News Detail
A Season of Wildcat Potential, Playoffs, and Pride
Vermont Academy’s 2015-2016 winter season was one of commitment, dedication, and a shared optimism between athletes and coaches for a year of personal and team improvement, more wins on the board, and historic championships. The season delivered on all counts—a testament to the hard work and character of our student-athletes and coaches, and indicative of the immense potential of Vermont Academy’s athletic program.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
In its second straight NEPSAC championship game, Vermont Academy’s top-seeded Wildcats avenged their only Class AA loss by defeating Cushing 69-61, capturing the first title in program history. Bruce Brown ’16 led all scorers in the game and was named tournament and conference MVP. Brown was also honored as NEPSAC Player of the Year, alongside Head Coach Alex Popp, who was named NEPSAC Coach of the Year. The team was undefeated at home en route to a 27-5 record, with impressive tournament play including victories at the Sun Youth tournament in Montreal, the National Prep Showcase versus Spire Institute, and the Scholar Round Ball Classic versus Kent School. Popp attributes the success to the players’ “no days off” mentality. “They had unusual maturity under the leadership of veteran players and treated every practice like it was a game,” he said. “They genuinely cared about each other.” Popp will have no easy task trying to replace departing seniors Brown (Miami University), Tyrique Jones (Xavier University), Pat Fisher (Winthrop University), Tinga Adiang (St. Lawrence University), and PG David Huber (Carnegie Mellon University) but he’ll return a battle-tested group with championship experience.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Earning a berth in the NEPSAC Class D tournament, the girls’ basketball team hosted the quarterfinals and defeated Gann Academy, before losing on the road to eventual champion Bradford Christian 54-48 in the semifinals, ending the season with a 15-12 record. In addition to the strong tournament showing, the ’Cats topped Holderness twice—a historic feat—and also tallied a thrilling buzzer-win over Brewster in front of a raucous home crowd, avenging an earlier road loss to the Bobcats. Averaging double-digit scoring, sophomores Allysun Erunski and Kyra Rideout earned All-NEPSAC recognition, with fellow sophomore Julianne Liebow and junior Cara Linder also averaging double digits. With the starting five comprised of four sophomores and one junior, Head Coach Karen Henry has reason to be optimistic. “It’s great for all those young players to gain playoff experience and learn how to stay poised and win close and high-pressure games. I really like the direction we’re headed.”
NORDIC SKIING
The Nordic team continued to find both team and individual success, despite losing many top skiers to graduation. “The whole team worked so hard and effectively given how little snow we had,” said Head Coach Alexei Sotskov. “I was very pleased with the level we reached by the end of the season. We dramatically improved from race to race.” Highlighting the season was senior John Henry Paluzsek’s individual gold win at the NEPSAC Championship. Sophomores Dariel Echanis and Connor Harrington qualified for the Eastern U16 Championship, which doubles as the US National Invitation Championship. Paluszek and fellow veteran Mackey O’Keefe ’17 led the team with their tireless effort and encouragement, helping the boys’ squad to a third-place finish at the Lakes Region Championship. With only two seniors on this year’s team, Sotskov expects his skiers to post strong finishes again next year.
GIRLS’ HOCKEY
For the first time in program history, girls’ hockey qualified for the Lakes Region tournament, earning the fourth seed. Regular season highlights include a 6-0 win against Tilton, in which six different players scored, and Groton, a 9-4 win in which Chloe Aurard ’17 and Lotti Odnoga ’17 both notched hat tricks. Aurard led the team in season scoring with 24 goals and 15 assists, while Odnoga was a close second with 12 goals and 11 assists. Those two, along with Anais Aurard ’17, played in the IAHF U18 Junior World Championships for their home nations France and Hungary. For the Wildcats, net minders Anais (88.4% save percentage) and Sarah Jacobelli ’19 (90.4% save percentage) split time as the backbone of a team that went 8-18-3 on the season, a record not indicative of its potential. “We did a lot with very few players,” said Head Coach Stephanie Boulay. “Our motto was ‘Small but mighty.’ With only twelve skaters, we still competed with the top teams. Graduating only one player, Abby Bogovich ’16, we’ll definitely be on the hunt next season for a NEPSAC playoff spot.”
