ADDISON COUNTY — Three local teams, one from each area high school, are bound for state-championship contests this weekend after winning Wednesday semifinals. Two are in a position to nab back-to-back titles.
No. 1-seeded Vergennes Union High School girls’ soccer, No. 2 Mount Abraham Union High School field hockey and No. 2 Middlebury Union High School volleyball all fought through close games to reach the finals.
The Commodores, 16-1, are off to South Burlington to take on Division II’s No. 2 seed Stowe, 13-3-1, Friday evening at 7 p.m. VUHS hasn’t faced the Raiders since eliminating them from last year’s tournament, 2-1, in the semifinals.
The Commodores’ most recent game — the Wednesday semifinal against Fair Haven — was good practice for another bout that has the potential to be tight. VUHS came out victorious, 2-1.
The defending state champion Commodores and the Slaters closed regulation locked, 1-1, on the Vergennes home field. Izzy De La Cruz, who was pulled up from junior varsity for post-season, scored VUHS’s sole goal during the first 80 minutes of play.
Another underclassmen knocked in the decisive overtime goal. Sophomore Reese Muzzy struck a free kick that soared into the back of the net four minutes into OT.
That night, sophomore Ayla Kittredge had an assist and junior goalkeeper Addie Smith had four saves.
The Eagles also found themselves battling in overtime that afternoon on the field hockey pitch in Bristol. Freshman Lydia Paquette scored both Mt. Abe goals in the 2-1 victory over No. 3 Montpelier.
Her second of the night came during the final six-and-a-half minutes of sudden-victory overtime.
Junior Eleanor Hurlburt assisted one of the goals and sophomore goalie Jillian Cousino had one save.
Mt. Abe, 12-3, will play No. 1 Woodstock, 14-1-1, in the D-III finals at Burr and Burton at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The two teams have yet to meet this season.
The final weekend championship featuring an Addison County team is the D-II volleyball title game. The Tigers, last year’s D-II victors, will take on No. 1 seed Enosburg, 15-1, on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Saint Michael’s College.
The Hornets’ sole loss this season was at the hands of the Tigers, 3 sets to 2.
On the way to the finals, MUHS had a chance to remedy one of its two regular season losses.
The Tigers defeated Harwood, the No. 3 seed, 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23, 15-8) on Wednesday in the semi’s, after losing to them 3-2 earlier this month.
