Nice Win, David

Katie Campbell spent tonight menacing the BFA defense, but she was more David than Dennis with 2 goals -- including MVU's first ever game-winner in St. Albans.

Maybe comparing MVU's girls hockey 3-1 win over BFA tonight to David KO-ing Goliath is a little over the top. After all, anyone who didn't give the Thunderbirds a chance at winning doesn't follow Vermont hockey too closely.

Then again, Comet/Thunderbird hockey has more closely resembled Globetrotters/Generals than Duke/UNC for almost a decade. Missisquoi has more often than not been happy with moral victories against its biggest rival.

Goliath has eight Division I state championships. David has none (though David did win the Division II title in 2008).

Goliath has been to the championship game nine times. Vermont has only had ten championship games in girls hockey.

Goliath has more skaters than bench room -- its 19 players almost require a second page for its roster. David is playing the 2011-12 season with 12 skaters.

Goliath beats up on David twice a year, every year. David did land a couple of shots a few years ago including a thrilling overtime win, but Goliath has never been knocked out on his, pardon me, her own turf.

That's nearly unheard of in high school sports! Every single season for a decade, MVU has taken the short trip to the Collins Perley Sports Center and not once has it even eked out a lucky win.

And tonight's wasn't even a lucky win for the Thunderbirds. BFA isn't having a down year. It boasts the best goaltender in the state and is a favorite to perhaps take title #9 this spring. 

The Comet hockey program is the gold standard for Vermont sports. Before the puck dropped tonight, members of the class of 2011 unveiled another championship banner. But for the next 45 minutes on the ice, MVU made the team of all teams look like a team of in-house squirts. 

Somehow, as I left the rink tonight, BFA hadn't lost its place atop the high school sports world to me. The only thing I could think was heaven help the poor girls who have to play these Comets next (That would be Hanover. Girls, maybe you should just stay in New Hampshire next week).

MVU was the better team tonight (I'll get to them shortly), but BFA impressed me immensely. I don't remember seeing Tori Hubbard play before, but I'll have an eye out from now on. Every time she came on the ice it was like I was watching a video game and she was the only player who had unlocked the speed burst -- her jersey number should be L2. Aly Hardy can create a shot from anywhere inside the blue line in about 1/10 a second, no wonder I couldn't focus my camera in time. Desiree Hurlbut loves hockey the way Chris Brown loves Rihanna -- aggressively. That love of the game is why these BFA girls never get used to winning and are never content. 

This ended up being about as physical a girls hockey game as I've ever seen. At the end there was more frustrated pushing than I thought I'd see between girls who are generally friends and offseason teammates. At first glance the shots I saw BFA take seemed petty (don't worry, MVU, I'm not letting you off the hook for your willing participation)...But as I think about it, I didn't see a single player from either team try to hurt anyone. BFA looked a little more frustrated because it was. The Comets have been big brother, um, sister, beating up on little sister for 10 years. No way would I expect big sister to go down without a fight. Seeing BFA that frustrated is rare, and a bad sign for future opponents. These girls dominated the Vermont hockey scene with no motivation for a decade, I'm a little afraid of what they might do  with something to prove.

Let's talk about David. 12 skaters somehow went behind enemy lines and came back smiling. MVU should have given up a goal in the first few minutes but didn't. Shelby Christian didn't let her team fall behind all night. MVU should have gone ahead a few minutes later but didn't. I would have bet my life that any one of about five missed chances for the T-Birds would end up costing it a victory. Thankfully, betting on high school sports is illegal. 

Amanda Conger will be the best high school hockey player in Vermont in three, maybe two years. For now she'll just have to settle for being an elite player on the rise. I don't have a picture of her goal tonight, I just have a picture of all five Comet players surrounding the crease at the same time Conger found her way in front just long enough to light the first lamp of the night.

Every Comet on the ice couldn't stop Amanda Conger (Her blue/white socks in the middle are slightly easier to find than Waldo) from putting MVU up 1-0 in the first period tonight.

Mikaela Flanagan would win the most improved player award if I were in charge of handing out such things. I'm comfortable with that statement even if we've just begun the season. Flanagan has gone from intimidating defender previously to frightening all-around player this season. No coach should try to explain counterattacking when he could just show his team tapes of Flanagan tonight. She also has the hardest slapshot this side of Danielle Roberts and owes St. Albans hockey sponsors a refund for the damage she did to their signs around the rink tonight.

I wanted to give Katie Campbell a hug after the final horn tonight. She has a love of the game similar to Hurlbut's and makes the players around her better. She plays the game with a smile. She nearly clocked one of her own players who was about to engage in some post-whistle pushing tonight. Campbell's second goal tonight showed why she's the leader of a one of a kind team. Campbell came across the BFA blue line late with her team holding a 2-1 lead and a likely victory. A Comet defender decided at this point a hit was better than a takeaway and went full steam ahead at Campbell. Fortunately for the BFA defender, Campbell didn't feel like sending anyone to the hospital and instead touched the puck right and stepped to the left, then fired a win-sealing wrist shot while the defender crashed into the boards.

