Harwood roundup: Girls Lacrosse, Baseball, Softball play before break

Harwood Union Highlanders mascot.

The high school sports spring schedule moved forward in fits and starts last week as teams scrambled to get games played in between cold rain showers on and off. Multiple matches were called due to weather and field conditions and rescheduled for after school break week. 

Several Harwood Union teams though did manage to play with success. 

Girls Lacrosse

Harwood’s Girls Lacrosse played through the weather and won their season opener 14-8 against Burlington on Tuesday, April 12.

Burlington junior Camryn Muzzy opened the scoring early in the first half on an 8-meter penalty shot. The Highlanders almost had their answer when Libby Spina found Amy Cook on the crease, but her shot clanged off the crossbar. 

Harwood would take the lead 10 minutes into the half with goals from freshmen Lindsey Boyden on a drive and Ilyana Valadakis on a bar-down bounce shot. Valadakis scored her second several minutes later to make the score 3-1.

After Ava Thurston went top shelf for Harwood, a Burlington run cut the lead to 4-3. Harwood goaltender Abi Leighty came up big though, preserving the lead with three clean stick-side high saves including one from an 8-meter shot. Amy Cook and Anna Kudriavetz scored for the Highlanders to pull away, before Leighty’s robbery of Muzzy on a low 8-meter shot led to senior Margaret Aiken scoring off a fast break to make it 7-3.

In the second half, Thurston’s shot crashed off all three pipes before finding the back of the net to put Harwood up 8-4. A scoring run ensued, with the Highlanders scoring five unanswered to pull away. Burlinhgton’s Masey Pickering scored from an 8-meter shot with two minutes left to bring the score to its final of 14-8. Thurston led Harwood with four goals; Anna Kudriavetz and Ilyana Valadakis had two each. Six Highlanders each added a goal apiece.

“This was our first time on a field with lines for this season after getting a couple cancellations and not having our field ready,” said head coach Hillary Wheeler. “So we were super psyched and I feel like they did a phenomenal job”.

Leighty finished with 16 saves for Harwood. “She’s already shown up big, so we’re super impressed,” said Wheeler.

Next week, the team travels to St. Johnsbury on the 25th and hosts Spaulding on April 27 and U-32 on Saturday, April 30.

Boys Lacrosse 

After trailing for the first three quarters, Harwood Boys Lacrosse rallied to tie and take the lead against Colchester, winning 12-10 on Tuesday, April 12. Jordan Grimaldi led the team with 5 goals. Jake Green scored 3 goals while collecting 6 assists. Goaltender Addison Dietz “stood on his head,” Head Coach Russ Beilke said, making 15 saves. Their season resumes after the break, taking on MAU/Vergennes at home on April 26 and traveling to Montpelier on Saturday, April 30.

Baseball

The Highlanders pulled off a win at Milton, 5-4, in their first game of 2021 on Monday, April 11.

Harwood started the game quickly, loading the bases in the top of the first before being held scoreless. In the second, they scored three runs on a rally started by Aidan Vasseur’s walk before Boone Maher, Adyn Oshkello, and Nic Moran put together three straight hits.

Chris James got the win on the mound for Harwood, striking out seven in three innings. Pitching in relief, Jonah Halter went 3.1 innings. The Highlanders survived a scare late in the game as Milton scored 4 in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to within one run. Nic Moran slammed the door, coming in relief and striking out two Milton batters to earn the save.

Softball

Harwood dropped their season opener 12-0 at Milton on Monday, April 11 The Highlanders were held to two base hits. Harwood sophomore Jordan Hunter pitched a complete game, walking 2 and setting down 2 on strikes. 

“[We] played well for [our] first time on an actual field this season,” said coach Kevin Van Schaik. “Couple of minor errors. Milton earned the win with many well-placed base hits to the outfield.”

Weather wash-outs

The rest of the week’s schedule quickly went sideways as weather conditions were much less than optimal for outdoor sports. School spring break has optional practices on the calendar for student-athletes available to train this week. Competitions start back up Monday, April 25 with a packed schedule.

In addition to the dates above, Baseball and Softball have three game dates April 25-28: on the road to Randolph; then home, hosting Milton on the 26th, and Lamoille on the 28th.

The tennis teams will look to hit the courts against U-32 on April 26 with the boys at home playing at Waterbury’s Anderson Field and the girls on the road at U-32. Similar split on Thursday, April 28, as Boys Tennis hosts South Burlington in Waterbury and the girls head to South Burlington High School.

Track and Field competes at U-32 on Wednesday, April 27, and at South Burlington's Twilight Meet on Saturday afternoon, April 30.

Updates are made to the calendar daily as needed. For last-minute changes especially if weather conditions look questionable, check online at harwood.tandem.co.

Original story, with photos, can be found at the Waterbury Roundabout.