Congratulations Chieftains on a great season

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC

The 2017 high school soccer season came to a close on Saturday and, while the Green Mountain girls team did not win the state Division 3 title, they rolled up a remarkable record of 17 straight wins until losing their final contest 3-1 to the Thetford Panthers.

There was laughter and tears after the game as GM coach Carolynn Hamilton told her players and their parents that they should be proud of what they accomplished to get to the championship game: winning 14 regular season games and 3 in the playoffs and outscoring their opponents 91 to 11.

“We’ll be back here next year,” said Hamilton as she turned a small, lime green soccer in her fingers. The “game ball” is given to the player or players who performed especially well in the game. The last game ball of the season went to the seniors, but Hamilton told them it was not their last game.

“You’re not done, you’ve got one more,” Hamilton told her seniors referring to the tournament that was to be held at Otter Valley on Sunday, in which about 100 senior soccer players are invited to play several games to chose the players for the Lions Cup game between teams of Vermont and New Hampshire all stars next summer. The selection will be announced later this year.

“Fight tomorrow, whatever you’ve got got left, make that team,” Hamilton encouraged.

With just four seniors, Green Mountain’s soccer program looks to have a bright future.

“We’re not that old,” Hamilton told The Telegraph, “We’re going to be good next year and we’ll be back.”

Hamilton said that the team plays with a lot of heart and has a lot of depth.

“I’ve been able to play 20 girls in almost every game,” said Hamilton. “Not many schools could do that and keep winning.”

Hamilton aspires to a tougher schedule next season saying that it will “help us get ready for games like this,” referring to the final against Thetford. This was Hamilton’s first season at Green Mountain.

Seniors in action

Chieftains Season History

	Regular Season
Sept. 5	Mount Saint Joseph Academy	10-0 W
Sept. 8	Black River High School	13-1 W
Sept. 9	Proctor High School	2-1 W
Sept. 12	Twin Valley High School	4-1 W
Sept. 19	Windsor High School	4-0 W
Sept. 23	Otter Valley Union High School	6-0 W
Sept. 27	Leland & Gray High School	3-2 W
Sept. 29	West Rutland High School	3-1 W
Oct. 2	Bellows Falls Union High School	6-0 W
Oct. 5	Twin Valley High School	3-0 W
Oct. 11	Leland & Gray High School	5-1 W
Oct. 14	Windsor High School	5-0 W
Oct. 18	Otter Valley Union High School	2-0 W
Oct. 20	Bellows Falls Union High School	9-0 W
	Playoffs
Oct. 25	Bellows Falls Union High School	10-1 W
Oct. 28	Windsor High School	2-0 W
Nov. 1	Vergennes High School	3-0 W
Nov. 4	Thetford Academy	1-3 L
Total Chieftain goals - 90 Total opponent goals - 11

2017 Green Mountain Chieftains
Girls Soccer Team

Honors

Marble Valley League

First Team:

• Paige Karl
• Avery Prescott
• Sierra Kehoe
• Rachel Guerra
• Brigid Karl
• Madison Wilson

Second Team

• Noelle Gignoux
• Anne Lamson
• Mycah White

All State Team:

• Paige Karl
• Sierra Kehoe
• Avery Prescott