WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Parker Kuhnert knew he had to finish.
Minutes before, the Woodstock junior midfielder had a chance to end Tuesday’s Southern Vermont League boys soccer game with host Hartford. A pass from Harrison Morse cut across a Hartford defender, but Kuhnert’s shot went wide right of the goal.
Once again, four minutes into overtime, he received the same opportunity on a great through ball from Morse again. Kuhnert took the pass outside the box, dribbled up a few yards and sent in the game-winning goal to the bottom right corner.
Woodstock prevailed, 2-1, over Hartford thanks to Kuhnert’s heroics at Maxfield Sports Complex.
“I had just missed that one. No way I was missing it again,” he said. “It was like he knew where I was going to go, so I could run onto it.
“Whenever we play Hartford, it’s a fight. We know whenever it goes into overtime, it’s a 50-50. Whoever makes the most of their chances is going to get it.”
For the better half of the game, Hartford (8-3) dominated.
The Canes had the leg up in possession. Goalie Shane Miller made all the right decisions. Woodstock struggled to create offensive opportunities.
Things looked worse for the Wasps 10 minutes into the second half. Nick Jones put Hartford ahead, 1-0, on a one-timer from the left side of the pitch, scoring his 14th goal of the season.
But the Canes offense stalled soon after. The passes that set up Jones’ goal weren’t being made, which didn’t allow for strong shots on net.
“I think we get ourselves in good situations, and we just don’t follow through,” Hartford coach Kevin Guilbault said. “It’s that final quality pass or the quality of a shot in the offensive third — whether it’s a bad service, a guy not finishing a run. We obviously left a lot of chances out there today, and it came back to bite us.”
With less than 20 minutes to play, Woodstock started to move the ball on the Hartford defense.
A long ball was pushed up to the penalty area. Miller tried to make a play on the ball, but he couldn’t reach it. Morse took advantage by heading the ball to the upper right corner of the goal to tie the game.
Woodstock’s bench exploded in cheers.
Two weeks before, the Wasps had lost at home to Hartford, 1-0, and also lost the centerpiece to their offense: junior captain Tommy Bissaillon. In the loss, Bissaillon, a three-sport athlete, injured his left leg severely enough that it may take roughly a year to rehab. Through the first six games of the season, he tallied three goals and two assists for the Wasps. Without him, they’ve had to rediscover their offensive identity.
On Tuesday, Morse’s header helped Woodstock (7-3-2) reinvigorate its offense on the fly after two straight ties.
“We weren’t playing our best,” Woodstock coach Tom Avellino said. “We all took ownership in it. We didn’t hide from it. We rectified it. We took it on the chest and moved on.
“You don’t replace him (Tommy). He’s too valuable, he’s the heart and soul of the team. He brought so much more as a team leader. You hope that you carry a little piece of Tommy on the field. You hope to spread it out.”
Entering play Tuesday, Woodstock was ranked 10th in VPA Division II, and Hartford was third. Both teams are still battling for the Southern Vermont League crown, too.
For now, the focus for Woodstock is to move up in the rankings for home-field advantage come playoff time. Hartford, however, has to figure out its offensive woes.
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Notes: Woodstock plays Saturday when Mill River visits. The Canes travel to Mount Anthony on Friday. … Avellino said that his goalie, Stephen Bianchi, is one of the best in Division II. He made 12 saves against Hartford. … Freshman forward Nolan McMahon played a strong game for Hartford. Shane Miller made 11 saves.
Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.