By Tom Haley
THE RUTLAND HERALD
BRANDON, Vt. — Saturday was a long day at the office, a 6-1 loss at Green Mountain, for the Otter Valley boys soccer team. Thursday was more like an office Christmas party.
The Otters got two goals from Owen Thomas and the overtime goal from Thomas Politano to beat Green Mountain 3-2 at Markowski Field.
“I didn’t have the team prepared for that game on Saturday. That’s on me,” OV coach Brian Thomas said. “Today, they were mentally prepared.”
Mental preparation was not the only difference in this one. The Otters went to a new formation to give the Chieftains a different look than they saw in Chester.
Then when the Otters trailed 2-1 with about 20 minutes remaining, they went back to their original formation at the suggestion of assistant coach Adam Calvin.
That formation was designed to give OV’s offense more juice and it worked.
The Otters swarmed the goal and spent more time in the offensive third. It all paid off when Owen Thomas hit a crisp, low shot that found its way between goalkeeper Derek Hodgdon and the post, knotting the score at 2-2 with 4:06 remaining in regulation play.
Coach Thomas loved the way his team responded late in the game.
“That is a lot of heart and drive right there,” he said to his players as they came to the bench between the fourth quarter and the 10-minute sudden death overtime.
The Chieftains came close to converting Eben Mosher’s direct kick from 25 yards out early in the extra session. Then, they had another scoring bid off Liam O’Brien’s corner kick, Austin Kubisek just missing with a header.
Then, it was Politano’s moment. He struck a ball high into the net from 25 yards out and the celebration was on.
Logan Letourneau has to be credited with Politano getting his chance. Letourneau won a 50-50 ball near midfield and advanced it before Politano netted the golden goal.
When you lose to a team 6-1, it is pretty important to get on top to eliminate that here-we-go-again attitude.
Owen Thomas took care of that, scoring less than five minutes into the game off an assist from Connor Denis.
“Owen did a fantastic job, big shout out to him,” Politano said.
The victory elevates the Otters’ record to 4-4 and puts them in the hunt for a home playoff game.
“That would be exciting to have a home playoff game senior year,” Politano said.
But that is something coach Thomas does not even want to hear about. He wants to take things a game at a time and he feels any playoff speculation is pointless.
“We have a tough schedule. We land where we land,” he said.
The Chieftains exerted good pressure in pushing for the equalizer but some great defensive play led by Aiden Decker, Max Derby and Drew Pelkey, backed by some terrific saves by keeper Isaiah Wood kept the Chiefs off the scoreboard
Until Tanner Swisher answered 11:14 before the half to tie the score.
Liam O’Brien scored for Green Mountain 3:34 before the break and the Chieftains took that 2-1 lead into halftime.
Green Mountain came out of the half with some heavy offensive pressure. But Ryden Richardson made a clear for the Otters while under fire and Derby blocked a hard shot off the foot of O’Brien close to the goal.
They kept attacking. O’Brien made a run with a great individual effort but Luke Calvin broke it up with a hustle play.
Then, the field tilted as the Otters shifted to their more familiar formation. Lucas Politano unloaded a scorching shot that whistled just wide of the far post.
Denis headed a ball ahead that Owen Thomas ran onto but Hodgdon denied him with another stellar play.
It all set the stage for Thomas’ late goal in regulation time and Thomas Politano’s golden goal.
GM’s regular keeper Forest Garvin was held out with an injury but Hodgdon was outstanding in his stead with numerous saves of a difficult variety.
At the other end, Wood was also brilliant. He was sure on balls in the air and made a save on a shot from point blank range that had goal written all over it.
The Chieftains fell to 3-6-1.
That tough schedule of which coach Thomas speaks continues on Saturday when the Otters tangle with Woodstock.
The Chieftains meet Woodstock on Oct. 11.
tom.haley @rutlandherald.com
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