NORTHFIELD – Hazen Union head coach Harry Besett and Lady Cat star striker Isabelle Gouin led their Division 3/4 Green soccer teams to victory over the weekend at the Vermont Green & Gold Senior Classic at Norwich University.
Fresh off leading his Hazen boys soccer program to their first winning regular season in 6 years, earning him Mtn. League Coach of the Year honors, Besett’s Division 3/4 Green team downed the Division 3/4 Gold team 2-0 on Sunday at Sabine Field. West Rutland’s Brayden Schutt buried a feed from Caledonia United’s Eli Russell for the game-winner. Oxbow’s Jayden Huntoon fed Enosburg’s Wilder Howell for the insurance goal that put the match away. Hazen’s Grayson McNaughten and Cal United’s Josh Petersen combined to make 10 stops to earn the shutout. Schutt took home MVP honors for the Green team.
Other top local seniors that were named to the all-star rosters included: Cal United’s Sam McLane and Jola Otten, Hazen’s Sully Laflam and Justin Montgomery, Peoples Academy’s Ian Nolan, Gavin Jolly, Noah Brown and Lamoille’s Ethan Rossi.
“Both Josh and Grayson came up with a few outstanding saves to keep a clean sheet for our team. The most enjoyable part of the day for me as the coach was seeing players from all over the state come together, cheer each other from the bench and work selflessly for each other on the field. Seeing the players smiling and joking with each other at the final whistle made it easy to forget the freezing and rainy weather,” said Besett.
On the girls side, the Division 3/4 Green team defeated the Gold 3-2 in an old fashion shootout. Hazen’s all-time leading scorer Isabelle Gouin finished a perfect ball from Blue Mountain’s Kennedy Perrigo just three minutes into the match for an early 1-0 advantage. Windsor’s Kemari Wildgoose and White River Valley’s Mackenzie Vesper made it 3-0 heading into the break. The Green survived scores from Enosburg’s Kallie Morrill and Poultney’s Eme Silverman in the second half to hold on for the win. Stowe goalkeeper Tanner Gregory took home MVP honors for the Green.
Other top local seniors that were named to the all-star rosters included: Hazen’s Brianna Holbrook, Cal United’s Lauren Pecor and Phoebe Crocker, Stowe’s Mena Spaulding, Ava Buczek and Emilia Marron and Peoples Academy’s Ella Bliss and Lamoille’s Ila Rankin.
The Vermont Green & Gold Senior Classic was presented by the Vermont Soccer Coaches Association (VSCA). The inaugural event, spearheaded by VSCA Executive Director John Olmstead, was upgraded from its previous versions to honor the best senior soccer players in the state much like the Vermont Basketball Association’s North-South Senior All-Star Game has done for senior basketball players every March.
