ORLEANS – The Hazen Union boys soccer team continued to play stingy defense last week, running their record to 6-1-1 with a pair of shutout wins over Lake Region and Lamoille.
Jeter Demers scored the game-winner and Grayson McNaughten led the defense last Monday as the Wildcats gutted out a tough 1-0 road win over Lake Region. With under ten minutes left in regulation, Ari Jurkiewicz beat a Ranger defender in the corner and found a streaking Jeter Demers, who buried a one-timer in the corner for the only score of the match. Both goalkeepers were outstanding, with Konnor Farley making 15 stops on the day for Lake Region as they fell to 1-5-1. Senior Grayson McNaughten turned away a dozen shots to preserve the shutout for Hazen.
“We played a well-fought match with both teams having scoring opportunities all the way through. I thought we squandered some really good chances in the second half, so it was good to see the team show grit and determination with Ari and Jeter shifting the run of play on the game-winner. At the halfway point of the season, we’ve still got a lot of work to do but are proud of the effort and earned a hard win on the road,” said head coach Harry Besett.
Kobe Smith curled in the game-winner ten minutes into the second half and McNaughten posted his third straight clean sheet to lead Hazen to a 1-0 home win over Lamoille last Thursday. Smith gathered a free kick from Lincoln Hill, turned and fired a shot that beat Lancer keeper Ben Turner in the upper right corner. McNaughten battled heavy rain and a muddy field to make seven saves, preserving the sixth shutout of the season for the Wildcat defense. Turner made nine saves in the loss. Turner and the Lancers posted an impressive 1-0 win over Stowe two days later, improving to 3-4-1 on the season. Besett and his young team felt like they let one get away in their season operner at Lamoille, letting up a late penalty kick in a 1-1 draw.
“The boys were pretty frustrated on the bus ride home from Lamoille in our first match, so it felt great getting our third straight win and sixth shutout of the season. Grayson has been so solid for us all season and our defense did a great job staying focused and disciplined in bad weather to clear out the ball each time it slipped loose. We’re looking forward to another close battle against Thetford this week,” said Besett.
Hazen is currently ranked second in the current division III standings and got its second litmus test of the season against perennial divisional power Thetford Academy on Tuesday. A powerhouse Stowe team halted a three-match win streak by the Wildcats two weeks ago with a dominating 9-0 win. Peoples Academy sits atop the Capital League standings with a perfect 8-0 record.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Hazen as they travel to two-time defending Division II champion Harwood on Friday. All home games can be streamed live on Hardwick Community Television (hctv.us).
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
