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B Section
THURSDAY, Â MAY Â 26, Â 2016
ANDY KIRKALDY
SPORTS
ALSO IN THIS SECTION:
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Trade  might  be  best  option  for  Boston  Celtics Well,  Kevin  Durant  probably  isn’t  walking  through  Danny  Ainge’s  door  this  summer,  not  after  the  way  he,  Russell  Westbrook  and  the  rest  of  the  Team  That  Should  Still  Be  Seattle  Supersonics  have  performed  so  far  in  the  NBA  playoffs. Boston  Celtics  fans  can  still  dream,  but  Durant  can  make  more  money  staying  in  Oklahoma  (we  can  argue  how  much  money  it  would  take  to  persuade  anyone  to  live  anywhere  that  awful,  but  that’s  a  differ- ent  column),  and  even  if  Golden  State  pulls  out  this  Western  &RQIHUHQFH )L- nal  against  Du- rant’s  team  (I  won’t  type  its  name,  they  belong  in  Seattle,  which  got  the  shaft  from  Clay  Bennett  and  David  Stern),  that  group  has  proven  capable  of  win- ning  an  NBA  title. And  as  promising  a  future  as  the  Celtics  seem  to  have,  that’s  more  than  Boston  has  to  offer.  Unless  you  want  to  talk  sane  politics,  culture,  and  a  tornado-Âfree  existence,  but,  again,  that’s  a  different  column. Where  does  that  leave  the  Celt- ics?  Luck  once  again  didn’t  bless  them  in  the  draft  lottery,  although  at  least  they  didn’t  slide  out  of  the  top  three.  But  third  in  this  draft  is  cold  comfort,  with  only  two  play- ers  —  Ben  Simmons  and  Brandon  Ingram  —  considered  to  be  of  all- star  caliber. 6WLOO WKH 1R VORW RIIHUV VRPH intriguing  options.  Providence  point  guard  Kris  Dunn  at  six-Âfour  is  con- sidered  to  be  an  NBA-Âready  play- maker,  but  not  a  great  shooter.  And  (See  Kirkaldy,  Page  4B)
Sports BRIEFS
Legion  nine  sets  several  tryouts
MIDDLEBURY  —  Tryouts  for  the  Addison  County  American  Le- gion  baseball  team  will  be  held  each  of  the  next  three  Sunday  mornings  at  the  Middlebury  College  baseball  ¿HOG RQ 6RXWK 6WUHHW LQ 0LGGOHEXU\ The  sessions  will  be  held  from  9  to  11  a.m.  on  May  29,  June  5  and  June  12.  Those  interested  may  contact  Le- gion  Baseball  Coach  Mike  Estey  at  RU PHVWH\#VPFYW HGX
ScoreBOARD HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Girls’ Lacrosse 5/24  MUHS  vs.  S.  Burlington  .................16-Â4 Boys’ Lacrosse 5/23  S.  Burlington  vs.  MUHS  ...................8-Â5 5/23  Mt.  Anthony  vs.  OV  ........................13-Â2 5/24  VUHS  vs.  Mt.  Abe  ..........................10-Â9 5/25  Colchester  at  MUHS  ......................Late 5/25  Woodstock  at  OV  ...........................Late Softball 5/23  VUHS  vs.  Milton  ..............................6-Â3 5/23  OV  vs.  Hartford  .......................... 7-Â3  (9) 5/24  Mt.  Abe  vs.  St.  Johnsbury  ................9-Â5 5/24  MUHS  vs.  St.  Albans  .......................2-Â0 5/25  N.  Country  at  VUHS  ......................Late 6SULQJÂżHOG DW 29  ...........................Late Baseball 6SULQJÂżHOG YV 29  ...................... 8-Â7  (8) 5/23  Milton  vs.  VUHS  ..............................8-Â5 5/24  St.  Johnsbury  vs.  Mt.  Abe  ................7-Â5 5/24  St.  Albans  vs.  MUHS  .....................18-Â4 5/25  N.  Country  at  VUHS  ......................Late
Schedule
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Girls’ Lacrosse 5/26  MUHS  at  Rutland  ...................4:30  p.m. 08+6 DW 0W 0DQV¿HOG  ..........4:30  p.m. 5/30  ..................Playoff  Pairings  Announced Boys’ Lacrosse 5/26  Montpelier  at  VUHS  ....................4  p.m. 5/26  Rice  at  Mt.  Abe  ...........................4  p.m. 5/27  VUHS  at  Stowe  ...........................4  p.m. 5/27  Woodstock  at  OV  ........................4  p.m.
