Orford
The latest example came in Saturday’s 2-1 overtime win over visiting Whitcomb-Rochester, DeSouza sending in a long pass over the defense that Bergwedel finished with a low-lying shot past Mountaineers goalie Isaac Hodgdon in the 83rd minute.
DeSouza, a native of Brazil, had a head start on Burgwedel, moving to the area prior to last season and finishing as Rivendell’s second-leading scorer with 12 goals in 2015. He’s got a new partner on the front line in Burgwedel, who moved from Paderborn, Germany, to stay with a relative beginning this summer.
Both seniors, DeSouza and Burgwedel say the game is played more physically in the U.S., compared with the possession-heavy brands of the game they were taught in their homelands. If more bumping and occasional bruising bothers either, they haven’t been showing it lately.
DeSouza had a hat trick last week against Stratton Mountain, and leads the team with seven assists, while Burgwedel of late has simply flourished. The German scored four times in Rivendell’s 7-1 win against Central Vermont League rival South Royalton on Thursday and has eight goals in the Raptors’ last four games, 12 in their last seven.
“In Germany, the game is played more flat on (positional) lines, a less physical style,” Burgwedel said. “So playing the game here was new for me, but my speed helps and I think I’m getting used to it.”
Saturday was the second time DeSouza and Burgwedel have connected for an overtime winner, combining on a similar play to cap a mid-September win over Sharon Academy.
“It’s a play we work on, getting it over the head of the defense and Robert getting in front,” DeSouza said. “In Brazil, we call it ‘the beautiful game,’ and that is kind of how we’re trying to play it there.”
Saturday’s match with Whitchester was attractive, with the Mountaineers and Raptors combining for just 20 fouls while each tried to extend unbeaten streaks. Whitcomb-Rochester (8-4-1) had gone 5-0-1 since late September, Rivendell (7-4) with its fourth straight.
A matinee in chilly conditions, the tempo was middling at the outset before the Mountaineers’ Zak Gillette scored from the right side off the left post and past Rivendell keeper Dashiel Fukushima in the 17th minute. Ambrose Wigglesworth sent the ball in from the midfield for the assist.
The pace quickened and Rivendell began applying pressure, as Collin Gould set up DeSouza for a point-blank bid that was halted by Hodgdon, who moments later swallowed up a DeSouza direct kick. Yet another DeSouza chance later was flicked behind Hodgdon before the ball alertly was knocked off the goal line by Whitcomb-Rochester defender Gavin Turner.
At halftime, Raptors coach Bob Thatcher had a clear message: stay in high gear.
“I told them, ‘This game is going to come down to perseverance and passion,’ ” said Thatcher, whose team improved to 3-1 in overtime games. “I said, ‘It’s up to you guys. It’s been a great game. Let’s make it better.’ ”
It did get better for Rivendell in the 61st minute, when the third hand ball against Whitchester came inside the box for a Raptors penalty kick. Gould placed it high and to the left out of the reach of Hodgdon for his fifth goal of the season and a 1-1 tie.
“That’s just the way the ball bounces,” Mountaineers coach Corey Stearns said of the hand ball whistles. “It’s not something that’s been a problem for us this year.”
It didn’t take the Raptors very long to snap the deadlock once overtime began, as DeSouza found time in stride just 2:15 after extra play began. Hodgdon got a piece of the ball, but it skidded past him on the ground in the center of the goalmouth.
“I told the guys they’ve got to go low on this keeper, because he’s tall and he’s too good up high,” Thatcher said. “Obviously, they listened.”
Gillette, a team captain who scored his 100th career goal earlier this season, wasn’t discouraged by the result. Whitcomb-Rochester, which plays in Division IV, wraps up the regular season against Craftsbury on Thursday.
“I think this was probably our best game of the year, to play the way we did on the road against a solid D-III team,” Gillette said. “Getting a win is nice because it bumps you up in the standings, but there’s no reason to have our heads down. I think we’ll be stronger after this going into next week and the playoffs.”
Free Kicks: Rivendell held a 20-15 edge in shots and 6-2 advantage on corner kicks. … Whitchester dressed only 13 players as its junior varsity team played at St. Johnsbury and one starter, senior midfielder Taylor Washburn, missed the game because of a master plumber’s exam. … Thatcher’s son, Michael, was visiting from Massachusetts with his infant son and spoke to the Raptors at halftime. Michael Thatcher was Rivendell’s first all-state soccer player when the school opened in 2000 and went on to play at Lyndon State College. … It was the fifth straight home game for the Raptors, who will make it six on senior day Tuesday against Cabot.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.