BOYS’ HOCKEY
A solid season for boys’ hockey was punctuated by the Stanstead College tournament in Quebec. After losing their first two games in the round robin, the Wildcats stormed back to win its elimination games and be crowned tournament champions, beating Upper Canada College in the finals, a team they lost to in their opening game 2-1. Head Coach Chris Davidson pointed to that tournament, along with 21 games decided by 2 goals or fewer, as indications that the future is bright for his team. “The effort was there and consistent all year,” said Davidson. “A lot of young players gained experience that will help us down the road, especially competing in all those tight games.” The Wildcats will graduate several seniors, two of whom will leave behind indelible marks on program history. The team’s leading scorer, Houston Wilson, had 20 goals and 15 assists, giving him 118 career points over three years at VA (58G 60A) and ranking second on list of all-time scorers behind Cam Wright ’15. Wright, a four-year player, tallied 158 points over his career (67G 91A). Senior Josh Bolding will graduate VA leading several goalie statistics, including games played (60), saves (1,733), and shots faced (1,929), giving him an impressive career save percentage of 89.8%.
SNOWBOARDING
Four-year senior team members Steven Filanowski and Michael Capasse led the boys’ team to yet another Lakes Region Championship, with the squad winning all three Lakes Region slopestyle events. Also with a strong showing at the Championships, the girls finished second and third in giant slalom and slopestyle, respectively. Head Coach John Kelly loved the attitude and effort of his snowboarders. “We were a small but dedicated team that worked hard all season, beginning with trampoline training in November,” said Kelly, “and Okemo did a great job providing us with a world-class training venue.” In regular season competition, Capasse won the individual crowns at the first two giant slalom races. Katie Brennan ’17 also won the first two giant slaloms, and Mackenzie Curtis ’17 won the first slopestyle competition. Other important individual contributions came from Jay Harris ’19, who, along with Capasse, made backflips part of his slopestyle repertoire for the first time this year; Henry Hochschild ’17; Mason Schlosser ’16; Scott Restovo ’17; and freshmen Matt Bartelli and Jeronimo Saenz.
FREESTYLE
The Wildcat tricksters secured second place overall in the Lakes Region, behind the strength of Andrew Hoblitzelle ’17, the Lakes Region individual champion, and Chris Bechtold ’17, both of whom qualified for the United States Ski and Snowboard Association Junior Nationals in Sun Valley, ID. The young team also got solid contributions from seniors Ry Brodsky and John Borden and freshmen Graesyn Scruton and Calvin Stebbins. “Everyone had a great attitude despite one of the worst winters in decades,” said Head Coach Chris Marks. “They all worked hard, never complained about lack of snow, pushed themselves, and encouraged each other.” Marks also acknowledged the support of his Assistant Coach, Rob Nicol, for his expertise, and the administration for bringing a new fan gun to campus to make snow on the school’s training venue. “That gun made a huge difference,” Marks said. “Without it we’d have been off our hill after January.”
ALPINE
On the racing side of the snow, Vermont Academy saw Brendan Therrien ’17, Ivan Zugasti Molina ’17, Ronan Khalsa ’16, and freshmen Joe Zobitz, Abby Brennan, and Gwen Coger all compete in their first official races ever when the team opened its season at Mt. Sunapee in early January. Mid-year transfer Henry Burns ’17 became the team’s fastest skier, notching a top-ten finish at Vermont Academy’s home giant slalom event, as well as a top-30 finish at the NEPSAC Class B Championship. In addition to Burns, Therrien and Coger qualified for the NEPSAC Championships, thanks in part to their solid finish at the Lakes Region Championship, where Burns, Khalsa, and Zobitz also skied well. Head Coach Jon Edwards lauded his skiers’ effort and progress. “We got in great training from November right through the end of the season,” he said. “Our cardiovascular fitness really improved and everyone developed confidence in gates and improved technique---main goals heading into the season.”
