CHS boys lacrosse starts strong with 2 big wins

Junior Matt Martin and the Bulldog lacrosse team have high hopes for 2018. (Mike Barucci photo)

Update: The CHS boys lacrosse team split their two games this week — a 16-1 win over Stoughton and a 10-3 loss to Natick — and are now 3-2 heading into Monday’s away game versus Pembroke.

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The Canton High boys lacrosse team is off to a winning start in 2018 with a 2-1 record through the first two weeks of the new campaign.

With several key veterans returning and talent across all positions, the Bulldogs have high hopes for themselves this year and are committed to getting back to the postseason after falling just one win short last spring.

“I think we’re kind of flying under the radar a little bit, and I think we’re better than some people might think,” said head coach Bill Bendell.

The veteran coach said his team sees itself as one of the top contenders in the Hockomock Davenport Division, and they are already itching for a rematch against presumptive favorite Foxboro after losing convincingly to the Warriors last Monday on the road.

While not taking anything away from their unbeaten rivals after last Monday’s 13-2 defeat in Foxboro, Bendell noted that the team was without some of its top weapons, including senior captain Charlie O’Connor, junior defenseman Brendan Albert, and sophomore attackman David Allen.

“They handled us easily, but it would have been interesting to see if we had all our guys,” Bendell said. “I think it’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out this season.”

In their other two games to date, the Bulldogs scored convincing wins — 12-6 versus Oliver Ames in the season opener and 14-2 over Milford last Wednesday.

Junior captain Griffin Roach was the star against the Tigers, pacing the hosts with five goals, including one in the opening minute of play and two more back to back before halftime to help the Bulldogs open a 7-3 lead.

Other top performers in the OA win included attackmen Mike Shaw (2 goals, 2 assists) and Kevin Albert (3 goals). Allen and James Murphy also got on the scoreboard for Canton while freshman midfielder TJ McCabe did a nice job on the faceoffs in place of O’Connor, who missed the first two games due to an illness.

When O’Connor did return last week against the Hawks, he made his presence felt immediately, scoring a pair of goals and winning 100 percent of his faceoffs as the Bulldogs rolled to an easy win.

Shaw had another big game with five goals and two assists while junior Teddy McDonald notched his first varsity goal. Eight different players scored at least one goal for Canton and Bendell was able to give significant minutes to all of his reserves, including freshman goalie Dylan Coyne, who played the entire fourth quarter and did not allow a goal.

While the offense was the story in both of Canton’s early wins, Bendell also has lots of confidence in his defense, which features one of the league’s top goalies in sophomore Jake Connolly along with a strong corps of returning defensemen including seniors Gabe Galeotos and Brian Ghostlaw, juniors Albert and George Kent, and sophomore Nick MacKay as the top long-stick midfielder.

The Bulldogs also boast impressive talent in the midfield led by a star-studded top line of Roach, O’Connor, and Matt Martin. Junior Dan Cohen has also seen time at midfielder, and while he’s been quiet in the scoring department he has done all of the “little things” and could be in line for a “huge year,” according to Bendell.

Currently in second place in the Davenport Division, the Bulldogs were due to host Stoughton on Wednesday before beginning a stretch of five straight away games that includes tough matchups with Natick this Thursday (today) and North Attleboro next Wednesday. If they stay afloat during their road-heavy stretch, the team will then be in good position to make a run with five of their final seven games at Memorial Field.

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