Canton High boys soccer team earns two big wins

By Jay Turner

Update: The Bulldogs extended their unbeaten streak to five games with a 2-1 win at Attleboro and a 0-0 draw at Davenport leader Oliver Ames. Canton now sits at 7-3-3 with five games remaining.

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With two well-earned, impressive wins against strong Hockomock programs, the Canton High boys soccer team just might have had its best of the season.

Charlie McKinney (Mike Tureski photo)

Stuck in a close battle for the Davenport Division’s runner-up spot, the Bulldogs proceeded to knock off both Foxboro and Mansfield — teams with a combined record at the time of 11-5-4 — on consecutive nights last week. The victories brought them to 5-1-1 over the past two weeks and now the suddenly surging Bulldogs find themselves right back in the thick of the division title chase.

“Those were two big wins against winning teams within 24 hours of each other,” acknowledged head coach Danny Erickson. “It was definitely a good week for us.”

The most impressive result came last Thursday at Memorial Field as Canton struck for three goals against an undefeated Hornet team that had surrendered only two scores all season.

Erickson said the story of the game was the effectiveness of the Canton attack against what had been a very stingy Mansfield defense. The coach credited Jake McCabe’s tenacity for the first goal as he fought through a crowded Hornet goal area to put the hosts up 1-0 off an assist from Erik Valdovinos. McCabe would add his second goal of the night and team-leading seventh of the season late in the second half, while Jacob Crugnale would knock home his fifth to help him keep pace on the team leaderboard.

CHS goalkeeper Giovanni Ruggeri made some key saves to help preserve the Bulldog advantage and the back line of Jay Kelleher, Ashton Cetoute and Zack Dowling continued their stellar play as Canton earned its third shutout of the season.

One night earlier, the Bulldogs played a similarly strong game against Foxboro and came away with a 2-1 victory. McCabe netted the game’s first goal in the opening half after beating three defenders, and then Valdovinos finished off the Warriors with the game-winner midway through the second.

Several midfielders were also instrumental in the team’s two wins last week, including Dylan Baird, Brian Shea, Charlie McKinney and Carson Eagles.

Now 7-3-2 on the season, the Bulldogs will look to keep their winning streak alive as they head to Easton tomorrow night for a huge showdown with the first-place Oliver Ames Tigers.

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