LEBANON — The porcupine moved toward the assembled Lebanon High boys soccer team on Monday, hunting for food among grass blades and fallen leaves. The creature’s bristly presence and quiet snuffling drew curious glances from the Raiders, gathered off an end line during intermission of their NHIAA Division II game with John Stark.
“Our new mascot!” exclaimed senior co-captain Francis Calandrella, whose team feasted on the Generals during a 3-1 victory that improved its record to 10-4-0. John Stark is 3-12-0.
Otto Bourne opened the scoring after 15 minutes, dribbling into an opening left when teammate Nick Brill moved wide, drawing a defender with him. Bourne blasted in a 15-yard shot on the run.
The Generals, who lost their ninth consecutive game, pulled even midway through the second half. Evan Sinclair fired a shot into the upper left corner off the hands of leaping goaltender Zach Aldrich.
Lebanon went up, 2-1, two minutes later, following a John Stark corner kick. The ball caromed up the left wing, Brill pushing it all the way to the opposite end line before chipping a left-footed cross that was headed home by Chase Adams for his first varsity goal.
Brill made the same type of play from the opposite side with six minutes remaining, this time sending a low pass to scorer Benji Madory.
Brill is a junior and a Grantham resident who also plays basketball and baseball and is pondering spring competition in track. However, it’s soccer he’s eying for college competition and he’s attended prospect camps in Massachusetts, Connecticut and southeast New Hampshire.
Brill has always been blazing fast, but during the past year he’s added changes of pace, passing touch and field vision to his game. His relentless and physical nature means he plays bigger than his 5-foot-9, 155-pound frame might suggest.
“I wanted to diversify my game so I’d be harder to defend,” Brill said. “I’ve become more of a facilitator instead of just tapping the ball past people and running after it.”
Brill said the Raiders have worked recently on getting as many players as possible forward with him and into the opponent’s penalty area. He sometimes has to downshift or play the ball laterally to buy time, but Monday his teammates hustled enough that he earned his assists off quick-developing sequences.
“I just want to get the ball inside so people can run onto it and smash it in,” Brill said.
Aldrich and first-half goalkeeper Easton Wykes each made one save. In both cases it was a diving stop to the side that saved a goal.
Lebanon hosts Laconia (3-9-1) on Friday to close the regular season.
Two more Raider victories would sew up a fourth-place finish for the defending division champions, earning them a first-round playoff bye and a quarterfinal game on Sunday. That scenario would allow additional time for injured striker Dominico Pentella, who’s been out two weeks, to possibly return.
— Tris Wykes
BRADFORD, Vt. — Silas Hunt’s overtime goal lifted the visitors to 3-9-0 and dropped the Olympians to 2-10-0. Craftsbury’s Calvin Cacciamani converted a penalty kick with 57 seconds remaining in the second half to force the additional session.
Oxbow’s Andrew Barrett knocked in a first-half PK before exiting midway through the second half because of an injury. Olympians coach Andrew Fisher touted the play of Oden Schlager and Aiden Harvey.
“We ran out of gas,” said Fisher, whose team hosts Richford (4-6-0) on Wednesday and entertains Rivendell (10-1-0) on Friday to close the regular season. “We didn’t possess or spread the field like we need to.”
DORSET, Vt. — The Phoenix fell to 1-11-0 while the Mountain Lions improved to 8-5-0. Sharon hosts Proctor (3-8-1) on Wednesday to end its regular season.
WEST CANAAN — The Division III Royals triumphed for the first time this season and just the second in their program’s three-year history.
Emily Seiler scored twice, and Emma Bill and Kayli Stapelfeld also tallied. Piper Morgan had an assist. Division IV Mount Royal fell to 7-8-0.
Mascoma (1-12-0) visits Berlin (5-9-0) on Wednesday.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Leah Kunhert popped home the rebound of an Izzy Konijnenberg free kick to win the contest. Hartford received 13 saves from Sydney Stillman, one of its six seniors.
Vermont Division III Woodstock (8-5-0) scored first on a Konijnenberg free kick and led, 1-0, at halftime. The Division II Hurricanes (1-12-0) forged a tie early in the second half on a Braelyn Park penalty kick.
WINDSOR — Mackenzie Kleefisch scored twice and Gabby Gilbert and Gianna Felice each struck once for the Yellowjackets, who improved to 6-7-0 while dropping the Cosmos to 0-12-1.
Piper Vivian and Alexina Peckinpaugh each had an assist for D-III Windsor, which visits D-II Otter Valley (8-4-0) on Wednesday.