Orford
The loss was Rivendell’s first of the season, after a 7-0-0 start, since moving down to VPA Division IV following several years in D-III. It was also the Raptors’ third goal allowed all year. Northfield-Williamstown plays in D-II in its first season as a co-op team; Williamstown lost to Stowe in the D-III final last season.
Thatcher took the loss philosophically.
“It’s been fun,” Thatcher said of his team’s start. “But life’s best learning experience is you have to lose at something at some point. I think these guys really showed the character that they have, individually and collectively.”
Despite the defeat, Rivendell junior defender Max Haehnel described a team in sync midway through the fall and in good shape to bring the Raptors to their first-ever championship game.
“I think we have a great group of guys,” Haehnel said. “We’ve got a lot of chemistry, a lot guys that have played together for a while now. … We’re doing pretty well with playing with each other.”
Medow’s goal, which followed an over-the-top pass from Northfield-Williamstown’s Manny Mercado, was one of Rivendell’s few defensive mishaps in what was an otherwise stellar game for Raptors goalkeeper Dashiel Fukushima. The senior finished the game with eight saves, including a point-blank chance on Mercado in the final minutes of regulation.
Rivendell’s biggest problem was its lack of finish, its closest chance coming midway through the second half off of a screaming shot from Raptors leading goal scorer Owen Pelletier that ricocheted high off the crossbar.
Rivendell had outscored opponents, 33-2, in its first seven games but came up empty against a stingy Northfield-Williamstown defense. Visiting goalkeeper Bryce MacDougall made 10 saves.
“They’re a Division II school with about 170 kids,” Thatcher said. “We’re D-IV with 72 kids. Eighteen of the best are here with me every day.”
Haehnel said it took a bit of adjustment to match Northfield-Williamstown’s chippiness but added that it wasn’t something the Raptors haven’t done before. Referees handed both teams warnings several times throughout the game and stopped play following particular sets of physicality.
“There was some chippiness there,” Haehnel said. “But they’re a good team. It was a good fight. … We’ve been pretty good in the past about adapting to the way others play.”
Added Thatcher: “I’ll take this crew anywhere, anytime.”
Still, this year’s squad seems to pack more of a punch following 10-5 season in D-III last year that ended with an overtime goal against Peoples in the first round. Pelletier traded Oxbow football — a program on varsity hiatus due to low numbers — for a key position in the Raptors’ offense and has rewarded the team with 13 goals and four assists.
Add speedy sophomore forward Johnny Vogelien, who has matured into a key offensive cog with nine goals and three assists, and the Raptors seem poised to make a deep run in a division long dominated by its Central Valley League neighbors.
“Everything about this team, from day one, has been upbeat and positive,” Thatcher said.
And maybe not having to worry about the pressure to be perfect can, ultimately, be a good thing.
“I’d rather play a lot of really good teams, where we have to fight to compete with them,” Haehnel said. “As far as losing that track of undefeated now, I’m completely fine with that.”
Notes: Players on the field noticed that the three game balls were flat about eight minutes into the first half. Rivendell officials rushed to find a pump to fill the balls with air as play continued. … Rivendell split its two games against Williamstown last year, a 3-2 loss on the road on Sept. 27 and a 2-1 win on Oct. 6. … Rivendell hosts Blue Mountain (0-4-0) today before traveling to undefeated South Royalton (5-0-0) on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.