By HockomockSports.com Staff

Player are listed alphabetically

Ava Adams, Senior – Hockomock Stars

The Mansfield/Oliver Ames/Foxboro co-op only had a handful of skaters set to return this year, so the Warriors have added in players from all around the league to become the Hockomock Stars. On top of the two original teams and its third member Foxboro, the team also has players from Attleboro, Milford, North Attleboro, and Taunton, and now go by Hockomock Stars. One of the returning skaters back is Mansfield’s Ava Adams, who is also a standout lacrosse player for the Hornets. Adams is coming off a solid season a year ago, scoring four goals. Her experience playing at the varsity level as the Stars look to build some chemistry in the attack.

Maya Battista, Senior – Canton

When Battista joined the Bulldogs four years ago, she was a stay-at-home defender who was always in the right spots, cutting out opposition attacks at the blue line or funneling everything to the corners. Battista has grown into a three-zone player, still just as capable a defender, she is now also providing more offensive punch. Her aggressiveness and confidence carrying the puck out of the zone allows Canton to turn any opposition attack into a transition opportunity going the other way. Deadly on the power play, Battista has a strong, accurate shot from the blue line and great vision to pick out the right pass to create a scoring chance for a teammate. Coming off a season where she scored seven times and had eight assists, Battista looks ready to be one of the top defensive players in Div. 2. Canton remains the team to beat in the Hockomock League and Battista’s leadership, physicality, and skills are one of the main reasons why.

Ava Buckley, Senior – Stoughton/Sharon

Stoughton/Sharon remains a young program that is still building a foundation for success, but even with low numbers at this stage in the team’s development, the Black Knights have a college-level talent. Buckley, who is committed to skate at Assumption College next year, is a versatile talent, who can play at either forward or defense for the Black Knights. The team’s top attacking threat, Buckley has the stick skills to find seams in opposition defenses to open space for a scoring chance for herself or for her teammates. Her strength makes it hard to dislodge the puck when she carries into the zone, even as teams send multiple players to try and win it back. On a team with only 14 players on the roster, some who are still learning the game, Buckley gives the Black Knights a ready and willing outlet for the puck, never seems to dip with her energy level, and is a much-needed leader on the ice. Stoughton/Sharon has been competitive in its independent schedule the past couple of seasons and Buckley is one of the reasons for that success, giving the Black Knights a dynamic player to rely on each game.

Shaw Downing, Senior – Franklin

Franklin’s quest for a second league title will rely a lot on Downing continuing to be one of the top players in the Hock. The senior defenseman is a three-zone standout for the Panthers, chasing the puck into the defensive zone and carrying it the length of the ice to create chances down the other end. With the stick skills of a forward, Downing can skate her way through traffic to turn any situation into a breakout, but she also has the tenacity to battle behind her own net and the physicality to keep the opposition on the perimeter. A vocal leader for a relatively young team, Downing scored three times and added nine assists last season. Her accurate passing from the defensive zone allowed Franklin’s quick forwards to leak out without worrying about turnovers and created numerous transition opportunities. Downing has a good shot to be a weapon on the power play and her reliability makes her a constant on the penalty kill. With her seemingly endless energy, Downing carries big minutes for the Panthers and that remains the expectation this winter, as the Panthers lean on her experience and skills to try and unseat Canton at the top of the league standings.

Carolyn Durand, Senior – Canton

For the past three seasons, Durand has been the backstop for one of the best defensive teams in the state. Canton has reached a pair of state title games during that stretch, including last March, and Durand has been at the heart of it all, developing into an elite shot-stopper. After allowing only 39 goals in 25 games last year and saving more than 94 percent of the shots she faced, Durand is back for her fourth year as the Bulldogs starter and is playing as well as ever. Always well-positioned, Durand rarely has to make the flashy saves, although she also has the quick glove and athleticism to recover for big stops when the forward does get a step on her. Durand sees the puck well, is aggressive in the crease, and maintains good balance to give forwards few openings to shoot at. Having Durand in goal is a huge confidence boost for the Canton defensemen, knowing that they can take some chances in the zone and it will still likely not end up in a goal, one of the reasons the Bulldogs remain a threat to get back to the Garden this season.

