Below are the official 2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Hockomock League MVP
Casey Milliken, Oliver Ames
Hockomock League All Stars
Alex Vecchioli, Attleboro
Lucas Marques, Attleboro
Toby Smith, Attleboro
Jake McCabe, Canton
Carson Eagles, Canton
Ryan Cotter, Foxboro
Rex Cinelli, Franklin
Trey Lovell, Franklin
Will Kryzak, Franklin
Noah Cain, Franklin
Matt Crago, King Philip
Derek McGrath, Mansfield
Grady Sullivan, Mansfield
Nick Ribeiro, Milford
Eduardo Santana, Milford
Kaua Pereira, Milford
Zach Smahi, North Attleboro
Carson Dameron, North Attleboro
Casey Milliken, Oliver Ames
Hector Bucio, Oliver Ames
Luke Churchill, Oliver Ames
Andrew Martins, Oliver Ames
Rhys Davis, Sharon
Adam Eastman, Sharon
Matheus Groberio, Stoughton
Javonte Fernandes, Taunton
Honorable Mentions
Esvin Morales, Attleboro
Ashton Cetoute, Canton
Marco Pacini, Foxboro
Will Klawson, Franklin
Dermott Amorim, King Philip
Aiden Steele, Mansfield
Arthur Tome, Milford
Givani Carney, North Attleboro
Ryan Linhares, Oliver Ames
Matt Baur, Sharon
Kyle Grant, Stoughton
Riley Rebello, Taunton
Below are the official 2022 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league.
Miguel Vasconcelos (7) scored the only goal of the game to lead Sharon to a win at North Attleboro in the D2 Round of 32. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – When Sharon scored in the regular season, the Eagles were unbeaten (6-0-4). So, when Miguel Vasconcelos found the back of the net midway through the first half of Saturday morning’s Div. 2 Round of 32 game at Beaupre Field, Sharon must have been thinking a Sweet Sixteen berth was in its grasp.
It wasn’t going to be easy to get over the line with the win. North Attleboro, which won the regular season meeting between the teams, tilted the field in the second half, keeping the pressure on Sharon’s back line and getting the ball into the box at every opportunity.
Led by center backs Rhys Davis and Tyler Goodman and goalie Matt Baur, the Eagles were able to withstand North’s push for an equalizer and hang on for the 1-0 victory.
“I think we work hard to be composed all 80 minutes,” Sharon coach Scott Nathan explained. “I tell them all the time, especially when we’re up a goal, you know what the other team is going to do. They’re going to put more pressure on you, so you have to match their intensity, you have to stay composed, you have to use your skills and I thought we did that really well in the second half.”
First-year North coach Mike Lacasse said, “I think it’s something we’ve been working on all season long, and gotten better at it, creating those opportunities, but I think Sharon played very well. Their back line was really solid. I’m proud of everybody, they fought to the last second.”
Sharon started the game on the front foot, led by central midfielder Adam Eastman and freshman Vlad Shkolnikov. Eastman’s run from deep led to the first good chance of the game, as he was able to bring down a looped pass by Cam Birnbaum over the defender and draw a foul on the edge of the box. The North wall did its job though, deflecting Eastman’s free kick a foot over the bar.
North’s best chances would come from set pieces. An in-swinging corner kick from Patrick Etienvre picked out defender Sam Bush at the back post. Bush rose highest and got good contact on the header but it was inches wide of the top corner. Just seconds later, North was behind.
Eastman played a ball down the left channel for Vasconcelos to run onto. The senior forward got a step on his marker but didn’t get great contact on his first effort, which was blocked by North keeper Owen Goeller. Vasconcelos stayed with the loose ball and calmly slotted it into the now empty net to put the Eagles in front. It is Sharon’s 18th goal in 19 games this season.
“It’s huge,” Nathan said about getting the opening goal. “We know each other really well. We knew that we could get on them first and early that it would really help our cause and give us energy and I’m really happy we could do that.”
Another Etienvre corner gave Givany Carney a chance, but he was only able to make partial contact under pressure from his defender and Baur easily grabbed the loose ball.
Sharon was continuing to create chances at the other end, looking for a second goal that would make things more comfortable. Rishi Shetty’s cross from the left wing found Shkolnikov at the back post but North defender Brody Carter was well-positioned to clear it off the line. Shkolnikov sent Shetty away down the left side late in the first half, but Goeller was able to get down and block the shot at the near post.
In the second half, North picked up the intensity, searching for the tying goal. Kaden Burns was a consistent outlet for the Rocketeers, making runs down the left wing. He crossed into the middle of the box, but Zach Smahi was only able to get a toe on it with Carney just behind him ready to pounce.
Etienvre curled in a long free kick that was flicked on by Smahi to Burns but his header went agonizingly wide of the post. Burns then provided a deep cross to Smahi at the back stick but his downward header was blocked. Eliude Alcenat tried to follow up, but Baur was able to cut out the low cross before it could reach Bryce Newth in the middle.
Sharon had very little going forward in the second half but was able to fashion one chance to put the game away. Freshman Diego Martinez played a ball into the middle to Birnbaum, who took a touch and played the ball into the path of James Jennings on the left. Jennings charged into the box and, from a tight angle, forced Goeller to touch it around the post.
It was a rare foray into the attacking half for the Eagles. North came right back down the other end. Carson Dameron made a nice run to the end line, nutmegged the first defender, and crossed into Newth only for Goodman to clear. The ball fell to Etienvre but his shot was over. A few minutes later, Quinn Conley made a run on the left and cut it back to Smahi on the edge of the box but his shot was right at Baur, who covered.
“It’s difficult to stay composed,” Lacasse said about trying to find a late equalizer. “You have to adjust but still play within your style of play and try to create those scoring opportunities. Second half we were trying to get deep in their zone and work it back to the top of the 18 instead of crosses in towards their goalie because he’s tall and athletic.”
Dameron would find Burns with a late corner, but again the downward header was easily caught by Baur off the bounce. It would be the last chance for the hosts, as the Eagles were able to celebrate the win that keeps their season alive.
Nathan added, “I think this year, all but two of our games were one-goal games, so I think we’re used to and prepared for tight games, which I think helps us and I thought the boys did really well collectively as a unit today to finish it off. I’m proud of them.”
Sharon (7-6-6) will face the winner of No. 2 Hopkinton and No. 34 Fitchburg on Wednesday. North Attleboro finishes with a record of 8-8-3.
Boys Soccer
Franklin, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Franklin converted a penalty kick 15 minutes into the second half to get a win on the road over Attleboro and clinch the Kelley-Rex division title. An unlucky hand ball on a service into the area from Noah Cain gave the visitors a chance from the spot. Senior Trey Lovell stepped up and buried a low shot for the only goal of the game.
