Hanover
“I still have spleen sensitivity, so the doctors said I should still wait,” said Gosselin, who warmed up with the Granite Staters while wearing sunglasses and a bucket hat. “It was a bummer to not be able to finish the season with my guys and to miss today.”
Gosselin has been out of action for more than a month, but managed to lose only five pounds. He was on total bed rest for two weeks, sleeping and watching television. He plans to attend Nazareth College near Rochester, N.Y., and play NCAA Division III lacrosse for the school.
Hanover defenseman Kaleb Hunt was the only Upper Valley resident to compete in 24th annual boys game, won by New Hampshire, 24-19.
The New Hampshire girls won the 21st annual game, 24-9.
Although Hartford reached the inaugural Vermont Division III title game earlier this month, none of its seniors were selected to play in Saturday’s boys game. Scoring standout Nate Lemieux and defenseman Jason Bielecki certainly could have kept up, as could Stratton Mountain attackman Mike Fischer, whose squad beat the Hurricanes for the division crown. Fischer, however, is a New York resident who attended a boarding school for skiers.
The Green Mountain roster’s 26 players included four from Rutland, which also contributed the coaching staff, and three each from Essex and South Burlington. Mount Abraham was the only Division III school to have players picked, with two on the roster.
“There are Division III guys who just picked up a stick and started to play a year or two ago,” said Rutland coach Rob Labate, adding he didn’t see either Fischer or Bielecki play this spring. “They can’t do this level.”
New Hampshire coach Mike Couture said that although he could have loaded his team with standouts from powers such as Pinkerton, Bedford and Bishop Guertin, he took a wide-ranging approach and no more than two players from any one school.
“Even bad teams sometimes have a really good player, and that kind of kid is out here for us,” said Couture, who coaches at Division III Pelham. “We want a fair representation and a good school mix. Bishop Guertin nominated seven kids, but we took two. Our school could have had four players in this game, but we also sent two.”
Star Johnson, who organizes and oversees the games, said he’s asked the coaches associations in New Hampshire and Vermont to select players representing many schools. However, he said he has no power over the picks.
“I’ve mentioned for at least four years that we’d like a more egalitarian approach,” Johnson said.
Hanover girls coach Chris Seibel, who guided the New Hampshire squad for the third time, pointed out that this year’s Granite State squad included seven Division III players, including game MVP Reagan Williams, of St. Thomas-Dover. He said he’s in favor of both states using the same criteria, whatever it is.
“If Vermont’s going to pick on wider representation, then fine, we’ll do that as well,” he said. “If not, it is what it is.”
Vermont’s coach was second-year bench boss Jennifer Wheatley, who laughingly said she didn’t have much competition for the job.
“We had a meeting and we didn’t have any coaches,” Wheatley said. “I had a blast. The result didn’t matter. The girls were cheering and it was competitive, but really, it was for the seniors to have fun one last time.”
Hurricanes defender Amanda Locke held her own, despite coming from a program that’s struggled mightily in recent seasons.
“I’m not going to lie, I was nervous for her going up against D-I players,” Wheatley said. “But she was impressive. She made good passes, she didn’t drop any balls and she played good defense.”
Also on the roster were Woodstock’s Kaija sisters, Lauren and Abby. They also made an impression on the coach.
“They’re just phenomenal athletes,” Wheatley said. “Everything with them is so fluid.”
Wheatley, a former Hartford standout who also coached at Colby-Sawyer College, said working with polished high school players reminded her of her days with the Chargers.
“No offense to my Hartford girls, but today gave me such a rush,” she said. “There was a girl on this team who only started playing when she was a freshman, so it gives me optimism that some of our players can get into this game.
“I wish I could go out and work with them tomorrow.”
Notes: Reagan Williams had five goals and two assists, and Callie Dwyer scored five goals for New Hampshire in the girls’ game. Jillian Gibbs led Vermont with two goals … Seibel said his daughter, Molly, who recently completed her junior year at Hanover, will repeat it when she begins attending Phillips Exeter Academy in the fall. … One of the referees for the girls game was Plainfield resident and former Lebanon High boys soccer coach Denis Reisch. The official estimated he called 85 games this spring, including the first 30 in Florida, where he has a winter home. … Joe Nutting led New Hampshire with four goals and five assists in the boys’ game, while teammates Kyle Colella and Stephen Dubois added four apiece and Nick Prunier three. Henry Adams had four goals and an assist for Vermont. … Johnson said the all-star games, put on by the Hanover Lions Club, have raised more than $15,000 in recent years, but that wouldn’t be possible without a generous donation by the local Byrne Foundation. He said the contest charges $45 per player, but that it then issues them a hat and game shirt, feeds them lunch and pays for referees, all of which add up to more than what’s collected in participation fees. … Hanover High has hosted the games for the last decade. Previously, they were held at sites in Burlington, Middlebury and Dartmouth College. … Working the clock was former Hanover boys coach Jeff Reed, an international triathlete. He’ll be competing in the U.S. Nationals in August in Omaha and then September’s World Championships in Cozumel, Mexico, all in the 60-64 age group. “In your 60s, you’re just trying not to become slower,” Reed said. “In your 40s and 50s, you’re still working to get faster.”