By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
On a beautiful evening highlighting the Walpole seniors, the Walpole boys battled the Milton Wildcats in lacrosse on Thursday May 15, 2025 at Walpole High School. It was the final Bay State League matchup this season for the Timberwolves.
Walpole (13-2) in undefeated in the Bay State Conference (BSC) having clinched the league title. The Timberwolves are ranked 7th in the MIAA Division 2 power rankings and are the highest ranked BSC team in any division in the MIAA. They came into the contest after a resounding win over the Braintree Wamps on Tuesday, 13-0.
Milton (6-9) came into the game with Walpole after a narrow victory over Brookline, 9-7, earlier in the week. Walpole had beaten Milton, 15-3, earlier in the season.
The team captains are seniors Brayden Mattera (Merrimack), Ryan Lania, and Noah Mackenzie (Stonehill-football).
The lacrosse match with Milton was lopsided from the start. Walpole raced out to a 7-0 lead after one quarter. They extended the deficit to 12-0 at halftime. Milton finally scored with 9:38 to go in the third quarter. It was 17-2 after three periods and ended 17-5. Milton scored twice with :02 to go in a period.
Junior Jack Webb led the scoring tallies for Walpole with four goals. Brayden Mattera chipped in a hat trick. Junior Mike Conners and sophomore Zach Mattera added two apiece with Zach contributing a team leading eight shots on net.
Senior Ryan Lania led the squad with three assists. Senior FOGO (Face Off Get Off) specialist Sam Miles was stellar on faceoffs. He won nearly all of the restarts, including some from his knees. His key victories frequently led to Walpole scores.
The few times that Milton did challenge the Walpole defense, senior goaltender Tim Fraser was a stonewall. He shutout the Wildcats in the first half as Walpole surged comfortably ahead.
Junior Luke Weiand led the team in loose balls controlled with five. MacKenzie was close on his heels with four.
Walpole’s movement and set plays on offense were too much for Milton all match long. On defense, the Timberwolves caused frequent loose balls which they typically scooped up and turned into offensive advantages. They were too fast, too physical and too disciplined for the Wildcats. The Timberwolves have also mastered the fast break up the middle of the field from goaltender to the long-stick midfielder.
Walpole has lost in the Division 2 quarterfinals (aka Elite 8) the last three seasons. They have been a perennial contender for the Division 2 crown for years. The expectations are high for a deep playoff run this season.
