CHS Boys Soccer 2020 Tribute

Hello Bulldog Boys Soccer Players, Families and Fans!

Although Covid-19 is making it impossible for us to celebrate our outstanding season in person at our annual banquet, I think we have created an awesome and long-lasting tribute to our Bulldog Soccer players with this Virtual Celebration of our 2020 season. 

Below are links to several video experiences that collectively make up our 2020 Virtual Banquet. Just click on each video below to share in our celebration. Enjoy!

Go Bulldogs!

Welcome Video

JV Team Tribute

Click Here for our JV Roster

Messages from CHS Boys Soccer Alumni

A Message from Coach Sam

A Tribute to our Varsity Sophomores

A Tribute to our Varsity Juniors

A Tribute to our Varsity Seniors

A Tribute to our All-Hockomock Recipients

A Message from our Seniors to our Underclassmen

Thank you to all who helped make this tribute possible! Many people contributed in many ways. We are so fortunate to have so many caring people in our corner!

Click Here for 2020 Varsity Roster

Click Here for 2020 Individual Statistics

Boys Soccer Bulldogs earn post-season honors

A great season that saw the Bulldog Boys Soccer team earn a record of 6-3-3 and advance to the semi-final round of the Hockomock Cup came to a close last week, but the post-season honors are starting to pour in. 

The Hockomock League recently announced their 2020 Boys Soccer All-Star teams and the Bulldogs were certainly well-represented, as FIVE Bulldogs were honored. 

Earning All-Hockomock League honors for the 'dogs were:

Abdul Barrie- In his first and only year as a Bulldog, Barrie made quite an impact in his holding midfield role, controlling the pace of the game for many of the team's best performances. His presence in the midfield will certainly be mixed by next year's team.  He scored 3 goals and added an assist as well as netting the winning goal in the Bulldog's penalty shootout win over KP in the Hock Cup quarters. 

Jacob Crugnale- Crugnale, a junior, led the team in scoring with 1 goal and 7 assists for 8 points in this shortened season. A quiet but fierce competitor, Crugnale was a consistent threat all year long.  His ability to eliminate defenders while maintaining possession in a crowd is truly amazing. 

Giovanni Ruggeri- Ruggeri, a junior, was honored as the strongest goalkeeper in the Davenport division of the Hockomock League for his fine season.  He posted a regular-season goals-against-average of .700 while earning 5 shutouts in 10 games. His performance in the team's PK-shootout win over KP will be talked about for years to come. 

Erik Valdovinos- Valdovinos, a junior, becomes the first Bulldog in the history of the program to be named a Hockomock All-Star while predominantly featuring in games coming off of the bench.  Valdovinos would typically enter the game mid-way through the first quarter and immediately infuse the Bulldogs with an attacking mindset.  His speed and ability on the ball separated him from most forwards in the league. 

HONORABLE MENION- Jorge Sanchez- Sanchez, a sophomore, made a huge impact on the left side of the field this fall.  His ability to play effectively on both sides of the ball is rare, let alone in a sophomore. His service was key to many Bulldog chances this year with so many restarts given the rule modifications. Hard to believe he is only half-way through his Bulldog career. 

The Eastern Massachusetts Soccer Coaches Association recently announced their All-Star team and Jacob Crugnale was named this that elite team. 

Dog's end season in Hock Cup Semi-Final

The Bulldog Boys Varsity Soccer team earned 2nd place in the Hockomock Davenport regular season during this pandemic-shortened season, earning a regular season mark of 5-2-3.  In lieu of a state tournament, the team was invited to participate in a Hockmock League Cup that included the top four teams from each of the Hockomock League's divisions- the Kelley-Rex and the Davenport. 

As the 2nd place team in the Davenport, the Bulldogs drew King Philip- the Kelley-Rex 3rd place team.  The game was a classic high school soccer contest featuring great defending, excellent possession and plenty of attacking by both sides.  The visiting KP Warriors scored first, taking advantage of an early Bulldog miscue in the back.  However, the Bulldogs did not let that bother them as they played one of their most complete games of the season against the upset-minded Warriors. 

