HARDWICK – The reigning Division III state champion Hazen Union girls basketball team discarded Stowe and Richford last week in the first two rounds of the playoffs, improving to 21-1 on the season.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Isabelle Gouin pumped in a season-high 19 points, including a pair of three-pointers as the Lady Cats opened up their state title defense last Wednesday with a 78-16 home win over Stowe. Mya Lumsden was strong once again at the point, scoring 14, and fellow sophomores Kelsie Rivard (10 points) and Taylor Thompson (8) rounded out a potent Hazen offensive attack. Julia des Groseilliers added seven points inside and Ella Renaud drained a three on her way to a five-point night in the win. The Lady Cats started the game on a 41-5 run and never looked back. Coming off a breakout junior campaign on the pitch for the Hazen Union girls soccer team, Gouin is also enjoying her best season on the hardwood this winter for the Lady Cats.
“Caitlyn Davison and Tessa Luther always mentored me and kept the team’s head up last season, which I now try to do with the younger girls on this team to keep the family atmosphere that they helped create. I’m going to keep grinding and keep trying to motivate our team,” said Gouin.
Rivard dashed all hopes of a second round upset from a senior laden Richford team over the weekend with a game-high 25 points to help the Lady Cats cruise back to the Aud for a third straight season with a 59-38 win at the Cat Den. Gouin (17 points) drained a trio of first half threes, sending her team to the locker room with a commanding 31-13 lead at the break. Rivard took over the third quarter with 12 points, including a pair of threes to put the game out of reach. Thompson added 9 points in the win as Hazen turned back Richford for a third time this season. Kyrielle Deuso (13 points) and fellow senior Gracie Sylvester (8) came up a game short of getting back to the Final Four for a second straight season. Deuso’s Lady Rocket soccer team denied Hazen a trip to the semifinals back in October on their way to an improbable state title as a No. 11 seed. Gouin noted that the Lady Cats quest to defend their title was all the motivation they needed on Saturday.
“With our team, I think really it was just all about getting back to the Aud. Knowing that one more win got us into the Final Four was enough motivation. Windsor has a talented team, but that challenge is exciting, and I know we can do it. We want another title,” said Gouin.
Head coach Randy Lumsden has now led the Lady Cat program to three consecutive trips to the Final Four and three straight 20-win seasons in his three years on the bench.
Hazen denied Windsor a third straight state championship last March and the two powerhouses will exchange blows once again on Thursday night at the Barre Auditorium. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. If the second seeded Lady Cats advance, they will defend their title against the winner of the Oxbow-Peoples Academy match-up on Saturday.