When BFA tied it up in the third, I thought MVU was cooked (We're up to two reasons I shouldn't gamble on sports, three if you count the whole "illegal" thing). I mean, nice try girls but there's no way you can keep up with 19 top-level players for three periods, right? 

I watched most of the game from the MVU bench; I chose to take pictures there since there was so much more room than on BFA's. I had the best seat in the house to watch a group of girls who were too amped to quit, who were tired of being little sister, who just wanted to play. These girls love playing hockey together. When Kara Babcock slumped off the ice after a brutal hit and sunk down behind the bench, her teammates didn't ask if she was ok. They just laughed at her until she laughed at herself. The whole time, Flanagan was trying to hide a wrist injury she earned on the only flying slapshot attempt I've ever seen from coaches and trainers so she could finish the game. If I ever count these girls out again, someone take away my press pass.

I'm not going to forget this game for a long time, neither will the players, coaches or fans. I'll be reserving my seat ASAP for the rematch January 25 and nothing could keep me away from their possible playoff matchup --they've both been in Division I since 2010. In their only playoff meeting in 2010, Goliath beat David 4-2.

I can't wait for January 25. I guess until then I'll just hold on to that image of Campbell's wrister. The one that hit the back of the net as though it were coming out of a, well, slingshot. 

Championship Saturday 2011

Last night was no different than usual. I brushed my teeth, set my alarm, turned on an old George Carlin album and fell asleep.

Unfortunately, I didn't put as much care into setting my alarm as I did into selecting the right bedtime comedy routine. I neglected that little button on the corner of my alarm clock that specifies AM or PM. With a championship game to cover in South Burlington at 10 AM, I had just done a fine job of giving myself an 8 PM wake up.

Cut to 10:27 this morning. Imagine my confusion as I wake up to my father calling me. The plan was for him to bring my sisters to work and meet me at the Division II girls soccer championship at 10:00 in South Burlington. A little before 11, he would head to UVM for the Division III field hockey final and I would remain at SBHS until the end. 

"Are you at South Burlington?" he asked me (I think, anyway. Tough to recall a phone conversation as the first act of the day).

"I'm in bed," I replied before looking at my clock and blurting out obscenities a little too racy for the internet.

He suggested I cover field hockey and he would stay at South Burlington, which made the most sense. I raced to get ready and was out the door roughly 90 seconds after waking up. But the ride south was troublesome. I absolutely love the Milton girls soccer team and had planned for a year to be there when they won this season's title. I have nothing against the field hockey squad of my alma mater, but have no connection to it beyond covering a few games here and there. I've covered Milton so much that when coach Cory Payson calls the house to report stats from a game we didn't cover, he asks for me (a reporter) instead of my father (the sports editor and the guy every other coach asks for).

I've probably covered this Milton girls team more than any other in my brief sportswriting career. Aside from being the most talented team in any division I've ever covered, I love the players, coach and parents. In eulogizing the season, I'm obligated to mention the kindness and friendship that Jenna Morrissey, Gina Abbiati and Samantha Rock have treated me with this year. I often talk to players I cover on facebook, at games or via texting; it's helpful to have sources who can help me identify a player in a photo, tell me who made an important pass or just talk about what's going on off the field. Plenty of players in the county are great about this, but since I'm writing about the 2011 Milton girls soccer team, these are the three I'm thanking in this blog. On my way home today I actually felt a little sad about the season ending because I no longer have a reason to chat with them anymore. But that's the job, and next year I'll rely on Wells, Brooke Phillips, Paige Johnson or someone else for my info. I just hope they're ready to fill some big shoes.

I'd promised all three girls, along with a few parents that I would be there this morning to cover the culmination of a great season. And as I drove south on I-89 at unsafe speeds, I got angry with myself for oversleeping and felt terrible about a broken promise. Just past Colchester (around 10:45), I called my dad back.

Before I finished my first sentence. He asked if I wanted to cover the soccer game using his notes from the first half and have him go to field hockey. He knew how badly I wanted to be there and was actually more than happy to go to field hockey himself to make that happen (he covered the heartbreaking loss last year and was hoping to be there for today's redemption just like my situation with Milton). Hell, he even texted me telling me where he'd been parked hoping I could steal his spot (I did!).

I got to the field just a couple of minutes into the second half with Milton holding down a 1-0 lead but apparently dominating play. I had taken all of two pictures when Abbiati volleyed in a Shannon Wells corner kick to make it a 2-0 lead. Suddenly the anger and frustration and sadness I'd felt all morning was going away. I hadn't gotten to see Gina score a goal this year, but made it for probably the biggest one of her career. 

Milton rolled through the second half, adding two more goals before game's end. I chatted briefly with Jenna and Samantha on the sidelines late in the half and went on to take some of the most satisfying pictures of my career. 