Canton, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final
King Philip, 0 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro scored once in each half to record a win at home over visiting King Philip. Givany Carney found Zach Smahi at the top of the box and he deposited his shot into the back of the net just five minutes into the game for a 1-0 advantage. Smahi returned the favor in the second half, setting up Carney at the 50th minute mark to double the hosts’ advantage. Cole Templin had some big saves for North Attleboro to keep the Warriors off the board. “I’m extremely proud of the effort from all of the seniors tonight,” said North Attleboro head coach Mike Lacasse.
Mansfield, 2 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – A back-and-forth battle ended in a 2-2 draw with each side taking a point. Senior Matheus Groberio blasted a free kick into the back of the net from just outside the area to give the hosts the lead but just two minutes later Connor Palinski finished off a cross to bring the Hornets level. Mansfield carried that momentum and scored again less than 10 minutes after tying it as Dan Checkoway headed in a corner kick from Grady Sullivan. Stoughton came back and found the equalizer before the break as Groberio set up Sam Santos to make it 2-2. Mansfield freshman goalie Troy Lasbury-Casey made 13 saves and played well in his first career start.
Milford, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – The Scarlet Hawks deposited a pair of goals in each half to return home with two points via a 4-0 win over Taunton. Eduardo Santana opened the scoring, running onto a long ball from Nate Dinis and poking it past the keeper to make it 1-0. Rodrigo Lourenço drew a foul with clever dribbling and Lucas Nalon Ribero buried the free kick to double the lead going into the half. Ribero grabbed his second of the day, blasting a rocket of a shot from 40 yards away to make it 3-0. Kaua Pereira capped the scoring for the Hawks, finishing off a corner from Lourenço.
Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames broke the stalemate midway through the second half to get a win at home over visiting Sharon. Senior Mirray DaSilva converted a pass from Joey Carney in the 60th minute for the lone goal of the game.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Anya Zub’s hat trick pushed the Panthers to a big home win and maintained their lead at the top of the Kelley-Rex. Selene Hammad opened the scoring for Franklin just two minutes into the game, with Zub picking up the assist. Zub would score the next three goals. Kelly O’Connor, Olivia Costa, and Hammad had the assists. Jamie Davies added a late goal for the Bombardiers, converting a penalty after Tatum O’Brien’s nice run into the box drew a foul. Alexis Campbell made double digit saves in the loss.
Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final – After Foxboro battled back to tie the game, Mekhala Costello’s second half goal lifted Canton to the win and kept the Bulldogs within two points of league-leading OA heading into the final game of the regular season. Canton grabbed the lead in a first half that was delayed by lightning. Foxboro answered back three minutes into the second half. Grace Riley got the equalizer off a Shea Dorney corner. Costello found the winner with a blast from distance to secure two points.
North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Mikayla Thompson scored twice and Heidi Lawrence and Ella Pisani each recorded two points to keep the Warriors in the league title mix with one match remaining. KP sits just a point back of Franklin in the division. Lawrence opened the scoring for KP when she took a nice pass from Pisani and lifted it over the keeper. Pisani also had the helper on KP’s second goal four minutes later, putting in a perfect cross for Thompson to tap home from close-range. Thompson would add KP’s third in the second half, this time getting a toe to a cross from Lawrence.
Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Olivia Salisbury set a new school record with her 30th career clean sheet (ninth of the season), as Mansfield continued its impressive run. The Hornets have gone 11 games without a loss and picked up a sixth straight win. Avery Hawthorne made it three straight games with a goal, scoring what turned out to be the winner 10 minutes into the second half. Bridget Hanley’s ball over the top set up the goal. Mansfield added a second just two minutes later when Lyla Nappa scored off a cross from Olivia Dunham.
Taunton, 1 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Milford celebrated senior night with its biggest win of the season. Dani Atherton scored a brace to the lead the way for the Hawks, who scored four unanswered in the second half to break open a close game. Kaylee Whitney, Serena Borges, Paige Caldon, and Ava Baglione each scored once for Milford and Kayleigh Tourtellot had a solid game in goal. Juliana Matos had the lone goal for the Tigers.
Oliver Ames, 6 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Emma Gavin recorded three goals and Lucinda Li Cotter had four points (two goals and two assists) to lift the Tigers to a win in a back-and-forth game in the rain at Sharon. With the win, OA kept hold of a two-point lead on Mansfield and Canton going into the final match of the regular season. Jolie Diaz added a goal and Jenna Gilman had a pair of assists for the visitors. Sharon battled back two get within two twice, Autumn Simon finishing with a brace. Sofia Goclowski and Jessica Li had the assists. Taylor Standring had a strong game in net for the Eagles.
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Attleboro kept it close, trailing just 2-0 at halftime, but Franklin scored a late goal in the third quarter and two more early in the fourth to pull away for the win. After a scoreless first quarter, Emily Carney scored three minutes into the second (from Kaitlyn Carney and Sophia Cuneo) and then again with under a minute to play until halftime (from Haley Wernig and Cuneo). Payten Crandell (from Kaitlyn Carney) pushed the Panthers’ lead to 3-0 with just over a minute to play in the third, and both Wernig and Kaitlyn Carney scored inside the first five minutes to make it 5-0. Siany Ortez made 10 saves in net for the Bombardiers.
Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield scored two goals in each the first and third quarters and tacked on one each in the second and fourth quarters to get a win over Stoughton. Ava Adams opened the scoring and Danni Cuzzi scored back-to-back goals, one in the first quarter and one in the second to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead at halftime. Adams grabbed her second in the third, Kristina Kipp made it 5-0 in the third quarter, and Adams completed her hat trick with the lone goal of the fourth.
Taunton, 3 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Kaysie DeMoura scored a pair of goals to lead the Tigers to a shutout win on the road at Milford. Caelen O’Leary added one goal to go along with DeMoura’s two while Jasmine Lucier made three saves in net for the shutout.
Oliver Ames @ Sharon – Postponed to Tuesday, 10/25 at 3:30.
Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Mary Collins scored midway through the fourth quarter to cancel out Maggie McCready’s opener and send both times home with a point. The first half was a defensive struggle, with Foxboro having the only shot on net in the opening 30 minutes. Canton turned things around in the third, dominating the quarter and breaking the deadlock. Carolyn Schiavo created space on the right side and fired a shot that Kathryn Ferguson needed to save. The rebound sat in the crease for a couple seconds before McCready pounced to knock it home. Foxboro took control of play in the fourth. Carolyn Durand made a series of good saves but eventually Mya Waryas’ shot from distance was tipped in the circle by Collins. The ball caromed out from the back of the net, causing confusion, but after a discussion between the officials the goal was given.
