By Christopher Shaban
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WINDSOR, Vt. — The Yellow Jackets came close but just couldn’t find their touch on Wednesday, dropping a battle to Stowe in semifinal action, 1-0. With home playoff game wins against Mill River and Bellows Free Academy Fairfax, Jeff Bachey’s team hosted the schools first ever semifinal home playoff game.
Windsor and its leading scorer, Elliot Rupp looked like the early aggressors with some rushes at net and mild attempts on Stowe’s Anika Wagner. Stowe’s defense was anchored by Malin Sigler and Ellie Zimmerman and they knew about Rupp.
“Rupp was our biggest worry and we wanted to mark her hard today,” said Stowe head coach Tyler Post. Not only did they succeed but overachieved with hard shoulder to shoulder play and an occasional tackle that brought grumbles from the locals screaming for a call that never came.
The semifinal match-up was more of a defensive game battle with both back lines playing solid and Windsor’s Adi Prior playing like an all state keeper. Evelyn Page found a little space at times but the Stowe defense closed gaps well. Midfield battles were aplenty as The Yellow Jackets’ Morgan McKeen, Holly Putnam and Olivia MacCleary were in skirmishes all over the middle third of the field.
After playing to a draw for the first 40 minutes and more, it was Page who nearly put Windsor ahead as she ripped the paint off the goal post from the left side of the box.
“Man, if that would have found the net, it would had been a whole different game, it was so close,” Bachey said.
The next 30 minutes was a carbon copy of the first half with neither team able to generate much offense but a harmless corner turned into the biggest play of the year for Stowe. With a goal area flooded with players from both sides, a corner bounced off a number of feet and shin guards as the bouncing ball just decided where to go all on it’s own as Prior desperately pushed people out of the way to gather in the prize. In the blink of an eye, Stowe’s Lucia Lovell just reached out her foot and nudged it across the goal line to give Stowe the lead and eventual game winner.
“It was just luck that I got to it, the ball just ended up near me and I just flicked it in,” said Lovell after the game. “I couldn’t believe it ended up at my feet.”
That little bit of luck was all Stowe needed to end Windsor’s season and earn a trip to the championship on Saturday.
“Of course I’m disappointed but also tickled pink that we made it to the semifinals,” Bachey said. “This was one of those days where our first touch was just off a bit and we just couldn’t connect with that one pass today. This is very emotional for me, I’ve come to learn so much from this group of players and especially the seniors. They made all of us better.”
Windsor would end the regular season with an 8-1 record plus two wins in the post season.
“This was a big step for this program, we have moved from mediocre to playing in the quarterfinals and now semi-finals in a short time, I feel that Windsor soccer is not only on the map but one of the premiere teams in the state” said Bachey. “The next step is only a year away.”
Windsor seniors include: Adi Prior, Kate Murphy, Kansas Marsh, Morgan McKeen, Evelyn Page, Emily Fielder and Rachel Temple-McCabe.
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