(See  Schedule,  Page  4B)
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Tiger  lax  boys  fall  just  short  vs.  Rebels Second  strong  effort  in  a  row  unrewarded
Commodore  lacrosse  outlasts  Eagles Mount  Abe  rallies,  but  VUHS  scores  winner  in  fourth
By  ANDY  KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY  —  On  Monday,  for  the  second  straight  game  the  Middlebury  Union  High  School  boys’  lacrosse  team  gave  a  Division  I  power  all  it  could  handle,  but  came  up  just  short,  this  time  to  third- ranked  South  Burlington,  8-Â7.  Two  days  before,  the  6-Â8  Tigers  ORVW WR YLVLWLQJ ÂżUVW SODFH &KDPSODLQ Valley,  7-Â6.  And  that  result  followed  a  convincing,  9-Â5  win  at  Mount  0DQVÂżHOG D WHDP WKH 7LJHUV QHHGHG overtime  to  defeat  at  home  on  May  9. “We  have  looked  like  a  totally  different  team  the  last  three,  four  games.  We’re  playing  very  XQVHOÂżVKO\ DQG PRYLQJ WKH EDOO DQG LWÂśV PRUH GLIÂżFXOW WR GHIHQG XV ´ VDLG Coach  Brian  Carpenter.  “And  we’ve  moved  to  a  zone  defense  so  that  if  the  other  team  has  some  faster  kids  than  us,  we  just  play  some  good  solid  defense  with  good  support,  fast  support.  And  I  think  those  two  things  have  been  lynchpins  to  the  LPSURYHPHQW ´ That  defense  has  been  strong  all  VHDVRQ HYHQ EHIRUH DOORZLQJ MXVW goals  in  the  Tigers’  past  three  games.  (See  Tigers,  Page  4B)
By  ANDY  KIRKALDY VERGENNES  —  The  Vergennes  Union  High  School  boys’  lacrosse  team  earned  a  big  win  on  Tuesday,  staving  off  a  dramatic  rally  by  visit- LQJ 0RXQW $EUDKDP WR SUHYDLO The  result  left  both  teams  tied  for  third  place  in  Division  III  at  7-Â5,  but  the  schedule  favors  the  Commodores  LQ WKH EDWWOH IRU WKH 1R VHHG Mount  Abe  has  just  one  game  left,  vs.  D-ÂI  title  contender  Rice  at  home  ADDISON  COUNTY  —  All  on  Thursday.  The  Eagles  lost  a  game  four  area  high  school  softball  teams  vs.  D-ÂIII  Montpelier  (1-Â9)  that  was  posted  key  wins  earlier  this  week  as  never  made  up.  VUHS  must  play  at  the  regular  season  neared  its  end.  ' ,, FRQWHQGHU 6WRZH RQ )ULGD\ EXW The  regular  season  ends  this  week,  before  then  will  play  a  makeup  home  and  the  Vermont  Principals’  Associ- game  vs.  Montpelier  on  Thursday  ation  will  announce  playoff  pairings  that  could  allow  the  Commodores  to  on  Monday.  seize  third  place.  TIGERS The  Vermont  Principals’  Associa- On  Tuesday,  Tiger  hurler  Payton  tion  will  announce  playoff  pairings  Buxton  continued  her  recent  hot  on  Monday,  and  both  teams  will  streak  by  tossing  a  no-Âhitter  at  vis- KRVW SOD\RII JDPHV 6WUDWWRQ LWLQJ %)$ 6W $OEDQV DV DQG +DUWIRUG ZHUH OLVWHG DV MUHS  (12-Â2)  defeat- Nos.  1  and  2,  respectively,  in  D-ÂIII  HG WKH &RPHWV on  Wednesday  morning.  VUHS  and  and  passed  Mount  Abe  have  not  played  either  of  %)$ SOFTBALL those  teams  this  spring. in  the  Divi- VUHS  Coach  Ed  Cook  said  sion  I  stand- EAGLE  DYLAN  WEAVER’S  shot  goes  wide  of  Commodore  goalie  Broc  Clark,  top,  while  under  pressure  from  Tuesday’s  result  was  critical  for  the  Vergennes  senior  Jack  Eisenhower  Tuesday  afternoon  in  Vergennes.  