Woodstock
Allard certainly appeared in his element during Monday’s Vermont Division II quarterfinal against the Wasps, making eight saves and withstanding 18 Woodstock corner kicks during Hartford’s 2-0 win.
Freshman Nick Jones and senior Pat McGlone scored on assists by Kyle Prior for the No. 5 Hurricanes (9-5-2), who advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2013. They’ll face top-seeded Milton on the road on Wednesday.
No. 4 Woodstock finishes 11-3-3, two of its losses coming against Hartford. The other was also a 2-0 decision in Woodstock in September, a game Allard manned for one of his four solo regular-season shutouts (he shared two more with Nick Dorian).
On Monday, Allard turned away numerous quality Woodstock chances as the Wasps — having trailed since Jones’ ninth-minute goal — tried desperately to net an equalizer. Allard sprawled to deflect a quick-release zinger from Collin Campbell at the right post in the 52nd minute and stymied a similar chance by Campbell with 11 minutes to play.
Allard was never far from the action while coping with Woodstock’s barrage of corner kicks, a category the Wasps enjoyed a surprising 18-2 advantage in.
McGlone’s insurance goal came late, all but clinching the win with 1:06 to play.
Charging out of the box to bat away a last-gasp Woodstock shot as time expired, an exuberant Allard shouted “Let’s go! Let’s go!” while bounding toward his teammates at midfield. The moment reflected the energy the senior played with throughout the game, especially in the second half with the Woodstock student section nearby.
“It was a little crazy in there. You’re playing against your good friends, and the student section is in your ear the whole time,” said Allard, a three-sport standout who transferred to Hartford as a freshman in part because of his desire to play for the Hurricanes baseball team. “(Woodstock’s student section) actually helped me out, gave me some extra motivation. Considering I grew up here and still live here, it’s really all the motivation I need.”
The Hurricanes dominated the first 10 minutes, imposing their size advantage and testing Wasps keeper Jack Arthur.
Hartford went up 1-0 on just its second shot, Prior finding a streaking Jones on the right flank before the freshman sent a drive to the upper left corner for his fourth goal of the year.
Prior, who leads Hartford with 14 goals, missed the team’s regular-season finale against Rutland with an ankle injury and was limited during Hartford’s first-round win over Mill River. Friday’s rainout that postponed the quarterfinal with the Wasps gave the senior an extra three days on the mend.
“It’s still not 100 percent; it’ll definitely be sore after today,” Prior said. “But it sure helped to have six days between games.”
Resilient Woodstock began playing with renewed vigor midway through the first half, utilizing its superior speed to generate possessions. Long throw-ins by Griffin Van Neil led to chances by Woodstock’s Will Crompton — whose well-timed release went just over the crossbar — and Cody Carnehammer, whose shot to the right post was met by Allard.
Meanwhile, Woodstock racked up the corner-kick opportunities thanks to continued pressure, garnering seven in the first half and 11 in the second.
Woodstock’s Cullen McCarthy served up a number of well-placed offerings during those corners, but Allard and Hartford’s defense were well-positioned.
“I’d say this game lived up to the hype,” said Woodstock coach Tom Avellino. “It was a physical game, but a clean game. I think we had the better of possessions and, my gosh, all those corner kicks. We had chances, but it just wasn’t to be for us.”
With Prior resting on the sideline near the end of regulation, Hartford coach Kevin Guilbault urged him to play with a more possession-oriented style, including movement to the corners to help facilitate passing opportunities.
Prior did just that to set up McGlone’s late goal, dribbling in the left corner before spotting him near the top of the goalmouth. After Prior’s pass, McGlone had just enough time to rip a mid-range shot past Arthur.
“It’s never really pretty with us, but we’ve been finding ways to get it done,” Guilbault said. “Woodstock played with a lot of energy and was throwing everything at us,and we sort of fell into where we were protecting the lead. We talk about not doing that all the time, but at some point, I think, it’s human nature to do that.
“Fortunately we had an outstanding performance by our goalkeeper today. He keeps us loose, but he trains hard and when he’s on, he’s really hard to beat.”
Free Kicks: Wednesday’s semifinal at Milton is at 6 p.m. and will be the teams’ first playoff meeting since the Yellowjackets’ 2-1 overtime win in the semis 25 years ago. … Hartford and Woodstock hadn’t met in the playoffs since the Wasps’ 1-0 quarterfinal win in 1989. … Jones’ goal was his first since Sept. 30. … Woodstock’s Hartley Walker-Money left the game favoring his left leg in the 18th minute. He returned in the second half. … Hartford improved to 6-2-3 in its last 11 games against the Wasps, a state finalist each of the last two years. … Woodstock graduates 10 seniors.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.