VSSA athletes of the month for October, 2011

Just got the following release from the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Congrats to the winners.

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Here are your Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association High School Division Athletes of the Month for October 2011. The Open Division Winner will be announced next Sunday evening.

Female
SAMANTHA ROCK, SENIOR, MILTON, SOCCER ... Rock scored half of Milton's 32 goals in October and added two assists, helping the Yellowjackets go undefeated in the month and earn the #1 seed in Division II. Her 16 goals came in just seven games. Only once in the month did she have a game without two goals (that came in the first round of the playoffs, when she scored four). She scored six goals in Milton's two October playoff games, including her 66th career goal in the Yellowjackets' playdown to set the all time scoring record for Milton.

Male
DOUG SAFFO, JUNIOR, BFA-ST. ALBANS, FOOTBALL Saffo piled up 930 yards in five games in October, scoring 10 touchdowns as BFA-St. Albans went 5-0 to wrap up the second seed in Division I and roll past Rutland in the first round of the playoffs. Behind a line that lost three starters from a year ago, Saffo's TDs included runs of 38, 44, 58, 59, 62 and 80 yards. His month was highlighted by a 341-yard effort and three scores on a muddy night in a 41-18 rout of Essex.

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2011-12 Winter Sports Photo list

Youth Hockey

SASA U-10 Girls vs. Hanover, Nov. 19, 2011

SASA Bantam A vs. Barre Bantam A, Nov. 19, 2011

SASA Squirt B vs. Essex Squirt B, Nov. 19, 2011

SASA U-14 B girls vs. Lamoille, Nov. 19, 2011

SASA Bantam B vs. SASA U-14 girls, Nov. 19, 2011

SASA U-12 girls vs. MAHA U-12 girls, Nov. 19, 2011

Thanksgiving Tournament

Maple City Face-Off Tournament

High School Boys Basketball

Stowe at Enosburg, Jan. 5, 2012

BFA-Fairfax at Enosburg boys basketball, Jan. 10, 2012

South Hero at JFK M.S. Boys A Jan. 17, 2012

Enosburg at Richford J.V. boys, Jan. 18, 2012

Enosburg at Richford Varsity Boys, Jan. 18, 2012

Richford vs.Winooski, J.V. Boys, Jan. 20, 2012

Richford vs. Winooski, Varsity Boys, Jan. 20, 2012

High School Girls Basketball

Enosburg at BFA-Fairfax, Jan. 6. 2012

Enosburg at MVU girls basketball, Jan. 9, 2012

Hazen at Richford Varsity girls, Jan. 21, 2012

Hazen at Richford JV Girls, Jan. 21, 2012

MVU at BFA-Fairfax 8th Grade Girls Basketball, Jan. 23, 2012

MVU at BFA-Fairfax 7th Grade Girls Basketball, Jan. 23, 2012

Enosburg at Winooski, Varsity girls, Jan. 24, 2012

Enosburg at Winooski, JV girls Jan. 24, 2012

High School Girls Hockey

MVU at Essex, Jan. 7. 2012

For galleries from past seasons, here are some quick links. You can also scroll down the page at www.coldhollowphoto.com and you can see the past photo galleries.

2011 Fall sports list

2011 spring sports list

2010-11 winter sports list

2010 fall sports list

2010 summer sports list

2010 spring sports list

2009-10 winter sports list

2011 Fall sports photo list

2011 Academy Cheer Challenge

2011 H.S. Field Hockey

2011 H.S. Boys Soccer

2011 H.S. Football

2011 H.S. Girls Soccer

Division III soccer title game notes

In addition to fine coverage, as usual by the Freeps in their previews of the Division III boys and girls soccer state title games on Saturday, here's some notes I've compiled.

Boys

No. 8 Peoples (10-5-2) vs. No.7 Northfield (10-5-2), 10 a.m. at Randolph H.S.

Both teams were seeded low thanks to playing in the tough Captial Division against larger schools.

Both teams were 1-2-1 in last four regular season games.

They played to 0-0 tie on Oct. 10.

Peoples is 2-4 in D-III title games. Northfield is 6-8-2.

Peoples lost to Northfield eight straight times in the playoffs before beating the Marauders 2-1 in the 2000 title game. Since then, Peoples has won the last two playoff meetings, including a 2-1 win in the quarterfinals last year.

Peoples last title was in 2002 - a 3-0 win over Stowe. The Wolves have lost in the finals three times since then - 03, 07 and 08.

Northfield's last title was in 2004, a 3-2 win over South Royalton.

Peoples outscored opponents 27-12 in the regular season; Northfield outscored opponents 32-20.

Girls

No. 2 Oxbow (16-1) vs. No. 1 Peoples (16-1) at Randolph H.S., 1 p.m.

Peoples is 3-2 in state finals, winning in 06, 08 and 09. This is Oxbow's second title game; it lost in 2007.

Oxbow defeated Peoples in the quarters last year, 1-0. Oxbow is 2-1 all-time in the playoffs against PA.

Oxbow outscored opponents 55-9 in the regular season; PA outscored opponents 56-11. Both team's lone loss was a 1-0 defeat. Peoples has scored 18 goals in three playoff games and Oxbow has scored 16.

I will be photographing and writing about both games, as well as tweeting live updates, for the Burlington Free Press and posting photos at ColdHollowPhoto.com late Saturday night.

MVU-South Burlington game notes

A few notes on the MVU-SBHS Division I boys soccer semis I'll be covering for the Free Press today.

MVU is No. 1 seed with 14-1-1 record and a 33-9 goal differential. T-Birds lone loss to SBHS 2-0 on Oct. 6.

MVU advanced to semis with 3-0 win over Lyndon and 1-1 (5-4 PKs) win over Essex.

MVU is defending Division II champs and reached finals in D-2 two straight years.

This is MVU's first Division I semifinal since 1993, a 1-0 loss to CVU as the No. 1 seed. MVU's last playoff win in D-I before this year? Also back in 1993.

MVU's last D-I final was in 1980 (a 2-0 loss to BFA) and it's last D-I title was in 1979.

This is only the second time MVU and South Burlington have played in the soccer playoffs and first since 1986 when MVU won 1-0.

MVU is 7-4 in D-I semis and 4-3 in D-I title games, with almost all of the success in the 1970s.

South Burlington is No. 4 seed with 11-4-1 record and 39-16 goal differential. Advanced to the semis with 1-0 win over BFA and 3-1 win over Harwood.

This is sixth trip to semis in seven years for SBHS and the Rebels are bidding for their fifth title game appearance since 2005. The Rebels are 0-4 in the title game since 2005.

SBHS has a 10-3 all-time record in the semis and a 3-6-1 mark in the finals. SBHS's last title was in 1991, a 2-1 win over Essex. The Rebels lost 2-0 in the finals to Essex in 2010.

Game time is 3 p.m. in Swanton.

I'll be at the game - follow me @scorrow for updates and check out my photos from the game later tonight at www.coldhollowphoto.com