The Wasps are scheduled to face Chelsea at home Wednesday at home at 4:30.
By David Miles, Standard Correspondent
Playoff lacrosse is important business and the Woodstock girls lacrosse team has been all business of late.
Business-like enough that the team eschewed the WUHS Spring Sports Award Night on Thursday in favor of heading north to East Montpelier. It was not a pleasure trip, but a chance to scout U-32 and Chelsea, the winner who would await the Wasps in the semifinal round should the green-and-white also advance past the quarters.
Business-like enough to build a 9-4 halftime lead in their own quarterfinal game against Harwood the following day. And they did this even though they did not play their best in the first half. All business by answering each Highlander goal with a quick one of their own, maintaining a comfortable margin.
And ruthlessly business-like in the second half, shutting Harwood down as completely as an unfriendly corporate takeover. Six goals in the half’s first 10 minutes turned the game into a rout as Woodstock cruised to a 17-4 victory in front of about 100 fans.
“We hadn’t played for a week and our heads weren’t quite in the right place the first half,” said co-captain Clancy Farrand.
It’s not that the Wasps played poorly in the opening half; but they were just not at the top of their game. Several times they lost out on ground balls and then gave up quick goals once Harwood gained possession.
“We might have been feeling a little pressure early on. We’ve never had a bye before,” said Lauren Kaija, who led the scoring with seven goals. “But at halftime, Amanda told us to start playing Woodstock lacrosse again. And we did just what she said.”
Playing Woodstock lacrosse meant shutting out Harwood 8-0 after intermission. And the Wasps did not just shut the Highlanders out, they barely allowed them any possessions at all.
“Our defense really stepped it up the second half,” said coach Amanda Soule. “We played well in the first half, but not our normal well.”
Grace Vosburgh and Farrand backed up Luaren Kaija with three goals apiece. Abby Kaija added two, while Miranda Johnson and Kallan Piconi both had one. Vosburgh, Farrand, Lauren Kaija and Holli Olson all had one assist.
Olson’s assist came on one of the prettiest sequences of the game. With Woodstock leading 5-1 she intercepted a pass in the defensive zone and raced downfield, getting off a good shot that Harwood goalie Willow Barbero-Menze made a nice save on. But Olson picked up the rebound, ran behind the net and fed a cutting Lauren Kaija with a beautiful pass for a picture-perfect goal.
Woodstock twice defeated Chelsea in the regular season, but both games were close with the Wasps winning by four goals each time.
“Chelsea-U-32 was a really good game,” said Soule. “Even though we’ve played them twice, it was good to see them in a different light.”
And as the Red Devils’ comeback against U-32 proved, you can never take anything for granted in the playoffs. They are a traditionally strong program that lost in the championship game last year and made five consecutive finals from 2007 through 2011, winning twice.
“Chelsea has a number of good players,” said Farrand. “We have to want it more than they do.”
The Wasps were scheduled to face Chelsea at home Wednesday, after the Standard’s deadline. The Devils trailed U-32 by a 7-2 margin at the half, but came back to upset the No.-3 seeded Raiders in double overtime.