Boys lax awaits playoff seeding; girls miss cut

The Bulldogs have had a lot to celebrate this season. (Mike Tureski photo)

Fresh off a thrilling, triple-overtime victory over a playoff-bound opponent in last week’s regular season finale, the Canton High boys lacrosse team is gearing up for what will likely be a road trip to kick off the Division 2 state tournament.

Slotted in at No. 23 in the latest MIAA power rankings, the Bulldogs were expected to learn the details of their first-round matchup yesterday afternoon, with the tournament itself scheduled to commence on Friday, May 30.

Regardless of their opponent, the Canton boys are certainly no strangers to tough matchups, having already faced off against the likes of No. 4 Mansfield, No. 9 King Philip, No. 14 Sharon, and D1 No. 12 Franklin — albeit with less than stellar results.

Including games against North Attleboro and D3 Hanover, the Bulldogs to date are a combined 0-6 against teams ranked in the top 20, although only one of those contests — the season opener at Mansfield — was not competitive.

In most of their subsequent battles, they have managed to stay within striking distance while keeping the opponent’s attackers in check, aided by a stout corps of defenders and the strong goaltending of first-year starter Jack Levis.

In last week’s 9-8, OT home win over 25th ranked Bridgewater-Raynham, Levis made several big stops — including a few in the extra periods with the game on the line — while also igniting the final transition sequence with a long pass to Nick Crowe, who made a nifty pass to set up the game winner by Cam Conley.

Offensively, the Bulldogs have proven more than capable, racking up nearly 10 goals per game behind a more balanced attack that has produced seven different double-digit goal scorers.

Leading the way is Conley, this year’s breakout star and team leader in both goals (32) and assists (33). Canton has also looked much more dangerous since the return of senior standout Dillon Albert, who missed the first few weeks but has made up for lost time with 42 points (20g, 22a) in 10 games played.

Other top producers include a trio of juniors: Cullen O’Brien (24g, 16a), Nolan Harney (16g, 16a) and Oisin Brogan (10g, 18a). Freshman Brayden Dickie has also made his mark as a rookie with 11 goals, while senior Ryan Garrett is right behind him with 10 after a strong second half.

The Bulldogs have also benefited greatly from the numerous extra possessions won by senior captain Max Eagles, who led the entire Hockomock League in faceoff winning percentage for the second year in a row at .750.

Put it all together and it would appear that Coach Tom Galvin’s squad has the ingredients to pull off an upset or two and make some noise this postseason.

Unfortunately for the Canton girls team and new coach Jess Powers, that opportunity looks like it will have to wait until next year after the Bulldogs dropped their last seven games, including an 18-8 defeat last Wednesday against Norwood, to finish at 5-13 overall. While the brackets had yet to be released as of press time, Canton did not appear to be a likely selection after falling to the No. 37 spot in the most recent power rankings.

Despite the late-season slide, the Bulldogs did manage five league wins and a third-place finish in the Hockomock Davenport Division, and they also boasted the league scoring champion in junior Nora Giannacopoulos, who wrapped up a historic regular season with a staggering 100 total points — including 82 goals — in just 18 games.

Also putting up impressive numbers for the Canton girls this year were Izzy Digirolamo with 24 goals and a team-leading 30 assists, Shannon Lane (26g, 20a), and Sara Yeaton and Cassidy Lyons, who tied for fourth on the team with 20 points apiece.

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