Rutland
After Friday night, nobody can say the Hurricanes don’t deserve to be where they are.
Down 27-7 at halftime, Hartford charged back for a 34-33 win over gutsy Rutland at Rutland High School. The Hurricanes (7-0 league, 7-1 overall) should enter states as the top seed when the playoff field is confirmed by the Vermont Interscholastic Football League on Monday.
The rally began after Hartford recovered a muffed Rutland punt early in the third quarter. Tyler Hamilton, filling in for Gavin Farnsworth at quarterback, scored on a 1-yard sneak, to which Hunter Perkins tacked on the PAT kick to bring the Canes to within two scores.
Rutland answered on QB Jimmy Mee’s third TD strike of the night to Kyle Cassarino, a 21-yarder. It was all Hartford after that.
Kody Rhoads’ 16-yard touchdown run, his second score of the night, cut the gap to 33-20 late in the third quarter. Hartford recovered the ensuing onside kickoff, which Hamilton turned into a 5-yard TD run early in the fourth, leaving the Canes in a 33-27 hole following another Perkins kick.
Nick Porter’s 19-yard touchdown run with 4:54 left and Perkins’ point-after boot put Hartford ahead to stay.
Rhoads also scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter. Mee highlighted Rutland’s first half with TD tosses of 61 and 62 yards to Cassarino and a 1-yard scoring sneak.
Hartford will open the state tournament at home on Friday, with Colchester, Brattleboro and BFA-St. Albans among the potential foes.
Claremont
Quarterback Henri Bourque threw for three scores, connecting with Smith on 24- and 28-yarders as well as a 26-yarder to Chris Beckelman for the senior’s first varsity touchdown. Running back Richard Bell rushed for 100 yards and two TDs. Wide receiver Smith’s TD toss landed in the hands of Zach O’Brien from 25 yards out.
Stevens coach Paul Silva also gave others opportunities for some individual glory. Senior Nick O’Brien and junior Alex DeVre each scored their first touchdowns, both on 10-yard jaunts, and senior Zach Stanhope also crossed the goal line for points for the first time in his career on a 25-yard scoring run.
Stevens clinched an NHIAA Division III North playoff spot with the win. The Cardinals visit undefeated Monadnock on Friday to close the regular season.
Wilton, n.h.
Wilton-Lyndeborough did something few have managed against Sunapee this year — score a goal — before sustaining a one-sided beating to the Lakers in the teams’ regular-season wrap-up. The score was just the fifth against the Sunapee defense all year; the offense responded with seven second-half goals to win going away.
The Warriors (6-10-0) struck in the first minute, and the remaining 79 belonged to the hosts. Maddie Austin led the assault with four goals and an assist. Sydney Clark and Maryann Cousens both struck twice, Hannah Cooney added a goal, and Austin, Cousens, Cooney, Jessica Parsons, Kate Frederick and Lynnsey Trabka contributed assists.
“We are still working to play our way,” Sunapee coach Myles Cooney said. “Our second half was very strong, but we did struggle out of the gate. I think we are aware of what we need to do to be successful and simply need to keep the game plan simple and play hard.”
Sunapee (15-0-1) will get a bye to the second round of the D-IV tourney, with a home date against the 8-vs.-9 winner next week.
White River Junction
Hartford (7-3-4) never trailed after Belle Leister converted a Maddie Koff pass 2½ minutes before halftime. Green Mountain Valley equalized with 10 minutes left in regulation, setting the stage for Williams’ game-winner.
Morgan White finished with four saves in the Hartford goal. The Canes learn their Vermont Division II tournament seed on Monday, with the expectation of hosting at least one postseason contest.
Bradford, Vt.
Zoe Barton factored into all of Oxbow’s goals. Barton converted a Claire Cook pass in the first half and set up Jill Smith’s goal in the second before notching her second score of the afternoon on a Natalie Barton feed. Kaysea Neil needed just one save for the shutout.
Oxbow coach Charlie Barton is expecting an eighth or ninth seed when the D-III field is announced on Monday.
Meriden
Taylor Soule netted her 12th goal of the season as Kimball Union dedicated the match to KUA sophomore Janie Cozzi, a Kimball Union sophomore and one of five high schoolers from the Moretown, Vt., area who died in a car crash two weeks ago. KUA meets Wilbraham and Monson this afternoon.
Westminster, Vt.
Soho scored her team-best sixth goal of the season in the third minute and her seventh in the ninth minute during a match in which Windsor (3-11-0) never trailed. Sutton struck just before halftime and in the final four minutes of the match. Kaycee Herschel earned the victory in goal with nine saves.
