2018 HockomockSports Boys Soccer Awards

 
Milford junior Walisson de Oliveira has been selected as the 2018 HockomockSports.com Boys Soccer Player of the Year. As a striker, de Oliveira was one of the most dangerous players in the Hockomock League and led the league in scoring. He was a vital piece in helping the Scarlet Hawks win their first ever Hock title with a Davenport division championship. He was also selected as an All-New England player and as the Hockomock League MVP by the league’s coaches.

de Oliveira was a threat to score from anywhere in the final third of the field. He was the league’s leading point producer with 29 points, scoring 22 goals and adding seven assists. His 22 goals were tied for the most in the league and his 47 career points are tied for most in Milford program history.

“Walisson is a very special player,” said Milford head coach Brian Edwards. “He has a combination of ability, awareness, and physicality you just don’t see come around very often. He is a tremendous player that allowed our team to do a lot of different things.”

Despite drawing the attention of opposing defenses, sometimes even double teams, de Oliveira was able to produce. He’s the type of player that needs just a step of space in order to make something happens. He was lethal on free kicks, putting more pace on the ball than most players in the league combined with good accuracy.

“Walisson is one of the most talented pure strikers the league has seen in recent years,” said HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief. “He was a physical player and used his size to his advantage. On top of that, he was sneaky fast and if he was given any bit of space, he was a threat to make a big play.”

de Oliveira is the first Milford player to earn HockomockSports.com Player of the Year honors for Boys Soccer and the third player from a Davenport division team since 2013. de Oliveira was named HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year last season and earned his second straight Best XI selection this year.

Honorable Mentions: Griffin Roach (Canton), Luke Savoie (Mansfield)

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Editor’s Note: The HockomockSports.com Awards are selected strictly by our staff and have no affiliation to the official Hockomock League all stars. Please note players are listed by position.

 
 
 
 

HockomockSports.com Best XI

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Walisson de Oliveira – Milford – Forward
After making a big splash in his first season on varsity last year, Milford junior Walisson de Oliveira had an even bigger year in 2018. Since switching to striker midway through last year, de Oliveira has caused a lot of havoc for opposing defenses. He tied for a league-best 22 goals and recored a league-high 29 points to help the Scarlet Hawks win their first Davenport division title. “He has a combination of ability, awareness, and physicality you just don’t see come around very often,” said Milford coach Brian Edwards. “He is a tremendous player that allowed our team to do a lot of different things.”
 

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Will Halben – Attleboro – Forward
Attleboro senior striker Will Halben was a handful for defenses to deal with this season. Always one of the hardest workers on the field, Halben moved all around in order to try and find the ball and make plays happen. Halben was the leading scorer for the Bombardiers again this season. He scored a team-high seven goals and recorded a team-best five assists, earning team MVP honors as well as Hockomock League All Star. “His work rate was tremendous all season long,” said Attleboro coach Peter Pereira. “He put on a lot of time after practice working on his game.”

 

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Griffin Roach – Canton – Midfield
Canton senior Griffin Roach certainly left his mark on the program following another stellar season in the green and white. Roach, a two-time All-State and HockomockSports.com Best XI selection, led the Bulldogs with a team-high 14 goals and nine assists for 23 points, good for second-most in the league. He finishes his Bulldog career tied for fourth on the all-time scoring list with 32 goals, 20 assists and 52 points. “Griffin was our most dangerous player,” said Canton head coach Danny Erickson. “He had a part in most of our goals. Great example for all that hard work pays off.”
 

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Luke Savoie – Mansfield – Midfield
Mansfield senior Luke Savoie had a breakout year during the 2018 season, playing a big part in helping the Hornets clinch the Kelley-Rex division title. Patrolling the center of the pitch, Savoie was one of the most dangerous goal scoring midfielders. He had a brilliant start to the season and never let up, scoring 17 goals and adding three assists. “Luke changed his game this year,” said Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan. “He went from facilitator last year to goal scorer this year. Last year he led the team in assists, this year goals. He is probably the player with the best ball skills I’ve ever had here.”
 