Julia Flynn, Sophomore – Franklin

Flynn had an impressive debut season for the Panthers. As a freshman, she led the team with 12 goals and seven assists, finishing in the top 10 in the league in scoring. A powerful skater, Flynn had no problem matching the physicality of varsity hockey, driving at defenses time and again to create scoring chances. Strong and skillful, the opposition struggled to get the puck off her stick all season, and she kept teams on their heels with her aggressiveness in the attacking zone. Flynn always seemed to be driving right at goal, forcing teams to keep a constant eye on where she was on the ice. Combining a strong shot with good vision and the ability to pick the right pass, when Flynn was able to pick up speed entering the zone then it was very likely the rush would end with a scoring chance. Franklin will be looking to get back on top and win a second Hockomock League crown and Flynn’s development as an all-around forward will be a key component of that title challenge.

Kelly Holmes, Junior – King Philip

King Philip scored goals for fun last year and Holmes was right at the heart of all that the Warriors were able to accomplish offensively. The leading scorer in the league, Holmes had 22 goals and 25 assists as a sophomore and powered one of the state’s top forward lines. A skillful forward with the ability to dance through crowded spaces, Holmes can track the puck into her defensive zone and with a quick burst can turn it into a chance down the other end. Strong and athletic, Holmes always seems unfazed even as teams throw multiple defenders at her and she helps the team regardless of the situation, whether it’s on the power play or the penalty kill, chasing a goal, or trying to hold onto a lead. Holmes has infectious energy on the ice, never seeming to slow down even as it gets late into the third period, and that was one of the reasons for KP putting together an 18-win season. The Warriors have a young lineup this season, as they try to become the third team to claim a Hockomock title, but Holmes gives them a leader on the ice and one of the most talented scorers in the area to try and build the team around.

Mallory Johnston, Senior – King Philip

While the KP attack understandably drew a lot of the attention last year, Johnston also put together an impressive season in goal to help the Warriors get to 18 wins. The Warriors allowed 41 goals in 23 games last year and Johnston was busy, making more than 400 saves and stopping nearly 93 percent of the shots she faced. Her quickness and athleticism stood out, as she seemed capable of pulling off stunning saves when it looked for sure like she was beaten. Johnston reads the play well to get into the right positions, something that she has developed as a three-year starter, and she is aggressive in the crease to try and cut down shooting angles. Her quick reflexes make her tough to beat up high and she moves well laterally, going side-to-side to make big saves. Confidence is an important trait for a defense to have and, with Johnston back between the pipes, the KP blue line knows that it can count on its goalie to come up with the big stops, which will be critical for a young Warriors team seeking a first league title.

Audrey Koen, Senior – Canton

Canton has long been a defense-focused team. Stopping opposition attacks has been at the core of why the Bulldogs have consistently been among the top teams in the state, but Koen and the forward line deserve some credit for that success as well. The team’s leading goal scorer last year, Koen had 12 goals and eight assists, as Canton returned to the state title game. Quick and strong on the puck, Koen is dangerous when she can get a full head of steam. Her skills allow her to weave through the opposition, but she can also take contact and find a way to get the puck on net. Koen also seems to come up with big moments in the clutch, finding important goals when the team needs one most. Like all Canton’s forwards, Koen is expected to provide two-way support, starting with an aggressive forecheck and continuing back into the defensive zone. Canton’s goal of returning to the TD Garden requires the offense to find the back of the net and Koen has emerged as the top offensive threat for the defending league champs.

Mya Waryas, Senior – Hockomock Stars

Foxboro senior Mya Waryas has established herself as a top player for the Warriors’ field hockey and lacrosse teams, finishing inside the top five in scoring for both sports in the preview seasons. Now she will be looking to carry that success over to the ice and the Hockomock Stars, who took on a new name after adding players from four more league schools: Attleboro, Milford, North Attleboro, and Taunton. With a lot of last year’s offense gone to graduation, Waryas will have an increased role for the Stars. She had three goals and two assists last season and will be a key piece for the Stars’ offense this year.