You see, there was a lot at stake for both teams I watched today. One year ago, they both lost on championship Saturday. I drove to Randolph to watch Milton somehow lose to Harwood despite a +19 shots advantage. I raced back to UVM just in time to see MVU's field hockey team lose in penalty strokes (if you're wondering, they're every bit as brutal as soccer penalty kicks). Neither of these squads was going to be content with just a trip to a title game in 2011. Had they both lost, I imagine it would have been my saddest day as a sports writer. Both Milton and MVU expected to win titles this year. Playoff losses are always tough, but for instance, the BFA-St. Albans baseball team in 2010 wasn't all that crushed by a loss in the title game after making such an incredible run as an underdog. Milton made sure I didn't have a bad day despite my rough morning.

I made it to UVM just in time for the end of the game again this year. But this time, MVU had a lead and held on to it. All I was there for were the celebration pictures --the crown jewel for any sports photographer with a soul--, so I felt a little spoiled but oh well. As I mentioned, I don't have the same connection to the field hockey team as the Milton soccer team, but it was a satisfying experience nonetheless. I've seen these players work extremely hard and I know coach Jeanne Rainville has as much passion for her team as any other coach around. 

The best part about championship Saturday 2011 is the anticipation of championship Saturday 2012. MVU field hockey will lose ONE player to graduation. That's not a typo, this team which just won a state title did so with ONE senior. That senior is the goalie, but if next year's team is an improvement on this one it may not need a goalie. 

Milton loses a few more quality players. Rock, Morrissey, Abbiati, and goalie Bethany Berger among a few others will be tough to replace. But Wells (who has long-passing accuracy that would make David Beckham jealous) is a junior, and the sophomore class is absolutely loaded. I've already written about how much I love watching Phillips play and that won't change as long as I'm not coaching a Yellowjacket opponent. Erin Turner scored today's first goal, Ashley Lauziere has been a playmaker all year, and Addison Wennar/Paige Johnson are one of the best sweeper/stopper combos in the state ----ALL SOPHOMORES! Milton may even be more fun to watch next season. This year's version was so talented that it literally just needed to show up against most Division II opponents. Next year's version will be good, but will need a team game to repeat as champions.

Whatever next year brings, I'm thankful for a great ending to this particular season even though I'll truly miss it. 

Now, who's ready for some basketball?

Season Review/Playoff Preview 2011 Girls Soccer

See my 2011 boys review/preview for an overview of what I'm doing here. Again, my apologies to the Richford teams, who I did not see compete this year.

BFA St. Albans Girls (Division I, #5, 10-4-0)

*Unlike the St. Albans boys, the Comets play as a unit every time they take the field. BFA got to 10-4 this year by playing together and free of ego. The players support each other both on the field and from the bench. The absence of a superstar has actually helped this team. Every girl knows she needs to play 100% if the team is going to have a chance of winning. Coach Jake Toof gets that maximum effort out of his team and because of it, BFA is in great shape heading into the playoffs.

*Toof has experimented at times this season with sweeper Kiah Hamner actually playing midfield or even up top. Hamner might be the best all-around player BFA has and she might be needed somewhere other than the back spot if the Comets are going to score against a CVU or South Burlington. It will be up to the rest of the Comet defense to fill that void if such a risk is going to work.

*Rarely do we see a two-goalie system used effectively in high school soccer, but BFA has a great tandem. Dani Schreiner and Allie Doe have both spent significant time in the net and neither seems to mind spending a half on the bench in favor of playing the other. If one suffers an injury at some point in the postseason, there's no drop off with the other coming in.

*The Comets do play a weak schedule and went 0-2 against Metro teams this season. But its strong showing against (#6)Essex proved BFA can beat anyone on a good day. If the Comets can find a way to score against the top teams, its goal prevention is good enough to hold off anyone in the state.

Milton Girls (Division II, #1, 12-1-1)

*The team I was most looking forward to watching this season didn't disappoint. After a season opening loss to South Burlington (#2, Division I), the Yellowjackets outscored opponents 40-11. Milton was the only team to even tie CVU (#1, Division I) until South Burlington defeated the Redhawks on the last day of the season. 

*Milton is playing for a fourth consecutive trip to the Division II championship. The Yellowjackets suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Harwood last year despite outshooting the Highlanders 21-2. For this prideful team, second place in 2011 will be considered a failure. 

*Sophomore Addison Wennar was involved in many of Milton's scoring chances in last year's title game. With the graduation of Hannah Fraser, Wennar was moved to the sweeper position (where she has been incredible) this season. But don't be surprised if Wennar works her way forward at the right time this postseason and provides a crucial goal.

*Unexpected scoring might be necessary for Milton. Senior Sam Rock is just three goals away from becoming Milton's all time leading goal scorer (she surpassed 150 career points in Milton's season finale against Vergennes). Rock may well get her milestone goal --and I hope I'm there to see it, she's one hell of a nice kid who absolutely deserves the record-- but don't be surprised if she struggles to score in the late rounds. If anyone on Milton doesn't think Rock will be double or even triple teamed this postseason, they're living in a dream world. There's no shame in losing to Milton, but opponents will at least want to see someone other than Rock make it happen. Rock is a capable playmaker and may best help Milton win a title by forgetting the goals and adding to her assist total.

