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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Coming off of yet another Division II Central/East title a season ago with a dramatic 13-12 overtime victory over top-seeded Walpole, the Medfield High School boys varsity lacrosse team will look to make it a ridiculous five straight sectional championships in 2018, and hopefully, make a run to the state championship game.
The road to BU in 2018 will not be an easy one for the Warriors, as the Medfield boys are slated to play arguably the toughest schedule in the state with looming matchups against rival DS (twice), Westwood (twice), Hopkinton (twice), Xaverian, BC High, Duxbury, Beverly, Shenendehowa (NY), and Pinkerton (NH).
Along with the strong schedule, Medfield must also deal with key losses across the board, with talent such as Jack Cahill (Holy Cross), Owen Murphy (prep school), Matt Dold (Bentley), Andrew Garfield (Quinnipiac), and several others having departed. However, given the strength of the youth program, as well as the surplus of talented sophomores and juniors that are ready to step up and fill those voids, the Warriors are still heavy favorites to win the TVL and make another long Division II tournament run.
Leading Medfield into battle this season will be a duo of senior captains in two-way midfielder and Bryant commit Tom Schofield, as well as goaltender and UMass Lowell commit Liam Gately.
Midfielder and Canisius commit Dylan McNally, midfielder Alex Griffin, defensive pole Jack Barrett, midfielder Trevor Ruzzo, midfielder Pat Viles, goaltender and St. Michael’s commit Brady Neeb, midfielder Corey Strickler, and defensive pole Andrew Cook will round out a talented and experienced senior class.
Medfield’s core of juniors will also be making huge impacts this season, headlined by the return of attack-man Mike Hauptman, who scored the game-tying goal with two seconds remaining to force overtime in last season’s sectional final against Walpole. Along with getting one of their most lethal attack-men from 2017 back in Hauptman, the Medfield junior class also returns midfielder Brian Abely, defenseman Cameron Adolph, midfielder Stephen O’Leary, defensive pole Pat Thompson, defensive pole Mike McNeil, goaltender Peter Barrette, and midfielder Tommy Gill.
As far as underclassmen, Medfield gets back several sophomores who made major impacts during their freshman campaigns a season ago, headlined by attack-man Jack McCordic and midfielder/fogo Mike Tyer, who won two consecutive draws in the final 13 seconds and allowed Medfield the chance to tie last season’s sectional title game before winning it in the extra period. Along with McCordic and Tyer, sophomore varsity returnees for the Warriors in 2018 will be attack-man Jimmy Cosolito, defenseman Jack Gemski, defensive pole and LSM Sam Joline, and LSM John Schofield.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
