WINDSOR — The Woodstock High girls soccer bus rolled to a halt alongside the MacLeay-Royce Athletic Fields on Thursday afternoon. A blaring alarm sounded from the vehicle three times over the next 10 minutes, causing the driver to scramble about its interior.
Perhaps it was a harbinger, for the Wasps and host Yellowjackets, both shorthanded, played as if under emergency conditions. The neighboring foes raced up and down the field, often crashing together, exchanging elbows and tumbling to the turf.
Woodstock prevailed, 3-2, after blowing a two-goal lead. The winner sprang off Chloe Masillo’s foot with 13 minutes, 20 seconds to play and the visitors improved to 2-0 while dropping Windsor to 1-2.
“Our back line was active and didn’t allow Windsor to set up in the attacking third,” said 22nd-year Woodstock coach Greg LaBella, citing the trio of Jane Stout, Dillon Moss and Hannah Watson. “Leah Kuhnert was poised in the middle of the field and slowed the game down.”
The neighboring sides were each depleted by injuries, meaning several less-experienced players on either roster saw time. LaBella started backup goalkeeper Jessica Baumann and played freshman Maeve Roylance the entire second half at outside midfield. Windsor was missing Lily Keefe and Gabbi Crane.
Woodstock opened the scoring 14 minutes before intermission when Isabel Konijnenberg converted a breakaway for her fourth goal. The Wasps dominated the first half before the Yellow Jackets awoke.
“We went in knowing it was going to be a tough game and that we were down a few people,” said sixth-year Windsor coach Jeff Bachey. “I think we were in our own heads and then realized that, oh, we can play with these guys.”
Windsor created a 1-1 tie 10 minutes into the second half, Aubrey Rupp breaking down the left wing and in alone on Baumann before beating the backstop with a low shot.
The Yellowjackets went up, 2-1, two minutes later after a hand ball gave them a free kick near the juncture of the end line and the right side of the Wasps’ penalty area. Olivia MacLeay took the boot, swinging her shot just inside the near post.
Woodstock needed only five minutes to create a 2-2 tie. Masillo passed from the left wing to Olivia Grasso on the box’s far side. Despite being charged by a defender from behind and goalkeeper Sophia Rockwood from the front, Grasso managed to pop a shot over the netminder and into the twine.
At this point, LaBella replaced Baumann with Konijnenberg, who pulled a red vest over her white jersey.
“Once we got the lead, we wanted out best athlete in goal,” the coach said.
The Wasps struck for afternoon’s final goal when Grasso and Kuhnert passed up to Masillo, who dribbled past a pair of defenders into the penalty area and beat Rockwood.
“I was a little disappointed that we gave up their second goals so soon after we’d taken the lead,” Bachey said. “But I’m happy with my kids for fighting for every single loose ball.
“Today will go a long way towards helping our inexperienced players to gain confidence.”
Windsor is at Green Mountain on Tuesday. Woodstock visits Fair Haven on Friday.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.