EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Hartford High field hockey team fought hard but couldn’t overcome an unbeaten U-32 High team on Tuesday afternoon, falling 4-2 to the Raiders in the VPA Division II semifinals.
The No. 4-seeded Hurricanes took a 2-0 first-half lead on goals from junior Carly Carpenter, assisted by junior Amaya Argyros, and junior Emmy Whitney, assisted by sophomore August Fallon.
However, a late first-half goal by the Raiders and a dominant second-half performance propelled No. 1-seeded U-32 to the win.
“Thrilled that we got two goals. They beat us soundly in September, 5-0, and they’ve had a pretty easy ride,” Canes head coach Heather Scudder said. “They’re wonderfully talented. That group has played together for four years, and we wish them the best as they go on. But this one stings a little.”
Hartford’s head coach praised her team’s first-half play, calling it the best of the season and highlighting the play of Fallon and fellow sophomore Nora Comeau. Scudder, meanwhile, said the Raiders’ breakout second half came down to conditioning.
“We run a lot, and they came boatloads, light years in conditioning and in stick work,” she said. “I saw them string some beautiful passes together, whereas right now we were kind of just hitting and hoping.”
The Canes got to work early, scoring in the game’s first goal two minutes in on Carpenter’s tally when she flipped the ball into the net while surrounded by a sea of bodies deep in the shooting circle.
The Raiders ramped up the pressure after the Hartford goal, drawing multiple penalty corners, but couldn’t find the back of the net thanks to strong defense from Fallon and goaltending from junior Gracie Roberts.
Hartford carried its one-goal lead into the second quarter and built on it with 9:18 remaining on Whitney’s goal, a redirection of a ball sent from Fallon.
The Canes’ 2-0 lead did not survive the first half, though. After a strong push, the Raiders finally broke through with 58 seconds left on a long shot from the top of the circle by senior Hannah Drury.
U-32 owned the contest’s final 30 minutes, drawing multiple corners in the third frame before sophomore Ari Conti tied the game with 4:11 left.
The Raiders broke the tie just over two minutes into the fourth quarter thanks to a goal from senior Lyric Luce. U-32 added another goal a little over four minutes later, from senior Chloe Pembroke, to go up 4-2 with about 8½ minutes left.
Hartford generated pressure as the fourth quarter wore on but couldn’t find the back of the net, sealing the Raiders’ win.
Despite the loss, Scudder was excited about the future, noting how proud she was of her young squad, which rostered just two seniors, Leah Arsenault and Mackenzie Bennett, both of whom she appreciated.
“I’m very proud of my sophomores and my young ones,” Hartford’s 38th-year head coach said. “They have been the spine of this team from the get-go, so I’m looking forward to great things for them in the future.”
