Bellows Falls Boys Soccer Falls to Rivendell Academy

By Chris Laclair
Eagle Times Sports Editor
BELLOWS FALLS, VT — The highlight of the game took place when Bellows Falls Terrier sophomore Conner Stevens scored his first career varsity goal midway through the second half. With his team down 8-0 at this point, there wasn’t a lot to be excited about; however, that all changed as the high shot from 15-yards out that found the top left corner of the goal.

It was like a scene from a feel-good movie as the entire field hockey team stopped their practice to run over to the field to celebrate the goal with the cheering fan section. They chanted in unison “BF, BF, BF … GOOD JOB CONNER!”

If you were walking by the field, you would have assumed a game-winning goal had occurred. It was a reminder for everyone that was at the game that student athletes can find joy in the game of soccer outside of who is winning or losing the game.

“I am glad we got the goal, especially from Connor, it was his first goal, it was a crazy goal and definitely lifted the team’s spirits,” Athletic Director Connor Bean said. He was filling in as head coach.

The game started off shaky for Bellows Falls as Rivendell Academy Raptor Gabriel Wright Swaine scored in the first minute of action. Swaine would find another opportunity as he easily dribbled around the defenders with precise footwork, but his shot was just over the top of the crossbar.

Raptor junior Will Knowles trapped a long ball and scored at the 26-minute mark. Knowles then set up teammate Swaine with a beautiful pass over the Terrier defenders head that Swaine controlled for a shot to the top of the net over a helpless Andrew Dunbar. Senior Luke Avery secured a loose ball off corner kick top shelf before halftime.

Rivendell would get second half goals from senior Jacoby Patterson (2), sophomore Logan Harris and another from Knowles.

“We are still a very young team, and we are looking to try to get a lot of players some time,” Rivendell Head Coach Soren Smith said. “We played Twin Valley, and they were the best team in our division, and we lost 1-0 so we wanted to come out and get back to playing at a relatively high level. We are hoping this takes this into the last part of the season.”

“The guys have heart, you get one goal, and you really see it come out, it’s a great group of guys,” Bean said. “It is just unfortunate that we haven’t been healthy, and you know other things have kind of come up. I think that’s really hurt us, when we are healthy, you know from an AD perspective, I don’t think that we are that bad of a team.”