LAMOILLE – The defending Division III champion Hazen Union girls’ basketball team tipped off their summer league schedule last week with a resounding win against Enosburg.
Head coach Randy Lumsden joined coaching legend Jack Strong last winter as the only person to capture state titles as both a player and a coach in Hazen Union and Hardwick Academy history. He has posted back-to back 20-win seasons in his two years as head coach for the Lady Cats, culminating in bringing the first state championship back to Hardwick in 33 years this past March. His talented young team began the long journey of replacing a Lady Cat legend in two-time Mountain League Player of the Year Caitlyn Davison last week in their first Lamoille Summer League game against Enosburg. Hazen raced past a shorthanded Enosburg team 64-27 last Monday, but Lumsden cautions that there is a lot of growth that needs to happen with his young team in the next five months.
“We lost our point guard, leading scorer, and both our team captains from that championship team, so we are in the process of still trying to figure some things out. We lost a scrimmage against a good North Country team and Enosburg was missing some key players, but we moved the ball well and did a good job making the extra pass, which was nice to see,” said Lumsden.
Kelsie Rivard had a breakout freshman season for the Lady Cats this past winter, averaging over 17 points per game, earning her Mountain League Rookie of the Year honors. She led the Lady Cats offensively against Enosburg last Monday and a lot will be asked of her on both ends of the court this coming season. She leads a dynamic freshman class that burst onto the scene in multiple sports for Hazen last season that included Mya Lumsden, Taylor Thompson, and Autumn Dailey. Returning starting junior Julia des Groseilliers and key reserve Isabelle Gouin could also be thrust into leadership roles for Lumsden. Rivard is also playing for the New England Crusaders AAU team this summer and will be joined on the roster for their final tournament in Chicago later this week by Taylor Thompson and Mya Lumsden. Coach Lumsden will also make the trip for the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Tournament that will run Thursday through next Monday.
“Kelsie had a nice first game and seemed to always be in the right place. She is a force and already so smooth for a sophomore. We have a lot of questions to answer in the next few months with our team. We need to figure out who is going to replace Caitlyn to run the point and establish who is going to step up on this team to be a leader. Summer basketball for us is putting kids in different roles and challenging them to get better. We’ve got a great group of dedicated kids that work extremely hard and want to keep winning. Chicago should be a great experience and I’ll enjoy being a spectator for the tournament,” said Lumsden.
The Lady Cats will compete every Monday evening throughout the summer at Lamoille gymnasium, along with North Country, Enosburg, St. Johnsbury Academy, MMU, and Lamoille.