The 'Dogs would finally got on the board to even things up in the 3rd quarter when the Bulldogs collected a clearance off a corner kick, worked it around the back and found Erik Valdovinos ('22) who beat his defender to the endline and found Jake McCabe ('23) for a tidy finish.  

The game would remain tied through the rest of regulation as well as through two 10-minute sudden victory overtime periods that featured MANY Bulldog scoring chances and KP hitting the Bulldog crossbar.  The game would be decided on penalty kicks. 

The shootout started in dramatic fashion as Bulldog goalkeeper Giovanni Ruggeri ('23) shot the first kick for the Bulldog and calmly finished it. He then took to keep the Bulldog goal and made a HUGE save on the first KP shooter. Valdovinos, Dylan Baird ('22) and Barrie ('21) joined Ruggeri in the "made" category, leading the Bulldogs to a dramatic 4-2 PK win. 

Got Twitter? Here's a great video recap of the shootout. 

Things didn't go as well for the Bulldogs as they headed to undefeated Kelley-Rex champion Milford on Friday night to battle for a spot in the Hock Cup Final.  The 'dogs came out of the gates a bit sluggish and a high-flying Milford Hawks team took full advantage, ultimately downing the 'dogs 5-0. A Jake McCabe free-kick goal was waived off and was the Bulldog's best chance of the night. 

The team has nothing to be ashamed of as this season turned around the program's fortunes, posting a final mark of 6-3-3 and establishing a great foundation for the next couple of years.  Shout out to our seniors who were the heart and soul of this team- Will Keefe, TJ McCabe, Matt Giglio, Nam Pham, Wes Lee, Matt McDonough, Huy Hong, Colton Mirliani, Patrick O'Leary, Dom Sica, Abdul Barrie, and Ryan Mullen. 

Dogs wrap up unbeaten week with 5-goal win at Foxboro

Highlights of Canton at Foxboro from Wednesday, November 4th. 

The Bulldogs Boys Soccer team wrapped up the regular season on Wednesday earning a 5-1 road win over Foxboro earning the Bulldogs a record of 5 wins, 2 losses and 3 draws, good enough for sole possession of the Davenport's 2nd seed in the upcoming Hockomock Cup.  

The Bulldogs came out flying in the first quarter at Foxboro Wednesday, earning many early chances and putting the Warriors under a great deal of pressure. Erik Valdovinos ('22) netted a hat-trick for the Bulldogs converting on an early penalty kick and finishing two other quality chances.  Jake McCabe ('23) was strong throughout the game, netting two goals of his own while earning the penalty try for the 'dogs and banging the crossbar on a brilliantly struck free-kick.  Jacob Crugnale ('22), the team's leading point earner on the season, was busy on the day, creating havoc and setting up two of goals. 

Earlier in the week, the 'dogs hosted Foxboro and played a strong game but failed to create many chances in what was a frustrating 0-0 draw in 30° temperatures at CHS's WWII Veterans' Memorial Field. A huge bright spot for the Bulldogs on the day was the emergence of Charlie McKinney ('22) who came in early in the 2nd half and charged up the Bulldog attack. 

Click Here for Team Statistics

The 'dogs await official news on who they will draw in the Hockomock Cup. This news should be out on Friday, Nov. 6th.  Play is expected to begin next week. 

Oliver Ames bests Bulldogs in battle of unbeatens

The Bulldogs' unbeaten streak came to an end this week as the squad dropped two games to a very talented Oliver Ames team- 3-1 on Monday and 2-0 Wednesday. 

Click Here for highlights from Monday's game (including big goal by Colton Mirliani '21) 

The Bulldogs fought hard in both contest and certainly could have come away with a result on Monday but a lack of finishing and a couple of mistakes were more than CHS could afford against a team as strong as OA.  Wednesday's game saw the Buldlogs on their back foot for most of the contest but a string of pressure early in the 2nd half led to several chances but once again, the 'dogs were unable to finish.  A punishing restart awarded to OA for a Bulldog head ball in the box midway through the 2nd doubled the OA lead and ended the hopes of a Bulldog upset. 

The Bulldog back line of Will Keefe ('21), Matt Giglio ('21), Jorge Sanchez ('23) and Carson Eagles ('23) were strong in both contests. 