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Paul Corcoran – Canton – Midfield
Canton senior Paul Corcoran had another terrific year for the Bulldogs, this third year starting on varsity. Corcoran proved to be the ultimate team player by sacrificing scoring goals to prevent them, switching from an attacking role to center back. He finished the season with six goals and seven assists and finishes top 10 all-time in program history with 48 points (31 goals, 17 assists). “After leading the league in scoring his junior year, he unselfishly moved to center back for us midway through the season. A great team-first move.”

 

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Nitin Chaudhury – Franklin – Midfield
Franklin senior Nitin Chaudhury continued to be one of the most consistently good players on the pitch during the 2018 season. Not a flashy player or one for a lot of stats, Chaudhury does all of the small things right that can often go unnoticed. His work ethic was contagious and spread throughout the team, helping the Panthers record double-digit wins this season. “He’s an outstanding athlete, great leader, and the hardest worker on our team,” said Franklin coach Fran Bositis. “He set the tone for everyone else to follow.”

 

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Nic Beigel – Foxboro – Midfield
Foxboro senior Nic Beigel capped his career with a standout final season with the Warriors. Beigel has been making plays since his freshman year but the 2018 season was by far his most consistent playing at a high level. While the Warriors got off to a slow start, Beigel’s leadership helped Foxboro overcome obstacles and qualify for the state tournament. The senior midfielder was instrumental in helping Foxboro get to the D2 South Semifinals. He finished the regular season in the top five in point. He was second on Foxboro with 10 goals and second on the team with seven assists for 17 points.
 

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Sam Stowell – Franklin – Defense
Franklin junior Sam Stowell was a rock in the back for the Panthers during the 2018 season. Stowell is one of the more experienced defenders in the league despite being just a junior. The Panthers had one of the top defensive teams in the league, allowing just 20 goals this year, with Stowell in the heart of that group. Stowell was a big reason Franklin went 7-1-1 in its final nine games. “Sam is an excellent defender who was the leader of our defense and one of the primary reasons we were able to turn things around the second half of the season,” said Franklin coach Fran Bositis.

 

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Sam Nugent – Mansfield – Defense
Mansfield senior Sam Nugent was strong once again in the heart of the Hornets defense. After a stellar junior year, Nugent was a rock once again in the back for the Kelley-Rex division winning Hornets. Mansfield allowed just 14 goals all season and helped the team notch 11 shutouts. “Sam had big shoes to fill last year and all he did was become an EMass All Star just like his predecessor,” said Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan. “He’s calm and cool in the back and his speed makes up for any mistakes that we may make back there. He covers a lot of land fast. He’s great in the air too.”

 

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Joey Madden – Milford – Defense
Milford senior Joey Madden made a lot of big plays on both ends of the field during the 2018 season. In the back, he provided the Hawks with leadership and great marking ability. His speed allowed him to get involved with the offense with overlapping runs and his throw-ins were an absolute weapon. “He is the best athlete I have ever coached and I haven’t ever seen a player with his aerobic capacity before,” said Milford coach Brian Edwards. “He picked up the position of outside back last year and really came into his own this season. His ability go forward and mark up top attackers made him invaluable to our team.”
 

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Kyle Briere – North Attleboro – Goalie
In his first year as the Rocketeers’ starting keeper, junior Kyle Briere established himself as the top netminder in the Hockomock League. In 19 games this year, Briere allowed just 11 goals, recording more shutouts (12) than goals allowed. “Although the starting back four played well in front of him, he was usually asked to make three to four big saves a game,” said North Attleboro coach Geoff Burgess. His best attribute was his ability to control the 18. He was quick off his line to claim crosses, corners or long throws. He was especially good at coming off his line to stop the occasional breakaway.”
 

HockomockSports.com Second XI

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Dylan Barreira – Foxboro – Forward
Foxboro junior Dylan Barreira was one of the top scoring threats in the Hockomock League this season. The Warriors were a very dangerous team going forward and Barreira spearheaded that attack. Foxboro scored a league-best 57 goals this season, with only one other team scoring more than 50. Barreira was tied for the league’s Golden Boot, finding the back of the net 22 times. He also had a pair of assists during the regular season, finishing with 24 points. Anytime the ball went into the area, Barreira was the type of player that found it and put it in the back of the net.
 

