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| 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
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