Local Roundup: Whitchester’s Scoring Ace Finds the Net Again

Bethel — Zak Gillette continued to shine for the Whitcomb-Rochester High boys soccer team on Wednesday.

The senior’s goal during the 35th minute and off a Taylor Washburn assist lifted the Mountaineers to a 1-0 victory over Central Vermont League rival South Royalton in a Vermont Division IV first-round playoff game. Gillette, who’s still considering his college options, has scored 23 goals this fall.

“It was a one-sided match, but we couldn’t finish,” said Whitchester coach Corey Stearns, whose seventh-seeded team advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal at second-seeded West Rutland. “We hit the crossbar five times and had a goal called back.”

Stearns said his team held a 19-3 shot advantage and limited 10th-seeded South Royalton to one legitimate scoring opportunity. Dalton McDougall made eight saves for the Royals (7-8) and Isaac Hodgdon stopped one shot for the Mountaineers.

“It should have been 4-0 or 5-0,” Stearns said. “We didn’t allow a shot in the first half.”

The teams split their two regular-season games, Whitchester winning, 5-1, and the Royals prevailing, 5-3. Next up for the Moutaineers (9-5-1) is a familiar foe in West Rutland, which has eliminated Stearns’ team by a goal and in the quarterfinals each of the last two years.

“It’s going to be a hard-fought contest,” the coach said.

Girls Soccer Woodstock 2 Lake Region 1 (ot)

Woodstock — Alexa Tsouknakis scored during regulation play and Olivia Marsicovetere tallied in overtime to lift the eighth-seeded Wasps (6-7-1) into a Vermont Division II quarterfinal matchup with second-seeded Milton on Saturday.

Brittney Poljacik made 12 saves for Woodstock and Sarah Findesien, Rosalie Geiger and Hannah Milstone anchored the defense.

Stowe 9, Windsor 0

Stowe, Vt. — The Raiders scored during the second, 11th and 12th minutes en route to victory in a Vermont Division III first-round game played in the snow.

“It came down pretty hard and the grass got wet and the part of the field that’s over the baseball diamond was all snow,” Yellowjackets coach Bruce Mackay said.

“They adjusted to the weather better than we did and once they got those early goals, it went downhill.”

Fifteenth-seeded Windsor (3-12) played without several injured players against the second-seeded Raiders, who led, 5-0, at halftime.

Stowe, the defending division champion, eliminated Windsor during last season’s quarterfinals, 3-2.

Prospect Mountain 2 Stevens 1 (ot)

Alton, n.h. — Jazmyn Griffin gave the visiting Cardinals a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the second half, but the eighth-seeded Timberwolves answered a minute later and prevailed on a penalty kick four minutes into overtime.

A hand-ball foul resulted in the NHIAA Division II playoff game’s deciding play.

Amber Duford made four saves for ninth-seeded Stevens (9-8).

Peoples 6, Rivendell 0

Morrisville, Vt. — The 10th-seeded Raptors (8-7) trailed the seventh-seeded Wolves by four goals at halftime of the Vermont Division III first-round contest.

Mount St. Joseph 10South Royalton 0

Rutland — The 11th-seeded Royals (4-10) fell to the sixth-seeded Mounties in a Vermont Division IV, first-round playoff game.

Williamstown 1, Oxbow 0 (ot)

Willamstown, Vt. — The eighth-seeded Blue Devils downed the ninth-seeded Olympians (7-8) in a Vermont Division III first-round playoff contest.

KUA 5, Vermont Academy 0

Meriden — Molly Flanagan and Annie McKeown each scored twice and Maddy Gesner added a goal for the Wildcats, who visit Hebron (Maine) Academy on Saturday.

Girls Volleyball MVCS 3, Randolph 1

Randolph — The 10th-seeded Eagles (4-9) beat the seventh-seeded Galloping Ghosts by set scores of 25-22, 11-25, 25-17 and 25-16. The teams split their two regular-season matchups.

Emily Jasmin had 20 assists, six digs and four aces. Taylor Paquette had six kills, three blocks and 18 digs. Rachel Seale contributed 14 kills and six aces for MVC, which visits second-seeded Champlain Valley on Friday for a quarterfinal match.

Women’s Basketball Dartmouth Picked Fifth

Princeton, n.j. — The Dartmouth women’s basketball team has been picked to finish fifth in the eight-team Ivy League this winter. The Big Green was 7-7 in league play and finished fourth last season, its best standing since 2009.

Pennsylvania, Princeton, Harvard and Cornell were picked to finish ahead of Dartmouth. Yale, Brown and Columbia were picked to finish behind it.

Dartmouth opens the season on Nov. 11 against visiting Central Connecticut State.

College Sailing Dartmouth Pair Sweep NEISA Awards

Cranston, r.i. — Dartmouth’s Charles Lalumiere and Rebecca McElvain were recognized as the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s competitors of the week.

They helped the Big Green to a victory last week at the Sherman Hoyt Trophy race in Providence, R.I.

Both sailors competed in Division A, where Dartmouth finished finished ninth or better in every race of the 13-race series. Their performance led to a 31-point victory at one of the biggest coed events in the country.

Women’s Field Hockey Dartmouth 2, Crusaders 1

Hanover — Freshman Carmen Braceras scored with two minutes remaining to lift the Big Green to a 2-1 victory over visiting Holy Cross.

Katie Spanos assisted on the winning play.

Dartmouth (4-10) snapped a seven-game losing streak and dropped the Crusaders to 8-8. Morgan Philie gave the Big Green a 1-0 lead during the 44th minute before Holy Cross answered seven minutes later.

Dartmouth hosts Harvard on Saturday for its final home game of the season.