Another big week for CHS boys lacrosse team

By Jay Turner

Update: The Bulldogs punched their ticket to the postseason with a dominant 13-2 win over Attleboro on Senior Night. The team was not as fortunate on Friday versus King Philip but will look to bounce back this coming Monday, May 20, against Kelley-Rex Division leader Franklin at home.

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The past few games have had a playoff-like feel for the CHS boys lacrosse team and the Bulldogs appear to be approaching peak form as they close in on a Division 2 state tournament berth.

Junior Chris Lavoie (Mike Barucci photo)

With an 8-5 record entering last night’s game against Attleboro, the Canton boys needed just one more win to clinch a postseason spot with another three games left to play.

The squad nearly got it done on Monday in a road showdown with division rival Foxboro, battling back with three unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to tie the game before falling in the waning seconds of overtime, 8-7.

“It was a heartbreaker,” head coach Bill Bendell said of the loss to the Warriors. “We played great defense and we were in control for most of the overtime period. We just had a minor lapse — we were watching the ball for maybe a split second and Foxboro made a great feed and the kid was on the doorstep for a goal.”

The win by Foxboro snapped a tie between the two teams atop the Davenport standings and put the Warriors in prime position to claim their second straight division crown. Still, Bendell said it was hard to fault his team for the result given how well they played — and not just against Foxboro but in their two previous wins against Mansfield and previously unbeaten King Philip.

“[Losing to Foxboro] definitely hurts, but considering it was our third straight road game against three really good teams and we won two close ones, there are way more positives than negatives that we can take from this,” he said.

In the KP win last Wednesday, junior standout Tommy Vaughan provided the heroics as he scored four goals, including the game winner, to lead the Bulldogs over the Warriors 10-9 in Wrentham. Vaughan, a transfer from Xaverian Brothers, has been a revelation for Canton this season and is currently tied for the league lead with 47 goals through 13 games.

Also ranking among the league leaders this season in overall scoring is senior midfielder Griffin Roach, who tallied six goals and three assists over the past three games to give him 45 points for the season (sixth best in the Hockomock).

But while Vaughan and Roach have been the clear leaders on offense, Bendell said the entire unit has shown a willingness to share the ball, which has given other players a chance to shine. Among them is junior David Allen, who had a huge week for the Bulldogs with four goals against Mansfield and two more versus KP. Meanwhile, Allen’s move from attack to midfield opened up a starting spot for Andrew Canto, who has consistently played well in an expanded role.

Other key contributors on offense include Chris Lavoie, who like Canto had an assist against Mansfield and a goal against KP, as well as Brendan Clifford and Dan Cohen, who both had a goal on Monday versus Foxboro.

Defensively, the Bulldogs continue to thrive, anchored by the lock-down play of senior Brendan Albert, who Bendell said is making a strong case as the best in the league at his position. Junior James Murphy, a converted midfielder, has also turned heads with his play, while sophomore goalie Dylan Coyne continues to shine in his first season as a starter, with a save percentage above 60 that is currently second best in the league.

Following Wednesday’s game against Attleboro, the Bulldogs will square off against King Philip at home on Friday and then face another huge test on Monday night as they welcome Kelley-Rex Division leader Franklin to town for a 6 p.m. faceoff. The team will then close out the regular season with a pair of nonleague games — May 24 at Dartmouth and May 29 at home against Old Rochester.

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