Volleyball
North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip landed a dominate win at home, and along with Franklin’s win over Attleboro, the Warriors moved back into a first place tie atop the Kelley-Rex division with one match to go. Emily Sawyer landed 10 kills along with seven aces and three blocks to lead the Warriors to a 3-0 (25-15, 25-7, 25-11) win over the Rocketeers. Sami Shore (three aces) and Ahunna James (five digs) each added seven kills while Olivia O’Neil finished with four kills and two aces.
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Junior Claire O’Rourke had a big day at the net to help Oliver Ames shake off a close loss in the third set and finish off the win, 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 24-26, 25-15). O’Rourke notched 13 kills while Sarah Hilliard added 12 kills to lead the offense. Maddie Homer had 16 digs and six aces, Clare Kavolius recorded 35 assists and five aces, and Cecelia Cupples had a strong game at the net.
Foxboro, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton rallied from a 2-1 deficit to stay alive and force a fifth set and then outlasted visiting Foxboro to get the win, 3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 15-9). Jess Wright had an efficient night at the net, hitting 0.425 with 19 kills while Liana Lamparelli added 13 digs, three kills, and three blocks for the Bulldogs. Seniors Haley Duhaime, Nevaeh Osborne, Liz Beal and Riley Costa played well in the five set battle.
Boys Soccer
Taunton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro scored two goals in the first half and added a key insurance goal with 15 minutes to play to pick up two points with a 3-0 win over Taunton. Carson Dameron found Zach Smahi for the opener in the 15th minute to put the hosts ahead. The Rocketeers continued to push and just beyond the midway point, a cross from Bryce Newth was knocked in as an own goal. North carried its 2-0 lead into halftime and beyond before Newth set up Givany Carney in the area and he picked out the top left side to make it 3-0. North head coach Mike Lacasse praised his squad for another good defensive effort and strong performances in goal from both Owen Goeller and Cole Tempin, who combined for the shutout.
Girls Soccer
Canton, 1 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Each team scored once in the first half and the Sharon defense held off waves of Canton attacks in the second to earn both teams a point. Emily McCabe opened the scoring for Canton running onto a ball in the channel from right back Kristina Keefe. McCabe beat her marker to the ball, shielded it, and then was able to cut onto her left and score. With 15 minutes left in the half, Sofia Goclowski curled a cross into the box from the left. Canton’s defense couldn’t clear it cleanly and Jessica Li pounced on the loose ball on the edge of the six to make it 1-1. Keefe kept it tied at the break when she cleared off the line after a Sharon corner. The second half was mostly played in Sharon’s defensive half of the field, as Canton pressed for the winner but the Eagles held firm behind the play of Jordanna Morris, Claire Baur, and Meghan Weibe. Autumn Simon also made a stunning fingertip save to deny Mekhala Costello, who nodded Paige Sullivan’s corner just under the bar. Marissa Staffiere was largely a spectator in the Canton goal, but Sharon tested her with two late chances as Carly Pinnix and Olivia Landstein forced saves in the final five minutes.
Boys Soccer
North Attleboro, 2 vs. Dartmouth, 0 – Final – North Attleboro found the back of the net on a pair of occasions early in the first half to pick up a 2-0 win over visiting Dartmouth. Zach Smahi opened the scoring for the hosts, assisted by Givany Carney. Smahi earned his second point of the day, this time setting up Carson Dameron for a goal that made it 2-0. Owen Goeller had a standout performance in net for the Rocketeers while Patrick Etienvre played very well in the midfield, consistently thwarting the Dartmouth attack.
Girls Soccer
North Attleboro, 2 @ Dartmouth, 2 – Final – North Attleboro staked a two-goal advantage in the first half but Dartmouth rallied to tie the game. Emma Pratt opened the scoring just minutes in, firing in a shot from 25 yards out for a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute. Pratt then set up the second strike from the Rocketeers, a corner that was finished by Sydney O’Connor just three minutes later. Dartmouth cut the deficit in half just before halftime and then found the equalizer with just over two minutes left on a penalty kick.
Taunton, 1 vs. New Bedford, 2 – Final
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 0 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final – Despite the loss, Attleboro received standout performances from goalie Siany Ortiz and center defender Paige Parenteau. Siobhan Landers also had a strong game in the midfield for the Bombardiers.
Volleyball
North Attleboro vs. Norton, 5:15
Golf
Attleboro vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 2:15
Taunton @ Mansfield, 3:30
Franklin senior Will Kryzak scores on a shot from inside the area in the first half at North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – What a difference two weeks can make.
After starting their league schedule with a 5-1 setback on the road at Oliver Ames on September 9th, the Franklin boys soccer team has found its groove by rattling off a five-game unbeaten streak, the latest a 2-0 decision on the road at North Attleboro for their fourth shutout in the past five contests.
The win keeps the Panthers in a tie with Attleboro atop the table of the Kelley-Rex division heading into the midway point of the season next week.
“I’m not sure what has changed…Oliver Ames is a good team and on that day, we didn’t show up,” said Franklin head coach Fran Bositis, now in his 52nd season at the helm. “I was upset after that game but I just had to keep reminding myself that we aren’t that bad. I really think we have a good team.”
Franklin has picked up shutout wins over King Philip, Foxboro, Sharon, and now North over the last two weeks with a 2-2 draw against Taunton in the middle of it all.
The Panthers pounced for a pair of first half goals on the grass pitch adjacent to North Middle School while the backline of Rex Cinelli, Will Klawson, Bradley Herndon, Connor Brown, and Ben Costa kept the Rocketeers’ offense at bay for the majority of the game as keeper Griffin Tolonen had just four saves.
Bositis noted that the Panthers have taken to one of the quotes posted in the locker room from Willie Mays.
“It isn’t hard to be good from time to time in sports. What is tough, is being good every day.”
“We’ve tried to focus on that,” Bositis said.
While the first chance of the game belonged to the Rocketeers as Kaden Burns intercepted a pass and carried it towards goal before unleashing a shot that went over the bar, the rest of the first half belonged to the visitors.
Sophomore Garrett Scagliarini put Franklin’s shot on target, rising up to head a free kick service from Trey Lovell but North keeper Owen Goeller made the first of his 11 saves on the day.
Just before the midway point of the first half, Franklin cashed in on its consistent pressure up top. Sophomore Matt Honekamp won a battle on the sidelines before putting a dangerous cross into the mixer where junior Andrew O’Neill found himself in some open space and connected on a one-time half volley into the far corner for a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.
Minutes before halftime, Cinelli smashed a long ball out of the back that went over the top of the defense. Senior Will Kryzak used his speed to track it down, dribble into the area, cut back to create some space, and then fired a blast to the upper 90 at the near post. Goeller got a piece of it but it still found its way under the bar for a 2-0 advantage in the 36th minute.
