Thetford
Thetford’s Garrett Schafer passed time by juggling a ball in the shade with his teammates. The junior wore sunglasses, an enormous straw hat and a life preserver. The Panthers joked and laughed, then remained afloat for a 2-1 victory despite an early deficit.
“We know the Rivendell kids well because we’ve played against them since we were little,” Thetford captain and central defender Aiden Cudhea said. “It’s always a hard-fought game.”
Rivendell, the defending Vermont Division IV champion, opened the scoring during the fifth minute when a lengthy throw-in led to Charlie Bradley’s goal. The Raptors controlled play during the first 10 minutes, and there was a feeling that perhaps Thetford, 6-9-1 in VPA Division III last season, might be in for a long afternoon.
Instead, the Panthers persevered, improbably tying the score on William Bosco’s long cross from a sharp angle on the right sideline. The shot, which initially looked as though it would sail across the end line on the far side, instead eluded goalkeeper Zach Dexter and tucked high inside the left post.
Even then, however, Rivendell was the better team during the first half. The Raptors began the season with a shutout of Oxbow and feature a pair of standout forwards in Johnny Vogelien and Zach Gould, both of whom were threats throughout the game.
“We tried to keep the ball off (Vogelien’s) feet because we knew he was going to fool around with it a lot,” Cudhea said. “We just tried to contain him and waited for him to make a mistake with it, and that’s when we jumped on it.”
Midway through the first half, Cudhea chased down a bouncing ball and cleared it off the goal line, the first of several close calls on the Panthers’ back end.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, however, another long shot sailed over Dexter, this one from roughly 35 yards. The tall backstop, a senior but a first-year starter, backpedaled desperately, but the ball dropped down and over his raised arms, making a scorer out of defender Carter Blain.
“Those shots were definitely unique,” said Ray Thorburn, who along with Andy Boyce is half of Thetford’s first-year coaching duo. “Our team noticed that their keeper was playing off his line and was struggling to get back, and they took advantage of it.”
Rivendell enjoyed the standout goalkeeping services of Dashiel Fukushima during the past four seasons, and coach Bob Thatcher said that position “was my biggest concern” coming into the season.
Dexter “is so much better than he was last season but sometimes … he takes risks that aren’t necessary,” Thatcher said.
Blain showed he can also play defense during a scramble with eight minutes remaining. A Rivendell corner kick led to a high-quality shot, but the junior was there to deflect it away. The Raptors had another golden opportunity with three minutes on the clock, but Gould took too long to shoot into the net’s unguarded left side, and his effort was smothered by the foot of a lunging Aiden Moore.
“That game could have gone either way, but our defensive backs did a real good job,” said Thorburn, who was a Panthers assistant last season. “My heart is still pounding.”
Said Thatcher: “It’s a harsh game and not always fair. But I can’t ask for any more out of our kids, and (Thetford) is a good club.”
□
Notes: A.J. Tensen’s season already appears over after the Panther forward suffered an apparently serious shoulder injury during the third minute. The senior forward has had repeated issues with the joint and has already endured surgery, Thorburn said. … Rivendell was whistled for offsides 10 times and Thetford twice. … Thatcher was unhappy with what he felt were uncalled fouls on Vogelien throughout the game. “Come down to the bus, and I’ll show you his back,” the coach said. “They had their way with him, and it’s all scratched to hell.” … The teams took a scheduled water break midway through each half. … Four youngsters worked as ball kids on the sidelines. Their pay on such a hot day? A free order of French fries at the concession stand. … Thatcher, in his 46th season, has touted the addition of first-year assistant Kevin Brookes, and the newcomer was a vocal and prominent figure on the Raptors’ sideline during the game.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.