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.