North had one final chance before the halftime whistle as Carson Dameron sprayed a ball wide for Burns, who was able to get around his defender and carry it along the end line. His low centering pass found Zach Smahi in the area but his low bid was blocked by Klawson.
Franklin boys soccer
Franklin continued to control play for the first 30 minutes of the second half. Hansy Jacques was played in behind the defense in the 54th minute but Goeller was quick off his line to thwart the chance.
A big reason why the Panthers continued to control the pace and continually force the Rocketeers out of possession was because of the fresh legs they had off the bench. Lovell and Scagliarini controlled the center of the pitch for the most part but Noah Cain, Gustavo Martinez, and Honekamp were key pieces in the middle as well.
“We definitely have a real good bench, there’s no doubt about it,” Bositis said. “We had a really good JV team last year and those kids who have joined us have made us a better team. We lost some good players [to graduation] but this year we have really good depth.
“They trust each other and they have confidence in each other. And what works with the depth is that everyone has confidence in the kids that come off the bench too. They’ve done a good job so far and I hope we can continue it, just have to take it one game at a time.”
North finally established some footing in the attack in the final 15 minutes. Jack Regan launched a free kick up field that deflected off a Panther defender, allowing Bryce Newth to run onto it but his bid was denied by Tolonen, who did well to come off his line and cut down the angle.
In the 77th minute, Smahi muscled his way into possession and launched a shot from distance that eluded a leaping Tolonen but hit the top of the crossbar and went over.
Franklin boys soccer (4-1-1 Hockomock, 5-1-1 overall) will carry its five-game unbeaten streak into Wednesday’s visit from Canton. North Attleboro (3-2-1, 3-2-1) is back in action on Monday in a non-league contest with Dartmouth.
Boys Soccer
King Philip, 1 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game – King Philip junior Will Bowen scored the winner in the final minutes of the match to give the Warriors two points on the road over Foxboro. Moments after having his one-on-one bid with the keeper denied, Bowen ran onto a service over the top from senior Matt Crago and smashed a shot from in close that Foxboro keeper Ryan Cotter (12 saves) got a piece of but found its way under the bar and in. King Philip’s back line of Thomas Meader, Patrick Sullivan, Ethan Jack Hancock, and Tommy Lomuscio denied the hosts of creating many scoring chances, while Foxboro’s back four of Jack Sullivan, Marco Pacini, Andrew Linnehan, and Alex Penders, as well as defensive center mid John Hollis, all played well. Cotter was strong in net, including a key double save in the 21st minute — diving to his right to save a blast from Meader off a corner, and leaping the opposite way seconds later to deny Crago.
Attleboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames scored a pair of second half goals to secure a key two points against Attleboro in a battle of the top two ranked teams in the Hockomock League. After a scoreless opening 40 minutes, a pair of sophomores linked up to open the scoring for the hosts. Casey Milliken notched his team-leading seventh assist with a through ball to classmate Andrew Martins to give OA a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the second half. Senior Diego Rivera set up OA’s next goal with a long ball that was deflected in behind the defense with junior Ryan Linhares running onto it. Linhares smashed a terrific one-time shot from just inside the area to double the hosts’ lead. Sophomore Drew Hall recorded his second career shutout while OA head coach John Barata praised senior Hector Bucio and Jake Williams for anchoring the back line. Barata also noted the strong play of sophomores Jackson Mercieri, Luke Churchill, Craig Churchill, and senior Jason Zalis.
Franklin, 3 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – After staking a one-goal lead at halftime, Franklin put away two more in the second to earn an impressive 3-0 decision on the road at Sharon. Sophomore Garrett Scagliarini put the visitors ahead with a goal in the opening half, finishing off an assist from Hansy Jacques. Jacques then got one of his own in the second half to double the Panthers’ advantage, linking up with Andrew O’Neill to make it 2-0. Will Kryzak then recorded an assist for the third straight game, setting up Wyatt Herndon for his first career goal.
Taunton, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – After earning points in back-to-back games with a pair of draws, Taunton broke into the win column with a 3-2 decision on the road at Mansfield. Junior Javonte Fernandes had a hand in all three goals for the Tigers, assisting on the opening goal and the game-winner, sandwiched around a goal of his own. Senior Az-Anael St. Marc opened Taunton’s scoring off an assist from Fernandes, who then scored himself off an assist from Conal Scully for the Tigers’ second goal. Fernandes returned the favor, hooking up with Scully for the game-winner. Riley Rebello, Ian Robicheau, Quincy Jones-Sylvia, Xavier Mercardo, and Aidden Fitting all had solid play the entire game for the Tigers while goalie Sebastian Darosa had some key saves throughout the match.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – North Attleboro scored a pair of second half goals and held off a late push from the hosts to grab two points with a 2-1 win against the Black Knights. Carson Dameron orchestrated the attack with two assists on the day, first setting up Kaden Burns for the opener. Burns took a pass from Dameron and found the far corner to put the Rocketeers ahead 1-0 in the 46th minute. Just over 15 minutes later, a long free kick from Brody Carter was headed by Dameron onto Zach Smahi and he finished for a 2-0 lead. Stoughton scored with just under 10 minutes to go on a free kick goal from Matheus Groberio.
Milford, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Canton came back from a two-goal deficit two pull level with a half hour left in the game, but Milford regained the lead and held on for an important two points on the road at Canton. Andre Baiano smashed a thunderous volley off a pass from Eduardo Santana to give the Hawks the lead, and Nick Ribeiro doubled the advantage with his second free kick goal in as many games. The free kick was earned after some great work from freshman Danny Da Silva. Canton came back and leveled the match with two goals in a seven-minute span. First, freshman Vlad Francoeur squeezed one in past the keeper to cut the deficit in half and Carson Eagles buried a rebound chance from in close to make it 2-2. Milford found the winner with 10 minutes to go as Ribeiro played Santana through and he finished past the keeper to make it 3-2.
Girls Soccer
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – For the second straight game, Oliver Ames scored once in each half and earned a shutout win. Jolie Diaz opened the scoring for the visitors, intercepting a ball at midfield and going on to convert a breakaway chance, beating the keeper on the near side for a 1-0 lead. OA doubled its lead late in the second half as Emma Gavin volleyed a second chance off a restart with 12 minutes left with the assist going to Sophia Byron. Mary Cross had a great game in the midfield for the Tigers while Janiya Matier made four saves for the shutout.
