LEBANON — Kaeley Skakalski’s first goal of the season could not have come at a better time.
Skakalski fired in the game-winning goal with 24 seconds remaining in overtime, off a rebound from Sydney Gonyea, as the fourth-seeded Lebanon High field hockey team squeaked past No. 13 Kearsarge, 1-0, on Wednesday afternoon in an NHIAA Division III tournament opener.
“We came out slow,” Raiders coach Amanda Valliere said. “It looked an awful lot like we thought it’d be an easier game. Playoffs are totally different. Kearsarge came out fast and energized. It took us a while to get going. Everything was off. We weren’t communicating well. But we pulled ourselves out of the mud in second half.”
Lebanon (12-3-0) created seven corner opportunities in the second half. Goalie Autumn Crowell collected five saves and the shutout. Sydney Brochu played a key role, helping the Raiders find stability on the defensive end.
Lebanon will now host No. 5 Mascoma on Saturday in a matchup of last year’s NHIAA D-III semifinals.
“I’m excited, obviously a huge game with a crosstown rivalry feel,” Valliere said. “Jenn (Hammond) and I are good friends, so that obviously adds an element. We’re both going to come out trying to win, but also have fun.”
WEST CANAAN — Natalie Poitras and Amelia Wilson (one assist) both netted two goals to guide No. 5 Mascoma past No. 12 Winnisquam in the start of the Royals’ NHIAA D-III title defense.
Mackenzie Labrie and Nikki Williams (one assist) also had goals for Mascoma (12-3-0), and Michaela Dowd added an assist. The Royals, who beat Lebanon, 2-1, in the regular season, will visit the Raiders on Saturday.
NEW IPSWICH, N.H. — The Cardinals (8-7-0) held an early lead but surrendered a pair of goals in the second half to fall in the NHIAA D-III first round.
Zoey Foote scored for Stevens in the first half to help the Cardinals hold a 1-0 lead at the break. Mascenic followed with a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 7:27 left to play.
Stevens will graduate Clara Avery, Riley Craig, Fallon Lavertue, Scotlyn Daignault, Lexi Eitapence, Rylee Little, Jenna March, Emily Emerson and Nicole Salls.
BERLIN, N.H. — The Tigers saw their season end in the first round of the NHIAA D-III playoffs at No. 7 Berlin.
Newport finishes the season at 8-7-0 and will lose Lacy McNeel and Alyshya Lee to graduation.
MONTPELIER — The visiting ninth-seeded Wasps scored the game-winning goal in the 58th minute, upsetting No. 8 U-32 in the first round of the VPA Division II tournament.
Junior Andrew Gubbins netted Woodstock’s first goal in the first three minutes off a corner kick from Parker Kuhnert.
The Raiders scored the equalizer in the 57th minute, but it was short-lived.
Kuhnert hammered home the game-winner a minute later on a pass from Harrison Morse. Stephen Bianchi made six saves in net, including four in the second half.
Defender Mason Harkins made his first appearance of the season for Woodstock (10-3-2) after sitting out the regular season with a collarbone injury.
The Wasps advanced to the quarterfinals and play at Stowe on Friday.
SOUTH ROYALTON — No. 6 seed White River Valley (9-6-0) picked up an opening-round VPA D-IV tourney win, powered by two first-half goals.
Jacob Barry scored 20 minutes into the match on a throw-in from Zeb Perreault. Ten minutes later, Paul Metzer found the back of the net off an assist from Donovan Forcier.
Richford scored with 10 minutes to go, but it wasn’t enough. Goalie Timber Russell made four stops for the Wildcats, who visit No. 3 Arlington on Saturday.
DERRY, N.H. — The Marauders sustained their first draw of the season in a match called due to darkness with four minutes left in overtime.
Down 1-0 early in the first half, Hanover (12-2-1) came out hungry in the second half and produced two quick goals. Kyle Doucette headed in a corner from Charlie Adams in the 41st minute, and Adams added a goal on a pass from Eli Stack in the 44th.
Pinkerton scored the equalizer in the 52nd minute, but thanks to a solid play from goalkeeper Joey Perras, the Astros were held scoreless the rest of the contest. Hanover visits Londonderry on Friday.
MORRISTOWN, Vt. — The No. 11 seed Panthers came out on the short end of a tough battle at No. 6 Peoples in the VPA D-III first round.
