White River Junction
Goalie Emi Harlow, midfielder Morgan Pero, middie-defenseman Michaela Ricker and midddie-attack Alice Dwyer gave the Hurricanes the most representatives on the all-state first team of any school on the list. Guided by first-year head coach Heather Hartford, the Canes posted a program-best 12-3 regular-season mark, earning the third seed — another new school standard — in the postseason.
Hartford scored an 11-3 win over St. Johnsbury in the quarterfinals to make its first semifinal appearance, which ended in a 13-9 loss to eventual champion U-32. Pero had three goals and one assist in the contest, with Dwyer scoring twice and Ricker once. Harlow, Hartford’s backstop all season, made eight saves.
Woodstock contributed senior defender Annabelle Lessard to the first-team list. Although only 3-12 for the whole of the season, Lessard and the Wasps played their best defensive lacrosse late in the campaign and earned a first-round tournament upset of Stowe as a reward.
The D-II all-state first team also includes two Upper Valley girls who played for Waitsfield’s Green Mountain Valley School this season. Norwich’s Emma Austin, a sophomore, and Lyme’s Maggie McCutcheon, a senior, powered the Gumbies to the D-II final, an eventual 9-8 loss to U-32 that ended GMVS’ reign atop the division. Austin had two goals and a pair of assists in the title-game defeat.
Hartford also placed Carolyn North Zoey Pfeiffer on the D-II second team, and defender Megan Libuda earned honorable mention. Norwich University-bound midfielder-attack Brittney Poljacik made the second team for Woodstock, which added middies Sidney Pilot and Audrey Eggum to the honorable mention unit.
Lessard (first team) and Poljacik (honorable mention) both earned spots on the all-Marble Valley League squad as well.
A Sporting Going-Away Gift: The Hanover High School athletic program sent longtime athletic director Mike Jackson toward retirement recently with an honor the school hasn’t enjoyed in a decade: the NHIAA Division II sportsmanship award.
The state association hands out honors to schools in each of its four divisions, and has done so since 1991-92. Schools rate each other on sportsmanship throughout the year, with points accumulating based on the number of rating received by the NHIAA and the number of points earned through those ratings. Programs can lose points through player and coach game disqualifications. Schools that don’t submit rating of other programs aren’t considered for the sportsmanship award.
Hanover last claimed the honor in 2006-07 and won it back-to-back for the former Class I in 2001-02 and 2002-03. Lebanon (D-II: 2015-16), Sunapee (Class S: 1998-99, 2000-01; D-IV: 2012-13), Newport (Class M: 1996-97, 2006-07) and Rivendell Academy predecessor Orford High (Class I: 1997-98).
Tops in Tennis: Fresh from winning their second straight VPA Division II state championship, four members of the Woodstock High girls tennis program have been honored by the Marble Valley League for their efforts this spring.
Longtime coach Tom Hopewell was named the MVL’s coach of the year for guiding Woodstock to a perfect 17-0 season, capped by last month’s 5-2 defeat of Harwood in the D-II title match. The Wasps have posted five undefeated regular seasons in 20 years under Hopewell, who owns a 260-53 career record with three state crowns, according to VPA records.
Woodstock’s top three singles players — Momo Biele, Grace Frazier and Kenzie Biele — all earned first-team spots on the Marble Valley League’s all-star squad. Team honors went to Momo Biele (coach’s award), Frazier (captain’s award), Katey McMaster (most improved) and the doubles team of Lydia Howe and Olivia Marsicovetere (most valuable).
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.