*It's not like Milton needs Rock to score. Almost anyone else in a Milton uniform can score on any defense. Jenna Morrissey possesses the most lethal long distance shot I've seen by any high schooler of any gender. She'll have space to unleash that weapon if defenders concentrate on Rock.

*Brooke Phillips, Shannon Wells and Erin Turner can also score for Milton, especially if defenders aren't concentrating on them. Phillips is one of the fastest kids I've ever seen in any sport and earlier this season I wrote that players trying to defend her often end up looking like the white guy on the wrong end of an And 1 Mixtape highlight.

*If Gina Abbiati can stay healthy (and that's a big "if"), she's a huge game changer in the midfield. No other team in Division II (or maybe Division I for that matter) boasts a midfield duo like Morrissey/Abbiati when healthy.

*It's clear Milton has the talent to take home a third title in four years. All that remains to be seen is if this incredibly successful group can change its ways when necessary.

Missisquoi Girls (Division II, #13, 2-9-3)

*No team surprised me more than MVU this season, and I mean that in a good way. A Thunderbird team which struggled greatly last year lost some of its better players to graduation/moving and I was seriously worried about an 0-14 season. It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong, so, um, anyway, moving on...

*First year coach Adam Branon (and assistant Casey Toof) did a phenomenal job with these girls. So often this year, the players actually seemed to be enjoying themselves on and off the field. That attitude translated in to relaxed play and positive results.

*Its two wins don't tell the whole story. MVU put a serious scare into BFA and played Milton as well as any team not named CVU or South Burlington. The Thunderbirds only lost by more than a goal two times all season. Nobody, not even Milton, has a guaranteed win against this MVU team.

*Best of all for Missisquoi, only two players are seniors. Everything this team has built over the last 14 games and all it will learn in the postseason can be improved upon next year.

*No local team lucked out with its draw more than MVU. The T-Birds will travel to Mt. Abraham to face the (#4)Eagles (9-3-2). Mt. Abe probably doesn't feel like a 9-spot favorite since the best it could do was a 2-2 tie with MVU when the two met on September 27. Don't be surprised if MVU fights its way out of the first round or even further.

BFA-Fairfax Girls (Division III, #7, 10-4-0)

*This Fairfax team reminds me a lot of the St. Albans girls: no superstar but plenty of talent, a great deal of respect for teammates and the coach (Geri Witalec), capable of beating anyone or losing to anyone depending on the day, and most importantly, the girls seem to enjoy playing soccer every day. 

*One more similarity to the Comets: an unusual goalkeeper situation. Vocal leader and starting keeper Ruby Bushey suffered a horrendous jaw injury in a game this season (the x-rays showed the most brutal injury I've ever seen to a local athlete). Backup keeper Meghan Feerick has done an incredible job of filling in for the nearly irreplaceable Bushey and will continue to do so in the playoffs.

*Huge credit to Bushey (along with Witalec and the entire Fairfax team) for making it on to the field for her senior game. Bushey briefly standing between the goalposts at Fairfax one last time was a heartwarming moment no matter where your allegiance lies.

*One thing is always certain of Witalec's teams: they will not be outworked. Fairfax is sturdy defensively, dangerous offensively and always playing its best soccer when late October rolls around. Any opponent who takes the Bullets lightly will get to enjoy some extra rest before winter sports begin.

Enosburg Girls (Division III, #13, 2-10-2)

*Enosburg finished its season strongly with a great showing in a 1-0 loss to Division I St. Albans and double overtime win against MVU. If Enosburg can play with BFA, it can certainly upset (#4)Windsor.

*The Hornets are dealt the worst possible hand to start the season. Enosburg is the only Division III team in the Lake and is by far the smallest school in that league. The Hornets simply don't have the numbers (especially when an upstart sport like volleyball pulls away even a couple good athletes) to compete in the Lake on a yearly basis.

*The potential benefit to that comes now. Enosburg has spent the better part of the season trying to play with top tier Division II and even some Division I schools and will find itself more capable of controlling a game with a school its own size. 

*Whatever its final record or playoff positioning, this Enosburg team is a real team. In this blog and the previous one, I spent a lot of time talking about the importance of being a unit (which is why a team like Fairfax or St. Albans could overachieve and a team like Milton could fall apart). These Enosburg girls love eachother, to them "sister" is a synonym for "teammate." They enjoy practicing with each other, they spend a ton of time together off the field, they love their coach (Donna Flanders) and that feeling is obviously mutual. These Hornets would prefer a loss as a team to a win as individuals, and that's what high school sports should be about.

_______________________________________________________________________________

*Finally, I would like to announce the first annual Kaufmann's Korner All County Team. This is a little different from other all star team selections for a couple of reasons. 1). Nobody really cares. 2). This is not a list of the 11 best players I cover, it is the team I think would have the most success playing together (If Vermont had a competition between each of its counties, this is the team I think would give Franklin Co. the best chance of winning). 

*So just because a good defender doesn't make the team doesn't mean I don't consider her one of the best four defenders I cover, it just means I think the combination I chose would play the best team defense.