The 'Dogs will face off against Foxboro in two huge games next week- Monday at CHS at 6:00pm and Wednesday at Foxboro at 3:45pm. 

Boys take 2nd win of week over NA

Jake McCabe ('23) scored the only goal of the night on Wednesday as the Bulldogs traveled to North Attleboro and came home with their second win over the Red Rocketeers in 48 hours, this time- 1-0. 

The game was tied throughout a hard-fought first half but the 'dogs struck early in the 2nd when a strong Bulldog build-up found it's way to Jacob Crugnale ('22) who attracted two defenders before slipping it perfectly to McCabe who scored his first goal of the season, slipping it by a charging NA keeper. 

The dog's bent a bit to a late push from NA but held off several Rocketeer chances late in the game, including a ball cleared from the goal line by a streaking Abdul Barrie ('21). 

Giovanni Ruggeri ('22) was strong in goal again, earning his 2nd shutout of the week and 4th on the season. 

Patrick O'Leary ('21), Caden Mirliani ('23) and Dylan Baird ('22) were all very strong in the Bulldog midfield on the night. 

The team improved its record to 4-0-2 and will face Oliver Ames (5-0-0) in two matches next week- Monday at OA at 6:00 and Wednesday at Canton at 6:00. 

Dogs earn shutout win on Senior Night

CLICK HERE for Highlights from the game. 

Monday night saw the Bulldogs improve to 3-0-2 with an impressive 2-0 win over visiting North Attleboro.  The win was paced by the senior class of players who were all honored in a pre-game ceremony attended by their parents and families. 

Starting for the Bulldogs in the big win were our members of the class of 2021- Dom Sica, Matt Giglio, Huy Hong, Nam Pham, Colton Mirliani, Will Keefe, Abdul Barrie, Pat O'Leary, Wes Lee, Matt McDonough and TJ McCabe.  McCabe, who's knee injury is keeping him off the field this year, provided the team with an inspirational kickoff to the game as he was able to take part in the kickoff.  Fellow senior Ryan Mullen, who is the team manager, was also honored with his teammates in the pre-game ceremony. 

Once the action got going, the Dogs had most of the play on the night but were unable to convert until early in the 2nd half when Colton Mirliani converted a give-and-go with Jake McCabe ('23) and hit a great, low, hard shot from 25 yards out that beat the keeper to his near post.  Not long after, Mirliani would strike again, this time after Erik Valdovinos ('22) went down in the penalty area with no call, but popped up quickly and found Mirliani who beat his mark and calmly finished for his second goal of the game. 

North Attleboro had several opportunities late in the game to cut the lead in half but the Bulldog back four and goalkeeper Giovanni Ruggeri ('22) were up to the challenge and preserved the team's third shutout of the season.

It should be a great rematch on Wednesday when the Bulldogs travel to North Attleboro for a 6:00pm game. 

Dogs remain unbeaten with win and draw with Sharon

This week saw the Bulldog Boys Varsity Soccer team face off against Sharon High School in a home-and-home matchup that saw the dogs travel to Sharon on Wednesday and host the Eagles on Friday.  Both games were played on wet surfaces but both teams handled the conditions well.  Wednesday's game at Sharon ended in a 1-1 draw while Friday night's game in Canton saw the Bulldogs come out on top, 2-0. 

In Wednesday's draw, the Bulldogs came out strong but for the 2nd straight game, were unable to capitalize on early chances, resulting in the 'dogs allowing the Eagles to come back and bury a shot from the top of the box that came against the flow of play.  The Eagles carried much of the play from that point on, until the final 10 minutes when the Bulldog were able to create several good chances, finally resulting in Dylan Baird ('22) burying a rebound off of an Abudl Barrie ('21) free kick and earning the visitors a crucial point on the road. 