The Jacks will hit the road for the Vermont D-III tournament next week.
Hanover
The Cavaliers (13-3-0) recorded the game’s only goal nine minutes into overtime on just their fourth shot on frame. Hanover answered with nine but couldn’t dent the net.
“I feel really good,” said Kennedy, who expects his two-time defending NHIAA D-II champs to get the eighth seed in next week’s state tourney. “It was an awesome game from both sides. We played really well in a lot of rain.”
Kennedy also praised midfielder Cate Wagner and defenders J.J. Taube and Clare Gardner for their play against the Cavs. Mahler Meyerrose stopped three shots.
Hanover learns its tournament fate on Monday.
Gorham, n.h.
“The kids played a really good game, played tough. We just had no luck getting it in the net,” Woodsville coach Ann Loud said.
Keeper McKenzie Dennis played a strong game. Loud also praised the play of Jasmine Smith and Kiara Reagan. The Engineers will open the D-IV playoffs on the road next week.
Lebanon
Lebanon loses eight seniors to graduation.
West Canaan
Schwarz set up Mascoma’s first three goals — two by Stenger, one from Micah McCullough — then added his strikes on passes from Dartangnan Collins and Stenger. Hunter Whyte locked down the decision with a six-save effort in goal.
The Royals appear secure in the ninth slot for next week’s NHIAA Division III tournament.
Wilton, n.h.
Freshman Michael Mullen put Sunapee ahead in the 22nd minute only to have the Warriors tie the match in the 30th. The Lakers took control with three late strikes from Hank Vincent, Cade Robinson (on a penalty kick) and Will Austin.
Vincent and Carson Garland posted assists, and goalie Will Palin had three saves. Despite the victory, Sunapee is expected to hit the road to start the NHIAA D-IV tournament next week.
Fair Haven, Vt.
Collin Campbell added two goals and two assists. Emilio Montano added two goals. Hartley Walker-Money and Patrick Bald also scored. Cullen McCarthy added a pair of assists. Keeper Jack Arthur made five saves in the first half. Steven Bianchi and Oliver Wilson split time in goal after the break.
The Wasps look to be in place for the No. 4 seed in the D-II playoffs starting next week.
Gorham, n.h.
Garrett Olsen set up the goal with a feed into Houde from 35 yards out. Houde fought off a pair of defenders, settled to the left and drilled a shot inside the far post for the goal. The script was similar in the Engineers’ last game when Houde scored in overtime to give Woodsville a 4-3 win over visiting Profile on Tuesday.
“This is four tough games in a row to finish. We really had to work hard. It was like a tournament style game,” Woods-ville coach Mike Ackerman said.
Keeper Cooper Davidson anchored the Engineers’ defense with four saves. “The defense played really well and didn’t allow them any really good scoring opportunities,” Ackerman said.
The Engineers secured the No. 3 seed in the New Hampshire D-IV playoffs to earn a bye through the first round of games.
Windsor
The visitors scored on the first PK just 30 seconds into the game. The score remained 1-0 until midway through the second when Windsor’s Jacob Curtis took a feed from A.J. Wood on a breakaway and scored his third goal of the season. The Rebels converted on another PK with 14 minutes left to regain the lead.
“The boys played well. We had lots of chances to score but couldn’t put it home,” Windsor coach Andy Tufts said. “(Goalie) Ryan Saucier did well in the conditions, it was really slick and he was active back there.”
Windsor (4-9-1) looks to be locked in as the No. 12 seed in the upcoming Vermont D-III playoffs.
Montpelier
“I have to hand it to the whole team after not playing well in our last match. We really responded well and put together a nice total team effort,” Thetford coach Mark Weigel said. “We possessed the ball really nicely and played much better, especially in the second half. It was really hard to get quality chances because it was so slippery, wet and muddy.”
Thetford looks ahead to a home playoff game to start the Vermont D-III playoffs.
Bradford, Vt.
Peterborough, n.h.
Hanover graduates four from this season’s roster.
Concord
Rachel Seale had four kills, five blocks and six digs for the Eagles. Emily Jasmin added 12 digs and five assists. Taylor Paquette had two kills, a block and four digs. MVCS closes the regular season at home on Monday against Vermont Commons.
Sunapee
Elsa Pierson had six aces and four kills for the hosts. Alexa Santti and Meg Frederick each had two aces, with Frederick adding four kills. Jenna Levasseur and Hannah Drummond each had five kills. Abi Downey had four aces and three kills.
The Lakers finish the regular season at 11-5 and will land anywhere between the sixth and ninth seeds in the NHIAA D-III tournament.