Woodstock
“I’m going to do whatever I want,” said the senior with an excited smile.
That also seemed to be Kaija’s modus operandi Friday against visiting Hartford. She scored her 200th career goal in the opening minutes and added four more during an 18-4 rout that improved the defending Vermont Division II champions to 6-6.
Nikki Sweeny had three goals and an assist, Miranda Johnson had two goals and two assists, Abby Kaija and Grace Vosburgh each had a goal and two assists. Lily Doton and Rosalie Geiger each had a goal and an assist, Erika Gebhart and Lily D’Anna each had a goal and Kallan Piconi had an assist.
“It’s been hard because all the girls expect that since we didn’t change very much, that our record won’t change,” said Kaija, noting that the Wasps graduated only three players after going 14-4 last season. “We realized that being the reigning champs is a lot harder than being the underdog.
“I don’t like how our record looks on paper, but I know we’re one of the top teams in the state, regardless. Some teams in the top of D-II, like Chelsea and U32, they play all these teams up north that are sub-par.”
The hope is that by scheduling Division I teams and taking their lumps, the Wasps can repeat as champions after winning their first state title in 18 years last spring. Eight of Woodstock’s games thus far have been against higher-division foes. Chelsea has played no Division I opponents and U-32 has faced four.
“Having tight games during the season, you can’t build that kind of pressure in practice,” said second-year head coach Amanda Soule, whose team has fallen short by an average of fewer than three goals during its losses this season. “It’s crazy and your heart beats fast and you build up your potential for the playoffs.”
Hartford (1-12) decided to sit out last year’s postseason after going 0-16. However, the Hurricanes have improved to the point that second-year coach Jen Wheatley said her team likely will participate this spring.
“Our passes and defense are getting better and our offense is getting there,” said Wheatley, whose 21-player roster is roughly a third larger than last year’s. “The draws are killing us because we don’t have height and it’s hard to get them without that.”
Hartford snapped a 35-game losing streak when it beat Randolph earlier this season, but there was little doubt even before Friday’s faceoff that the visitors would drop their sixth consecutive contest. Woodstock was just too good, leading 14-4 at halftime and causing the second half to be played with running time. The Hurricanes’ scorers were Kaylee Williams, Emily Ricker, Michaela Ricker and Amanda Locke.
“Having patience and (ball) movement and to control the game, that’s big for us,” Soule said. “We don’t want other teams to determine what we’re going to do. It’s one game at a time and we didn’t come in to the season with any preconceived notions that we were going to be state champions again.”
At the same time, not many opponents are going to relish drawing Woodstock as a playoff opponent. Kaija’s been shadowed on occasion but the Wasps have far too many weapons to make that an effective strategy.
“Some teams face-guard her, but she’s even and cool and she doesn’t get frustrated,” Soule said. “She sees the lane to the net and when to take those openings and how to finish them.”
Kaija, also an accomplished soccer player and Nordic skier, hopes her final high school season doesn’t conclude any time soon.
“I haven’t gotten emotional when the other sports ended,” she said. “We’ll see how I react when lacrosse ends, but hopefully it will be a sweet ending.”
Notes: Abby Kaija plans to attend Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., and to play soccer there in the fall. … Oliver Kaija, older brother of Abby and Lauren, recently concluded his sophomore season at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., where the Engineers’ men’s lacrosse team was 13-5 this spring. Kaija, also a football linebacker, started 11 of the 17 lacrosse games in which he played this season, posting two goals and winning 143 out of 284 faceoffs. His squad lost an NCAA Division III first-round game to Amherst. … For a second consecutive year, Wheating is also coaching Hartford’s junior high girls lacrosse team. This year’s version, which includes 13 eighth-graders, improved to 8-0 Friday with a defeat of Hanover. … Hartford is a combined 1-42 the last three seasons and 8-102 during the past eight campaigns.