* I also may have a player outside her typical position, I can do that since this is my imaginary team.

*The only rules I gave myself were to include at least one player from each school I covered (I'm taking the geographical liberty of moving Milton into Franklin County for this and giving Richford the temporary boot since I didn't see them at all) and to prepare for angry text messages from those I left out.

*I'd also like to note that this team was tougher for me than the boys team. I spent an extra 20 minutes adding/deleting names before settling on this lineup. If you feel like someone else belongs here, chances are good I had them here at some point in the last 20 minutes. There's plenty of deserving talent missing from this team:

Goalkeeeper: Ruby Bushey (BFA-Fairfax)

Defenders: Addison Wennar (Milton)

                  Kiah Hamner (BFA-St. Albans)

                  Amelia Dupuis (MVU)

                  Kaitlin Knoff (Enosburg)

                  

Midfielders: Jenna Morrissey (Milton)

                    Aly Hardy (BFA-St.Albans)

                    Elizabeth Qua (BFA-St. Albans)

Forwards: Sam Rock (Milton)

                 Anissa Hartmann (BFA-Fairfax)

                 Mallory L'Esperance (MVU)

                    

Season Review/Playoff Preview 2011 Boys Soccer

Sorry for the long delay folks, so many games and so little time to write. Before the playoffs kick off tomorrow, I wanted to post a little about each of the soccer teams I've covered (apologies to Richford, but I actually didn't cover a single Rocket or Falcon game this fall and therefore don't have much insight to offer). It's been a great season and I expect a few local teams to do very well in playoffs. Here's a team by team breakdown for the boys (blog for the girls coming later tonight):

MVU Boys  (Division I, #1, 12-1-1)

*The criticism of MVU's #1 seed is somewhat unfair. No, the Thunderbirds are probably not the best all-around team in the state and would probably have more than one loss had it played more games against the likes of CVU, Colchester or Burlington. But Missisquoi won every game it should have, and there's something to be said for that.

*It would have been fun to see MVU play a Metro schedule, but you can't say they absolutely should be in the Metro. Missisquoi had a high school enrollment of 637 for the 2010-11 school year, which would make it the smallest school in the Metro (Colchester is currently smallest with 754 students) and does not make it the largest school in the lake (that honor goes to 659-student Middlebury). So Missisquoi is small enough to justify its position in the Lake, not to mention the T-Birds would get killed in the Metro in years without the likes of Matt St. Amour, Caleb Lothian and Chasen La Shure on its team.

*That #1 seed (which went to MVU only because CVU lost its final game of the season) means plenty to the T-Birds. #16 Lyndon probably can't beat Missisquoi. #15 Brattleboro would have a much better shot at the upset.

*Top seed or not, MVU has to play its absolute best to beat the rest of the top 5 (Burlington, CVU, South Burlington and Harwood -- South Burlington handed MVU its only loss of the year).

*If MVU can pull off a second straight championship despite being moved up a division, it may be the first time a #1 seed has ever been referred to as "underdog" champs.

BFA St. Albans Boys (Division I, #13, 6-8-0)

*The Bobwhites picked up right where it left off after a dismal year in 2010, losing its first three games by a combined score of 9-2. Since that third loss, BFA closed its season on a 6-5 run and never lost two consecutive games again.

*Things turned around with a 2-1 overtime road win at Milton in September. Both Bobwhite goals that day came from someone making the "extra" pass, which was a trait missing from BFA's playbook for quite some time. The Bobwhites clearly applied the lessons learned that day in the rest of its season.

*BFA is an above-average team when they players and coaches are getting along and everyone is playing unselfishly, I don't think many other teams are aware of just how much talent the Bobwhites really have. But when playing individually and distracted by personal issues, BFA is almost unwatchable.

*As talented as some of its players are, BFA isn't talented enough to beat good Metro teams without 11 kids playing together.

*The Bobwhites proved with a 2-0 win at Essex and 2-0 loss to Burlington (who had beaten the Bobwhites 5-1 to kick off the season) its ability to play with and even beat top tier teams.

*BFA's range is unbelievable; on any given day BFA could beat the #1 team in Division I or lose 3-0 to a midlevel Division II team depending on which BFA shows up that day. The Bobwhites are fully capable of upsetting (#6)South Burlington in round one and even making a deeper run if all parties involved remember that they play for the same team.

Milton Boys (Division II, #8, 5-7-2)

*Milton had one of the unluckiest starts in all of Vermont. The Yellowjackets started the season 1-7-2 and only two of those seven losses came by more than one goal (a 2-0 loss to Division I Colchester and a 3-0 loss to Division I South Burlington).

*Since that brutal start, Milton ended its season with four straight wins and salvaged a home playoff game with rival Lamoille in the opening round.

*Milton's tough start can be blamed somewhat on its youth (7 freshmen/sophomores). The season began with a slew of overtime games, settings Milton's young squad might not have been ready for quite yet.

