WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Twice the Hartford High striker had prime scoring chances Friday, and twice he somehow shot well wide. Seeking to mitigate angst with humor, Hurricanes boys soccer coach Kevin Guilbault shouted across the pitch at the Maxfield Sports Complex.
“Head up and aim for the big white rectangle in the middle!” Guilbault hollered.
Hartford’s ninth-year boss could afford to be loose on the sidelines with his undefeated team en route to a 4-0 defeat of Fair Haven that improved the Hurricanes to 10-0-0. The red, white and blue was only 6-7-1 last season, exiting in the opening round of the Vermont Division II playoffs.
“I think our guys got sick of losing,” Guilbault said. “A lot of them play year-round, and they knew our technique had to improve because we’re not a big, physical team.”
The Hurricanes, however, are the definition of scrappy.
No big-time scorer, no hulking back line, no dazzling midfield play. Just a bunch of guys who hustle and battle and pressure their opponents all over the field. The Division III Slaters fell to 3-6-0, but they’re not an untalented side. They just couldn’t handle Hartford consistently denying them time and space.
“We didn’t want them to feel settled,” Guilbault said. “We’re a flawed team and the kids know that, especially with our passing at times. But we’ve scored big goals at big times, and we’re tough enough to have come back after having gone down in games.”
Hartford opened the scoring during the eighth minute when striker Brody Dillon ran onto a through ball on the right side. The senior lofted a what-the-heck shot over backpedaling goalkeeper Kole Matta for his first varsity goal.
The Hurricanes doubled their lead 16 minutes before intermission when Tighe Hrabchak received a Nolan McMahon pass on the left wing, blew around a defender on the outside and fired a low shot inside the far post.
“We have a drive that we haven’t had before and we have more experience, so we can put those kind of plays home,” Hrabchak said. “I exploded onto the ball and saw that the goalie was over too far.”
Hrabchak is one of nine sophomores on the roster, about a half-dozen of whom saw significant varsity time last fall. He said he and his classmates were pushed around at times but are now reaping the rewards of playing early.
“That was our step into this world, and now we have more comfort and confidence,” Hrabchak said. “It was pretty stressful, but you have to play as hard as you can, because there are some big kids out there.”
Hartford went up, 3-0, six minutes into the second half when outside fullback Cavan Benjamin knocked the ball from the right side and diagonally towards the far post. McMahon, one of the Hurricanes’ nine seniors and a four-year varsity player, one-timed the feed into the net’s open left side.
Bryce Soboleski closed the afternoon’s scoring when he converted a McMahon feed with 26 minutes to play. The junior earned his first varsity goal. Blaine Gour made five saves for the shutout, including a sliding stop late that prevented a tally.
Hartford closes the regular season with four consecutive road games, beginning Thursday at Division IV Twinfield-Cabot and concluding with trips to Division II Woodstock and Division I foes Rutland and Mount Anthony.
“We all push each other each day in practice, and we know being the best doesn’t come without hard work,” Hrabchak said. “We’re never going to become selfish.”
Notes: Hartford won the Southern Vermont League for the 14th time since 1991 and the first time since 2019. … Hartford posted its second shutout of the season and has outscored its opponents, 31-11, winning three one-goal games. … The Hurricanes’ best postseason showing of late came during 2016, when it advanced to the Division II semifinals. According to the VPA website, Hartford hasn’t won a state title since it first entered the postseason in 1982 and is 22-35 overall in the playoffs. Its lone finals appearance was in 1993. … The hosts honored their seniors during a pregame ceremony. McMahon led his classmates in group size, with 12 friends and family joining him at midfield. … Other top teams in Division II include Montpelier (8-0-1), Middlebury (7-2-0) and Harwood (7-2-0). Hartford faces none of them during the regular season. … In a baseball note, Hurricanes athletic director Jeff Moreno said he’s hearing the VPA will soon ban negative comments and any kind of heckling or bench jockeying from future hardball contests.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.