WOODSTOCK — The defending VPA Division III state champion Windsor Yellow Jackets are picking up where they left off, extending their lengthy unbeaten streak on Friday on the road against a familiar foe, the Woodstock Wasps.
Senior Avery Ducharme led the scoring for the Jackets with two goals, and sophomore Amelia Rockwood notched the other to lift their team to a 3-1 victory. It was first meeting between the teams since a quarterfinal VPA Division III playoff game last fall that Windsor won 1-0 in route to the title.
“They were incredible,” Windsor co-head coach Jennifer Rupp said of her team. “There were moments you could tell they were a little bit gassed, but they dug in, and they were more aggressive.”
Both teams had opportunities in the first half, but Windsor struck first on the Rockwood goal, which came off a corner kick from senior captain Kenzie Wescott.
Facing a 1-0 deficit, the Wasps increased the offensive pressure in the latter part of the half. But the Jackets’ defense and freshman keeper Addison Crane stymied Woodstock’s chances, and Windsor took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Crane’s play proved to be pivotal for the Jackets in the second half.
With just over 20 minutes left to play, Windsor’s freshman netminder came up clutch and saved a Woodstock penalty shot to preserve her squad’s 1-0 lead.
Minutes later, she had a powerful clearance that landed over the midfield line and ended up on the feet of Ducharme, who made a run and finished to extend Windsor’s lead to 2-0.
“She has a lot of composure for a freshman,” Rupp said of Crane. “She is already pretty vocal and can see the field, so we’ve been super impressed.”
Woodstock eventually went on to cut the lead to 2-1 off a goal from junior Ava Rich with around six minutes left, but the Wasps could not put another shot past Crane. Ducharme scored her second goal in the final minute and a half of the game to seal the 3-1 victory.
With the win, the Jackets have not lost a game since the 2023 Division III state title game against Stowe.
“I think the momentum for us is good,” said Jackets co-head coach Wendy Moody. “We’re trying to keep them focused — one game at a time,” she added, noting that if a loss comes, they will not hang their heads about it and use it as a learning experience.
A learning experience is how Woodstock head coach Greg LaBella described Friday’s matchup with the defending champions.
“Every negative is a learning experience,” LaBella said. “We have to build from each thing. It’s a long season; it’s one game.”
LaBella also acknowledged that early on in the season, teams are trying to find their footing. “Windsor just didn’t allow us to find our rhythm, and that’s the nature of the game,” he said.
The loss drops Woodstock to (1-1) on the season. They will attempt to bounce back on Wednesday when they travel to Springfield.
The Jackets (3-0) will look to continue their drive toward a repeat. They host Thetford on Tuesday.
