Staff Reports
QUECHEE — The Mid Vermont Christian soccer team dominated much of the first half against visiting Trinity Christian on Thursday. Which made the Eagles’ 2-0 halftime deficit and its eventual nonleague loss by the same score difficult for the Eagles to digest.
“I really thought we were going to win, even after they scored the first goal,” said MVCS coach Zach Bryan of his Vermont Division IV team’s opener. “We had 75% of the possession in the first half, but our offense, even with good passing, didn’t have a lot of drives with scoring potential. We kept getting the ball close to the goal line and then fizzling out.”
Trinity Christian, from Concord, scored during the 10th minute after spending virtually all of the first nine minutes stuck on its half of the Eagles’ postage stamp-sized field. The Swordsmen struck again seconds before intermission, a goal that clearly deflated the hosts, who played with only three substitutes during a fairly hot day.
“We’ve usually had only two extra players in past years,” said Bryan, noting that his team appeared to wear down during the second half. “If we could have scored the first goal, it could have been a completely different game.”
Senior goalkeeper Stan Nelson made eight saves for the Eagles, several of them outstanding. Bryan praised the towering backstop for his development and attitude improvement since first joining the team as an eighth-grade reserve. The coach also noted that midfielder Rachel Horner-Richardson might be his squad’s most valuable player.
“It’s only her third year of soccer and I wasn’t sure she was going to be much of a player,” Bryant said of a sophomore who picked up the sport in eighth grade. “But she has a better sense than anyone on the team of where to be. She’s never in the wrong place. Sometimes she gets overpowered because of her size and she can get overlooked, but she’s the core of our team.”
Unable to crack the Trinity defense was striker Dylan Patel, a tall senior whose obvious skill seemed to go unfulfilled.
“He can and has been a good scoring threat,” said Bryan, whose team visits Blue Mountain today. “He usually heats up in the second half of the season but we need that to happen earlier.”
Hanover 4, Bishop Guertin 1
HANOVER — Charlie Adams scored his second goal of the season and assisted on two to power Hanover to a 2-0-0 record.
Adams’ goal was the 43rd of his career, which places him second all-time in Hanover history. He already owns the Marauders’ points record and is seven goals away from tying the all-time career goal mark.
His two assists led to seniors Eli Stack and Blake Palmer set up each teammate’s first goal of the season. Junior Henry Aspinwall kicked off the scoring at the 35:23 mark for his first career goal, and junior Eric Ringer added the assist.
Hanover was able to get significant playing time for all 24 of its players, which will be valuable for its showdown at Bedford on Tuesday.
Brattleboro 2, Woodstock 0
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Woodstock had its chances but fell short to a Brattleboro team that was athletic and physical.
The loss drops the Wasps to 1-1-0 on the season. Steve Bianchi made nine saves for Woodstock, which visits Burr & Burton Academy on Saturday.
FIELD HOCKEY
Lebanon 7, Monadnock 0
SWANZEY, N.H. — Sydney Gonyea scored a hat trick and Molly Smith added three assists to lead the Raiders to a 2-0-0 start to the season.
Maddy Finnell scored the first goal for Lebanon with 11 minutes left in the first half, assisted by Smith. Gonyea scored her first on a pass from Smith with 7:05 left in the first half to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead.
From there the Raiders pounded Monadnock with five second-half goals. Gonyea and Smith each tallied two, and Finnell added one. Goalie Autumn Crowell made four saves for the Raiders, who host Stevens on Monday.
Woodstock 3, Springfield 1
WOODSTOCK — Sami Yates put away a penalty stroke five minutes into the second half to give Woodstock a lead it wouldn’t lose for its first win of the season.
After Springfield opened the scoring, Woodstock leveled through Mackenzie Yates, on an Allie Cimis pass, with 12 minutes left in the first half. Lily Gubbins scored with 12:29 remaining in the game to cap the Wasps’ offense. Maggie Parker made four saves for Woodstock (1-2-0), which hosts Rutland on Thursday.
GIRLS SOCCER
Stevens 2, InterLakes 0
CLAREMONT — Sydney Miller scored a penalty kick after a hand ball and Hannah Miller found the bottom right corner of the net to propel Stevens to victory.
The Cardinals (3-0-0) will host Monadnock on Tuesday.
Mill River 2, Woodstock 0
NORTH CLARENDON, Vt. — After a scoreless first half and most of the second, Mill River scored with 12 minutes remaining in the half and added a second nine minutes later.
Woodstock goalkeeper Emma Tarleton made some good saves, and the Wasps defense held strong for much of the contest. Woodstock plays at Otter Valley on Tuesday.
Stowe 2, Oxbow 0
STOWE, Vt. — The host Raiders kept the Olympians (0-1-0) off the scoreboard in their debut for new coach Dan Thomas.
“This was a tough opening game for our young team, considering the depth of Stowe’s program, and we knew this coming in,” Thomas said in an email. “Considering those odds, our effort on the pitch was admirable.”
Oxbow visits Lyndon on Friday.
CROSS COUNTRY
Mascoma sweeps Tigers
NEWPORT — Mascoma’s Alayna Miller nudged Newport’s Katrina Pickering by 22 seconds and Dirk Andrew earned a 27-second win as the Royals swept individual honors at a dual meet held on the Tigers’ 3.1-mile Corbin Covered Bridge Park course.
Miller clocked a time of 25 minutes, 10 seconds for the girls win, with Pickering following. Andrew led a Mascoma sweep of the boys race in 18:59, followed by teemates Gabe Rock (19:26) and Jack Buffington (20:58). Sean Moody was fifth for Newport in 21:07.
Due to Newport not having enough runners for team scores, Mascoma swept the meet.
BOYS GOLF
Marauders finish third
NASHUA, N.H. — Hanover senior Jack Meehan co-medaled with an even-par-36 and teammate Cameron Woods shot a 42, but the Marauders dropped a narrow three-team match at Nashua Country Club.
Junior Will Cahoon shot a 43, and Justin Alderdice and Patrick Daley rounded the Marauders with matching 45s. Hanover visits Derryfield Country Club in Manchester on Friday.
Team scores: Bishop Guertin 206, Concord 207, Hanover 210.
Allen medals at CWCC
CANTERBURY, N.H. — Finn Allen medaled with 23 points and Dylan Adamovich finished sixth with 14 points to lead the Cardinals to second place in a fourth-school match at Canterbury Woods Country Club.
Cedric Allen had 11 points and Reeve Wilkinson had nine to wrap Stevens’ scoring. The Cardinals travel Bishop Brady on Monday.
Team scores: Conant 59, Stevens 57, Belmont 55, Campbell 52.
VOLLEYBALL
MVCS 3, Trinity Christian 0
QUECHEE — Nyah Jenks had a nice run serving the ball to lead the Eagles to their first win of the season.
“It was a good win, definitely some things to work on,” coach Tom Schutziz said. “I’m encouraged on the way our team is coming together. It’s Nyah’s first season over-hand serving, and she hit the ball well for us tonight.”
Hayley Goodwin did a solid job attacking and setting, and sister Sydney thrived saving a few volleys.
Mid Vermont Christian (1-1) visits Essex on Wednesday.