Canton, 6 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Canton scored three times in the opening 25 minutes of the game to take control and keep its unbeaten start to the season alive. Lauren Shatkin, Emma Cahill, and Emily McCabe each scored in the first half. For McCabe, it was her league-leading 10th goal of the season. Caira McKinney, Gisella Berardi, and Mekhala Costello added second half goals for the Bulldogs, who tried not to let the tempo slip despite being in a busy stretch of the season. Georgia Campbell, Cahill, McCabe, Costello, and Shatkin each had an assist. Dani Atherton scored Milford’s lone goal.
Foxboro, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – The game was scoreless at the half, but Ella Pisani scored four times after the break to lead King Philip to a big win. Pisani opened the scoring off a corner just a minute into the second half, assisted by an Addisyn Lamothe-Vaughn corner. Four minutes later, Pisani again finished off a corner, this time with Danielle Gresham picking up the assist. She completed her hat trick by finishing off a pass from Ailish McGowen. With 13 minutes to play, Pisani got behind the defense and capped off her night by lifting a shot over the keeper. Makayla Thompson had the assist on the final goal. Erin Foley had the Foxboro goal that cut the lead to 3-1.
Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Olivia Costa scored a pair of goals to lift Franklin to a home win that moves the Panthers a half-game ahead in the division. Kelly O’Connor and Tori Carmignani each scored once and each assisted on another goal. Norah Anderson’s header capped the scoring for the Panthers, who also got a pair of assists from Anya Zub and an assist from Katie Ewald. Sharon faced the Kelley-Rex leaders without a pair of starters and struggled to get the attack going against Franklin’s defense. Jordanna Morris and Sally Brouhard both had strong games in defense for the Eagles.
Mansfield, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Mansfield scored four times in the opening half to take home an away win against the Tigers. Freshmen Alexandra and Maddie Fernandes each scored their first varsity goals. Bridget Hanley and Meghan McCann also found the back of the net for Mansfield. Alexis O’Keefe had a pair of assists, while freshmen Lauren Signoriello and Olivia Dunham each had one helper. Olivia Salisbury picked up the clean sheet. Eighth-grader Ashlyn Herbert had another good performance in net for the Tigers, making nine saves. Mia Torres, Jenna Pereira, and Christina Da Costa also played well in the loss.
Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Sydney O’Connor headed in a Kaitlyn Joyce cross with five minutes to go before halftime and that was enough for North to pull out its first league win of the season.
Volleyball
Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin continued to roll against league opponents, this time with an impressive 3-0 sweep (25-14, 25-14, 25-11) of visiting Sharon. Juniors Grace Lacerda and Taylor Lacerda (five aces) paced the offense with 12 kills apiece.
Golf
Attleboro, 156 @ North Attleboro, 143 – Final – North Attleboro’s Jake Gaskin had a great day on the links, carding a two-under-par round of 33 that included an eagle, to lead the Rocketeers to a win over rival Attleboro on the middle course at Heather Hill. Gaskin finished with a 33, sinking an eagle putt on the third hole. Tyson Laviano came in one-over at 36 while Dillon Harding, Ishan Kohli, and Zach Corsetti all shot a 37 on the day. Leo Lombardo fired an even par round of 35 to lead the Bombardiers, Ryan hill added a 38, Bradley Lehtonen finished at 41, and Bradley Martin rounded out Attleboro’s scoring with a 42.
Milford, 165 @ Foxboro, 175 – Final – Milford junior Anthony LaPierre continued his strong week, shooting a match medalist round to lead the Scarlet Hawks to victory over the Warriors at Foxboro Country Club. LaPierre was the lone golfer to break 40 on the day, recording a medalist round of 37. Nate Lawrence added a 40 in the win while both Zach Hipolito and Jacob Hipolito shot 44 for the day. Louis Carangelo, who had a birdie, led Foxboro with a 42, Patrick Callahan (three pars) added a 43, and both Zac Georgantas and Reese Curreri came into the clubhouse with a 45.
Franklin, 149 @ Sharon, 172 – Final
Stoughton, 186 @ Canton, 156 – Final – Canton sophomore Huck McCready fired a medalist round of 35 to help the Bulldogs bring down Stoughton at Blue Hill Country Club, snapping a four-match skid. Brendan Tourgee added a 38 in the win, Joey Ryan shot a 41, and both Charlie Vaughan and Teddy Shuman finished at 42 for the day. For Stoughton, Mason Page had a team-low round of 42.
Boys Soccer
King Philip, 1 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Attleboro junior Alex Vecchioli converted a penalty kick in the second half to put the Bombardiers ahead and junior Tyler Rocchio saved a KP pen with 10 minutes to go to preserve the win for the hosts. King Philip took the lead in the first half as Matt Crago finished off a pass from Oliver Blackburn but Richard Ferreira set up Vecchioli for a goal right before half to make it 1-1. Vecchioli was fouled inside the area early in the second half and converted the pen himself to give the hosts their first lead of the game at 2-1. KP had a chance to pull level late in the game but Rocchio denied the shot from the spot. Attleboro’s Lucas Marques had a standout performance at defensive mid.
Canton, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Canton freshman Vlad Francoeur scored his first two career goals to lead the Bulldogs to a rivalry win over neighboring Stoughton.
Sharon, 1 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – After a scoreless first half, Sharon found the winner just past the midway point of the second half to take two points home. In the 64th minute, freshman Diego Martinez played a ball behind the defense that senior Miguel Vasconcelos ran onto his and fired a cross into the area. The ball deflected off a Foxboro defender and down to sophomore James Jennings, who took a touch before turning and blasting a shot in at the near post for the winner. Matt Baur played well in net for his second shutout of the season. Foxboro’s best chance came in the final moments of the first half as a long throw from Pradyu Gubbala was bounced around in the area before sophomore Jackson Maling latched on but his bid hit off the inside of the post and bounced back to Baur for the save.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Milford, 1 – Final – North Attleboro scored twice in the final 15 minutes, including the game-winner with just under five minutes to play to stun the Scarlet Hawks at home. The hosts took the lead in the 33rd minute off a set piece as Arthur Tome touched a free kick from just outside the box in play and Nick Ribeiro smashed a shot off the far post upper 90 and in. Milford carried that lead until the 66th minute when North pulled level with a quick attack. Zach Smahi played Quinn Conley in behind the defense and he slide a low shot past the keeper that eluded the Hawks’ defense and was smashed home a step out by Kaden Burns to make it 1-1. In the 75th minute, a long throw from Jeremy Carter was flicked on by Bryce Newth and deflected off a Milford defender right to Carson Dameron, who calmly cut the ball onto his left foot and slide a shot to the far post for the winner.