*The Yellowjackets have a great on-field leader in Chayce Phillips. A young team needs a leader with skill, heart and brains and Phillips has all three. Phillps' presence helped turn what was on pace to be a transition year into a potentially strong playoff run (Phillips' co-captains, Everett Gander and Taylor Gingras desereve credit for getting this team to an #8 seed as well)

*Regardless of what happens in these playoffs, expect Milton to be strong for the next few years. But never bet against a team which ended its season with four straight wins.

BFA Fairfax Boys (Division III, #1, 14-0-0)

*Fairfax was certainly the best team in Franklin County this year and perhaps in all of Vermont. From goalie to striker and every spot in between, the Bullets do not have a weak link. As good as the MVU boys and Milton girls are, both of those teams have weak spots which could be exploited in the coming weeks, I've yet to see such a spot on this BFA team.

*An opponent only came within a goal of beating Fairfax three times all season. BFA outscored the opposition 49-7 in its 13 played wins (Richford forfeited its second contest with the Bullets).

*BFA racked up 8 shutouts and only allowed more than a single goal one time.

*Fairfax's biggest advantage is its versatility -- BFA doesn't rely on one or two players for all its scoring. If Justin Bolam or Nicolas Figuera are being double teamed, anyone else on the field is capable of scoring.

*If someone does break through BFA's stellar defense (Nick Woodward, Luke Rebeor, Tyler McNall and Tim Rebeor), the Bullets boast one of the best goalkeepers around. Good luck slipping anything past Cameron Loller (who works harder in warmups than any goalie I've ever seen)

*BFA has some good young players, but this is a culmination season for the team. There are too many three and four year players on the roster who have experienced every kind of playoff heartbreak without a title to show for it. It was clear listening to the players after win #14 that 14-0 is a fine number, but it's championship or bust for these Bullets.

Enosburg Boys (Division III, #5, 10-4-0)

*If there's one team that should scare Fairfax, it's the Hornets. Two of Enosburg's four losses came at the hands of BFA, but a great late-season contest in Fairfax was destined for overtime until a late BFA penalty kick helped the Bullets escape with a victory.

*Enosburg was the only team to score 2 goals against Fairfax this year

*Enosburg absolutely wants to see Fairfax one more time, I'm not sure BFA shares the feeling. The saying goes that it's almost impossible to beat a good team three times in one year, the Hornets would love a chance to prove that adage right (Enosburg will likely need to beat #4 Rivendell on the road in the second round to earn a semifinal match with Fairfax).

*The Hornets play a smart brand of soccer and play fairly well as a team, but may depend a little too much on senior Gabino Hernandez for its scoring.

*This Enosburg team stays incredibly composed and doesn't lose its cool. That's thanks in part to perhaps the best coaching staff in the state (head coach Randy Swainbank and assistants Dave Fitzgerald, David Marlow and Steve Jette) but thanks even more to the spread of its senior leadership on the field (goalie Cody Couture, defender/midfielder Will Gleason and forward Hernandez).

*Enosburg is absolutely capable of winning a title this year. That could all depend on Hernandez's ability to transform from finisher to playmaker.

_________________________________________________________________________

*Finally, I would like to announce the first annual Kaufmann's Korner All County Team. This is a little different from other all star team selections for a couple of reasons. 1). Nobody really cares. 2). This is not a list of the 11 best players I cover, it is the team I think would have the most success playing together (If Vermont had a competition between each of its counties, this is the team I think would give Franklin Co. the best chance of winning). 

*So just because a good defender doesn't make the team doesn't mean I don't consider him one of the best four defenders I cover, it just means I think the combination I chose would play the best team defense (example: Chasen La Shure is one of the four best midfielders in the county, but I already had three offensive-minded midfielders so I made my fourth a blue-collar type player).

* I also may have a player outside his typical position, I can do that since this is my imaginary team.

*The only rules I gave myself were to include at least one player from each school I covered (I'm taking the geographical liberty of moving Milton into Franklin County for this and giving Richford the temporary boot since I didn't see them at all) and to prepare for angry text messages from those I left out.

Goalkeeper: Cameron Loller (BFA-Fairfax)

Defenders: Caleb Lothian (MVU)

                  Connor Walsh (BFA-St. Albans)

                  Everett Gander (Milton)

                  Will Gleason (Enosburg)

Midfielders: Matt. St. Amour (MVU)

                    Justin Bolam (BFA-Fairfax)

                    Camilo Cuadra (BFA-St. Albans)

                    Travis Yandow (BFA-Fairfax)

Forwards: Chayce Phillips (Milton)

                 Gabino Hernandez (Enosburg)

Girls Soccer 10-5-11, Lamoille: 0 Missisquoi: 2

*I'll add a photo from Wednesday's game later today*  


I've already written about the MVU girls and how pleasantly surprised I am with their play this season. So I won't go on too much, and this entry will be brief. But it was good to see the T-Birds finally rewarded with a win after so many well played losses and ties this year.

