Rutland Herald Spring Sports Guide 2018
LACROSSE PREVIEWS
RUTLAND GIRLS
The hits could just keep on coming.
The Raiders have 21 players on the
varsity squad and nearly as many at
the next two levels.
Rutland (10-7 last year) has expe-
rience all over the field, from former
freshman sensation Logan Kinsman
up front to her classmate, sophomore
Leah Zmurko. Much of Rutland’s
talent is program-produced while
some comes as a surprise, namely se-
nior Meghan Hamilton. Fresh off her
Player of the Year honors in Division
I hockey, Hamilton has come out for
lacrosse and joins the Raiders defense.
Hamilton and sophomore Katie
Sunderland join a defense with a solid
foundation in veterans Kaitlin Rowe and
Sophie Tannen, and behind them is a
great battle brewing between sophomore
goalie Zmurko and senior Ali Merrit.
Players who came to the squad as
freshmen will patrol the midfield,
including Francie Ettori, Maggie
Schillinger, Brianna Beauchamp and
Kaitlin French. Marsh says Ettori has
a high lacrosse IQ and that Schil-
linger, who is “strong, is going to
skyrocket this year. ”
Rutland graduated a lot of fire-
power but Marsh is confident that
teams will not be able to load up on
Kins man after her stunning debut sea-
son. She will add talented freshman
Kendra Sabotka to a mix that includes
junior Paige Bohlig and senior Ken-
nedy Birdsey, who will be completing
a three-sports career (basketball,
soccer) at Rutland.
RUTLAND BOYS
The Raiders were 9-9 last year when
they fell to South Burlington in the
quarterfinals and coach Rob Labate is
happy to throw them up against tough
teams to thicken their skin.
“We’re a young team and they are
going to make mistakes, but the idea
is that it’s really going to pay off. We’ve
got a lot of talent to work with; they
are just immature in terms of varsity
experience, ” said Labate.
“This is probably the most focused
and hardest-working group I have had
in my five years here. ”
Rutland has some blue-chippers
among its veterans, including all-state
long stick midfielder Tyan Hayford
and defender Dylan Atlan, a Green
and Gold selection.
The Raiders will be counting on
the leadership of midfielder Dawson
Cole, who is probably their most
well-rounded player.
“We’re expecting a lot from him, ”
Labate said.
Another strong midfielder is Con-
ner Ladabouche, an offensive threat
who will be the Raiders’ top faceoff
man, while Brayden Moore, the
fourth man in on offense last season,
will be counted on to make things
happen on the attack.
Chris Wilk and Joel Muscatello are
battling for the starting spot in goal in
an extremely close competition.
Senior Adam Giancola returns after
seeing limited time on the attack and
at midfield while freshman Joe Ander-
son, a player eager to earn his varsity
spurs, could be one of the brightest
lights of the team’s future. Labate said
he cut his teeth playing with older
players; he will play at midfield and
is already a good faceoff man, having
been tutored by Miglorie.
OTTER VALLEY BOYS
It’s a mixed bag in Brandon but the
bottom line looks good,
The Otters finished the 2017 season
with just 13 players, but won the first
playoff game in program history.
Then their division — III — was
folded into D-II, which will make
things tougher on OV this year.
Feeder program to the rescue. For
the first time, OV will be getting
athletes schooled in lacrosse from the
Brandon Rec Department club team,
so while he’s re-tooling the Otters,
coach Jesse Milliman can do less
teaching and more coaching.
“They (a group of five newcomers)
are coming in with emerging stick
skills and a good sense of the game
and how it’s played and a good knowl-
edge, ” Milliman said. “They have all
the raw materials and they certainly
need some work. They will be intro-
duced to a higher level of competition
but already I have seen them make
strides. ”
Milliman expects perhaps double
the number of newcomers from the
feeder system next year.
OV was 4-11 in 2017 and lost
a bright light in the graduation
of high-scoring Tyson Cram, but
Milliman’s veterans give the Otters
experience all over the field.
They have “seven or eight” juniors
who are very vocal and positive and
form the team’s core.
Zach Scarborough and Hayden
Gallo, who quarterbacks the offense,
return up front and will be joined by
sophomore Jacob Young. While new
to the game, Young has something
that cannot be taught: “He’s a tre-
mendous athlete and he can fly, ” said
Milliman.
Ethan Selik-Doty and Justin Trem-
blay are back at midfield and Tim
Kittler, Kam Strickland and Jon McK-
eighan all have starting experience on
defense.
Kittler and third-year goalie Alec
Stevens were chosen to last year’s
Rising Stars Game, lacrosse’s answer
to a senior showcase event.