Is Champlain Valley’s state title streak a nine-nasty?
Boys lacrosse
CVU 13, Burr and Burton 11
If two championships in a row are a repeat and three consecutive championships are a three-peat, what is nine state championships in a row?
A nine-peat?
That term just doesn’t have the same poetry of the original title-streak portmanteau, but the Champlain Valley Union High Redhawks will have several months to contemplate a better term for their domination of Vermont boys high school lacrosse.
Coach Tom Garvey said he wasn’t comfortable with referring to the team’s winning ways as a dynasty. Wonder how he would feel about the term nine-nasty?
But that wouldn’t fully cover what the Redhawks have achieved over the years because the school has won a total of 12 state boys lacrosse championships.
On Saturday, Champlain Valley hung on for a thrilling 13-11 victory over Burr and Burton in the Division 1 title game to continue its title streak.
Garvey called it “an amazing win over a very talented, well-coached Burr and Burton team.”
Sophomore Matias Williams and senior Owen Pierce led the Redhawks scoring charge with three goals apiece. Seniors Nolan Shea and Turner Elliott and sophomore Peter Gilliam each tallied two scores. Elliott also showed up on the stat sheet with an assist.
Junior Max Destito had a goal and senior Colin Zouck had an assist.
If you’re noticing some patterns here, it might be that the contributions are spread around the team. Another is that, although graduating seniors are well represented, there are other players keeping the Redhawks in games that won’t be graduating this year and some who may be contributing for two more years.
Senior goalie Jake Bowen had seven saves.
“Our entire defense and goaltending by Jake Bowen deserve recognition for turning back Burr and Burton’s offense in the fourth quarter,” Garvey said. “The entire senior class deserves credit for their leadership both on and off the field.”
CVU 12 – Middlebury 3
The Redhawks beat Middlebury on Monday, June 6, 12-3 to advance to the Division 1 state boys lacrosse championship this past Saturday at the University of Vermont’s Virtue Field.
Garvey credited the strong defense of Destito, Peyton Anderson, Ryan Boehmcke, Sam Decker and Sam Whitcomb for helping ensure the win.
The championship game against Burr and Burton was a rematch of last year’s state championship.
CVU 15, Mount Mansfield 0
The Champlain Valley lacrosse team played its way into the state semifinals with a 15-0 shutout of Mount Mansfield on Thursday, June 2.
Needless to say, coach Garvey was proud of his team’s defense.
He also lauded the faceoff play of Devon Fay and Jacob Bose.
Gilliam and Williams led the scoring onslaught with four goals apiece. Gilliam added four assists and Williams dished out one.
Shea found the net for two goals.
Both Zouck and Pierce tallied a score and an assist.
Elliott, Bose and Max Brumsted each tossed in a goal.
Bowen had four saves for the Redhawks and Harper Anderson had two.
The score might have been even more lopsided except for goalie Ray Chamberland’s 10 saves for Mount Mansfield.
Girls lacrosse
CVU 19, Rutland 15
Champlain Valley beat Rutland 19-15 on Friday, June 3, in girls lacrosse.
The Redhawks were up 10-7 at half, but Rutland tied it at 11-11 in the second before CVU went on a six-goal run.
Amelie Scharf dominated for Champlain Valley on the offensive side of the field, netting five goals to go with three assists.
Chloe Snipes and Dicey Manning each contributed four goals.
Ava Bartlett’s three scores, Stella Dooley’s two, and Tess Everett’s goal and an assist rounded out the Redhawks offensive effort.
CVU goalie Clare Stackpole-McGrath had 13 saves.
Baseball
No. 1 CVU 9, No. 8 South Burlington 7
The Redhawks made it to the state baseball semifinals with a nail-biting 9-7 win over the South Burlington Wolves on Saturday, June 4.
Travis Stroh’s two-run walk-off homer brought the contest to its thrilling end.
After trailing 4-0 after the first inning and 6-2 after the second inning, Champlain Valley managed to come back and take a 7-6 lead.
The Redhawks couldn’t put the Wolves away and South Burlington tied the game at 7-all in the seventh inning, then sophomore Stroh delivered his crucial homer.
Stroh was dominant at the plate going 3 for 4. He hit a single, a triple and the homerun for a total of three RBIs.
Ryan Canty was 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Oliver Pudvar was the winning pitcher. In his two innings on the mound, Pudvar gave up one earned run on two hits and got two strikeouts.