Taunton, 2 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin twice took the lead but Taunton answered each time and the two squads split the points in a 2-2 draw. Franklin junior Bradley Herndon opened the scoring for the hosts off a feed from Matt Honekamp but Taunton came back with the equalizer by the midway point of the first half on a goal from Javonte Fernandes on an assist from Az-Anael St. Marc. The Panthers pulled ahead early in the second half as Will Kryzak set up sophomore Garrett Scagliarini for his first career goal. But once again, the visitors answered as Aidden Fitting hooked up with Ian Robicheau for the equalizer.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro @ King Philip – Postponed to a date and time TBD.
Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final
Foxboro, 1 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Sofia Goclowski had a goal and an assist to help the Eagles win their third straight game and move into second place alone in the Davenport division. Following a scoreless first half, Olivia Landstein finished off an assist from Goclowski to break the deadlock. Jessica Li latched onto Olivia Soby’s pass to double the lead. Erin Foley got Foxboro back into the game, but Sharon was able to seal the points with two minutes to play when Goclowski capitalized off an Olivia Soby corner.
Franklin, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Anya Zub’s brace helped Franklin bounce back from its first loss of the season with a convincing win at Taunton. Zub opened the scoring late in the first half and then the Panthers scored three times in just eight minutes of the second half to put the game away. Kelly O’Connor doubled the lead in the 58th minute. Six minutes later, Zub got her second to make it 3-0 and less than two minutes after that Hailey Baima found the back of the net off a Katie Ewald assist. Alli Powderly added an assist as well. Franklin had a sizable advantage in shots but Taunton keeper Hailey Porter had a big night, making 22 saves. Taunton coach Dan Borges also praised sophomore Ava Uhl and eighth grader Maddison Crowley for their defensive effort.
Mansfield, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Behind a goal in each half, Oliver Ames secured two key points at home against Davenport rival Mansfield. Jolie Diaz gave the Tigers the lead in the first half, heading in a cross from Emma Gavin. Midway through the second half, Lucinda Li Cotter finished off a pass from Rhiya Fisher to double the advantage. Janiya Matier had a strong game in net for OA, making some key saves in the second half to earn the shutout.
Milford, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – In a back-and-forth battle, Milford prevailed with the win after a late winner from junior Erin Michelson. The Scarlet Hawks took the lead early in the first half on an unassisted strike from Dani Atherton only for North to equalize less than 10 minutes later as Jess Hennessey set up Emma Pratt in the 18th minute. The same happened again in the second half with the visitors going up 2-1 in the 50th minute when Atheron netted her second of the game but once again, North leveled the match in the 65th minute with Hennessey once again setting up Pratt. Atherton grabbed her third point of the game, this time assisting Michelson for the winner in the 78th minute.
Volleyball
Foxboro, 3 @ Walpole, 1 – Final – Foxboro found its way into the win column for the first time this season, taking down Walpole in a non-league clash, 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 16-25, 25-18). Alyssa Cloherty set the offense in motion with 24 assists while adding seven digs, four aces, and three kills to lead the charge for the Warriors. Juliana Pettigrew added seven digs and six kills while Sami Sloan recorded eight kills and four aces in the win.
Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Dartmouth, 3 – Final – In a great match, Oliver Ames came up just short against visiting Dartmouth, falling 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 24-26, 15-13). Senior Maddie Homer continued to shine defensively for the Tigers with 41 digs, sophomore Clare Kavoulis notched 36 assists, and juniors Sarah Hilliard (21) and Claire O’Rourke (17) combined for 38 kills.
Taunton, 1 @ Durfee, 3 – Final – Taunton rallied to stay alive with a win in the third set, but Durfee closed it out with a competitive fourth set win, 3-1 (25-22, 25-17, 24-26, 25-23). Hayley Krockta had a strong performance for the Tigers with seven kills and four aces while Courtney Martin (four aces) played well in the back row.
Canton, 3 @ Notre Dame Academy, 2 – Final
Franklin, 0 @ Lincoln-Sudbury, 3 – Final
Golf
Stoughton @ Attleboro, 2:20 – Postponed to a date and time TBD.
Franklin, 155 @ Mansfield, 159 – Final – Franklin went on the road and secured a key non-league win at Norton Country Club, taking down former division rival Mansfield. Liam Lewandowski had a birdie on the second hole and finished with a medalist round of 37 to lead the way for the Panthers. Jack Hagerty and Jack Nelson each added a 39 in the win and CJ Steel finished with a 40 for Franklin. Mansfield’s Drew Urban was a co-medalist with a 37, Brendan Vokey chipped in with a 40, and both Cody Nieratko and Nate McClean finished at 41 for the day.
North Attleboro, 157 @ King Philip, 149 – Final – King Philip was on fire on Monday with six golfers shooting 40 or better in a key division win over North Attleboro. Evan Regan shot a team-low round of 36 to share medalist honors while North’s Tyson Laviano also came in with a 36 on the back nine at Wentworth Hills.
Taunton, 100 @ New Bedford, 42 – Final (Stableford) – Taunton’s Sean Murphy and Jesse Chaves each shot a 44 to earn 19 points apiece to help the Tigers earn a win over New Bedford (stableford rules). Logan Letourneau added a 45 for 18 points, Alex Dias added a 47 for 16 points, and Noah Faidell shot a 48 for 15 points.
Taunton and Attleboro will be looking to challenge Milford atop the Kelley-Rex division. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2021 Record: 9-8-3 Coach: Peter Pereira
While last year’s record doesn’t jump off the page, it was a good season for the Bombardiers and a step in the right direction for the program.
There were a lot of varsity debuts a year ago, and a lot of new faces in the lineup for longtime head coach Peter Pereira. This year is the opposite as many of those players are back and looking to make a serious challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title. Highlighting a deep and talented group of returners is a trio of HockomockSports Second XI selections from a year ago: senior forward Esvin Morales, junior goalie Tyler Rocchio, and junior midfielder and last year’s HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Alex Vecchioli.
That trio gives the Bombardiers a top player in most key spots on the pitch. Vecchioli will be flanked by some familiar faces as senior Lucas Marques, junior Billy Badger, and junior Luke Hagopian are all back in the mix after starting last season. Juniors Kyle Neuendorf and Richard Ferreira provide key depth off the bench for the midfield unit. Up front, senior Steve Etienne will complement Morales at striker with juniors Nick Ticas and Clay Tyler able to provide energy off the bench.
Attleboro did graduate one of the best center backs in the league in Cash Stuger so there will be a hole to fill there but Pereira has a solid trio of experienced seniors in Jake Stomfors, Toby Smith, and Ian Miller to rely on defensively. Juniors Zack Diffenderfer and Joshua Codella are also in the mix for minutes in the back four.
“It is a hard-working group and I believe we have the potential to win some big games,” Pereira said.
