Staff Reports

ORFORD — Rivendell Academy senior Zach Gould has played most every position on a soccer field, save for one. He got to try it for about 10 minutes of his senior game on Friday.

Rivendell boys soccer coach Kevin Brooker made an offer to Gould: I’ll let you play goal so long as you don’t do anything to get yourself hurt. Gould agreed, got to make a save, then came out and — as he usually does — led the Raptors’ offense to a 3-0 win over Springfield.

“He’s been on me all season to play goal, which is fine,” Brooker said. “I told him, ‘I don’t mind, you can to it tonight, but if you make a save or get caught and do something stupid, I’m taking you out.’ I want him to finish his senior year athletically.”

Gould — who was pulled in favor of Jamison Gilbert (five saves) after making his one stop — got Rivendell (11-3-0) on the board by scoring directly off a corner kick in the 49th minute for his team-best 16th goal of the season. A.J. Debois scored the first of his two goals 10 minutes later, finishing a Conrad Henchke pass for the German exchange student’s first point of the season. Debois then nodded home a Gould cross in the 63rd for Rivendell’s final goal.

The Raptors are expected to hold the fourth seed when the VPA Division IV tournament field is announced on Monday.

WRV 7, Bellows Falls 1

WESTMINSTER, Vt. — Paul Metzer scored twice in a four-goal first half for White River Valley (8-6-0), which won for the eighth time in 10 starts after an 0-4 start to the schedule.

Metzer and Jacob Berry finished with two goals apiece, while Jack Simack, Carder Stratton and Dominic Craven also denting the net. Alex Kimball and Zeb Perrault joined Craven, Simack and Berry in the assist department for the Wildcats, who owned a 4-1 lead at the break.

Timber Russell and Cameron Gray combined on five saves for WRV, which is bound for the VPA Division III state tournament next week.

Hartford 3, Otter Valley 1

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The Hurricanes (10-4-0) controlled the day once their eight seniors settled down for their final regular-season home match at the Maxfield Sports Complex.

Nemo Arnold answered an early Otter Valley goal, sending home a Tanner Bessette pass in the 11th minute. Nick Jones set up Hartford’s other two goals, from Tarin Prior in the 36th minute and Aiden Brooks in the 73rd.

“It’s just the classic fear of the senior game, where maybe we’re a little flat, maybe a little emotional and the opposing team shows up to play,” Hartford coach Kevin Guilbault said of the Canes’ slow start.

The win guaranteed a share of the Southern Vermont League’s B Division title for Hartford, which learns its VPA D-II tournament seeding on Monday.

Blue Mountain 2, MVCS 0

QUECHEE — The visiting Bucks broke a scoreless tie shortly after halftime, adding a clinching goal in the final two minutes to best the Eagles (3-9-0).

Stan Nelson made 10 saves for Mid Vermont Christian. Coach Zach Bryan also credited the Eagles for hard work throughout the contest.

MVCS will hit the road to open the VPA D-IV tournament next week.

Proctor 5, Sharon 4

SHARON — The Phoenix squandered a 4-1 halftime lead to end the regular season on a down note.

“We played our best half of soccer in the first half. We moved the ball beautifully, converted scoring chances and played tight defense,” Sharon coach Blake Fabrikant said. “In the second half, we played a bit more cautiously, trying not to give up a goal. Playing to not make mistakes, often you do (make mistakes).”

Olly Skeet-Browning and Riley Eastman each had two goals and an assist for the Phoenix (6-8). Ever Tofel added an assist. Keeper Ben Roadis made four saves.

Green Mountain 4, Windsor 0

CHESTER, Vt. — The Yellowjackets closed the season with a shutout loss at Green Mountain.

Keeper Eli Milligan made five saves for Windsor (4-9-1), which now awaits seeding for the VPA Division III playoffs.

KUA 2, New Hampton 1

MERIDEN — Quinn Guth set up one goal and netted the match-winning in the final two minutes of regulation for Kimball Union (7-2-1).

Guth helped get the Wildcats on the board early, feeding Gonzalo Pascual-Sanchiz in the 16th minute. New Hampton needed just four minutes for the deadline, converting a rebound after a save from KUA netminder Liam Fitzgerald. Guth got the winner in the 88th, finishing a Sean Donoghue rebound.

KUA visits Tilton on Saturday.

GIRLS SOCCER

Oxbow 5, Richford 0

BRADFORD, Vt. — Grace Nostrant and Aspen Longmoore both scored a pair of goals and the Olympians (9-4-1) rolled to a season-closing victory.

Nostrant’s penalty-kick conversion in the 10th minute got the charge started. Nostrant and Longmoore scored a minute apart later in the half, and Longmoore added her second just before halftime for a 4-0 cushion. Melanie Neil, who assisted on Longmoore’s first, added a goal of her own in the 52nd minute.

The O’s are seventh in VPA D-III and awaiting the announcment of the tournament field on Monday.

Thetford 6, Lake Region 0

BARTON, Vt. — Casey MacVeagh scored two goals, one in each half, to lead the Panthers (9-2-1) to a shutout victory over the Rangers.

