CHS boys’ soccer finishes season undefeated

Wins Hockomock Classic Crown

For the first time in the program’s 28-year history, the Canton boys’ soccer team finished the regular season with an undefeated record — 13-0-4.

“We have a mentally strong group of guys,” head coach Danny Erickson said of his team. “We are emotionally strong enough to not let teams beat us.”

The final game of the regular season was played on Saturday night in a first-ever Hockomock League Classic Cup, which featured the first place Hock Davenport Division winners, the Canton Bulldogs, who played the first place Hock Kelly-Rex Division winners, Attleboro’s Blue Bombardiers.

For the first time all season, the Bulldogs trailed in a game, as Attleboro scored just two minutes in to go up 1-0. But Canton battled back with goals from Igor Perun, who headed a throw-in by Chris Murray into the back of the net, and a late first-half goal by Ramon Ambrosio with 10 minutes left.

Attleboro then tied the game with 13 minutes left and the game ended in a 2-2 draw. For purposes of the MIAA tournament, the game was recorded as a regular season tie because no regular season overtime is sanctioned by the MIAA.

But because one team had to take home the Classic Cup, the action continued in a golden goal overtime, and Ambrosio scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime to give Canton the League Championship.

Ambrosio’s second goal gave him a total of five on the week and he’s starting to heat up entering the state tournament. He scored two goals last Wednesday in a 6-0 win over Franklin and a crucial goal in a 2-0 victory over Foxboro last Monday. He now has 15 goals on the season.

“He’s been spectacular this year,” coach Erickson said of his senior.

Last Wednesday, the Bulldogs celebrated Senior Night with a 6-0 win over Franklin. Junior goalkeeper Colby Gavigan set a new CHS boys’ soccer record for most career shutouts with 22. “He’s a great kid and has worked really hard learning the game of soccer,” Erickson said.

In the victory, senior AJ Waterman scored his first varsity goal in his last-ever regular season home game.

“It was an explosion of goals,” Erickson said. “We got on top of them and buried them.”

Last Monday the Bulldogs defeated Foxboro 2-0. The game remained scoreless until Ambrosio scored with nine minutes left, and fellow senior Loris D’Orio followed with a goal from 25 yards out.

Canton is now entering the state tournament as Hockomock League champions. The tournament pairings will be announced this week, and Canton is scheduled to play a home game on Thursday in its first postseason game.

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