Moretown, Vt.
The No. 7 Wasps — who fell to No. 6 Harwood, 7-0, Wednesday — sustained the loss of some 10 seniors from last year’s campaign and surprised even themselves.
“We outdid a lot of expectations this year,” Woodstock co-captain Cullen McCarthy said. “We came in seventh seed, came to semis; I mean, that’s a big feat for us. A big feat for a rebuilding year. … I’m really happy for the boys. It’s obviously not a happy moment right now, losing the last game of senior year, but in all, it was a great season.”
Woodstock’s sophomore goalie, Steven Bianchi, was tested early and made several impressive saves in both outstretched and diving fashion, but Harwood’s relentless pressure began to take its toll midway through the first half.
Charlie Zschau scored for the hosts in the 21st minute and the Highlanders were off to the races from there, amassing a 3-0 lead by halftime.
“We played a very skillful, talented team,” Woodstock co-captain Griffin Van Niel said. “They came hard. We came hard, but they just had a better edge on us. … As soon as they had one goal, they just opened the floodgates on us and just started pumping in more.”
Woodstock, which won five straight games heading into Wednesday’s semifinal, finished 10-5-2, a year after an 11-3-2 campaign that culminated with a quarterfinal loss to Hartford. The No. 3 Hurricanes lost to Harwood (10-3-1) on penalty kicks in last week’s quarters, while the Wasps took care of No. 2 Milton, 3-1.
“At the beginning, I did not think we would be this far at all,” Van Niel said. “One thing to look at is that, hey, we upset Milton; a 7 seed over a 2 seed.”
Woodstock’s sixth-year coach, Tom Avellino, who led the team to D-II runner-up honors in 2014 and ’15, said several members of the Harwood roster are year-round club players, which was evident Wednesday.
“They’re quick,” Avellino said. “They’re very skilled with the ball at their feet. Certainly a notch above us; a big notch above us. We have great work ethic, we try to outwork our opponents, but sometimes you can only do so much. I mean, speed kills you. … They’re very hard to defend, and they’re pretty relentless with their skill.”
Lopsided losses are not easy to stomach, especially in the playoffs, but Avellino still pointed to a silver lining.
“For us to be a final-four team with a first-year sophomore keeper and four freshmen, that’s a nice accomplishment for us,” he said. “We’re happy with the season. Making a final four appearance is pretty nice. The loss it tough, but we’ll take it.”
Notes: Bianchi ended up with 11 saves on Wednesday. … Backup keeper Owen Tarleton finished the game in net, registering two saves. … Emilio Montano led Woodstock in points on the season with 10 goals and five assists. … The Wasps posted six shutouts overall. … Woodstock defender Min Purvis sent several long services into the Woodstock box on set pieces, but none helped puncture the Highlander shutout. … The clock turned to running time after Harwood took a five-goal advantage. … Jacob O’Brien scored four goals for the Highlanders. … Both teams attempted three corner kicks. … The Highlanders outshot the visitors 29-9. … Harwood will face No. 1 Lake Region in Saturday’s state final at South Burlington High School.