ADDISON COUNTY — In final regular season action in local high school field hockey late last week, Otter Valley won twice to nail down the No. 2 seed in Division II, Mount Abraham earned a pair of ties against D-I competition to apparently earn D-II’s No. 3 seed, and Middlebury picked up a big road for the No. 8 seed and earn a first-round D-I playoff game.
Those seeds are unofficial: The Vermont Principals’ Association will release playoff pairings on Monday.
OTTERS
On Wednesday, the Otters beat previously undefeated Bellows Falls, 2-0 in Brandon, on the strength of two second-half goals. Jenna Elliott scored with a reverse stick shot off a Laura Roberts assist at 19:09, and Courtney Bushey added her first varsity goal with a shot from mid-circle with 7:41 remaining, also from Roberts.
Coach Stacey Edmunds-Brickell said defenders Ann Manning andOlivia Bloomer played well, as did goalie Myliah McDonough (four saves). Terrier goalie Shea Wilkinson also made four saves as her team fell to 11-1-1. BF had surrendered just one goal in its first 12 games.
On Friday, the Otters edged visiting Woodstock in overtime, 2-1, with the winning goal coming from recent JV call-up Margo Nolan with 3:16 left in the extra session. Woodstock (1-12-1) took the lead in the first half on a Lily Dutton goal, but Brittany Bushey evened the score at 21:04 in the second half. OV coach Stacey Edmunds-Brickell said both goalies, Wasp Molly Henne and McDonough, played well.
The 11-3 Otters will probably host No. 7 Harwood (9-5) this weekend.  
EAGLES
On Wednesday, the Eagles battled Champlain Valley to a 0-0 standstill in a game played on Middlebury College’s turf field. Mount Abe did not allow a shot on goal while forcing CVU’s Evangeline Dunphy to make six saves. 
On Thursday, the Eagles settled for another 0-0 stalemate, this time vs. host South Burlington (6-5-3). Mount Abe earned a 10-6 edge in shots on goal and forced SB goalie Alex Warshaw to make a diving stop in overtime to preserve the tie. Goalies Danielle Morse andJessica Martell combined to make six saves for the Eagles, who will enter the D-II playoffs with a 7-3-3 record compiled almost entirely vs. D-I competition. They are likely to host No. 6 Spaulding (9-5) this weekend.
TIGERS
On Thursday, the Tigers stunned host Champlain Valley, 2-1. The win lifted the Tigers to 3-7-3 and unofficially leap-frogged them in the standings over Mount Mansfield (4-7-1), which at the same time lost to Essex, 4-0. The Tigers will apparently host the Cougars on Wednesday.
Paige Viens gave the Tigers the lead in the first half, tapping the ball home from close range in a scramble after the Tigers had held off early CVU pressure. MUHS controlled more play in the second half, and made it 2-1 with 8:45 to go when Kate Knowles ripped a penalty stroke past Dunphy, the CVU goalie, who finished with three saves.
CVU (8-2-4) made a push in the final two minutes. Amanda Whitbeck scored with 1:30, and MUHS goalie Baily Ryan (five saves) made a big stop as time wound down.