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Joe Hilf – North Attleboro – Forward
North Attleboro senior Joe Hilf concluded his high school career with a memorable final season with the Rocketeers. Hilf earned Hockomock League All Star honors for the second straight year and led the Rocketeers in scoring this season with five goals and three assists. He was involved in nearly half of North’s goals this season and had three game-winning goals. “Joe’s best attribute is his ability to hold up play which was key to our counter-attacking style. He also was very good at the 1v1 battles, often beating defenders to create for himself or teammates.

 

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Brett Beaulieu – Taunton – Forward
Taunton senior Brett Beaulieu did it all for the Tigers again this season, giving head coach Taylor Whitters options with his ability to play a number of positions. Namely a key cog in the midfielder, Whitters was able to push Beaulieu forward if need be or drop deeper and play the six role. When the Tigers went forward, most of the play went through the feet of Beaulieu. Although he didn’t always register an assist, he was often involved in creating the play. He scored five goals this season and finished with three assists for a total for eight points.

 

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Colin Milliken – Oliver Ames – Midfield
Oliver Ames sophomore made a splash in his first season as a starter for the Tigers. OA had almost all new faces in its lineup this year and it relied on Milliken to be a facilitator in the middle of the pitch. It didn’t take long to see how skillful he was in the middle of the pitch and how skilled he was with the ball at his feet. He finished the season with eight goals and seven assists. “Colin is a special player with great skill, vision and drive,” said Oliver Ames coach John Barata. “His passion for the game is unmatched and his desire to succeed will help our program progress in the future.

 

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Michael Baur – Sharon – Midfield
While Sharon didn’t get all of the results it wanted, it certainly had plenty of strong performances throughout the year and junior Michael Baur was one of those players. Directing the midfield, Baur helped the Eagles transition from defense to offense. His calmness on the ball made him one of the top center midfielders and his vision to find teammates separates him from others. He also was a big piece of Sharon’s defense as the Eagles played with top teams in the state. He finished the 2018 season with three goals and three assists.

 

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Joao Boaventura – Milford – Midfield
Milford senior Joao Boaventura quietly had a terrific year during the 2018 season, playing a major role in helping the Scarlet Hawks win the Davenport division, the program’s first Hockomock title since joining the league. “Joao has the kind of composure on the ball you wish every player possessed,” said Milford coach Brian Edwards.”His calm demeanor translates into an incredibly gifted soccer player who can easily turn a game on its head. His ability to control the midfield and cover space defensively stymied many opposing attacks and kick-started a lot of our own chances going forward.”
 

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Joe Cusack – Foxboro – Midfield
Foxboro junior Joe Cusack was a monster in the midfield for the Warriors, often dominating games and helping the Warriors keep possession. Although not the biggest or strongest player on the pitch, Cusack was certainly one of the most skilled players and made passes that most players don’t even think about. He was vital in helping Foxboro transition from defense to offense. He recorded a Hockomock League-best 12 assists this season and was one of the top playmakers in the area. He will certainly be a player to watch for next season.

 

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Ethan Brill-Cass – Mansfield – Defense
After missing his entire junior year due to injury, Mansfield senior Ethan Brill-Cass made the most of his final year in a Hornet jersey. Mansfield has had strong defenses this year but Brill-Cass made it that much better this year, helping the Hornets grab 11 shutouts as a team and a Kelley-Rex division title (just 14 goals against). “I believe that if we had him healthy last year, we would have accomplished more than we did,” said Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan. “He is the vocal leader of this team and the quarterback. He takes pride in making sure his teammates are where they are supposed to be and covering the right guy.”
 

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Paolo Ruggeri – Canton – Defense
Canton senior Paolo Ruggeri capped a memorable career with the Bulldogs with a strong senior season, helping his squad make a return trip to the state tournament and come within a point of a Davenport division title. Ruggeri was a reliable option for coach Danny Erickson, almost never coming off the field this season. He helped offensive with three goals and a pair of assists for a total of five points. “Paolo was our leader on the field, our quarterback,” Erickson said. “His passion for the game made us all better.”

