Exit 5 Girls Soccer 2 Michaela Ducharme 3 Collean Sheridon 4 Shyla King 5 Haley Brickey 6 Ingrid Muri Petteson 7 Julia Pasalacqua 8 Alyssa Morande 9 Christina Thivierge 10 Bridget Doney 12 Liz Laughlin 13 Samantha Hepsley 14 Ciera Sweet 15 Savannah King 16 Greta Smith 17 Vanessa Choquette 18 Ellie Wawrzynick |
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Coaches Jamal Jacobs and Steph LaRock |
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MONTPELIER
With the return of scoring sensation Cricket Basa , it would hardly be a stretch to say that the Montpelier girls soccer team is the top contender to challenge 12-time champion Milton this fall .
The Solons came tantalizingly close to their first state championship since 2012 last season but lost , 1-0 , to the Yellowjackets in the title game . This year hopes are running high around the Capital City that with the return of Basa , who scored 30 goals during her sophomore year but missed last season due to an ACL injury . With a strong defense and a potent offense , MHS could put the icing on the cake with a title run .
“ Cricket ’ s a flat-out goal-scoring threat ,” Montpelier coach John Dellipriscoli said . “ She executes the center forward position really well for us . We style our play around being able to build out from the back and through the midfield and then create some 1-vs . -1 or 2-vs . -1 chances for our attackers . Cricket is , in my opinion , one of the best in the state at taking advantage of attacking situations . We ’ re really excited to have her back .”
Montpelier will be led by eight seniors , all of whom were on the semifinal team during their sophomore season and members of the runner-up squad last year .
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U-32 has won titles in practically every sport except girls soccer , and this could be the year to end that curse .
“ I think we have a good squad . We have a good senior class coming in this year ,” Dellipriscoli said . “ It ’ s a really experience-heavy team .”
Goalie Allison Chadwick , along with senior center backs Rebecca Vanden Bergh and Anna Sarquiz , will anchor a defense that gave up 11 goals last season .
Montpelier has made seven semifinal appearances in the last 10 years and has won two state championships in that span . The Solons beat Woodstock , 2-0 , in 2007 and blew out Springfield , 8-0 , in the 2012 state title .
Montpelier squeaked its way through the postseason last year , winning three one-goal games to get to the championship before losing in another one-goal thriller .
“ I think Division II is really good every year and I feel that once the season starts , surprises pop up all over ,” Dellipriscoli said . The MHS coach added that he is “ definitely confident in the way that ( the ) squad is shaping up .”
Look for junior midfielders Chloe
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Schiff and Joelyn Mensah to be Montpelier ’ s biggest playmakers , setting up Basa along with Maralina Moore and Noel Riby-Williams .
The Solons will open their season Saturday with an 11 a . m . game in South Burlington . After that , Montpelier will play four matches on the road before hosting its first home game of the season Sept . 19 against Thetford . Montpelier ’ s Homecoming will be held Sept . 23 and the Solons will play Spaulding .
“ I think we ’ re a strong team ,” Dellipriscoli said . “ I ’ m not sure whether or not we ’ re favorites but we ’ re definitely confident .”
U-32
After graduating a number of key offensive pieces last year , the Raiders will lean heavily on new contributors offensively and in the midfield . So far U-32 coach Rebecca Dezan is cautiously optimistic about the team ’ s prospects in Division II . The school has won titles in practically every sport except girls soccer , and this could be the year to end that curse .
“ I feel really good about where we are as a team right now ,” Dezan said . “ We ’ re spending a lot of time developing style of play and coming together as a team .”
The Raiders ( 2-1 ) opened the season with matches against two Division I
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Harwood Girls Soccer 0 Eve Golden 1 Kate McMann 2 Kaia Cormier 3 Emma McGeorge 4 Shannon Cook 5 Maya Brookens 6 Marcella Grimaldi 7 Lili Platt 8 Anna Jamieson 9 Abbey Dooley 10 Hazel Macmillan 11 Posy LaBombard 12 Erin Tynan 13 Kyle Hekeler 14 Eleanor Reilly 15 Ashley Proteau 15 Keara Hallam 17 Zoe Buffum 18 Camille King 19 Lilianna Ziedins 20 Orielle Koliba 22 Meagan Filkowski 23 Kelly Tynan 41 Amaya Rogers
Coach Mike Vasseur Assistant Coaches Ally Bataille and Tara Cariano
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