Quechee
There are hopes that the Hurricanes, who have struggled as a Vermont Division II team in recent years, can find solid footing as a member of the newly-created Division III.
“I think we’ll be a lot more competitive with this schedule,” said eighth-year coach Bill Elberty, whose team improved to 1-1, while dropping the Otters to 1-2. “We’ll still play teams like Rutland and Brattleboro, but only once per season. I like playing D-I teams but… our record over the last three years hasn’t been that great, so we slid down to D-III.”
More rare will be the sort of matchups Hartford endured in its season opener, a 16-1 smackdown by Burr & Burton, long a Division II state power, but now in Division I. Woodstock, a Division I semifinalist last season, is off the schedule, while more appropriate foes such as Stratton Mountain, Otter Valley and St. Johnsbury show up twice each.
Green Mountain and Randolph are other upcoming Division III opponents that have also struggled against more established programs. Elberty’s emphatically not about winning first and foremost, but going 18-37 the previous four seasons hasn’t been completely enjoyable, either.
“It’s not like our kids didn’t have a blast playing lacrosse before,” he said. “But the lessons of lacrosse, you learn them better by losing, and we’ve learned a lot of lessons.”
The Hurricanes hope it’s time for those lessons to pay off. The program has bulged with roughly 45 players each of the past three years, thanks to a junior high team that generally has 15 players per grade. Elberty’s bullish on this season’s freshman class, of which Thompson is one.
“If we continue to ratchet our improvement up, we could contend for a D-III title this year,” the coach said. “But frankly, I just want them to enjoy how to learn to be excellent at something, step by step. We have great chemistry and we’re evolving as a program.”
Hartford has three viable midfield lines, led by Thompson, who also plays basketball. Roughneck senior Walkker Judd would rather run over opponents than around them and Nate Lemieux, a senior and hockey player now in his third lacrosse season, had two goals Thursday, as did freshman long-stick Nick Porter.
Dorain, a junior, and sophomore Adam Parker have potential on attack, as does junior defenseman Matt Lucke. Without a returning goaltender, Hartford has turned to junior Chris Dorain, although he missed the first two games because of an overseas trip. Freshmen Mike Thompson and Trevor LaBreque have split time in his absence.
The push, for years now, has been for Hartford to develop more lacrosse players, not just athletes who wield sticks with nets on the end. Junior midfielder Ben Rouillard said there’s only one way for he and his teammates to improve.
“You’ve got to practice outside of practice,” he said. “Find a wall and throw against it if you have to.”
Elberty sees it coming, even though Thursday’s contest was ugly. For every wild shot, blind pass or bullheaded, 1-on-1 dodge, he can spot better athleticism and understanding of the game than the Hurricanes have featured in the past.
“There’s a lot of room for improvement, but you would never see ball movement like we had today back four years ago,” the coach said. “It was all one guy going down the field and doing something fancy.”
Other scorers for Hartford were Parker, Gavin Shropshire, Judd and Will Mayfield, who each tallied once.
Notes: Former Hartford and Castleton University goalkeeper Sam Polas has joined the Hurricanes’ coaching staff. … The Ottaquchee School field slopes slightly, meaning the goaltender at the south end looks downhill at his counterpart on the north end. Hartford athletic director Joe James said earlier this month that although the high school’s lacrosse teams had planned on playing at the Maxfield Recreational Complex this spring, the town’s recreation department objected, pushing the boys back to the Quechee location they last used several seasons back and leaving the girls at the Dothan Brook School. … Hartford was 4-11 in 2012, followed by finishes of 6-7, 5-8 and 3-11 leading up to this season. … The Hurricanes host Randolph (0-2) on Wednesday. … The boys junior varsity team tied Burr & Burton earlier this month and will play eight more games this spring, Elberty said.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.