VA Downs Defending Lakes Region Champions
As the 3rd seed Vermont traveled to #2 New Hampton in the Lakes Region Tournament for a 4:00 pm start. Previously, this season the Wildcats and Huskies have gone 1-1. Vermont took the first game at the Edward G. Watkins Holiday Tournament 4-0, and New Hampton the second in the Lakes Region league game on January 26th, 4-1. Blanka Skodova ’18 earned the start in net, her 18th of the season.
Vermont came out strong scoring a goal in the first shift. Chloe Aurard ’18 blocked a New Hampton break out pass, and went in on a breakaway beating the goalie with a deke. The rest of the period both teams battled, however, both goalies stood tall.
The second period was the Skodova show, as she stopped all 21 shots she faced keeping the Wildcats up by one.
In the third period, New Hampton scored two unanswered goals one at 11:26 and the other at 5:09. However, this did not faze the Wildcats they went to work. In the last five minutes of the game, they generated multiple scoring opportunities and were able to capitalize with 46.1 seconds left in the game. Aurard again beat the goalie sneaking one by her in s scrum in front of the net. Sophie Streed ’19 was credited with the assist. All tied at two the game headed into a five minute overtime, Vermont with a man advantage.
Vermont only needed 15 seconds. On the power play, Aurard found herself in the slot with the puck on her stick, she beat the goalie under the glove off of a pass from Kristyna Kaltounkova ’20 to bump the defending Lakes Region Champions to the consolation game.
Skodova finished the night with 47 saves on 49 shots, helping the Wildcats advance to the Lakes Region Championship game on Saturday, February 24th at Kimball Union (KUA) at 6:30 pm.
Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.
