White River Junction
Down big are the participation numbers from seasons past, a combination of last year’s large senior class and a number of student-athletes who chose not to join the team this fall. The roster includes 24 players this season. Only two of them — Caitlin Gaudet and Emily Ricker — are returning seniors. The program also does not feature a junior varsity team for the first time in years.
The result is a change in the program’s makeup, one that did not show in Thursday’s lopsided 3-0 season-opening victory over visiting Mount Anthony.
Junior forward Annaleigh Lynch found the back of the net twice for the Hurricanes, who outshot the Patriots, 18-2, and finished the game with a 22-0 advantage on penalty corners.
Hartford senior goalkeeper Isabella Lukowitz made both saves for the shutout.
“I respect the kids’ decisions. I am all about the kids who have come out. I will make a team of whatever we have,” said Scudder, in her second year back at the helm after a short respite and her 30th season overall. “I hope they enjoy it. I’m a competitive person. I don’t waste your time; you don’t waste mine. That’s not necessarily the drum that a lot of people beat.
“I understand that my personality, my coaching style, may not be right for freshmen,” she added. “Last year, I had a lot of freshmen. They go from eighth grade, where it’s all fun and games, to, ‘No, there’s a right and a wrong to just about everything here.’ This group … they are sponges open to learning. That’s why I love them so.”
Lynch got Hartford on the board with 15 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the first half, deflecting a long-range shot from junior midfielder and Canes track and field star Kennedy Mullen past MAU senior goalkeeper Savannah Rogers. Hartford took nine shots on goal and was awarded 10 corners before halftime.
Mount Anthony’s first shot on goal came with 10:40 left in the second half, an attempt that was kicked away by Lukowitz. The Hurricanes scored again with 6:20 left on the clock, with junior forward Daisy Phelps rocketing home a penalty stroke awarded after a Mount Anthony defender’s foot stopped a shot on the goal line. Lynch scored minutes later for Hartford’s third goal, cleaning up a loose ball on the left side of the net.
For senior captain Ricker, the first few weeks of practice have felt different than in years past.
“Starting in preseason, there was no tryouts,” Ricker said. “We just went right in. I think it’s really good because we’re all connected; there’s not like two different teams (junior varsity and varsity) that have to connect. It’s one big team. … It’s definitely weird. It makes everyone try to push each other more.”
Hartford graduated seven seniors from last year’s team, including playmakers Morgan Pero, Michaela Ricker, Hannah Cooney and Morgan Fisk. The Hurricanes finished the season with an 8-5-2 record, earning the VPA Division I tournament’s fourth seed before losing to No. 5 Colchester in the quarterfinals.
“There was no instruction two years prior,” Scudder said of the team she inherited last season. “I had numbers, but it was a clean slate still. I think even that was harder. … Not only were we freshmen- and sophomore-loaded, the seniors’ game experience and game knowledge was in the basic form.”
Scudder said she’s been impressed with her team’s commitment, even with the suddenly limited numbers.
“I really like my team,” she said. “I think they all have immense pressure. What I love about them is when you correct them, a lot of kids take it personally. … It’s not personal. You need to make mistakes and have them pointed out to grow. We respect mistakes; we make mistakes. I hope what I see out of this team is a completely different team in October.”
The Canes face two early tests in the next week, first traveling to three-time D-I state champion South Burlington on Saturday afternoon. Hartford then visits Bellows Falls — 46-2-2 the last three years with three state titles, two in D-III, one in D-II — next Thursday.
Ricker said she and her teammates will have a much better sense of their team by this time next week.
“We’ll be able to know what our weaknesses are, more,” she said. “Sometimes we play down to another team’s level. If we get challenged harder, then we’ll figure out our weaknesses.”
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Notes: Hartford had trouble getting on the practice field this week. It started with a scheduled off-day on Monday for the Labor Day holiday. Scudder then served jury duty on Tuesday, and practice was canceled on Wednesday for the heat. … Gaudet was carried off the field on a golf cart in the second half for a knee injury right in front of Mount Anthony’s goal. She was later seen with ice and a bandage on her right knee. … Saturday’s contest against the Rebels is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.