HARDWICK – The Hazen Union girls basketball team is suddenly an experienced veteran group, two years removed from cutting down the nets at the Barre Auditorium, led by a dynamic freshman class.
Head coach Randy Lumsden and his Lady Cat program will be aiming for a fourth straight trip to the Aud later this winter as they officially tip-off the high school basketball season later this week. Lumsden lost only one senior (Baylie Christensen) to graduation off a team that won 20 games last season, earning them the No. 2 seed in the Division III state tournament. Hazen’s run came to an end at the hands of eventual champion Windsor in the Final Four as the Lady Yellowyackets hoisted the hardware for a third time in four years. It’s hard to match the start of Lumsden’s varsity coaching career in his first three seasons that include 60 wins, a record 31 game winning streak, and the program’s first state championship (2024) in over three decades. The reigning Mountain League Coach of the Year is far from satisfied however and loves the maturity he’s seen from his talented squad early on.
“Numbers look good this year, everyone is in shape after a successful soccer season and this group has matured mentally and physically so much since that championship two years ago. It just doesn’t seem possible that these girls were incoming freshmen and sophomores just a short time ago,” said Lumsden.
The Lady Cat offense returns a dynamic one two punch in juniors Kelsie Rivard and Mya Lumsden. Rivard was a scoring machine for a second straight season last winter for Hazen, notching her second Vermont Basketball Coaches Association (VBCA) Outstanding Underclassmen selection. Lumsden took over the offense last season from former Lady Cat great Caitlyn Davison and enjoyed career highs in scoring and assists, earning her first Outstanding Underclassmen selection. Fellow senior captain Julia des Groseilliers also returns to patrol the paint, along with seniors Isabelle Gouin, Ella Renaud, Sadie Gann and Ari Nichols. Hazen also returns key starting pieces in Autumn Dailey and Taylor Thompson.
“We return a lot of experience and the work that the girls have put in over the summer and in the offseason is really showing in how they are seeing and understanding the game at another level mentally. If Kelsie keeps putting in the work I believe she can be the best player in the state of Vermont. Mya has gotten stronger physically, she’s seeing the floor better and her comfort running this offense is going to show up as we ramp up against better competition. I’ve also been really impressed with the work our freshmen put in over the summer and their games are heading in the right direction,” said Lumsden.
The Lady Cats leave a Mountain League this winter that they have dominated the last three years for a Capital League that is loaded with competitive teams out of their division. Lumsden’s talented crew will square off against three Division I programs this season, including an early tilt with a CVU team that made it to the Division I Final Four last March. He’s looking forward to the challenge their new league presents and believes it will prepare his team for another deep postseason run against a talented Division III bracket.
“We’re excited for the competition the Capital is going to give us on a night in night out basis. Our division is loaded with talent and experience and our schedule this season should get us ready with the variation we are going to see offensively and defensively from different teams,” said Lumsden.
The Lady Cats will officially open the season at home on Friday against Enosburg. They are scheduled to travel to CVU next Tuesday. All home games can be streamed live on Hardwick Community Television (hctv.us).
