By Tom Haley
THE RUTLAND HERALD
BRANDON, Vt. — Otter Valley girls soccer goalie Linnea Faulkner had bushels of terrific saves in her team’s 2-1 victory over Springfield on Friday at Markowski Field but you could point to one that was the difference in the outcome.
It was about 15 minutes into the second half when Springfield was awarded a direct kick from just outside the penalty area. Macie Stagner, one of the league’s most dangerous players, hit a bullet that was ticketed for the corner. Faulkner, fully extended, made a diving deflection.
“I thought we had the better of the play. That does not mean we were the better team,” Springfield coach Ray Curren said.
The Cosmos might well have had the better of the play and that meant Faulkner and her defense were under fire, particularly in the second half.
Explaining her highlight-reel save on Stagner, Faulkner said it was all about getting the right angle.
“I think that angles are everything to my play,” Faulkner said.
The Otters are one hot team right now. This was their fourth consecutive victory following an 0-4 start.
The Otters struck early. Mallee Richardson unloaded a hard, low shot from the perimeter that appeared to be going into the goal.
Elena Politano made sure of it, finishing it off near the goal line. Richardson was credited with the assist.
The score came less than nine minutes into the game.
Then came the backbreaker for the Cosmos. Goals just before halftime can always fracture the spirit of a team and the Otters scored only two seconds before the break.
It was on a direct kick that Politano floated just over the head of goalie Kylie Nadeau.
The Otters protected that 2-0 lead deep into the second half with a steel-like defense.
The centerpiece of that defense was Ella Brytowski. She made clears under pressure all day long. Even when pressed, rather than concede possession by kicking the ball out of bounds, she was consistently able to turn it back up field, frequently playing it to the feet of a teammate.
“Ella has been so great back there,” Faulkner said. “She is also very versatile. She can play anywhere,” Faulkner said.
“We knew that Springfield would be a tough game.”
Time was winding down when Meadow Murchie cut the score in half for the Cosmos. A defensive lapse gave the Cosmos the opening and Murchie made them pay with a well-placed serve.
It was a gutsy win for an undermanned OV team. Emily Peduto, an important ingredient in controlling the midfield, was injured and did not dress.
Brookelyn Kimball, injured in the Mill River game, played sparingly.
But so many players stepped up including the likes of Sierra Cormany, Jazalynn Madrigal, Alexis Hayes, Laura Allen and Savanna Cook on defense.
They complemented the spectacular play of Faulkner and Brytowski with clears of their own while under unrelenting pressure.
Stagner, Alexis Tewksbury and Emma Snyder were supplying the brunt of that pressure for the Cosmos.
“You communicated and you made good passes,” Otter Valley coach Tammi Blanchard said to her players after the game.
The Cosmos’ saw their record drop to 3-5.
Faulkner was not there the first week of preseason camp in August due to a job she had at a summer camp.
“I was not able to do anything with a ball for two months,” Faulkner said.
“But I put in a lot of work with my club team in the spring in Manchester.”
It showed.
The Otters have their toughest test yet on Wednesday when unbeaten Fair Haven comes to Markowski Field.
The Cosmos have their neighboring rival Green Mountain coming to town that day for a 6 p.m. game.
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