Rivard Leads Capital League Honors for Wildcats
by Ken Brown
HARDWICK – Hazen Union’s Tyler Rivard finished off a sensational senior season in net for the Wildcats with a Capital League First Team selection last week.
Rivard anchored the Hazen defense all season, compiling a highlight reel of acrobatic saves that earned him First Team honors. In only his second season in goal, Rivard posted only one shutout on the season, but his high level play kept his squad in several matches in a Capital League littered with Division II and III title contenders. Rivard also scored two goals of his own on the season and assisted on three others with a majestic punt in his arsenal that stretched from penalty box to penalty box.
Joining Rivard as First Team selections were: Adin Combs, Cole Hill, Eamon Langlais, Adam Porterfield, and Jordan Shullenberger of Harwood, Clayton Foster, Brio Levitt, Ronnie Riby-Williams, Noah Samuelsen, and Tyler Thomas of Montpelier, T.J. Guffey, Aaron Lepikko, Ben Nissenbaum, and Woody Reichelt of Stowe, Dylan Hinchcliffe, Phinn Low, and Finn O’Donnell of U-32, Peoples Academy’s Chandler Follensbee and Nathan Nolan, North Country’s Cooper Brueck and Noah Fortin, Ian MacDonald (Spaulding), Jake Gilman (Thetford), Benjamin Hanford (Randolph), and Charlie Thompson (Lake Region).
Hazen’s Cody Trudeau earned Second Team honors after leading the team in scoring in his senior season. He was joined on the Second Team by: Matt Fiashetti, Cooper Olney, and Zach Smith of Harwood, Cameron Cooke, Olin Duggan, and Maclay Ericson of Montpelier, Jacob Inkel and Colby Lafleur of Lake Region, Sebastian Kreuger and Samuel Rossi of Lamoille, Alex Giroux and Gavin Rondeau of North Country, Sawyer Beck and Rowan McClain of Peoples Academy, Andrew Best and Henry Rosalbo of Randolph, Boone Fahey and Justin Robinson of Thetford, Stowe’s Carson Matckie and Henry Riley, U-32’s Ben Clark and Shiloh Weiss, Spaulding’s Cole Baitz and Matt Redmond, and Paine Mountain’s Tucker Hall.
Wildcat seniors Jadon Baker and Lincoln Michaud were Honorable Mention selections after stellar seasons on the offensive and defensive end. Rivard, Trudeau, Baker, and Michaud will be tough to replace for Hazen Union in 2023 in a Capital League that has become a juggernaut. Division II Montpelier and Harwood combined for 32 wins on the pitch this past fall and met in the state title game. Montpelier completed a storybook undefeated season with a 1-0 win over the Highlanders to claim the state championship. Peoples Academy won 13 matches in 2022 and capped it off with a 3-2 win over Woodstock to claim the division III state title. Stowe won 14 matches this past fall and made it to the Division III Final Four and Enosburg was also formidable in the division with 11 wins. U-32 won 13 matches and advanced to the Division II Final Four and North Country was no pushover, posting nine wins in a loaded division.
Head coach Eric Bagley earned Coach of the Year honors for Montpelier and Jordan Shullenberger of Harwood was crowned Player of the Year after a historic senior season that saw him break the all-time school scoring record with 72 career goals.