Back
In its second straight NEPSAC championship game, Vermont Academy’s top-seeded Wildcats avenged their only Class AA loss by defeating Cushing 69-61, capturing the first title in program history. Bruce Brown ’16 led all scorers in the game and was named tournament and conference MVP. Brown was also honored as NEPSAC Player of the Year, alongside Head Coach Alex Popp, who was named NEPSAC Coach of the Year. The team was undefeated at home en route to a 27-5 record, with impressive tournament play including victories at the Sun Youth tournament in Montreal, the National Prep Showcase versus Spire Institute, and the Scholar Round Ball Classic versus Kent School. Popp attributes the success to the players’ “no days off” mentality. “They had unusual maturity under the leadership of veteran players and treated every practice like it was a game,” he said. “They genuinely cared about each other.” Popp will have no easy task trying to replace departing seniors Brown (Miami University), Tyrique Jones (Xavier University), Pat Fisher (Winthrop University), Tinga Adiang (St. Lawrence University), and PG David Huber (Carnegie Mellon University) but he’ll return a battle-tested group with championship experience.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Earning a berth in the NEPSAC Class D tournament, the girls’ basketball team hosted the quarterfinals and defeated Gann Academy, before losing on the road to eventual champion Bradford Christian 54-48 in the semifinals, ending the season with a 15-12 record. In addition to the strong tournament showing, the ’Cats topped Holderness twice—a historic feat—and also tallied a thrilling buzzer-win over Brewster in front of a raucous home crowd, avenging an earlier road loss to the Bobcats. Averaging double-digit scoring, sophomores Allysun Erunski and Kyra Rideout earned All-NEPSAC recognition, with fellow sophomore Julianne Liebow and junior Cara Linder also averaging double digits. With the starting five comprised of four sophomores and one junior, Head Coach Karen Henry has reason to be optimistic. “It’s great for all those young players to gain playoff experience and learn how to stay poised and win close and high-pressure games. I really like the direction we’re headed.”
NORDIC SKIING
The Nordic team continued to find both team and individual success, despite losing many top skiers to graduation. “The whole team worked so hard and effectively given how little snow we had,” said Head Coach Alexei Sotskov. “I was very pleased with the level we reached by the end of the season. We dramatically improved from race to race.” Highlighting the season was senior John Henry Paluzsek’s individual gold win at the NEPSAC Championship. Sophomores Dariel Echanis and Connor Harrington qualified for the Eastern U16 Championship, which doubles as the US National Invitation Championship. Paluszek and fellow veteran Mackey O’Keefe ’17 led the team with their tireless effort and encouragement, helping the boys’ squad to a third-place finish at the Lakes Region Championship. With only two seniors on this year’s team, Sotskov expects his skiers to post strong finishes again next year.
GIRLS’ HOCKEY
For the first time in program history, girls’ hockey qualified for the Lakes Region tournament, earning the fourth seed. Regular season highlights include a 6-0 win against Tilton, in which six different players scored, and Groton, a 9-4 win in which Chloe Aurard ’17 and Lotti Odnoga ’17 both notched hat tricks. Aurard led the team in season scoring with 24 goals and 15 assists, while Odnoga was a close second with 12 goals and 11 assists. Those two, along with Anais Aurard ’17, played in the IAHF U18 Junior World Championships for their home nations France and Hungary. For the Wildcats, net minders Anais (88.4% save percentage) and Sarah Jacobelli ’19 (90.4% save percentage) split time as the backbone of a team that went 8-18-3 on the season, a record not indicative of its potential. “We did a lot with very few players,” said Head Coach Stephanie Boulay. “Our motto was ‘Small but mighty.’ With only twelve skaters, we still competed with the top teams. Graduating only one player, Abby Bogovich ’16, we’ll definitely be on the hunt next season for a NEPSAC playoff spot.”
