WOODSTOCK — The start of Wednesday’s boys lacrosse game between Woodstock High and South Burlington was delayed by about 20 minutes when the Wolves’ bus driver missed the nearest exit on Interstate 91, then again became lost upon arriving in town.
The visitors certainly found the back of the Wasps’ net, however, routing their hosts, 19-12, in a Vermont Division I result that left Woodstock coach Brandon Little hot under the collar. The 13th-year bench boss took his troops to task a few minutes after the final horn, his raised voice audible from 50 yards away.
“There were some housekeeping issues,” said Little, clearly miffed by his team’s multiple citations for not wearing mouthguards, a penalty for an illegal stick and an excess of trash talking with a 3-0 foe that often left Woodstock’s defense looking foolish.
“We try to eliminate problems that are under our control, and all those things apply.”
Said senior Corey White, who scored seven goals: “It’s little stuff, and if we get it cleaned up, we can get rolling again. Being respectful to each other, to the other team and to the officials. Picking up ground balls and knowing what game situations are.”
White, who will next take a postgraduate year at Maine’s Bridgton Academy in the hope of playing college lacrosse, is one of five seniors on the youngest Woodstock roster in recent memory. Five freshmen and five sophomores see significant action for the Wasps (1-2), who surrendered five of the contest’s last six goals.
The Woodstock defense’s long-pole trio of junior Izaiah Moses, freshman Horace Morel and sophomore Owen Kross are all first-year starters. Senior goaltender Ryan Runstein has never before played the sport. Classmate Evan Kurash, a longstick midfielder, was out injured Thursday, and standout attackman Keaton Piconi is another wounded senior who saw minimal playing time.
“We have to get healthy, and standing around in 35-degree temperatures at the start of the season doesn’t help,” Little said. “But we also have a great culture, and we have to represent that. We have a lot of young kids and not a lot of older kids who can teach it to them.”
How do you improve such an inexperienced group?
“Being two feet out of position can make the difference,” Little said. “You’ve got to get repetitions playing together, and looking at (video) is huge. We can show that when one guy moves, the other three guys have to move with him.”
Woodstock is one of the oldest varsity programs in Vermont boys lacrosse, and Little played for the Wasps before suiting up for the University of Vermont and moving on to a big-city cooking career. He returned home and took over the program from the late Bill Elberty, remaining at its helm despite the pull of home responsibilities.
Little said he’s a better coach since becoming a father and views his players as an extension of his family. This spring promises to be a learning experience all around, but Woodstock’s teams are famous for starting slow and coming on in a rush.
“It’s like having kids, where you learn patience whether you want to or not,” Little said with a smile. “We’re playing bigger schools, where everyone’s a little bit faster and a little bit bigger than who you’re used to playing before. You have to learn how to get in there and dig the ball out.”
White already knows, but he’s also aware of his own teaching burden.
“I feel a weight that I have to carry as a captain and a senior,” he said.
“When I was a freshman, I expected a lot out of my seniors, and I know these guys expect a lot out of me. I try my best to help them … and hopefully they listen.”
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.