As well as a few certain girls played for Missisquoi on Wednesday, it really was nearly flawless team play which pushed the Thunderbirds over the top. Sometimes when I speak to a coach after a game, he'll name a few players he thought played well or even one he wants to see more from (using the newspaper interview to motivate or reward kids is something I find most of the best coaches do well). Missisquoi's Adam Branon doesn't usually hesitate to name a specific player or two, but after Wednesday's game was adamant that this was a total team victory. And I agree with him. So for purposes of this entry, I won't be naming any specific players and I hope any T-Bird players reading this understand any success they have this season will come from playing as a unit like they did Wednesday.

The term "110%" is one of the more overused sports cliche's I can think of, but not necessarily when it comes to this Missisquoi team. These Thunderbirds clearly are maxing out their effort, at least when I have seen them. It's made even more refreshing by the fact that these girls don't get down on eachother, whine about referees or play dirty.

If there's another team in the county as refreshing to watch as MVU, it's the BFA Comets. Like Missisquoi, BFA relies on united play rather than a single star for its success. Nearly all the compliments I just payed Missisquoi could be extended to the Comets. After missing the first meeting between the rivals earlier this year (BFA won in overtime at St. Albans), I don't plan on missing the rematch this Saturday at 10 a.m. in Swanton. BFA has a very slight edge in talent and a bigger edge in depth, but not enough that I'd make it a huge favorite on the road at Missisquoi. 

If you're looking for a game to watch Saturday, make the trip to MVU. You won't see a single Division I college prospect, but you'll see a couple of teams who play hard, stay positive and don't complain. In my book, that's more than enough to make an elite game. 

Girls Soccer 9-24-11, Milton: 2 BFA St. Albans: 1 OT

Milton's Maddie Loucy tries to get through BFA's Tori Hubbard (15) during Milton's 2-1 OT win Saturday (all game photos soon available at www.fcsportsonline.com)

        I don't even know where to begin with this blog. I didn't think I was going to see another game as good as Thursday night's until at least the postseason, if at all. But there I was, 48 hours later and on the very same field, watching two sides absolutely battle and leave it all on a wet, muddy field. It was an incredibly clean game full of chances and short on whining. Neither team dominated and neither team shrunk away. I could get used to watching soccer like this. I feel a little sorry for BFA after watching both its soccer teams lose by a single goal over homecoming weekend. But it's easy to get past the pity, knowing each squad can do great things over the coming weeks if they play as they did this weekend.

The first game I wrote a blog on was the Milton girls loss to South Burlington. I wrote that the Yellowjackets looked OK, but didn't have the swagger I'd come to expect. Senior Sam Rock commented on the blog, promising they wouldn't disappoint me again. The next time I saw them was in a lackluster 1-0 win over a young MVU team (I missed Milton's apparently excellent draw with DI powerhouse CVU). I saw Rock briefly after that game and she seemed almost apologetic. Standing in front of the Milton bench after tonight's game, Rock saw me, grinned and said, "We had swagger tonight!"

She was right. On a field beaten up by soccer and football games on consecutive nights, neither team was going to win big. This contest was going to come down to grit, and Milton had the edge by the slightest of margins. Even after giving up a game-tying goal midway through the second half and missing a certain winner by inches with 20 seconds left in regulation, Milton carried itself like a team that thought it deserved to win. 

A little bit lost in the shadow of a brilliant game-winning goal for Milton (we'll get to that shortly) is the fact that BFA had its own swagger tonight. I wrote after its win over Enosburg that the Comets had no alpha dog and lacked an identity. Well, there still is no alpha dog, but BFA does have an identity. The Comets are a true team. The girls on the field trust each other and are refreshingly positive in attitude. When coach Toof puts a sub in, it's not looked at as a downgrade, just a change. It's clear these girls understand what it means to be a team, and that's BFA pride if I've ever seen it.

It would have been very easy for the Comets to give up after falling behind a team with such a (well earned) great reputation like Milton. The field couldn't have been fun to play on and there's no shame in a 1-0 loss to Milton. But there was no letdown. In fact, BFA dominated the rest of the first half after conceding. When November rolls around, I don't care what seed BFA has or what field it's playing on, the Comets are going to be a tough out in the DI tournament.

As for Milton, it may be impossible to oust this team from the DII playoffs. The passing, the speed, the teamwork, the soccer IQ, it's just fun to watch. Rock is now 13 goals away from becoming Milton's all-time leading scorer, but what impressed me tonight was her passing. She seems to make the right decision every single time -- not something to be overlooked in a high schooler. If Rock were a more selfish player (or even just a poorer passer) she would already have the record. I may be alone in this thought, but I could care less if Rock scores another milestone goal, she belongs on the short list of great female soccer players in Vermont...

...Along with Jenna Morrissey. In fact, I think about 80% of the boys teams in the state would be better off with Morrissey patrolling the midfield. She didn't make it in to the score book tonight but I can't think of many other girls who are a threat to score every time they cross midfield.

As stellar as Rock and Morrissey were tonight, the MVP was Brooke Phillips hands down. She spent most of the season making defenders look like the white guys on the wrong side of an "And 1 Mixtape" highlight. I knew she was fast, I knew she was good. What stunned me was how Phillips could still be moving at a full sprint and beat two defenders down the right sideline 89 minutes after the opening whistle. 

