Sideline Chatter
Playoffs on Tap

Soccer playoff pairings for both boys and girls in both Divisions 3 and 4 will be released on Friday. First round games are likely to begin on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Division 1 & 2 pairings come out a week later.

Through last weekend's action, there are several area teams with legitimate title hopes. Whitcomb's boys (9-3-0) have a firm hold on fourth place in Division Four, trailing only Proctor, West Rutland, and Cabot. The Hornets have been beaten only by Rivendell's (twice) physical D-3 eleven and by Cabot. The Cabot loss was on the road, was played the day after one of the Rivendell games and three Hornet starters were out due to injury. Whitcomb should be assured of home field advantage through the first two rounds at least and will be a formidable foe for anyone if they can stay healthy.

In the same division both Chelsea (5-6-1) and Sharon Academy (4-6-1) have had solid (if a bit up and down) seasons. While things could still change depending upon results in this, the final week, the Red Devils (9th as of Sunday) have a chance to finish as high as the seventh or eighth seed. The Academy boys were right on their heels, .08 index points behind them in the tenth spot. Either club figures to be a tough first round match-up for some unsuspecting team. Rochester's boys (3-8-1) were in 15th place.

Among the girls Division 4 teams, Chelsea is still the class of the area. Sporting a 10-1-1 record through the weekend, the Lady Red Devils have a rock-solid hold on second place in the division, trailing only undefeated Wilmington.

In the 7th, 8th and 9th spots are three other CVL teams within one tenth of an index point of each other. Sharon Academy (3-5-3) is just a whisker ahead of Whitcomb (5-6-1) and Cabot (5-6-1). The Lady Hornets overtime tie with Division 3 South Royalton on Monday will probably help their cause substantially. Rochester's 3-9-1 record had them in the 14th spot.

In Division Three, the only local presence is South Royalton and it's been a tough year for Royals soccer. This is especially so for the boys whose young team has become Exhibit A for those who argue that the sport is too physical. At least two key performers, Nevin Fulcher (leg) and Lee Cross (finger) have sustained broken bones and senior all-CVL defender Jake Doyle suffered what has been termed a "spinal concussion" that left him temporarily paralyzed. Now a week after the injury, Doyle has made great progress and it is reported that his health is almost fully restored. Still, his soccer season is sure to be over.

The Royals (3-8-0 after Monday's loss at Whitcomb) are almost certain to have a play-in game to establish their playoff seeding. If they were to win a play-in, there's a chance that they could end up paired against undefeated, untied Thetford.

The Lady Royals (4-5-3), who escaped Monday with the aforementioned tie at Whitcomb when Ellen Lamson scored with about 3 minutes left in regulation, are well back in the D-3 pack and will likely earn either the 12th or 13th seed, which could pair them against #4 Peoples or #5 Windsor, each of which had a record of 8-3-1 through last weekend.

Soccer is a sport with limited scoring and as such, every opportunity takes on an increasing level of significance as a game wears on. Monday afternoon, both Hornets-Royals games were scoreless at halftime and on each field it was the Hornets who first found the back of the net.

Yours truly had the good fortune to have an up close look at William White's unique goal that put his team ahead for good. After a long series of up-and-down the field excursions, White received a pass on the left wing as he broke in towards the goal. With defenders closing in on him from two directions and the goalie in good position, he had but a fleeting moment to decide whether to pass or shoot, or what kind of shot to attempt. In that split second, he chipped a shot—with his left foot!!—towards the goal that was just over the goalie's outstretched arms, a shot that dropped neatly into the goal. Royals goalie Jamie Kinnarney, who had another great day in the nets, simply had no chance to stop White's brilliant finesse shot. It's not often that we see such presence of mind, and such excellence in execution.