Eagle  Charlie  Meyer,  above,  keeps  away  ings  to  move  Commodores,  who  can  clinch  the  from  Commodore  Brad  Sturtevant.  Vergennes  won  the  game,  10-Â9. into  fourth  place.  The  Tigers,  win- Independent  photos/Trent  Campbell ners  of  seven  straight,  can  poten- (See  Lacrosse,  Page  2B) tially  move  higher  in  the  standings  with  wins  at  Burlington  on  Thurs- GD\ DQG DW 1RUWK &RXQWU\ RQ )ULGD\ The  Comets  could  help  by  defeating  12-Â2  Colchester  on  Thursday. On  Tuesday,  Buxton  allowed  just  one  batter  to  reach,  that  by  an  error.  MUHS  scored  its  runs  in  the  sec- ond  on  a  walk  and  base  hits  by  Lily  Smith,  MaKayla  Foster  and  Ally  Larocque. EAGLES MIDDLEBURY  —  The  Mid- Also  on  Tuesday,  Mount  Abe  dlebury  Union  High  School  girls’  VWUHQJWKHQHG LWV KROG RQ ÂżUVW lacrosse  team  thumped  visiting  place  in  D-ÂII  with  a  9-Â5  win  over  South  Burlington  on  Tuesday,  visiting  St.  Johnsbury.  Rachael  Mc- LQ WKH 7LJHUVÂś ÂżQDO UHJXODU Cormick  earned  the  pitching  win,  season  home  game.  MUHS  moved  to  11-Â2  with  (See  Softball,  Page  3B) games  left  at  Rutland  (6-Â8)  on  7KXUVGD\ DQG DW ÂżUVW SODFH 0RXQW 0DQVÂżHOG RQ )ULGD\ 7KH\ DUH LQ D ÂżJKW IRU WRS 'LYLVLRQ , VHHGV DQG FRXOG ÂżQLVK DV KLJK DV ÂżUVW RU DV ORZ DV ÂżIWK The depending  on  Vermont their  and  other  Principals’ SOUTH  DUXBURY  —  In  the  teams’  results.  WHDPVÂś ÂżQDO PDWFK RI WKH VSULQJ The  Vermont  Association host  Harwood  dealt  the  Middlebury  Principals’  As- will Union  High  School  boys’  tennis  sociation  will  announce WHDP D VHWEDFN WKDW ZDV WKH announce  play- playoff 7LJHUVÂś ÂżUVW ORVV RI WKH VHDVRQ EXW off  pairings  on  pairings on GLG QRW FRXQW LQ WKH RIÂżFLDO 'LYLVLRQ Monday.  I  standings.   Monday. Vs.  the  Reb- According  to  MUHS  athletic  di- els,  eight  Ti- UHFWRU 6HDQ )DUUHOO WKH 9HUPRQW gers  found  the  net,  led  by  Isabel  Principals’  Association’s  tennis  com- Rosenberg’s  four  goals  and  Andi  mittee  ruled  the  match,  which  had  Boe’s  three  goals  and  three  as- been  postponed  from  an  earlier  date,  sists.  Satchel  McLaughlin  tossed  had  been  played  after  the  cutoff  date  in  three  goals,  and  Emma  Best  for  regular  season  play. added  two  goals  and  an  assist.  As  a  result,  the  Tigers  earned  the  Tiger  goalie  Raven  Payne  No.  2  seed  in  the  D-ÂI  tournament.  They  are  set  to  open  the  playoffs  on  7,*(5 623+2025( ,6$%(/ 5RVHQEHUJ SDVVHV XS WKH ÂżHOG GXULQJ 7XHVGD\ÂśV JDPH DJDLQVW 6RXWK %XU- stopped  seven  shots,  and  two  Rebel  goalies  combined  for  nine  lington.  Middlebury  won  the  game,  16-Â4. Thursday  by  hosting  No.  15  Mount  Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell saves.  (See  Tennis,  Page  4B)
Softball teams  net  vital  wins
Wrap-Up
Girls’  lax  thumps  S.  Burlington
Tiger  boys’  tennis  nets  No.  2  seed