Once clear of the defense, Phillips sent a perfect cross to Rock in the center of the box. Comet goalkeeper Dani Schreiner made a brilliant save on Rock's one-time attempt. But like a true soccer player, Rock stayed with the play, jumped and headed the rebound into the goal. An appropriate finish to a phenomenal game.

On a less exciting note with Milton, midfielder Gina Abbiati was clearly not herself. Hampered by an ACL injury, she couldn't move like the "warrior" I referred to in that first blog about the team. Abbiati missed significant time in last year's championship game, perhaps her presence would have impacted the 1-0 upset defeat at the hands of Harwood. Milton is a perfectly good team, but I hope the other girls are working on helping a star senior contribute to one more title run.

Somehow in my rambling, I forgot to mention just how impressed I was with BFA's goal tonight. Freshman Phoebe Martell-Crawford received a pass from Mercedes Blais just inside the box with BFA 21 minutes away from defeat. I expected the play I'd see from most high school athletes (freshman or senior): a poorly judged one-time shot 30 feet over the crossbar. Martell-Crawford had the composure to settle the ball, pick out the only opening in the goal and calmly place her shot there despite a charging defender. BFA has a bright future built around Martell-Crawford.

--Full game article with photos available in 9-26 edition of The St. Albans Messenger

Boys Soccer 9-22-11, MVU: 1 BFA: 0

MVU's Caleb Lothian slides to block Caleb McLane's run toward goal in MVU's 1-0 win Thursday (all game photos soon available at www.fcsportsonline.com)

         Of all the sportswriting I've done, I haven't had anything more negatively received than my blog on the first BFA/MVU boys soccer game of the season. I ended the caption of my photo from that game by saying football fans might want to check out round two. In all honesty, I was still expecting the worst tonight. Some personal disputes arose from the first meeting and had the potential to explode tonight. Throw in a soaking wet field and I thought the odds of a memorably ugly game were high. But when the final whistle blew, I was satisfied and a bit relieved to have seen the best soccer game in Franklin County so far this year.

*I don't mean to say this game wasn't physical or without penalties. There were even a few cheap shots (and there always will be). But what seemed different tonight from the first game was that each side was focused primarily on playing good soccer and used aggressiveness to support their style.

*I felt like Caleb McLane, Camilo Cuadra and Matt Thayer did an excellent job of applying pressure to MVU's defense all night (no easy task on a bigger field in poor conditions). Unfortunately for them, Missisquoi's Caleb Lothian is one of the best pure sweepers I've seen in a long time -- both in terms of talent and leadership. 

*Both keepers played well, though it was T-Bird Eamon Murphy who was called upon to make more difficult saves. He definitely earned the shutout.

*I'm happy with the way BFA is playing. The results aren't ideal yet but there is clearly improvement . If the Bobwhites continue to play like they did tonight, the second half of its season will be just fine.

*My main concern with BFA right now is its chemistry. There seemed to be big problems internally both in its first loss to MVU and in its win over Milton. I wasn't around the Bobwhite bench enough tonight to see if that's gotten better, but the 11 men on the field certainly played like a team against Missisquoi.

*MVU is good. T-Bird haters wrote off their 3 boys titles last year by saying things like "We could have won in Division II." (False: only BFA's baseball team was on the same level as MVU last year, and that was a push). Many (myself included) expected a mighty struggle this year after the graduations of 5 of the 6 athletes who played on all 3 title teams. Missisquoi is still incredibly strong and could potentially beat any team in the state when it plays its best soccer.

*I made a comment about 5 minutes before his spectacular goal that Matt St. Amour was the best player on the field by a large margin. He may receive more praise for his basketball excellence, but I am constantly in awe of his play on the soccer field. The smarts and creativity that make him a great basketball player show just as well on the pitch. 95% of high school players would have tried to shoot the ball around the defender and goalie from 15 yards and maybe made the shot. St. Amour saw the defender moving too fast to stop on the wet grass and stopped on a dime, giving himself essentially an empty net from the 6 yard line.

*I was in no position to see, but heard from some reliable people that St. Amour was offsides when Nic Kosac fed him the ball for the game's only goal. Again, I have no idea due to my position (behind the BFA goal) but tend to believe these people based on both their position and trustworthiness. I hate to see a 1-0 game decided by a missed call, though anyone with a brain can tell you one call doesn't decide a game.

*I expected to hear all kinds of complaining from BFA students and fans about the officiating in the final 20 minutes, but have not so far. Certainly many whistles went against the Bobwhites late, but that's to be expected when a team has to come from behind late and step up its aggressiveness. BFA handled itself well.

*I don't usually have a favorite in a BFA/MVU game, but was quietly rooting for a Bobwhite goal in the final minutes simply because I wanted the game to go on just a bit longer. Thanks to both teams for a hell of a show tonight!

--Full game article with pictures in 9-23 edition of The St. Albans Messenger