BOYS’ HOCKEY
A solid season for boys’ hockey was punctuated by the Stanstead College tournament in Quebec. After losing their first two games in the round robin, the Wildcats stormed back to win its elimination games and be crowned tournament champions, beating Upper Canada College in the finals, a team they lost to in their opening game 2-1. Head Coach Chris Davidson pointed to that tournament, along with 21 games decided by 2 goals or fewer, as indications that the future is bright for his team. “The effort was there and consistent all year,” said Davidson. “A lot of young players gained experience that will help us down the road, especially competing in all those tight games.” The Wildcats will graduate several seniors, two of whom will leave behind indelible marks on program history. The team’s leading scorer, Houston Wilson, had 20 goals and 15 assists, giving him 118 career points over three years at VA (58G 60A) and ranking second on list of all-time scorers behind Cam Wright ’15. Wright, a four-year player, tallied 158 points over his career (67G 91A). Senior Josh Bolding will graduate VA leading several goalie statistics, including games played (60), saves (1,733), and shots faced (1,929), giving him an impressive career save percentage of 89.8%.
SNOWBOARDING
Four-year senior team members Steven Filanowski and Michael Capasse led the boys’ team to yet another Lakes Region Championship, with the squad winning all three Lakes Region slopestyle events. Also with a strong showing at the Championships, the girls finished second and third in giant slalom and slopestyle, respectively. Head Coach John Kelly loved the attitude and effort of his snowboarders. “We were a small but dedicated team that worked hard all season, beginning with trampoline training in November,” said Kelly, “and Okemo did a great job providing us with a world-class training venue.” In regular season competition, Capasse won the individual crowns at the first two giant slalom races. Katie Brennan ’17 also won the first two giant slaloms, and Mackenzie Curtis ’17 won the first slopestyle competition. Other important individual contributions came from Jay Harris ’19, who, along with Capasse, made backflips part of his slopestyle repertoire for the first time this year; Henry Hochschild ’17; Mason Schlosser ’16; Scott Restovo ’17; and freshmen Matt Bartelli and Jeronimo Saenz.
FREESTYLE
The Wildcat tricksters secured second place overall in the Lakes Region, behind the strength of Andrew Hoblitzelle ’17, the Lakes Region individual champion, and Chris Bechtold ’17, both of whom qualified for the United States Ski and Snowboard Association Junior Nationals in Sun Valley, ID. The young team also got solid contributions from seniors Ry Brodsky and John Borden and freshmen Graesyn Scruton and Calvin Stebbins. “Everyone had a great attitude despite one of the worst winters in decades,” said Head Coach Chris Marks. “They all worked hard, never complained about lack of snow, pushed themselves, and encouraged each other.” Marks also acknowledged the support of his Assistant Coach, Rob Nicol, for his expertise, and the administration for bringing a new fan gun to campus to make snow on the school’s training venue. “That gun made a huge difference,” Marks said. “Without it we’d have been off our hill after January.”
ALPINE
On the racing side of the snow, Vermont Academy saw Brendan Therrien ’17, Ivan Zugasti Molina ’17, Ronan Khalsa ’16, and freshmen Joe Zobitz, Abby Brennan, and Gwen Coger all compete in their first official races ever when the team opened its season at Mt. Sunapee in early January. Mid-year transfer Henry Burns ’17 became the team’s fastest skier, notching a top-ten finish at Vermont Academy’s home giant slalom event, as well as a top-30 finish at the NEPSAC Class B Championship. In addition to Burns, Therrien and Coger qualified for the NEPSAC Championships, thanks in part to their solid finish at the Lakes Region Championship, where Burns, Khalsa, and Zobitz also skied well. Head Coach Jon Edwards lauded his skiers’ effort and progress. “We got in great training from November right through the end of the season,” he said. “Our cardiovascular fitness really improved and everyone developed confidence in gates and improved technique---main goals heading into the season.”
Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.
