Emily George battles a Stowe defender during Saturday’s 1-0 win.
This article originally appeared in the Times Argus on Sunday.
EAST MONTPELIER — U-32 and Stowe battled in both boys and girls soccer on Saturday, with U-32 taking the girls matchup 1-0 and the boys battling to a 0-0 overtime tie.
U-32’s girls (8-3-1) won their second straight behind Maya Mashkuri’s goal 14 minutes into the game, dropping Stowe to 5-6-1. The Raiders continued their push towards the top of the Vermont Principals Association rankings and put a lot of pressure on Stowe throughout the game.
“The pressure came from us winning balls,” U-32 coach Steve Towne said. “We kept the balls and possessed well in the midfield.”
Mashkuri scored when she got the ball just within the penalty box and sent into the upper right out of the reach of Stowe keeper Caroline Armbruster (11 saves).
Stowe rarely threatened U-32 keeper Bailey Starr (four saves) as a stout defensive line kept Stowe out.
“We were too passive in the first half,” Stowe coach Tim Ziegler said. “We tried to make sure that we pushed forward in the second.”
Stowe’s best chance of the game came with just 14 minutes in the game when Abby Blaine was taken down in the box. However, the ensuing penalty kick by Ali Leach was shot directly at Starr who made the easy save.
U-32 will play Harwood on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Stowe will host Lyndon at 4 p.m that same day.
On the boys side, U-32 and Stowe battled to a 0-0 draw. The two teams battled through regulation with no goals and excellent play by both goalies kept it that way in overtime.
“This was definitely a good test,” U-32 coach Joe Ferrada said. “After GMVS, we needed a result moving forward.”
Both teams threatened throughout the game with several near-goals, but both keepers were excellent. U-32’s Mackinley Shaffer finished with 12 saves and Stowe’s Shayde Ward had nine.
Early on, Stowe seemed to be in command when the Raiders put several shots on frame and kept the ball under control in the midfield. Matt Schwab almost scored in the 17th minute, but his shot from on the run curved just high and wide.
The game evened out and became a physical battle, with both teams swapping free kicks but none were converted.
“I thought it was a tough physical battle,” Stowe coach Brian Buczer said. “They’re a really tough team both defensively and physically.”
Buczer was given a yellow card with six minutes left in regulation for arguing over several calls. It was a tense atmosphere throughout the game, and the tensions only escalated in the postgame handshake line when one player left prematurely.
Stowe almost scored twice in overtime, but both times Shaffer, a freshman, was there. Chris Mullin fired a shot to the left of Shaffer early in the first overtime period, but was denied by a leaping save.
Then, with a little less than 10 seconds left in the second OT period, Mullin was denied again when Shaffer came flying off the line and dove, landing on the ball to make the save on a breakaway.
U-32 is now 7-5 and are gaining on Montpelier (6-3-2) in the VPA rankings. Stowe is now 8-3-1 and are clinging to the top spot in D-III with Williamstown right behind them. U-32 heads to Harwood (5-6) on Wednesday, while Stowe hosts winless Lyndon, on Wednesday, as well.
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