 

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Colin Levis – Attleboro – Defense
Speedy outside back Colin Levis was a staple in the Attleboro defense again this season. The senior was a versatile player that could mark in the back when needed or use his speed to get forward and get involved in the offense. His one-on-one defense was terrific and made life difficult for attacking players to go down his side of the field. Levis was an ironman for Big Blue, playing every minute of the season while earning the Coaches Choice Award for the Bombardiers. “Colin has fantastic speed, gazelle-like speed,” said Attleboro coach Peter Pereira. “He’s a great outside defender.”
 

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Anthony Salisbury – Mansfield – Goalie
Mansfield junior Anthony Salisbury had a breakout season in his first year between the posts for the Hornets. In his first year, Salisbury made some terrific highlight reel saves to keep shots out of the net. Combined with a great defense in front of him, he tied a school record for individual shutouts in a season and combined to tie the team record with 11. He was terrific coming off his line and snagging the ball out of the air, making it difficult for teams to successfully cross. “Tony’s athleticism is his great asset,” said Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan. “He can cover the whole penalty area rather quickly.”
 

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Oliver Ames sophomore Colin Milliken has been selected as the 2018 HockomockSports.com Boys Soccer Underclassman of the Year. The Tigers had a whole new lineup this year and Milliken stepped up as one of their top players from his center midfield position.

Right from the first game of the season, Milliken stood out as a top player. He is very skilled with the ball at his feet and can take defenders on one-on-one. On top of that, he has a very high soccer IQ and is quick to switch fields or keep possession if need be.

“Colin is a special player with great skill, vision and drive,” said Oliver Ames head coach John Barata. “His passion for the game is unmatched and his desire to succeed will help our program progress in the future.”

Milliken was one of the top offensive threats for the Tigers during the 2018 season. He was the team’s top point producer, scoring a team-high eight goals and adding seven assists. He can score in a variety of ways but he showed throughout this past season that he can be very lethal shooting from distance, as seen by his free kick goal in the postseason.

“Colin possesses a combination of skill and speed, and is one of the most intelligent players in the Hockomock League,” said HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Lanigan. “Once he won a challenge or took possession of a pass, you knew the Tigers were in a good spot. He knew when to go forward and knew when to just keep the ball with his side, which helped OA have another successful season.”

“Walisson’s combination of size and skill made him the perfect target forward for Milford,” said HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Lanigan. “Whether he was collecting the ball at his feet with the back towards goal and turning and finishing, or being a dangerous target on set pieces, Walisson was very dangerous.”

Milliken is the second Oliver Ames boys soccer player to win the HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year award, joining Nathaniel Cardoza (2015). He is the fifth OA athlete of any sport to earn the honor (Hannah Friend, field hockey; Francesca Calabraro, girls soccer; Matt Muir, baseball; Allie Kemp, volleyball).

Honorable Mention: Dylan Buchanan (Mansfield), Leo Coelho (Milford), Kevin Louhis (Oliver Ames), Terry O’Neil (Franklin)

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Milford head coach Brian Edwards has been selected as the 2018 HockomockSports.com Boys Soccer Coach of the Year. Edwards guided the Scarlet Hawks to their first ever Hock title, winning the Davenport division for the first time since joining the Hockomock League. It also marked the program’s first league title since 1999.

“We knew Milford had a chance to be pretty good this year but Coach Edwards did a terrific job putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together,” said HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Lanigan. “From start to finish, Milford was consistently good and Edwards put his players in the right positions to be successful.”

Milford finished the season 16-2-2 overall, allowing a league-low 13 goals against this year. The only two losses Milford suffered this season were 1-0 losses on penalty kicks, to the Kelley-Rex champs Mansfield and D2 South Finalists Walpole. Milford picked up key wins throughout the season including two victories over Canton, and a big win over Oliver Ames.

It marks the first time that Edwards has earned Coach of the Year honors and the third Milford coach in any sport to earn the honors (Brian Macchi & Steve DiVitto, softball).

Honorable Mention: Fran Bositis (Franklin), Danny Erickson (Canton), Steve Sheridan (Mansfield)