2021 Record: 14-5-4 (D2 State Finalist) Coach: Danny Erickson
The Canton boys soccer team made history last year with its run to the Division 2 state final and while it will be a big ask to replicate such a special run, the Bulldogs have plenty of key pieces to at least challenge for a division title and have a go at another big run.
Canton lost the majority of its lineup from a year ago after graduating seven of the 11, but with a large, talented senior class, Hall of Fame coach Danny Erickson always has his squads ready to compete. The biggest piece back to the puzzle is senior striker Jake McCabe, a 2021 HockomockSports Best XI selection that tied for the league-lead in goals during the regular season a year ago with 13 goals.
Having 13 seniors on the squad will give the Bulldogs a boost, including veteran players like Caden Mirliani, Ashton Cetoute, Carson Eagles, and Brian Shea. Junior Zaza Francoeur picked up some valuable minutes a year ago and will be a key piece in the attack this year.
“We will certainly need to reinvent how we play after losing so many weapons but we have a great group,” said Erickson. “Lots of guys competing hard for the opportunity to contribute. That should help us compete in the always-tough league.”
2021 Record: 9-9-1 Coach: Dan Ambrosio
Foxboro has a strong core of returners back from last year’s squad that qualified for the postseason and will be looking to incorporate some young players to challenge for the Davenport division crown.
The Warriors will need to get the new players up to speed quickly because the injury bug has already hit, taking seniors Jorge Sanchez-Garcia (All Hock honorable mention last year) and starting defender Ian Foley for the season. Head coach Dan Ambrosio will lean heavily on his senior captains, striker Alex Penders and defender Marco Pacini. Penders, a standout on the hardwood for Foxboro’s basketball team, isn’t your typical striker but standing at 6’5, he’s a nightmare for opposing defenders and a dream for teammates serving the ball into the area.
Pacini is a seasoned veteran as a four-year member of the varsity team and will be the anchor of the back line. Sophomore Ryan Cotter will take over in net behind Pacini and the back line. The strength of the squad could be in the middle with a trio of juniors: John Hollis, Ryan Flaherty, and Pradyu Gubbala. All three are returners from a year ago and will be key pieces in not only helping the back line but orchestrating and organizing the attack.
“The strength of the attack lies in the ability to counter quickly, while defensive organization is a strength when without the ball,” Ambrosio said.
2021 Record: 11-5-4 Head Coach: Fran Bositis
Franklin will be looking to replicate its success from last year after the Panthers came just three points shy of the division title and earned a win in the state tournament.
The Panthers didn’t graduate a huge senior class but they did lose some key pieces like HockomockSports Best XI selection Terry O’Neill in midfield and Second XI selection Aidan Griffith on defense. But there is plenty of talent back all over the pitch for the Franklin, who will certainly be in the mix for the Kelley-Rex crown this year. Franklin’s four captains are spread throughout the field with Best XI selection Rex Cinelli back at center back, Will Kryzak up front, Trey Lovell in the middle of the pitch, and Griffin Tolonen in net.
Cinelli is coming off a very strong sophomore campaign and will join forces with Will Klawson to anchor the back line, which has impressed so far this preseason. Lovell will partner with Noah Cain at center mid to help the Panthers transition from the back, and orchestrate the offense. Juniors Hansy Jacques and Andrew O’Neill will provide depth alongside Kryzak up front. Michael Fernandez Martin, Garrett Scagliarini, and Matt Honekamp are new names to keep an eye on.
“It’s still early but our athletes are working hard and I know that we are all excited for the upcoming season,” said Hall of Fame head coach Fran Bositis. “We are looking forward to the challenge of competing in the Hockomock League.”
2021 Record: 3-13-2 Coach: Mike O’Neill
After battling through an injury-plagued 2021 season, the King Philip boys soccer team is aiming to be in the mix for the Kelley-Rex division title this year.
The Warriors boast a strong group of seniors that will be the heart and soul of the squad but will be looking to integrate some young and new faces in order to challenge in a very talented Kelley-Rex division. After scoring just 20 goals last year, the Warriors are hoping offense will be a strength this year behind a deep mix of creative and quick wing players. Senior Matt Crago returns after a terrific junior season (four goals, two assists) and will be a go-to option in the midfield and out wide. He’ll be joined by junior wing Will Bowen and junior wing Dermott Amorim.
Up top, KP will look to junior Tommy Lomuscio to find the back of the net. As a sophomore, he scored five goals and had nine assists – factoring in on just under half of the Warriors’ offense production. Senior goalie Connor O’Reilly made some huge saves a year ago and is back in net this year. Senior Tom Meader will anchor the back line at center back while senior Oliver Blackburn and sophomore Sayan Panda will lend some help to the defense from the center mid spot.
“I think the Hock is wide open this year, which is just another way of saying that there is a tremendous amount of parity,” said KP head coach Mike O’Neill. “Any win is a good win in the Hockomock League. We have strengths in our captains and our senior leadership. In order to be really competitive, we will need our younger players to contribute right away.”
2021 Record: 8-5-4 Coach: Steve Sheridan
Mansfield is looking to make a big splash in its first season competing in the Davenport division and enter the season as an instant contender.
The Hornets join the Davenport in a challenging year with Oliver Ames looking to make it three straight Davenport titles (four overall), a Canton squad fresh off of a state finals appearance, a revitalized Stoughton squad, a very skillful Sharon team, and a competitive Foxboro group. Despite losing 14 seniors from last year’s squad that went 8-5-4, Mansfield has a solid core intact for a big year.
It starts with captains Aidan Steele, Grady Sullivan, and Dan Checkoway – all three are seasoned veterans and know what it takes to compete in the Hock. Steele plays up top as a target forward while Sullivan and Checkoway patrol the midfield, along with the talented Connor Palinski. Junior Lucas DeSousa and sophomore Tyler Znoj have impressed early on in the midfield while sophomore Cooper Austin is in the mix up front.
Head coach Steve Sheridan is turning to senior Liam Doyle, who missed all of last year with an injury, to take over in net. Senior Derek McGrath will anchor the back line in front of Doyle while sophomore Matthew Sullivan has had a strong camp in the back as well.
“We don’t have as much varsity experience as I’d like, but we have a good bunch of kids that hopefully click sooner rather than later,” Sheridan said.
2021 Record: 12-4-3 Coach: Antonio Pinto
The defending Kelley-Rex champions might have some inexperience and youth in some spots in the lineup, but the Scarlet Hawks return a strong core of players ready to defend their title.
Milford has won four straight division titles, two in the Davenport and now two straight in the Kelley-Rex, and will be looking to make it five straight with another banner this year. Returning HockomockSports Best XI selection Nick Ribero is such a steady presence in the midfield and does a great job spreading the ball and finding open teammates. He will have a lot of options with Arthur Tome (seven goals, nine assists), Eduardo Santana (nine goals, five assists), and John Borges (two goals, eight assists), all back this season.
