense, and I have to give it to Burncoat that they played great defense and hit really well in the first set, but we really did the opposite.”

Boaventura had three kills in the final set, Browne had a pair, and Orellana had a kill and back-to-back aces with the set in control. Browne closed the match with a kill and the Hawks looked like they had their confidence back.

Mainini said, “The competition isn’t going to be any easier as we go on and I think they’re going to be re-focused at practice tomorrow and Monday and I think they’re going to open that next set really focused on not repeating what happened the first time.”

Milford (15-5) will await the winner of No. 4 Assabet Valley and No. 13 Medfield on Tuesday. If Medfield wins, then the Hawks will host the second round game.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.