Friday night was the Bulldogs' best performance of the young season as they dominated play throughout the first half but found themselves tied with the visiting Eagles at the break.  But the 'dogs raised their level even further in the 2nd half, culminating in Colton Mirliani's ('21) bomb of a shot to the top corner off of a nice drop pass from Jacob Crugnale ('22).  Not long after the goal, Erik Valdovinos ('22), who was a handful for the Eagles left back all week, exploded into the box before being taken down from behind, earning the Bulldogs a penalty kick. Abdul Barrie stepped up and calmly tucked the penalty into the side netting, just out of reach of the outstretched Sharon keeper.   Giovanni Ruggeri earned his second shutout of the season in goal for the Bulldogs while Will Keefe ('21), Matt Giglio ('21), Jorge Sanchez ('23), and Carson Eagles ('23) were a stingy back four throughout the night. 

The Bulldogs (2-0-2) host the North Attleboro Red Rocketeers (1-2-1) on Monday at 6:00pm at CHS.  

Reminder that, due to Covid-19 Guidelines, only family members of home team student athletes will be allowed to attend the game.  Games are being live streamed. Check this blog for details. 

Streaming info for Sharon at Canton on 10-16

 It is supposed to be a rainy night at Memorial Field in Canton tonight as the Bulldogs host Sharon. 

Can't make the game or our Covid-19 spectator policy excludes you? We are live streaming it at-

Periscope.....either go to the periscope.tv website or upload the app on your mobile device and search for "Weletthedogsout" Game will stream live beginning at kickoff at 6:00pm. 

Dogs draw with Black Knights in 2nd match-up of the week

 A different Stoughton team showed up for the showdown with the Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon at SHS than had showed up on Monday evening at CHS.  As a result, a great high school game unfolded that ended up in a 1-1 draw. The game featured two late goals as the Black Knights scored in the 71st minute before the Bulldogs struck back in the 74th minute. 

The Bulldogs started the game on the front foot, putting Stoughton under good pressure early, but the team could not convert and let the upstart Knights gain some life and eventually some great momentum. Both teams had plenty of opportunities as the game opened up in the 2nd half.  Giovanni Ruggeri ('22) made several saves in the 2nd half after making none in the first. Canton's goal came on a great service by Will Keefe ('21) from left side of midfield.  His pass found a streaking Colton Mirliani ('21)behind the Black Knight back line and Mirliani bravely beat the goalkeeper to the ball for a one touch, class finish.  See goal here on Twitter. 

The 'dogs move to 1-0-1 and have their longest stretch of the season without a game between this one and next Wednesday's trip to Sharon for a 3:45 start. 

Dogs Blank Black Knights in first game of two this week

For game highlights- click here. 

This week sees the Bulldogs face off against the Black Knights of Stoughton in a home-and-home two game series between the two rivals. 

Monday night saw the Bulldogs take the first game in convincing fashion, downing the visiting Black Knights 4-0.  

The 'dogs controlled most of the play early on but did not get on the scoreboard until the 2nd quarter when they exploded for 3 goals in 15 minutes.  Caden Mirliani ('23) found Jacob Crugnale ('22) who calmly finished the first goal of the 2020 season.  Shortly after, Crugnale was the provider as he assisted on the first of two Abdul Barrie ('21) goals. Dylan Baird ('22) had a great finish off yet another deft touch by Crugnale for the 3rd goal of the quarter.  

The 'dogs didn't slow down in the start of the 3rd quarter as Jorge Sanchez ('23) found Barrie on the far post for a smooth finish- making the score 4-0.  Stoughton played well down the stretch but the Bulldog defense denied any real scoring opportunities for the visitors. 

The win puts the Bulldogs at 1-0-0. 

The two teams face off again tomorrow (Wednesday, October 7th) at Stoughton at 3:45pm. 

2020 Season set to kickoff!

It has certainly been an off-season like none we have ever seen before, but the CHS Boys Soccer teams will be taking the field for their first games of the season on Monday, October 5th against visiting Davenport rival- Stoughton High School.  JV will kickoff at 3:45 and Varsity will kickoff at 6:00pm. 

Three seniors will be sharing the captains' armbands this fall for the varsity side as TJ McCabe and Matt Giglio join Will Keefe in this important role.  McCabe and Giglio are both four year varsity players and were recently announced as Bulldog captains- joining Keefe who was named at the conclusion of the 2019 season.  Giglio and McCabe will look to lead in their own ways as Giglio will join Keefe as part of the Bulldog back line while McCabe will be inspiring from the sidelines as he deals with an injury.  Both, along with Keefe are up to the challenge of helping the Bulldogs rebound from a disappointing 2019 season. 

