Canton
2013 Record: 11-5-3 (10-3-3)
2013 Finish: Double-overtime loss in MIAA D2 South First Round
Coach: Kate Howarth
Last season, Canton named former University of Miami player Kate Howarth as head coach and in her first year, she led the Bulldogs to the brink of a Davenport division title and the Division 2 South tournament. As Howarth enters a new season, she admits that things were lot easier in year two.
“At this time last year, I was still learning names,” she explained. “But this year, knowing that I have a solid group of returners who have been with me before, they know what I expect, they know I have high expectations, and they’re willing to put everything forward for that.”
Those experienced players, like seniors Hailee Duserick, Kelly O’Brien, Caitlin Hutchinson, and others will now be counted on to explain the system to younger teammates, such as the five freshmen (including Duserick’s sister Riley) that the Bulldogs will carry this fall.
There is also a strong crop of juniors, including Hayley Mulford, Sarah McQuarrie, and Meaghan Hunter, that are heading into their third season on varsity that will continue the progress for a team that expects to challenge each year for the league title.
Tessa Cudmore and Hannah Link are proof that youth is not an impediment to varsity success after very strong freshman campaigns and will be counted on to “step up” even more in their second seasons.
Howarth continued, “We’re all on the same page in terms of what we want to do and getting everybody to buy in. I think the girls feel more comfortable and I do too.”
Last October, with the league title within its grasp, Canton lost three of its final five games of the regular season. The dagger was a 3-0 home loss to eventual champion and fierce rival OA in which the Bulldogs played well but made several errors that led to goals by the visitors.
Now with a year under her belt as a coach, Howarth believes that she has a better understanding of how the players will react under pressure and what they need to make sure that they can be successful in the face of adversity.
“I think that in the last couple games, when we really needed it, we kind of slipped and that may have been because…I don’t think as a group I knew them as well as I needed to in one season…and I think now when it gets hard they know how I’ll react and how they need to respond,” she said.
As a former player, Howarth has been through those situations on the pitch and she said that the players “need to be able to look at each other and get through it.” If the players can have that attitude this season, Canton should be once again in the mix come late October.
2013 Record: 10-5-3 (10-4-2)
2013 Finish: Lost in MIAA D2 South First Round
Coach: Kaitlin Lamothe-Vaughn
It's hard to think "what might have been" last year for Foxboro, who lost their top player Danielle Roma to injury late in the season. But that's in the past and the Warriors are looking to get better again this year, after a strong jump from 2012 to 2013.
"Each year since I have become the varsity coach, we have made great strides and I hope this team keeps growing the program," head coach Kaitlin Lamothe-Vaughn.
Lamothe-Vaughn returns a slew of talent that will put Foxboro right in the mix for the Davenport title. With talented seniors Kiersten Warner and Katherine Tamulionis anchoring the defense, coaches around the league are considering the Warriors as a top team in the league.
"My expectation for the season is to get our team to a point where they are technically sound and good communicators on the field so that they able to work towards the teams goals of being at the top of the Hock and into the MIAA tournament," Lamothe-Vaughn added.
Up top, Kristen Bortolotti had a tremendous rookie campaign last year and along with Siobhain Nolan, the Warriors will be tough to stop. In the middle, Carolynn Will and Hailey Maling will pace the team while Lauren Flahive will be a big part of the defense with Tamulionis and Warner.
2013 Record: 9-8-3 (7-6-3)
2013 Finish: Lost in MIAA D1 South First Round
Coach: Jay Mastaj
Milford had a big turnaround in 2013 to qualify for the postseason under first-year coach Jay Mastaj. The Hawks also won the preliminary round game over North Quincy, but couldn’t handle league rival Franklin in their next game. It was a “roller coaster” of a season for Milford, according to Mastaj. A draw against Franklin and two wins over OA in the regular season were matched by a pair of tough losses to Canton and draws with Stoughton and Sharon.
