BULLETS HOLD STRONG, ADVANCE TO QUARTERFINAL
By Landon Potvin
County Courier
FAIRFAX – On Wednesday evening, No. 3 BFA-Fairfax Bullets matched up with the No. 11 Vergennes Commodores in the Division III playdowns for girl’s soccer. It took the Bullets 17 minutes to net the first goal and they had two more in the second half to shut out Vergennes and win, 3-0.
The Bullets (12-1-1) started dull and allowed the Commodores (2-13) to have two early runs which almost netted a goal. Felicia Poirier and Alaina LeBeau had a two-on-three break, and Poirier crossed it over to LeBeau in front of the net but she could not get a touch on it. Minutes later, Poirier had a corner kick which was defended well by BFA’s Molly Wimette. Off the deflection, Poirier beat two defenders and waited too long to shoot, which allowed the defense to recover and stop their momentum.
“We came out flat,” said BFA-Fairfax head coach JoJo Lynch. “I think nerves had a lot to do with it. The coaching staff told them to calm down.”
Throughout the game, the defense helped boost the team to advance the ball through the midfield and stop Vergennes at the most critical points.
“I think we are one of the best defensive teams in the league,” said coach Lynch. “They work extremely hard to do what they do, and without them, we would not be here. They’re the ones that distribute to the forwards and create plays and opportunities we have.”
In a shutout, their last line of defense before goalie Kamryn Taylor is Kali Wooster.
PHOTO GALLERY: BFA FAIRFAX VS VERGENNES – PLAYDOWN
“Making sure everyone has a mark and communicates,” said Wooster of her role. “Trying to direct my team to open opportunities and pass the ball well.”
Fairfax scored its first goal with 23 minutes left in the first half. Ava Ardovino first shot and had it ricochet off a defender and the ball landed right in front of freshman classmate Emma Spiller, who scored her first playoff varsity goal to give a 1-0 lead for the Bullets.
“It’s crazy to get my first varsity playoff goal,” said Spiller. “The adrenaline rush after you score that first goal is very exciting.”
With time dwindling in the first half and Fairfax taking control of the game, Taylor Duquette took a shot and a Commodore defender got in the way of the goalie and almost knocked it in. The second half got off to a good start. Seven minutes passed by, and a corner kick from Paige Cargill was knocked in by Ardovino. That was the second consecutive corner kick after Vergennes tapped the first one out and gave BFA another chance.
Vergennes had three chances in the second half to score a goal. LeBeau passed to Poirier in the penalty area, and Wooster was there to stop it once again. Vergennes took a corner kick from Wooster’s defense and this time Marie Larose made the stop for the Bullets. Allie Croke gave VUHS another look on the net but she passed a little too far ahead of Poirier, and Taylor came out and got on top of it. Croke shot on net from 22 yards deep when Taylor made a diving save to keep the shutout alive. Taylor finished the night with two big-time saves.
“It feels amazing to get a shutout in the playoffs,” said Wooster. “I was a little nervous coming in because, as a senior, any game could be my last. But when we shook off those nerves, we found our groove.
“It feels good,” said Spiller. “As we advance, knowing we can do it gives us confidence.”
Ardovino found Ella Stafford in front of the net to give the Bullets a commanding 3-0 lead late. A corner kick veered around the field before finding Stafford for her goal.
Last year in the playoffs, Fairfax was the No. 6 seed and lost to the No. 3 seed, Windsor. This season, the two teams will match up in the quarterfinals with No. 11 Windsor now visiting Fairfax after knocking off No. 6 Oxbow. This time, BFA has the home-field advantage. Lynch has had a motto for this fall which her team will take to Saturday’s showdown with the Wasps.
“Our whole mentality this season has been to play like a lion,” said coach Lynch. “The lion is the king of the jungle because of his mentality. He’s not the biggest, not the smartest, not the strongest. But the lion is still king, so when I tell the girls to play like a lion, it is play bigger, smarter, and stronger than you are.”
Kickoff Saturday is slated for 10:00AM in Fairfax.
