By Christopher Shaban
Eagle Times Correspondent
WINDSOR, VT — Danville kept the high-powered Yellow Jacket offense quiet until the second half, as Windsor pulled away for a 4-1 win on Friday, Oct. 27, and look forward to a semifinals home game scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 31.
With six defenders clogging the goal area, Olivia Macleay smoked a shot that beat Bears keeper Leah Klark for a 1-0 lead only 5 minutes into the game. Windsor controlled time of possession but when they entered the offensive third of the pitch, things were very difficult. Bri Barton and Kemari Wildgoose were all over the middle of the field as the midfield tandem kept the Jack attack flowing, poised to strike. Defenders Miah McAllister and Jaylin Lyman camped out at midfield and made runs into enemy territory. Windsor would get good hits off the legs of Audrey Rupp and Kenzie Westcott but their shots were off target due to the fast pace.
With a big crowd making the trip from Danville, Hazel Abetti evened the match with a quick strike goal.
“I was mad. I knew we could play better and we wanted to show it,” said MacLeay. “We were playing scared and we told ourselves, ‘Enough is enough,’ and went out there and played our brand of soccer.
Rupp was a person of interest to Danville and marked her up all over the field, but she turned up the intensity to grab a steal along the far side of the field. After a couple of nifty moves, she squared to goal and hit a blast that Klark couldn’t control. As the ball skipped away from Klark, MacLeay pounced on the rebound, putting Windsor up for good with a tricky dancing shot to make it 2-1.
“I just kept at it, made a couple of moves and put a shot on net,” said Audrey Rupp.
That goal ignited Windsor as all the momentum was on their side of the field. They never let Danville back into the game.
“We wanted it very bad. I had no doubt we would find a way to win,” said Kleefish after the game. “This team just won’t quit.”
Danville kept working the right side of the field, but Sophia Dufour and Cassie Clark played probably their best 40 minutes of the season as they repeatedly broke up the Danville rushes and kept sending the ball back toward the Windsor strikers. McAllister got into the scoring column off a MacLeay corner as the big home crowd could sense a win. What worked for Windsor in the second half was crosses from the wings that found open players as the shots on net kept coming off the Windsor boots.
“Danville came with a plan to clog the goal area. It took us a while but we figured it out,” said Wendy Woodman, Windsor co-coach. “This team is smart, and our hustle will result in our dream.
Rupp would cap off the day with a beautiful run across the goal box and a left-footed shot that found net, giving the junior 101 points in her career as Windsor advanced with a 4-1 win.
“We seem to be a second half team,” Rupp said. “All I want is to win, and today we just spread things out and found our game.”
No. 3 Windsor (14-1-1) will host the division semifinals on Tuesday, Oct. 31, against No. 7 Paine Mountain (12-4) at 3 p.m.
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