By Tom Haley
RUTLAND HERALD
WOODSTOCK, Vt. — Green Mountain’s Everett Mosher joined a very small circle of players with his 100th goal in Tuesday’s boys soccer game, a 1-1 tie with Woodstock.
He became only the sixth player in Vermont boys high school soccer history to reach the century mark, joining a club that includes West Rutland’s Eric Maxham (the leader with 118), Proctor’s Keagan McDonnell, Rochester/Whitcomb’s Zak Gillette, Mount Anthony’s Erik Vigsnes and Winooski’s Lek Nath Luitel who scored his hundredth in 2019.
The afternoon would have been more complete for Mosher if he had scored his 101st.
“I wish it would have come in a win,” Mosher said to Green Mountain Athletic Director Todd Parah as he came off the field.
Mosher notched the milestone goal on a great individual effort. He made a run that began on the other side of midfield, took the ball all the way in and beat goalkeeper Michael LaCroix with a well-placed shot to the keeper’s left.
The goal came with 22:26 remaining in the first half.
It was barely over a minute later that Alec Smail scored the equalizer. His was also deftly placed in the corner giving GM keeper Evan Hayes no chance to react.
That was it. Hayes and Lacroix and their defenses were stellar the rest of the day. They had to be because there was plenty of pressure exerted by both offenses.
Green Mountain coach Jake Walker, himself a high school keeper at Green Mountain, had to be pleased with Hayes’ performance.
The 100th goal was recognized by Woodstock Athletic Director Jack Boymar who made the announcement to the crowd, calling it “a great accomplishment.”
There was outstanding play at midfield. GM’s Ben Munukka won 50-50 balls throughout the day for Green Mountain.
Both teams had near miss after near miss. Mosher got off headers on a several corner kicks that came close. Munukka nearly had a goal from a header on Mosher’s throw-in.
Rowan Smail had one of the strongest bids for a Woodstock goals when he hammered once just over the crossbar.
It was a game between hot teams. The Chieftains are 10-1-1 and had won 10 straight entering the day. Woodstock is 6-4-1 and coach Rob Stainton’s gang brought a three-game winning streak into the game.
Both LaCroix and Hayes had outstanding saves in the overtimes stanzas.
“I have been gunning for this (the 100th) ever since my freshman year,” Mosher said.
He recalled his first varsity goal as a freshman against Springfield.
After he scored that one, a teammate told him that it would be the first of many.
“It has always been in the back of my mind,” Mosher said.
Soccer has long been a passion for Mosher since he began playing the sport.
“It has been our favorite sport since we first started,” said Everett’s brother Eben who plays on the back line for the Chieftains.
Eben said he does not begrudge his older brother getting the big numbers and all the attention. His teammates know just how valuable Eben is on defense with his ability to win balls and flip the field with his big foot.
“I know my place is back there,” Eben, a junior, said.
Everett is hoping to play college soccer next fall.
“I have been looking around. It will probably be someplace in the Northeast,” he said.
He said there is no front runner yet but he does have several top choices.
But, first things first. The Chieftains, who won the state crown in 2019, are trying to get to a third consecutive Division III state title game.
A 10-1-1 record has them thinking big again.
Notes: Former Proctor girls soccer player Abigail Jean McKearin has the most career goals in Vermont with 168. … Vigsnes is the only Middlebury College player to score four goals in a game, He joined the 100 club while playing at Mount Anthony from 1981 through 1984… Stainton formerly coached at Sharon Academy.
tom.haley @rutlandherald.com
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