Lady Hornets #2 In Division IV
By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

Second best in the state! That’s where the Whitcomb Lady Hornets ended their Cinderella season. Entering the post season as the fifth seed behind Rochester, Danville, Black River and Craftsbury, respectively, it was an up hill climb but the Hornets mounted and mastered in order to reach the championship game. And what a game it was!

Played in East Montpelier at U-32 the Division IV Girls’ Soccer Championship game was a game not to be missed as the #3 Black River Presidents challenged the #5 Whitcomb Hornets. Whitcomb found the Presidents to be proficient, persistent and pragmatic as they pursued the ball in a very high-speed performance that had both teams on the run from start to finish. The Presidents were to find out it was a team of Hornets that hounded, hampered and hassled them at each and every turn as both were in pursuit of the crown.

Unfortunately for the Hornets, who last won the state championship 10 years ago under Willard Mills, it was the Black River Presidents who claimed the title. Black River appeared to hold the upper hand during the first half as they managed to keep the ball at the Hornet’s end of the field and force the Hornet back line and goalie Maggie Eddy into defensive mode. Meanwhile Whitcomb managed to shut down the President’s leading scorer Courtney Rohrig throughout the entire game as they held her scoreless with a pressure that never let up.

It took nearly 25 minutes of hard fought work and effort before anybody scored. A cross from Rohrig got past Hornet tender Maggie Eddy, but remained in front of the open net where a waiting Nicole DiNapoli was able to tap the ball in on the right side for the 1-0 tally at 12:49.

Whitcomb came right back at the Presidents and just minutes later almost evened the contest. Tracy Zisselsberger booted a shot that was mere inches under the cross bar when a leaping Beth Ehmann made possibly the best save of the day. A second Rohrig cross just before the break was stopped by Eddy sending both teams into the break after the very tiring first half.

The Hornets returned to the field determined to gain control of the game and they did just that as they pounded Ehmann with shots that she was forced to leap and dive for. Just nine minutes back with the Hornets barreling down upon her, Ehmann was forced to dive after a Meredith Kill kick that the wiry freshman managed to connect with inside the box. Unfortunately, it was too little foot on too slow a ball and the Hornets were denied.

Tie Game

Whitcomb continued to rally and at 20:40 they delivered the goods when freshman Emily Durfee beat her pursuing opponent and passed it across to her waiting teammates who were all set up for the delivery and deposit. Molly Taylor took the cross and slipped it further over to Demi Aldrighetti in the middle, who then toed the ball over to Tracy Zissesberger on the right side. With Presidents coming up from behind, Zisselsberger’s positioning and settle were perfect as she executed and delivered the orb high and out of reach for Ehmann for a tied ball game, 1-1.

With the game all tied up both teams responded. Black River had a direct kick by Emily Josselyn captured by Eddy. Then a missed clear by Eddy had Rohrig hammering the ball toward an open net, but the ball slammed into the side pole. Next Hornet Molly Taylor passed the ball to Kill but the shot went wide. Hannah Josselyn and Amy Sanford attempted shots on goals for the Presidents, but Eddy was ready, stopping both tries. Nothing went in.

So with minutes and seconds elapsing, it looked like it might be another Hornet OT event. But that all changed with less than three minutes remaining.

A hard foul and yellow card on Hornet fullback Laurel Adams gave Black River the advantage and a direct kick. With the Hornets down a man, Emily Josselyn delivered at 2:48 when she sent the ball in just outside of the penalty box where it grazed off Hornet Emily Wright and into the goal for the go-ahead and eventual winning goal.

As the clock wound down, the Hornets never gave up in their attempts to gain possession of the ball. With the crowd counting down five…four…three…two… one…the game ended with the 2-1 victory win for Black River and that second-best finish for Whitcomb.

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