After losing Best XI selection Chris Tocci (center back) and Kevin Gomes (goalie), the Hawks will have some inexperience in their own final third. The Scarlet Hawks will turn to junior Nate Dinis to anchor the back line after he played some key minutes a season ago.
“We have a very young squad going into the season, but a tight group of kids who are together 24/7, a very family-like team here at Milford this season,” said Milford head coach Antonio Pinto. “Offensively we will have to figure out ways to score goals. Defensively we are very young and inexperienced but have a tight group of kids that will help each other out.”
2021 Record: 8-8-2 Coach: Mike Lacasse
An untimely departure from the girls’ program at North forced a bit of a shakeup in the coaching ranks as Geoff Burgess moves over to the girls and Mike Lacasse, who has coached the JV team for a number of years, moves up to take over varsity.
Lacasse and the Rocketeers will look to make some noise in a very talented Kelley-Rex division, and look to get back to the state tournament. The strength of the squad will be in the midfield as the Big Red has some familiar faces back in key spots. Senior Carson Dameron is back for his third year as a starter and will be joined by classmates Zach Smahi and Griffin Rodden. Juniors Kaden Burns and Quinn Conley will patrol the flanks while sophomore Patrick Etienvre could be poised for a breakout campaign after some impressive minutes as a freshman.
Defensively, North Attleboro has the challenge of replacing one of the better keepers in the league in David Floyd as well as HockomockSports Second XI selection Brody Rosenberg at center back. Seniors Jack Regan (outside back) and Sam Bush will try to solidify the backline with junior Owen Goeller in position to start in net. Up front, the Rocketeers will turn to senior Givany Carney, a powerful striker, and junior Bryce Newth, to produce some goals.
“We have a good mix of young talent and experience in some key positions,” Lacasse said. “I am excited to see what this team can accomplish this season, as they look to continue the progress they had toward the end of last year.”
2021 Record: 13-4-2 Coach: John Barata
For most programs, losing the league MVP plus the league’s top goal scorer would be a massive hurdle to get over. But this isn’t something new for Oliver Ames, who has won three straight division titles and eight overall since the 2011 season. While graduation will certainly hurt, the returners and new arrivals have OA right back in the mix for another title.
Despite the loss of Mathias Taylor (MVP) and Clide Neau (tied for a league-high 13 goals), the Tigers have plenty to be excited about, starting with sophomore Casey Milliken, who finished atop the points leaderboard during the regular season a year ago and earned HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year honorable mention.
On top of that, Joey Carney is back in the mix in the midfield looking to capitalize on a solid sophomore campaign (four goals, two assists), and sophomore Andrew Martins will see an increased role after impressing as a freshman. And like always for OA, they will lean heavily on the captains: senior Hector Bucio, who had a breakout year with seven goals and three assists, and senior Jake Williams. Sophomores Luke Churchill has also impressed so far this preseason.
“OA is excited to compete in the Hockomock League,” said OA head coach John Barata. “We are working to get into the tournament this season. We want to grow as a team and have a lot of fun.”
2021 Record: 6-9-3 Coach: Scott Nathan
Sharon battled its way through injury after injury last season, showing glimpses at times (wins over league champs Milford and Oliver Ames, finishing on a four-game unbeaten streak) but missed out on a spot in the state tournament.
With a host of talent returning this year, the Eagles are serious contenders to challenge for the division title in what is shaping up to be one of the deepest years in the Davenport. The Eagles look to have a strong defensive group this year anchored by HockomockSports Second XI selection Rhys Davis at center back. He’ll be joined by seniors Tyler Goodman, Brandon Mauricio, and Tony Yang to not only give the Eagles a veteran backline but one with skill and pace. Senior Matt Baur is back with the program and returns to his starting spot in net.
The Eagles also have some key pieces back in the midfield and up front. Senior captain Adam Eastman will be looking to build on his nine-goal season from last year, which was tied for fifth most in the Hock. Seniors Rishi Shetty, Malachi Diaz, and Miguel Vasconcelos provide depth up front. Cam Birnbaum and Kevin Lu are also returning players from last year’s squad that could see valuable minutes.
“The Hock is among the strongest leagues in the state,” said head coach Scott Nathan. “We look forward to getting the chance to play against so many quality teams. The boys can’t wait to get started!”
2021 Record: 0-17-1 Coach: Ruben Teixeira
Stoughton struggled through a difficult schedule last season but there is a bit of a buzz about the Black Knights entering this season.
First year head coach Ruben Teixeira, who has coached both at the high school and collegiate level, had a great turnout for tryouts and the Black Knights will be looking to bounce out of the bottom of the standings and make a serious run at the Davenport division title.
Stoughton has a good amount of returning players from a year ago, including a lot of young players that were getting their first varsity experience. Teixeira will look to his seniors to guide the way, especially early on. Senior Joao Marotti sets the tone with his hard work and will be a factor both defensively and offensively for Stoughton. His versatility will provide Teixeira with some flexibility in the midfield. Another senior to keep an eye on is Matheus Groberio, a new addition to the program that has a lot of experience and knowledge of the game. He could be an instant impact player for Stoughton this season.
2021 Record: 5-10-3 Coach: Taylor Whitters
Taunton had an excellent start last year, winning four straight to open the season but the momentum came to a halt and the Tigers finished at 5-10-3 and on the outside looking in for the postseason.
With nearly its entire squad back in the mix this season, the Tigers will be looking to replicate that start and then carry it even further and challenge for the Kelley-Rex title. Taunton was young last season as the lineup featured mostly juniors and sophomores, but now the Tigers are one of the most experienced groups and will be looking to use their speed to challenge the rest of the Hock.
Riley Ribello was a 2021 HockomockSports Best XI selection on defense but he’s shown he can play at center mid or move up top and be a dangerous attack, and it’s likely that’s where we’ll see him this season. The Tigers also have Quincy Jones-Sylvia back at center back while Josh Letourneau, Ian Robicheau, and Jonathan Trinh all saw time at outside back and will provide key defensive depth this year.
Conal Scully proved to be a top attacking option last year with the ability to score from a variety of spots on the pitch. Aidden Fitting plays with a ton of pace on the outside and the Taunton midfield will get another speedy player in Javonte Fernandes, who is back on the field after playing goalie last season. Vinicius Lira Lima and Az-Anael St. Marc provide attack depth for the Tigers.
“We have a lot of individual talent, however, it is our unmatched team chemistry and synchronicity on the pitch that will undoubtedly make this our year in the Hock,” said Taunton head coach Taylor Whitters.
