WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Thunderbirds and lightning. Very, very frightening.
The Hartford High boys soccer team saw a promising run into the VPA Division II state tournament come to an abrupt end on Tuesday night. A Ryan Raleigh goal seconds into the second half combined with an evening of physical defense sent 12th-seeded Missisquoi past the fifth-ranked Canes, 1-0, in a first-round match at Hartford High School.
After Raleigh scored the match’s only goal, the Thunderbirds (4-10-1) rode a tight, physical defense to the upset. Kyle Gilbert posted a five-save shutout to deny the Canes (10-5-0).
“As a coach, one of your fears — and especially with soccer — is you go out, control the play, you make one mistake, they put it in the net and you have a hard time scoring,” Hartford coach Kevin Guilbault said. “Unfortunately, we made the mistake, they got the first goal, and we could not get one past their goalkeeper.”
The defeat capped a down night all around for Hartford. The Hurricane girls opened Tuesday’s first-round doubleheader with a 5-1 loss to Rice in a matchup of eighth and ninth seeds.
In the boys contest, Hartford matched its skill to Missisquoi’s physical play through a scoreless opening half.
The Canes had the best chances to break the deadlock in the opening half. Speedy senior Nick Jones couldn’t nod an Aiden Brooks delivery on frame in the 17th minute, and midfielder Tarin Prior kissed the crossbar with a wind-aided cross in the 28th. Penalty-kick appeals reached deaf ears twice, with both Hartford players falling on their own more than being pulled down.
Hartford netminder Shane Miller wasn’t left without work. Raleigh provided the most threat, drilling a 33rd-minute free kick into Miller’s hands and having an apparent goal in the 37th erased for tugging the shirt of a Hartford defender.
Raleigh converted at 40:35. Hartford’s defense failed to clear a bounding ball at the top of its penalty area, and Raleigh snuck in to score past Miller (one save).
Jones, Hartford’s top scorer, had the Canes’ best chance to equalize. Left alone in the center of the box for a Brooks corner, Jones delivered a bullet header that hit Gilbert square in the chest for the save.
“I’m very proud of how they performed throughout the season,” Guilbault said. “It’s just unfortunate that we didn’t get a goal today.”
In the girls opener, ninth-seeded Rice (8-6-1) used quickness and technical superiority to oust No. 8 Hartford (8-7-0). Autumn Carstensen and Alex Dostie both had two-goal games for the Green Knights.
“They’re probably one of the top (No.) 9 seeds you’re ever going to see,” Hartford girls coach Jeff Acker said. “It’s a closer game, probably, than 5-1, ultimately. We had chances; they buried theirs, and we didn’t.”
Hartford got off to a quick start. A second-minute corner kick led to a goalmouth scramble, with Rice netminder Khadija Hussein (six saves) finally pouncing on an Eleanor Hinckley poke in traffic.
The Green Knights took over shortly after that.
Carstensen, a defender-turned-wing, delivered the first goal at 6:30, one-timing a 20-yarder over the outstretched hands of Hartford keeper Kaylyn Bills (three saves) after Maris Lynn’s rolling cross from the right corner. Carstensen helped double the visitors’ lead at 12:02 with a feed that Alex Dostie corralled before tucking under Bills’ arm.
A block of a hard Hartford free kick in Rice’s penalty area led to the Knights’ third goal at 39:04, Carstensen cutting back on a Maddie Goddard outlet to loop a 16-yarder over Bills. Hartford’s Reilly Slusser scored less than 10 seconds later to give the Canes’ some halftime hope.
Rice killed off any Hartford comeback hopes shortly after the resumption of play. Dostie notched her second of the night at 48:26 before feeding her younger sister, Melanie Dostie, on a counter at 53:13.
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Corner Kicks: Hartford will serve as host for the VPA Division III girls and boys soccer championship matches on Nov. 2 at the Maxfield Sports Complex. It’s the school’s first opportunity to be a neutral-site state championship site. … The Canes’ Carolyn North played the girls match with her left arm in a pink cast extending from her wrist to above her elbow. North, who missed two weeks with the injury, received medical clearance to play 20 minutes before game time, Acker said. … North and four others seniors — Makenna Druge, Abbie Koff, Caroline Cassell and Megan Libuda — suited up for the final time for the Hartford girls. … Hartford’s boys graduate Jones, Mykel Fungi, Nemo Arnold, Jacob Mayotte, Andrew St. Martin, Kaj Boeri, Cedar Duda and Charles Scribner.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.