That inconsistency is something that Mastaj hopes to change in 2014 to avoid the preliminary round and even get a home playoff game. To get the Hawks to the next level, senior forward Julia Masionis and midfielder Kaley Pratt will be key players with the ability to cause problems for the best teams in the Hock. Junior captain Katie Brown is another player that can unlock opposing defenses. Freshman Maggie Boyle will be a player to keep an eye on as well.
The loss of HockomockSports.com Best XI keeper Erika Figueroa and four starters will be a tough one for the defense to handle and the ability for the new players to form a strong back line will be crucial to Milford challenging for the league title. With the attacking players that the Hawks have, if the defense can gel then the Hawks could be a sleeper in the Davenport.
2013 Record: 12-3-4 (10-2-4)
2013 Finish: Lost in PKs in MIAA D1 South First Round
Coach: Britt Sellmayer
A penalty kick loss in the opening round of the playoffs was a shock for the Davenport division champions, but OA returns with a strong core of players and crop of newcomers that will once again make the Tigers a team to beat in the division. Among those returning players are senior captains Shannon Holleran and Hannah Williams, who will both need to take the leadership mantle from Shannon’s sister Kate who graduated last year.
The player getting most of the attention in the preseason is sophomore midfielder and forward Francesca Calabraro, who burst on to the scene last year as a freshman and showed composure beyond her age, goal scoring, and playmaking ability. OA coach Britt Sellmayer has high expectations for Calabraro this season, saying that “we will see a big jump this year.” He added, “So far it seems the game has slowed down for Chess and she has had a great preseason.”
Sellmayer also highlighted another pair of sophomores, forward Kianna Lozzi and midfielder Julia Roy, who he believes the game has slowed down for and will be ready to have solid seasons for the Tigers. One player that OA may not see for “at least four weeks” is junior defender Delaney Benton, who was one of the league’s assist leaders last season from her position in central defense but picked up an injury. When she returns, that could be a big boost down the stretch.
2013 Record: 4-13-3 (2-12-2)
2013 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Jon Lavien
The Eagles are looking much stronger coming into the 2014 season than they did a year ago. Sharon struggled with injuries last season, especially early on with five starters on the bench, but head coach Jon Lavien said this year, the team is healthy so far - knock on wood.
"We have nine returning varsity players and we've added another 12 girls so we have a pretty solid foundation we are building from," Lavien said. "It's kind of exciting for us."
Sharon will rely on senior captain Samantha Ferris, a quick striker who was one of the Eagles who missed time last year. Along with her, Abby Stern and Mary Griffin - a three year varsity starter that will be on the outside mid. After that, the Eagles will boast one of the youngest groups in the league, but Lavien is happy with the skill they bring. Aly Steinberg will be back in the midfield after starting her freshman year and fellow sophomores Alex Rabb and Victoria Zambello will be up top. Freshman Ally Filipkowski will be in the center of the midfield but has proved already in the preseason how dangerous she is when she can get forward.
2013 Record: 2-14-2 (0-14-2)
2013 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Gary Muello
Stoughton coach Gary Muello is not dwelling on last season’s record. He saw a number of his players take part in the high school’s “Bigger Faster Stronger Program” coached by Ron Drago and he believes that focus on conditioning will lead to better results on the pitch. Muello explained, “ I expect the girls to be in better condition in regard to strength on the ball, speed with and without the ball and overall conditioning.”
With several returners including versatile senior Shelby Sprague and fellow captains Emily Morgan and Mackenzie Palma, Stoughton has a core of players that Muello hopes will approach “every game as if it were a playoff game.” He also has high expectations for junior goalkeeper Marissa Williams and classmate Karina McCune, who can be used in a variety of positions.
Juniors Samantha Tullis and Sarah Quatrucci are two players that Muello is hoping will add a spark to the team this season along with a pair of freshman, Emerson Sprague and Krista Michienzi. Overall, Muello is looking for his team to come together to get the Black Knights off the bottom of the Davenport standings. He said, “This is a team where everyone needs to contribute and utilize their strengths every time they step onto the field”