Gevie Horster scored the game’s first goal with an assist to MacVeagh. Ellen Veracka and MacVeagh added goals to give Thetford a 3-0 lead at halftime. Grace Davis, Lexi Gaetz and MacVeagh all scored in the second half. Lily MacVeagh, Madi Powers and Davis all had assists.

The Panthers will visit Northfield-Williamstown at Norwich University on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Hanover 4, Plymouth 0

HANOVER — Riley Craft scored three goals to pace the undefeated Marauders (14-0-0) over the Bobcats.

Caroline Adams had the other Hanover goals. Sage McGinley-Smith and Casey McGuire each had assists. Keepers Bella Bardales and Lauren Ilsley combined for two saves to earn the shutout. Hanover will start the final week of the season with a visit to fellow NHIAA D-II contender Bow on Tuesday.

KUA 1, Proctor Academy 0

ANDOVER, N.H. — The Wildcats used a second-half Vanessa Mateko goal to put away Proctor and avenge a loss from earlier in the season.

Sophie Braver and Olivia Brooker combined on the shutout. KUA (5-4-2) entertains Wilbraham & Monson on Saturday afternoon.

FIELD HOCKEY

Windsor 8, Springfield 0

WINDSOR — The Yellowjackets (11-2-1) should go into the VPA Division III state tournament as the top seed for the second straight year after blanking the Cosmos to close the regular season.

Hannah Wood paced the Jacks with a hat trick and an assist. Linda Ricard struck twice, and Angelina Bigwood, Chloe Husser and Alyssa Slocum also scored. Bigwood also posted two assists, and Husser added one.

“It was a great team effort to end the regular season,” Windsor coach Jody Wood said.

Glenna Ricard and Madison Leduc tended net, with Ricard recording the one Windsor save. The Jacks learn their playoff assignment on Monday.

Lebanon 3, Stevens 2

CLAREMONT — The Raiders (11-3-0) had to twice rally from deficits, finally putting away the Cardinals (8-6-0) on a Molly Smith goal with 1:23 to play.

Abigail Faro staked Stevens to its first lead on a Scotlyn Daignault pass, which drew a Smith equalizer from Maddie Finnell with 1:51 left in the first half. The Cards’ Bri Frisbee drove downfield and scored just 20 seconds into the second half, and Sydney Gonyea tied it for Lebanon with 17:54 to play before setting up Smith’s late winner.

Autumn Crowell finished with six saves for Lebanon, while Nicole Salls put up a strong front in the Stevens net. Both teams will open the NHIAA Division III tournament on Wesdnesday, with Lebanon at home and the Cardinals on the road.

Hanover 2, Souhegan 0

HANOVER — The Marauders (11-1-1) closed out a great regular season with a shutout of the Sabers on senior night.

Gail Morse broke a scoreless tie in the second half with her first goal of the season; Olivia Trummel assisted. Anna Stafford added an insurance goal with an assist to Kate Blaisdell. Goalie Ella Edmonds had six saves.

“It was a little emotional on senior day. You just can’t discount what this senior group has done for us. It took 15-20 minutes to settle in, but in the second half they really stepped up and played their game,” Hanover coach Jean Essex said.

A group of 10 seniors led the way for the Marauders, including captains Edmonds, Macy Curtis and Katie Naughton along with Stafford, Miranda Galbraith, Macy Lawson, Maggie Logan, Emma Marks, Sabin Mitchell and Katrina Randall. Hanover will get a bye through the first round of the playoffs and will host a quarterfinal game later next week.

Hopkinton 5, Newport 3

NEWPORT — The Tigers (8-6-0) closed the regular season with a competitive game against the Hawks (13-1-0), the presumptive top seed in the upcoming NHIAA Division III playoffs.

Eliza Bates had a goal and two assists for Newport. Lacey McNeel and Maddie Miller also scored. Miller’s goal was her 15th of the season, setting a program record for single-season goals.

Goalie Kelsey Wheeler made nine saves. The Tigers celebrated senior day for McNeel and Alyshya Lee and will open the D-III playoffs as either the eighth, ninth or 10th seed, depending on tiebreakers.

FOOTBALL

Newport 26, Kearsarge-MRA 14

NORTH SUTTON, N.H. — The Tigers (2-5) improved their NHIAA D-IV playoff hopes with a road win over the winless Cougars (0-7). Newport spotted their hosts the game’s first touchdown before reeling off 26 straight points.

Newport next hosts Epping-Newmarket on Oct. 26.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Mount Mansfield 3, MVCS 0

QUECHEE — The Eagles lost in straight sets, 21-25, 16-25, 22-25, to conclude the regular season.

Delaney Gross had fives aces and seven kills for MVCS (8-5). The Eagles look to have secured the No. 6 seed in the playoffs and will open at home on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

MEN’S TENNIS

Green 6-1 at regionals

PHILADELPHIA — Dartmouth players won six of the seven matches on the opening day of the ITA Northeast regional championship at Penn.

Peter Conklin and Dan Martin had an 8-1 win against a St. John’s duo in doubles. John Speicher, Anders Gibbons, Alejandro Quiles, David Horneffer and Pierce Widdecombe all won in singles, with Speicher going thre sets to beat Drexel’s Sanil Jagtiani.

The tournament continues on Saturday.

]]>