SHARON — Sharon Academy girls soccer coach Ben Diller worked much of the last year in administration for a Massachusetts club team but found it unpleasant.

Sharon’s season thus far hasn’t been pretty, either. The hosts fell, 7-3, to Poultney on Tuesday, dropping their record to 0-7-0. Maddy Mintz scored twice for the Phoenix and Avry Loftus also tallied, all on breakaways.

“I do not like the way the youth sport business world works,” Diller said flatly after the Phoenix’s game. “It’s a very ugly industry. The money was great, but I had no interest in putting my body and brain through that anymore.”

Sharon went 13-1-0 and reached the 2016 VPA Division IV title game. It is 20-70-6 since, and Diller is the program’s fourth coach during that span. He took over this summer after Andy Ruddell stepped down. The Phoenix rode future Plymouth State University player Mallory Lloyd to its previous heights and has struggled ever since the Hartland resident graduated.

“Because we’re a private school, we don’t have a true feeder system,” said Diller, a onetime college assistant coach who was also Randolph High’s athletic director from 2019-22 and now teaches social studies at Sharon’s middle school. “It’s whoever enrolls in any given year. Our roster is at the whim of the kids who decide to come here.”

Of course that cuts the other way as well, meaning standouts from the region can elect to attend Sharon if they find its academics and team enticing. Diller thinks winning is the only way to do that and notes that Sharon’s co-ed middle school team this fall features six girls, five of them seventh graders. He believes the high school program needs to average three or four newcomers per year to survive.

“Middle schoolers with school choice see a high school team struggling, and a kid who’s a serious soccer player is going to pick a school with a serious soccer program,” Diller said.

He noted that finding a balance between hard work and social enjoyment is key for the Phoenix, for whom he estimated about six players compete in club ball during the spring and summer.

“We need competitive buy-in across the board,” Diller said. “If the kids don’t take it seriously from day one, there won’t be the necessary development.”

Sharon hosts Mill River (0-9) on Thursday.

— Tris Wykes

Newport 1Hillsboro-Deering 0

NEWPORT — Junior Torrence Williams provided the sole marker of the contest in the Tigers’ first victory of the season.

The Tigers jumped to 1-8-2 while dropping HD to 0-11-0. Newport visits Bishop Brady (2-7-2) on Thursday.

Exeter 2, Hanover 0

HANOVER — Sadie Ross made 11 saves, but the Bears trailed, 1-0, at halftime and fell to 7-4-0.

Hanover visits Londonderry on Thursday.

Belmont 4, Mascoma 3

BELMONT, N.H. — The Royals squandered an Emily Seiler hat trick when they surrendered the winning goal with 30 seconds remaining.

Mascoma is 6-6-0, and Belmont is 4-6-1. The Royals host Prospect Mountain (4-6-0) on Thursday.

Stowe 7, Thetford 0

THETFORD — The Panthers dropped to 2-7-0 and host Lamoille on Friday.

Fair Haven 8, Hartford 0

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The Hurricanes fell to 0-9-0, and the Slaters rose to 8-1-0.

Hartford is at Springfield (2-6-0) on Thursday.

Boys soccer

Rivendell 4
Green Mountain 3 (2OT)

ORFORD — Will Knowles scored his third goal of the game in the second overtime, and Carter Bacon made 12 saves for Rivendell.

Jacoby Patterson also scored for the Raptors, and Luke Avery and Josh Douglas had assists. Rivendell (5-3-1) hosts Twin valley (8-0-0) on Friday.

Mascoma 4, Belmont 0

WEST CANAAN — Brandon Pierce had a hat trick and Tanner Moulton added a goal and two assists as the Royals improved to 8-3-0. Mascoma hosts Winnisquam (2-6-0) on Friday.

Hanover 7, Exeter 1

HANOVER — Zach Tracy scored his team-leading 12th and 13th goals and Gavin Munson came off the bench to post a hat trick as the Bears won their eighth consecutive game.

The Bears (10-1-0) got single goals against the Blue Hawks (3-7-1) from Sean Smith and Ryder Hayes, and Carter Guerin had two assists.

Hanover hosts Londonderry (9-2-0) Friday.

Springfield 3White River Valley 2

SOUTH ROYALTON — Kelan Tlumacki and Joe Ferris scored for the Wildcats and Ty Couture had 12 saves, including one on a penalty kick.

The Cosmos scored on three of four penalty attempts.

“We put a lot of pressure on Springfield, but they absorbed it well,” White River Valley coach Alex Montano said. “Finishing continues to be our major hurdle.”

White River (5-4-0) is at Randolph (7-1-0) on Saturday.

Field hockey Mascoma 5, Lebanon 1

WEST CANAAN — The Royals received a hat trick from Makenna Houston and a goal each from Aaliyah Muzzey and Bryanna Thurston in a win over visiting Lebanon.

Norah Burns scored late for the Raiders with an assist from Mackenzie Ray. Mascoma (8-3-0) travels to Stevens (7-2-1) on Friday while Lebanon (4-7-1) welcomes Hanover (5-5-2) the same day.

Cross country Hanover sweeps Cofrin Classic

CONCORD — The Hanover boys and girls won the Cofrin Classic Invitational, with Lea Perreard taking the girls race and Ryan Faris placing second among the boys.

Perreard, the only runner to break 19 minutes in the field of 34, finished in 18:55. Lila Muirhead was third for the Bears (19:25), followed by Megan Faris (fifth, 20:03), Lily Terry (sixth, 20:58) and Sarah Glueck (11th, 21:35).

In the boys field of 35, Faris crossed in 17:09 with teammates Andrew Valentino (fourth, 18:04), Will Parker (fifth, 18:15), Ben Hourdequin (sixth, 18:31) and Owen Welch (seventh, 18:32) close behind. Josiah Conley of Concord won the race in 16:59.

Boys team scores: Hanover 24, Concord 65, Bedford 68, Winnacunnet 92, Spaulding 147.

Girls team scores: Hanover 26, Bedford 41, Concord 78, Bishop Guertin 91, Spaulding 149.

Golf Hartford 331, Peoples 348, Lyndon 366, Middlebury 370, Harwood 370, Woodstock 377

RANDOLPH — Jaden Poirier led the Hurricanes to a win in the VPA Division II sectionals at the Montague Country Club. Hartford will head to the state tournament at Basin Harbor in Vergennes on Tuesday with the other five qualifiers.

Poirier, with two birdies and 10 pars, finished third overall with a round of 5-over-par 74. Hartford’s Thomas Thorburn, with three birdies, shot an 83, and teammates Sean Dunton and Matt Tsouknakis both shot 87.

Souhegan 99, Lebanon 80, Bishop Brady 69, Plymouth 64

GRANTHAM — Declan Brandis, Ben Benes, and Lodi Scholtz were the top three performers for the Raiders (12-14) in their regular-season finale at Eastman Golf Links.

“Our players have all been working hard outside of practice, and it’s nice to see it pay off for them,” said Lebanon coach Steve Roberts.

The Raiders will be the eighth and final seed at the NHIAA Division III state tournament on Oct. 12 at Sagamore-Hampton Golf Course in North Hampton.