Franklin (6-4-1) @ Mansfield (9-1-1)
Overview
There is no official Kelley-Rex Division championship game, but if there was, it would be a safe bet that this would be it. Franklin (6-4-1) will travel to Foxboro Sports Center on Wednesday to take on rival Mansfield (9-1-1) at 6:00. Though this game won't single handily decide the division champion with Attleboro still in the mix, this will certainly put one team in a prime position to do so.
Both teams are riding hot streaks coming into the big game as the Panthers are unbeaten in their last five games (4-0-1) and have outscored opponents 30-4 in that period. They've had great success so far in league play but a 9-0 win over Stoughton and a 10-0 win over Taunton help inflate their numbers. Four of those five games have also been on home ice but there is no doubt the Hock 5 #1 team has been deserving of their results.
Mansfield has only lost once all season and are 6-0-1 since that one loss. They have outscored opponents 45-12 in that period, including 17-4 in their last three games. No team has scored more than twice minus Salem, N.H, which was also their only loss of the season.
Both teams are riding hot streaks coming into the big game as the Panthers are unbeaten in their last five games (4-0-1) and have outscored opponents 30-4 in that period. They've had great success so far in league play but a 9-0 win over Stoughton and a 10-0 win over Taunton help inflate their numbers. Four of those five games have also been on home ice but there is no doubt the Hock 5 #1 team has been deserving of their results.
Mansfield has only lost once all season and are 6-0-1 since that one loss. They have outscored opponents 45-12 in that period, including 17-4 in their last three games. No team has scored more than twice minus Salem, N.H, which was also their only loss of the season.
Players to Watch
Franklin
Junior Ryan Spillane has been a standout for Franklin all season and, almost under the radar, has been one of the Panthers most consistent performers. He leads the team with seven goals, 14 assists, and 21 points. He had helped provide the Panthers with a focal point of the attack that is more about spreading the points around than having one or two top scorers. Senior forward Troy Donahue was a Hock 5 second team performer last season and has six goals and 12 points this season. He is a two-way forward that can crash the net and has a great shot as well.
Beyond the top two scorers are a host of players that on any given night could be the game-winner. Junior Alec Borkowski, who came on strong at the end of his sophomore season, is showing signs of getting back to the level he was playing at in last year’s tournament. Joe Bourque and Randy Gilbert have each stepped up and provided the Panthers with crucial goals.
Seniors Kyle Filbert and Kyle Powers have been leaders and playmakers from the defensive zone. As with the past two seasons, the defensemen have been playing in front of a rotation in goal as both Mike Donadio and Devon Maloof have shared time in net. Each of the last two seasons, it has been Maloof that has gotten the bulk of the minutes down the stretch and his athleticism and solif play was a major factor in the Panthers return to the state finals. Either way, expect Franklin to have solid play in goal.
Mansfield
The Hornets boast one of the top players in the league in Adam Blackman. He seems to score in every game - 19 goals and 15 assists in 11 games to be exact - and that is a credit to his skill. It's been noted by coaches in the league how good Blackman's hands are and that has translated great success on the ice this season. He compliments his hands with great speed and has a very strong, accurate shot that can beat goalies on either side. Another reason Blackman has been so successful this year is because of his linemates Kyle Hurley and Jared Collins.
Hurley, who has struggled with injuries in the past, has been a great compliment to Blackman, not only providing a strong physical game but the chemistry between him, Blackman and Collins is among the best in the league. He has one of the strongest shots in the league (9 goals, 12 assists) and is very good right in front of the net. Collins (9 goals, 12 assists) has been foreshadowed by the strong performances by his linemates, but there's a reason why this line is so strong together. Collins is a good mix of the two and has no problem being the set up guy and that has helped Mansfield greatly.
Mansfield isn't strictly just a top line team either as sophomore Billy Grant has emerged as a very strong option at forward for the Hornets. He's scored eight goals and added three assists to be fourth on the team in scoring. Junior defenseman Will Kelleher (2 goals, 5 assists) and Evan Kershaw (1 goal, 7 assists) have played very well so far this year and classmate Shane Piotti has done the same. In goal, senior Dan Moyer has quietly emerged as one of the top goalies in the league. His 1.78 goals against average and his 93% save percentage are both tops in the league this year.
Junior Ryan Spillane has been a standout for Franklin all season and, almost under the radar, has been one of the Panthers most consistent performers. He leads the team with seven goals, 14 assists, and 21 points. He had helped provide the Panthers with a focal point of the attack that is more about spreading the points around than having one or two top scorers. Senior forward Troy Donahue was a Hock 5 second team performer last season and has six goals and 12 points this season. He is a two-way forward that can crash the net and has a great shot as well.
Beyond the top two scorers are a host of players that on any given night could be the game-winner. Junior Alec Borkowski, who came on strong at the end of his sophomore season, is showing signs of getting back to the level he was playing at in last year’s tournament. Joe Bourque and Randy Gilbert have each stepped up and provided the Panthers with crucial goals.
Seniors Kyle Filbert and Kyle Powers have been leaders and playmakers from the defensive zone. As with the past two seasons, the defensemen have been playing in front of a rotation in goal as both Mike Donadio and Devon Maloof have shared time in net. Each of the last two seasons, it has been Maloof that has gotten the bulk of the minutes down the stretch and his athleticism and solif play was a major factor in the Panthers return to the state finals. Either way, expect Franklin to have solid play in goal.
Mansfield
The Hornets boast one of the top players in the league in Adam Blackman. He seems to score in every game - 19 goals and 15 assists in 11 games to be exact - and that is a credit to his skill. It's been noted by coaches in the league how good Blackman's hands are and that has translated great success on the ice this season. He compliments his hands with great speed and has a very strong, accurate shot that can beat goalies on either side. Another reason Blackman has been so successful this year is because of his linemates Kyle Hurley and Jared Collins.
Hurley, who has struggled with injuries in the past, has been a great compliment to Blackman, not only providing a strong physical game but the chemistry between him, Blackman and Collins is among the best in the league. He has one of the strongest shots in the league (9 goals, 12 assists) and is very good right in front of the net. Collins (9 goals, 12 assists) has been foreshadowed by the strong performances by his linemates, but there's a reason why this line is so strong together. Collins is a good mix of the two and has no problem being the set up guy and that has helped Mansfield greatly.
Mansfield isn't strictly just a top line team either as sophomore Billy Grant has emerged as a very strong option at forward for the Hornets. He's scored eight goals and added three assists to be fourth on the team in scoring. Junior defenseman Will Kelleher (2 goals, 5 assists) and Evan Kershaw (1 goal, 7 assists) have played very well so far this year and classmate Shane Piotti has done the same. In goal, senior Dan Moyer has quietly emerged as one of the top goalies in the league. His 1.78 goals against average and his 93% save percentage are both tops in the league this year.
Game of the Week - The Pick
| HockomockSports.com Hockey Picks | ||||||||||
| Ryan Lanigan |
Josh Perry |
Michael Antonellis |
Cameron Merritt |
Jeff Pickette |
Chris McDaniel |
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| Game of the Week Staff |  |
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| Hockomock Sports |
Hockomock Sports |
Hockomock Sports |
Hockomock Sports |
Stoughton Media Access |
The Enterprise |
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| Franklin @ Mansfield Wednesday, 6:00 |
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| Total | Lanigan 12-3-3 |
Perry 13-2-3 |
Antonellis 11-4-3 |
Merritt 8-7-3 |
Pickette 9-6-3 |
McDaniel 10-5-3 |
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