Moody, U-32 overpower Springfield, head to semis

A balanced U-32 scoring attack and a stingy defense propelled the top-ranked Raiders to the semifinals of the D-II playoffs on Thursday night against Springfield.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20151023/SPORTS02/151029724

Print Email Jeb Wallace-Brodeur / Staff Photo U-32’s Natalie Hayes, left, tries to get a shot past sprawling Springfield goalie Aunna Parker during the first half of their game on Thursday. Published October 23, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Moody, U-32 overpower Springfield, head to semis BRADLEY SMART CORRESPONDENT EAST MONTPELIER- A balanced U-32 scoring attack and a stingy defense propelled the top-ranked Raiders to the semifinals of the D-II playoffs on Thursday night against Springfield. The Raiders had goals from four different players and cruised to a 6-0 quarterfinal victory against the eighth-seeded Cosmos, reaching the final four for the fourth consecutive year. Jasmine Moody had a hat trick and Megan Ryan added three assists for the Raiders, while Audrey Oliver, Ellie Stroh, and Sam Fielder scored as well. The win sets up a semifinal matchup in South Burlington against No. 4 Mount Abraham, a team the Raiders beat earlier in the season. “We had great teamwork today, and we were really passing the ball well,” U-32 coach Melissa Muller-Moore said. “We had a lot of hustle and we were really hungry. We hadn’t played Springfield in years, so I just wanted us to play our game and we did. We were first to the ball and were in charge of it.” U-32 (14-1) took the lead on Oliver’s goal off of assists from Moody and Fielder in the 15th minute and never looked back. They took a 2-0 lead into halftime on Moody’s first goal, as she gathered a the bottom right. With 17 goals in the regular season, Moody was the obvious player to watch. However, the Cosmos defense was unable to contain her and the U-32 offense in the second half. Moody bookended a four-goal surge in the span of 13 minutes, striking first at the 10-minute mark and then capping the scoring with seven minutes to play. Her hat-trick-capping goal came off of a chip shot from the right side, knocking it past Cosmos’ goalie Aunna Parker, who was called upon for 17 saves. It followed Stroh’s unassisted goal just three minutes prior, as the junior followed up her initial shot off of Parker to bury it. Seven minutes earlier, it was Fielder who slotted it by Parker off of the feed from Ryan. Defensively, U-32 played well. The Cosmos amped up the pressure late in the second half, nearly pushing across their first goal in the final five minutes, but the Raiders and goalie Caitlin O’Kelly held strong. O’Kelly came up with several big kick saves, finishing with three saves to preserve the shutout. The Raiders travel to South Burlington on Monday, facing off against an Eagles team (5-6-4) that just outlasted No. 5 Spaulding in penalty strokes. Mount Abraham put up a good fight against U-32 earlier this season, falling just 1-0 as Fielder scored in the 41st minute. O’Kelly was busy, turning away 11 shots in the win. Game time is scheduled at 3:45 p.m.