The Bulldogs have many returning faces from the 2019 campaign that are looking to make a major impact. Seniors Colton Mirliani, Dom Sica, and Patrick O'Leary all look to put their stamp on this season and are all off to a great start.  Juniors Erik Valdovinos and Jacob Crugnale are looking to shoulder much of the scoring load for the Bulldog attack.  Fellow Junior, Giovanni Ruggeri is ready to assume the starting goalkeeper role and has worked hard in the off-season for the promotion. Fellow Junior Jay Kelleher has shown huge improvement from his debut season on varsity in 2019 and will certainly make major contributions this fall.  Sophomores Jorge Sanches, Carson Eagles and Caden Mirliani have all had great pre-seasons while the team is excited for a return to action for Jake McCabe who has been on the injured reserve list. 

New arrivals to the team looking to help in a successful campaign include SENIORS- Wes Lee, Huy Hong, Abdul Barrie, Nam Pham and Matt McDonough, JUNIORS- Zach Dowling and Charlie McKinney and SOPHOMORES- Alvaro Cezon-Gimenez and Jack Lauro. 

The team faces a 10 game regular season schedule that features 5 weeks of back-to-back games against each of our opposing Hockomock Davenport Division foes- Foxboro, Sharon, Stoughton, OA and NA. A Hockomock Cup is expected to provide playoff excitement in November.  

Put your email in the "follow by email" option on the top right of this page to get email notifications of updated blog entries. 

Season rosters with jersey numbers can be found at the CHS Boys Soccer Website (rosters to be updated VERY soon!)

Go Dogs!

With admiration of our graduating seniors

CHS Boys Soccer 2020 grads- Stubbs, Bradley,
Ciffolillo, Correal and Ashcraft

The Canton High School Boys Soccer program will always be thankful to the members of the graduating class of 2020- Cooper Ashcraft, Johnny Bradley, Alejandro Correal, Colby Ciffolillo, and Jack Stubbs.  These 5 young men have given so much to our program over their four years here and all of their teammates feel for them as their final days at CHS were not what we had all wished for them.

But this group is resilient.  They fight through obstacles.  They did just that all fall and they did it with guts, grit and grace. They showed our underclassmen how to face down challenges and how to bounce back from setbacks. They have all been dealt a setback this spring- as we all have- and they have all provided us with a great roadmap for how to face adversity straight on. We will all be better in the future for what they lost this spring. Thank you to all of you for contributing so much to our future.

Cooper Ashcraft

Cooper Ashcraft- Coop has been a major personality in the CHS Boys Soccer program since his arrival at CHS. He selfless leadership is what made him such a great captain his senior season.  Coop never, ever put himself ahead of his team.  He was the ultimate team player- and he was very good. He started every game for us in the key center-back role.  He often found himself dealing with the most dangerous player on the opposing team. Coop is heading to Clemson University in South Carolina.

Johnny Bradley

Johnny Bradley- Johnny was our toughest, grittiest player.  He battled everyday to help our team improve.  His level of intensity both on the practice field and on game day was second to none. He had a great ability to drive a ball across from the flank and to blanket an opposing player- making their day a long one when they faced the Bulldogs. He will be missed!

Colby Ciffolillo

Colby Ciffolillo- To coin a phrase from an ESPN sportscaster- Colby is a cool as the other side of the pillow. His highs are never too high and his lows (which were few and far between for this young man) are never too low. He is the kind of kid that when you play a crossbar challenge with him, he NEVER chips it- always a driven ball. That's Colby. His great senior season earned him All-Hock Honorable Mention status. He is heading out to Endicott College this fall where he will be on their roller hockey team.

Alejandro Correal

Alejandro Correal- Hondo was in many ways- the face of our program in recent years. When a team would come to play Canton- no matter what the result- they would most likely leave talking about Hondo.  His impact on us was enormous. His hard work is paying off as he is heading to St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire this fall to study and join the Hawks Men's Soccer team. You can read more about that by clicking here. Best of luck to Alejandro!

