Burlington
In the rush to clean up after Saturday’s Vermont Division II girls lacrosse championship game, a Burlington High School worker in a golf cart tried — and failed — to drive a 6-foot table through a not-6-feet opening, jamming himself in an open gate. Sheepishly, the gentleman got out and tried to unstick the situation; with Amber’s assistance, he did.
Whereupon well-wishers already congratulating the Chelsea Public School senior for her role in the Red Devils’ 12-9 win over Woodstock at Buck Hard Field gave her a quick high-five.
“It’s always good to try to figure things out as they come towards you,” she joked.
That’s teamwork. And it’s what brought top-ranked Chelsea (16-3) its sixth state girls lacrosse title in the program’s 14-year history at the expense of the defending champion and third-seeded Wasps (11-7).
Amber bolted downfield with the opening draw control and scored just 11 seconds into the contest, igniting an opening 7-1 Red Devil burst in the game’s first 13½ minutes. Although Woodstock closed to within three goals in the second half, the Wasps never fully recovered.
Grace Kay punched home four goals with an assist for Chelsea, with Amber assisting on two of the tallies.
“I’d rather the other feeling, to be completely honest,” said Woodstock coach Amanda Soule, who guided the Wasps to a D-II championship in her first season with the team last June. “It’s amazing to get here, and we’re proud of that and we’ve worked hard all season to get to this point.
“There’s only one team that can win. Chelsea played a really great game today, and they deserved that win.”
The Red Devils, five years removed from their last girls lax crown, held healthy memories of a pair of close losses to Woodstock during the regular season. One, a 14-10 defeat to the Wasps on April 25, featured an 11-goal second half for Woodstock after Chelsea built a 6-3 lead at the break.
So Chelsea blitzed. They scored on draws. They forced turnovers and raced the other way with the ball. They passed with precision. They buried their free positions. And this time, once in possession of a big lead, they didn’t let it slip away.
“Woodstock is a very quick, a very fast team, so we worked probably half the season on our passing game,” Chelsea coach John Parker said. “The ball can always run faster than the people.”
Six different Devils — Amber, Tailor Chapin, Kiana Johnson, Maija Bradley, Kay and Sydnie Allen — contributed goals to the opening run. Chelsea passed and moved the ball crisply; by contract, the Wasps appeared to grip their sticks a little too tightly at the outset.
“Their passing and catching wasn’t what it usually is, by any means,” Soule said. “That’s how I can tell they’re not relaxing at all, and we have to get those nerves out somehow.”
Woodstock started showing signs of comfort once Lauren Kaija (three goals, two assists) and Miranda Johnson struck 17 seconds apart late in the first half to stop Chelsea’s initial run.
The Devils stretched the lead to a game-high seven goals, but Grace Vosburgh (three goals) and Kaija drew the Wasps within 10-5 by halftime.
Woodstock methodically pecked away at the deficit as the second half progressed. But the Wasps were never able to get their high-speed game going, not with two and three Chelsea defenders locking down Kaija and her teammates once they gained the ball.
The Wasps had the gap down to 11-8 with 12:21 left on goals from Nikki Sweeny, Abby Kaija and Vosburgh. Chelsea’s ability to hold and work the ball slowed the game down, enough that all Woodstock could do was trade single strikes the rest of the way.
“We really wanted to come out strong, because we knew they were great competitors,” Amber said. “We just wanted that confidence to keep us going and really show them who we are.”
Chelsea goalkeeper Lauren Halaquist (11 saves) did her part in securing the win. With Woodstock pressing late, Halaquist made four saves on Lauren Kaija shots and a fifth on a close-in denial of Woodstock’s Kallan Piconi.
Megan Dalton finished with eight saves for Woodstock, which loses nine players to graduation.
“Chelsea played a great game; they deserved the win today,” Soule said, her voice cracking. “But we worked so hard all season to get here, and we need to hold our heads high and be strong.”
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.