“The boys played really well; we just couldn’t capitalize,” Thetford coach Ray Thorburn said.
Peoples scored in the 32nd minute, taking a 2-0 lead with an own goal in the 70th minute. The Panthers just missed a goal when Ryan Pepe’s shot was thwarted on a diving save by Peoples keeper Joe Buonanno. Thetford keeper Riley Burkins made 12 saves.
The Panthers (3-12-0) will graduate seven: Pepe, Nathan O’Donnell, Liam Curtis, Dylan Kuban, Garrett Schafer, Frank Loveland and Aidan Moore.
MERIDEN — The Wildcats battled Berkshire to a scoreless tie, leaving KUA at 7-3-2 on the season.
Keeper Liam Fitzgerald made eight saves for KUA, which visits Worcester Academy on Saturday.
ORFORD — Sienna Carter tallied two goals as the No. 3 seed Raptors blew past visiting No. 14 Craftsbury in the VPA Division IV first round. Rivendell (9-6-0) outshot the Chargers, 28-1.
Cora Day scored the final goal, and Elizabeth Noyes and Mikayla Stever each had assists. The Raptors will host No. 11 Long Trail on Friday.
BRADFORD, Vt. — Down 1-0 at the half, the No. 10 seed Yellowjackets rallied thanks to two goals from Olivia Rockwood to overturn the seventh-ranked Olympians.
Rockwood’s first goal came in the 30th minute, and she scored the game-winner with less than three minutes to play off a corner kick from Kate Murphy.
Oxbow’s lone goal came in the 18th minute when Grace Nostrant converted a pass from Makayla Simmons.
“This was a hard-fought game from both sides,” said Oxbow coach Dan Thomas in an email. “Our Olympians were feeling the pressure of the atmosphere, but that didn’t deter them from putting on a hell of a game for us. Today we were missing one of our starters in the offense and still had two injured, so we were down to a 15-player roster.”
Adi Prior played a strong game in net for the Jacks, making three stops and coming out of the net multiple times.
Windsor (8-6-1) plays at No. 2 seed Vergennes on Saturday.
FAIRFAX, Vt. — The eighth-seeded Bullets ended the ninth-ranked Wildcats’ season. White River Valley (8-7-0) graduates Sylvia Coltey, Emily Hemond, Grace LaFromboise and Kaylyn Scoskie.
NEW HAMPTON, N.H. — Gracie Gamache scored all four goals to lead the Wildcats (7-4-2) over New Hampton.
Casey Allen and Kyra Russman-Araya each had two assists. The teams will be back in action on Saturday when the Wildcats host New Hampton.
QUECHEE — No. 6 seed Mid Vermont Christian won in four sets (25-11, 25-23, 23-25, 25-19) over No. 11 Montpelier. Hailey Goodwin contributed a team-high 10 aces.
Gabriella Tsakiris added 10 digs, and teammate Nyah Jenks dished out 16 assists. The Eagles travel to No. 3 seed South Burlington on Saturday.
WEST CANAAN — The Royals lost in straight sets, dropping to 8-7 on the season. Mascoma hosts Hillsboro-Deering on Friday in the regular season finale.
HANOVER — The Dartmouth women’s basketball team was picked to finish in a tie for sixth place with Columbia in the annual Ivy League preseason poll.
Princeton and Penn finished in a tie for first place with 125 votes, the only difference being the Tigers’ 10 first-place votes to the Quakers’ seven. Harvard checked in third place with 95 points.
Dartmouth, which failed to make the Ivy League tournament last season, returns seniors Annie McKenna (7.1 ppg, 3.6 apg), Kealy Brown (6.6 ppg, 31. rpg) and Paula Lenart (6.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg).
Scores that missed Wednesday’s paper due to deadline. Find updates online at www.vnews.com.
HANOVER — Dartmouth senior Charlie Broom won the ITA Northeast Regional Championship on Tuesday.
Broom began the day with a 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-2 semifinal defeat of Penn’s Kevin Zhu. The final was a straight-sets victory over Columbia’s Jacki Tang, 6-3, 7-5.
The win qualifies Broom for the national championship in Arizona in November.
Broom and doubles partner David Horneffer advanced to the finals but fell to Princeton’s Ryan Seggerman and Payton Holden, 6-7 (4), 4-6.
Dartmouth will visit Yale for the Connecticut State Championship from Nov. 1-3.