Jack Stubbs

Jack Stubbs- Jack was the ultimate team guy.  He worked incredibly hard and pushed himself and his teammates every step of his career. A three-year varsity player, Jack played many different positions during his time on the squad. His performance on Senior Night against Braintree saw Jack anchor a back four that kept the tourney-bound Wamps scoreless. It was a great performance to end a career on. Jack will be missed! Jack will be taking a gap year in 2020/21. We wish him well!

Fall 2020 Boys Soccer Candidate Form

Caden Mirliani- '23

The Canton High School Boys Soccer program is asking all boys who will be attending CHS in the fall and are interested in joining our Soccer program (grades 9-12 in 2020/21)
to fill out the GoogleForm found at the link below.

The CHS Boys Soccer program has a proud tradition of excellence and we are looking forward to rebuilding that this fall.  An exciting season awaits!

Filling out this form does NOT register you for the program- an online registration will be made available in the coming months. For now, this form allows us to reach out to you with any important upcoming information.

We are asking all interested candidates to fill this out by Wednesday, June 3rd.

If you have any questions- don't hesitate to contact coach Danny Erickson at ericksond@cantonma.org.

Be well and safe.  Go Bulldogs!

Click Here for the Form. 

Correal Signs NLI to play at St. Anselm College

Alejandro Correal with his mother and sister at his official
signing ceremony

The Canton High School Boys Soccer program is thrilled to announce that Senior Captain Alejandro Correal signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his soccer playing days at St. Anselm College for the Hawks in Goffstown, New Hampshire.  Correal was surrounded by his family today as he signed the official letter.

Correal's signed NLI-
May 8, 2020

Correal has been the starting goalkeeper for the Bulldogs for the past two seasons, helping the Dogs earn a tournament berth in the 2018 season as the team came up just short in the race for the Davenport title. This past year, he made a huge personal/playing sacrifice and split duties as a goalkeeper and a field player.  This really captured Alejandro's selfless leadership of this year's team.  Alejandro's soccer IQ and athleticism is through the roof and his ability to make things happen while playing on the field is only surpassed by his talent in goal.  He plans on focusing on his true passion- goalkeeping- as he heads to St. Anselm this August.

Alejandro Correal minding the CHS goal as he has done so well
over his Bulldog career.

The St. Anselm Hawks compete in the NE10 Conference and are an NCAA D2 program.  The team is coached by Bruno Victal who took over the Hawks in 2016 and has overseen a resurgence in the program.

Alejandro had this to say upon his signing-

"The past four years at CHS have prepared me for this opportunity.  My teammates, Coach Erickson and all of the other coaches have been key figures in my high school career and CHS Soccer will forever be a part of me.  With that being said, St. A's has given me this huge opportunity and I'm very excited to make the most out of the next four years!"

Danny Erickson-
St. A's Hawk 1989

The feeling from the CHS Boys Soccer program is mutual.  We will continue to support Hondo as he takes this big step in his soccer and life journey. We will always be proud to call him a CHS Soccer alumnus.

On a personal note- I played soccer for the Hawks in 1989 and 1990.  It is a great place to go to school and to play soccer.  Those seasons helped solidify a love of soccer in me that continues today. From one Hawk/Bulldog to another- I wish all the best for Alejandro as he launches his St. Anselm soccer journey. He is going to do great!

I included a picture of me in action in 1989 at St. A's as I thought it could provide some laughs! Yup- that's Coach Erickson. We didn't put as much emphasis on getting in the weight room back then!

Keefe named captain of 2020 team

The CHS Boys Soccer program is happy to formally announce that Will Keefe, class of 2021, will serve as one of the CHS Boys Soccer captains for the 2020 campaign.  Keefe, a stalwart of the Bulldog defense during the 2019 season and Hockomock League All-Star, will captain a team with lofty goals in 2020.

Keefe will lead the Bulldogs through their initial off-season work and preparation.  He has all of the tools to be a great motivator to get kids working in the off-season and that is precisely why he is being named captain at this time.

We will be holding an important meeting in March for all student athletes interested in making the varsity team next fall. More information on 2020 captains will be discussed at this important meeting.