DANVILLE – The Twinfield-Cabot-Danville (CCSU) boys soccer team wrapped up their first ever regular season as a new cooperative in epic fashion last week, earning their tenth win of the season and securing a top four seed in the upcoming Division III tournament.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Eli Russell scored a pair of goals to power Cal United to an impressive 4-0 home win over BFA-Fairfax last Wednesday on Senior Night. Darshan Eddleman and Bailey Huang celebrated their final regular season home match. Eddleman capped his time with the team by driving in his fourth score in two games. Freshman Omar Miksic-Knibb rounded out a balanced scoring attack with his team leading 16th goal of the season. Josh Petersen and Oliver Searles shared net time to secure the seventh shutout of the season for the Cal United defense.
“It was a good win. The boys moved the ball well and dominated possession. We generated a lot of shots, but BFA did a great job sustaining their low block. We could have been a bit more clinical. It was great to see Darshan get on the score sheet on Senior Night. He’s a dynamic player and he’s battled through injuries and illness this year,” said head coach Peter Stratman.
Mason Sanders made 10 stops for the Bullets, who wrapped up their season at 2-10-1.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Paine Mountain earned an inspired 3-3 draw with CCSU in the closing seconds at home over the weekend as they celebrated their Senior Night with a surprising result. Chase Wilkins found the equalizer with 15 seconds left in regulation as Paine Mountain clawed back from deficits three different times.
Sam McLane gave Cal United an early 1-0 advantage before Zeke Aronson fed Elijah Scott for the equalizer late in the first half. Miksic-Knibb helped the visitors regain the lead to start the second half, before Paul Ku found the back of the net off a corner kick. Evan Whitehead answered back for Cal United with 14 minutes left in regulation to make it 3-2, before Scott’s heroics sent the match into overtime. Paine Mountain improved to 3-9-1 and will enter the Division III tournament as the fourteenth seed.
Stratman’s club locked in the fourth seed as his program won 10 matches in their maiden season as a cooperative in a brand-new division. The former Cabot coach has well north of 100 career coaching wins, including a trip for the Huskies to the Division IV Final Four. In his five seasons at the helm of Twinfield-Cabot, Stratman won 46 matches, taking the Trojans to a pair of Final Fours, including the program’s first in over two decades.
Cal United played its first ever Division III playoff match at home on Tuesday, welcoming thirteenth seeded Hazen Union to town. If they advance, they will host the winner of the Fair Haven/Vergennes match-up on Friday for a chance to advance to the Final Four.
