The Vermont men’s and women’s soccer teams held a practice at Vergennes Union High School in hopes of matching up with New Hampshire in Saturday’s Lions Twin State Soccer Cup. Kickoff for the games that pit the top recent high school soccer graduates of the two states against open another is set for 1 p.m. at Hanover High School.
The men take the field first and the women’s game follows at 4 p.m.
Vermont head men’s coach Jake Walker liked what he saw from his squad in Vergennes.
“Not everyone was there because of vacations but he had enough and what we saw was very good,” Walker said.
One aspect that jumped out at him was that the midfield players were strong enough to allow him to deploy a 4-3-3 alignment.
“We think that we have the ability to lock things up with three players in the midfield,” Walker said.
Midfield players impressing at the practice were Essex’s Eagan Murray, CVU’s Sabastian Bronk, Peoples Academy’s Noah Brown and Caledonia United’s Jola Otten.
The alternate alignment would be a 3-5-2 with the flow of the game dictating which formation the Vermonters will play.
The goalies are Mount Mansfield’s Levi Causey and Randolph’s Zane Cooper.
“Both are really strong. Zane is a little more aggressive coming out of the back. Levi is very technical. They kind of have their own strong suits,” Walker said.
Cooper’s 6-foot-3 frame and athleticism enables him to cover a lot of the net.
Jake’s father Scott Walker is the goalie coach and worked with both keepers for about an hour before the practice began, something that Jake felt was very valuable.
Jake and his father were both goalkeepers at Green Mountain Union High School in Chester.
No matter how strong the keepers are, you’ve got have someone put the ball in the net and Walker felt that phase of the game also showed as a strength during the session in Vergennes.
Not all the top scorers were at the practice but Walker saw enough in the finishing ability of the front line players who were there.
He expects the scoring threats will come from players like CVU’s Julian Olin, West Rutland’s Brayden Schutt, Mount Abraham’s James Graziedei and Fair Haven’s Jake Desrocher.
“It took a little time for Jake to get the nerves out because he was playing with players who had played at a higher level. Once he settled down, he was very good,” Walker said. “He is a work horse up front.”
Jake Walker is also excited about his own season at Green Mountain because he will be returning as the Grizzlies’ boys soccer coach after taking a year off.
His wife Kali will not be returning as the Grizzlies’ girls soccer coach, however, as now it will be her turn to take a year off. They had a baby son in February so Brian Rapanotti will take the reins for 2026 and Kali will be back as the coach in 2027.
“She will still be involved with the team,” Walker said.
Other players on the Vermont team for Saturday’s game are South Burlington’s Sebastian Bertmann, Montpelier’s Will Curtis, Burlington’s Faraja Diedonre, Harwood’s Emmanuel Mego-Vasquez, Vergennes’ Ryker Mosehauer, Essex’s Ethan Pringle-Corcoaran, Randolph’s George Rosalba, Burr and Burton Academy’s Bodie Smith, Arlington’s Ethan Pickering, South Burlington’s Parker Daily and CVU’s Will Wallace.
Springfield coach Derek Graham is an assistant on the staff.
VERMONT WOMEN
The Vermont’s women’s team also held practice over the weekend and co-coaches Wendy Moody and Jen Rupp saw some good things.
The goalkeepers are North Country’s Randi Fortin and Rice’s Peyton Borick. Both will be suited up against New Hampshire but only Fortin was able to make it to the practice session.
Fortin is extremely athletic and will be competing in both track and field and softball at Regis College.
“She has great hands and ability to dive and be aggressive and already vocal with her defense,” Rupp said. “We were impressed with what we saw.”
Rupp and Moody felt the team got a lot out of the practice in Vergennes.
“We got a chance to get to know everyone and it gave the players a chance to meet each other and to get comfortable playing with one another,” Rupp said. “They were able to quickly build a really good chemistry. They were communicating on the field and having fun.
“We saw a lot of great soccer already through set pieces and scrimmage play. We are excited to have all these successful athletes on one team and look forward to seeing what they can do on Saturday.
Poultney’s Eme Silverman will be off playing soccer at Elmira College. She had the only goal in the Division IV state championship game and the forward will be trying to make another memory on Saturday.
The other forwards are Rice’s Reese Billings, Brattleboro’s Reese Croutworst, Vergennes’ Ava Francis, Colchester’s Brinlee Gilfillan, Spaulding’s Sophie Guarriello and Essex’s Koa Plante.
Fans of Spaulding High of Barre will not have to travel far down I-89 to watch Guarriello extend her soccer career beyond Saturday. She will be playing at Norwich University.
Guarriello scored all the goals in the Crimson Tide’s 3-0 quarterfinal victory over South Burlington. That elevated her season total to 24 goals.
Guarriello will be looking to make another splash in Hanover.
Vergennes’ Ashtin Stearns could see action as a midfield player or defender.
Others slated to be midfielders are Mount Mansfield’s Chloe DeJong, Essex’s Hazel Fry, South Burlington’s Reese Gordon, Mount Mansfield’s Sofia Randall, U-32’s Morgan Towne, Hartford’s Harper Traendly and Windsor’s Kenzie Westcott.
Gordon will be playing soccer at the University of New England.
The defenders will be North Country’s Annabella Aiken, Milton’s Marlie Bushey, Windsor’s Gabrielle Crane, St. Johnsbury’s Addison Ely, Mount Anthony’s Ella Palisano and Oxbow’s Natalee Spear.
NOTES: Sullivan Duffy, the New Hampshire men’s team goalie, is headed to the University of New Hampshire to play football as a kicker. … Wendy Moody and Jen Rupp are co-head coaches for both the Vermont women’s team and the Windsor High School girls soccer team. … Gilfillan will be a Division I athlete in cross country and track and field at the University of Rhode Island. … Palisano is also a D-I scholarship athlete in track and field at Ohio State.
Liz Bushey had held the Milton High School scoring record for girls basketball with 1,343 points until her daughter Marlie broke the record in February. Marlie Bushey will be playing basketball at Western New England. … BFA-St. Albans’ Ben Marlow is assisting Moody and Rupp. … New Hampshire leads the men’s series 21-19-10 and the New Hampshire women hold the edge 20-18-4.
