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CVU boys lacrosse has built one of the most amazing sports dynasties in New England history during the past dozen years.
And one of wildest parts about the Redhawks’ run is that they’ve accomplished it by the skin of their teeth.
There’s no doubting the team’s talent level, drive and knack for stepping up when it matters most during championships. The program’s nine straight titles speak for themselves.
But many Division I opponents across the state have reason to believe that this is finally the year for someone else to celebrate with the top prize. As unbeatable as the Redhawks have been since 2013, eight of their title games were decided by razor-thin margins of three goals or fewer.
Making things even more exciting this year is the fact that CVU (12-3) dropped three of its past five games, allowing South Burlington (12-1) to lock up the top seed for the tournament.
Now the stage is set for a fast-and-furious two-week stretch of playoff action, and CVU is ready to embark on a payback tour.
The Division I girls field is also wide open, featuring Burr and Burton (15-1), CVU (13-2), South Burlington (13-3) and Mount Anthony (12-3) at the top. South Burlington won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2021, while BFA-St. Albans captured its first crown last spring by hanging on for a 10-9 victory over Burr and Burton.
The Division II Hartford girls own a 31-game winning streak, while the undefeated Hartford boys are looking for a reversal of fortune after going 0-5 in previous championship appearances.
U-32 is likely to be the biggest thing standing in the way of Hartford’s dream of a second straight perfect season on the girls’ side. The D-II girls tourney has featured four different champs in the past four seasons.
The D-II Harwood boys couldn’t generate much offense during an early-season 9-3 loss at Hartford, but since then the Highlanders have been one of the hottest teams in the state. Coach Russ Beilke’s squad made four straight championship appearances from 2017-2021 and raised a championship banner twice during that span. Hartford has struggled in championship appearances, but this year’s 15-0 squad is determined to end that title drought.
Montpelier (8-4) is the two-time defending champs in Division III and carries a seven-game winning streak into this year’s post-season. The Solons beat GMVS, 8-6, in the 2021 final and cruised past Mount Abraham, 17-8, in last year’s final.
BOYS LACROSSE
DIVISION I
Favorite: No. 1 South Burlington (13-1). The only blemish on the Wolves’ resume is a 9-8 loss to CVU. The Wolves claimed payback by routing Redhawks last week.
Dark horse: No. 5 Woodstock (9-6). The Wasps kept things close vs. CVU during a recent two-goal loss and closed out the regular season with a 15-7 victory over Rice.
Most intriguing first-round matchup: No. 6 Essex (8-8) at No. 3 Middlebury (12-4). Essex earned a 14-3 victory over Middlebury on May 10 before suffering a 14-7 loss to the Tigers last week.
Longest trip: No. 9 Mount Mansfield (1-15) at No. 8 Rutland (5-10): 72 Miles / 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Fun fact: The last time CVU suffered a playoff loss was 11 years ago during a 6-3 semifinal defeat against Essex.
DIVISION II
Favorite: No. 1 Hartford (15-0). An early-season 9-3 victory over Harwood confirmed that the perennial title contenders have all the tools to finally bring home the hardware. However, the Hurricanes were tested in the past three weeks during a 10-6 win over Colchester, a 3-1 win over Spaulding and a 7-4 victory over Brattleboro.
Dark horse: No. 5 Rice (8-8). The Green Knights recorded high-quality victories over Harwood, Essex and CVU. The defending champs have lost five of their past seven games but are still legitimate threats to make their third straight trip to the final.
Most intriguing first-round matchup: No. 9 Spaulding (5-9) at No. 8 Milton (5-8). The Crimson Tide opened the season with an 11-8 loss to the Yellowjackets and lost the rematch, 12-10.
Longest trip: No. 10 Brattleboro (4-12) at No. 7 Burlington (6-8). 155 Miles / 2 hours, 30 minutes.
Fun fact: Hartford advanced to back-to-back title games in D-III during 2016 and 2017 before excelling as one of the top D-II programs every year since then.
DIVISION III
Favorite: No. 3 Montpelier (8-4). The Solons own a seven-game winning streak and would love a chance to avenge their 8-7 midseason loss against top-seeded Mount Abraham.
Dark horse: No. 6 GMVS (3-7). The Gumbies are better than their record and could use superior conditioning to pull off an upset on a hot day. GMVS suffered an 8-4 loss to Montpelier, a 6-5 defeat vs. Stratton and a 6-5 setback against Stowe.
Most intriguing first-round matchup: No. 5 BFA-Fairfax (4-11) at No. 4 Randolph (5-7). The Galloping Ghosts have suffered five straight losses and are seeking their first playoff victory since 2009. The Bullets have dropped three games in a row and are shooting for their second playoff win in program history.
Longest trip: No. 7 Lyndon (0-11) at No. 2 Stratton (7-2). 136 Miles / 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Fun fact: Grasso could become the third Montpelier coach in three years to win a title, following the footsteps of Nate Noble and Shane Aldrich.
GIRLS LACROSSE
DIVISION I
Favorite: No. 1 Burr and Burton (15-1). The Bulldogs are undefeated against Vermont opponents and made a late-season push to lock up the top seed with an 11-8 victory at CVU. Brooke Weber, Sadie Stefanak and Paige Samuelson lead a balanced BBA offense.
Dark horse: No. 4 Mount Anthony (12-3). The Patriots suffered a pair of lopsided losses to Burr and Burton but proved their mettle during a pair of victories over Rutland.
Most intriguing first-round matchup: No. 10 Middlebury (4-12) at No. 7 Burlington (7-7). The Tigers served up an 8-5 victory over BHS on April 7. Middlebury has won three of its past four games, including payback victories over Mount Mansfield and BFA-St. Albans.
Longest trip: No. 11 Rice (3-10) at No. 6 Rutland (8-7). 68 miles/ 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Fun fact: Middlebury has captured nine titles since 1998, while South Burlington has won it all seven times since 2007.
DIVISION II
Favorite: No. 1 Hartford (16-0). The Hurricanes rattled off six straight double-digit victories before closing out the regular season with a comfy 15-7 victory over Spaulding. The program’s meteoric rise has turned heads, especially considering that Hartford never advanced past the quarterfinals until 2018.
Dark horse: No. 5 Woodstock (6-7). The four-time champs are eyeing their first quarterfinal victory in seven years. They put up a strong fight during a 10-7 loss to Hartford and proved their mettle during a 15-13 win over Rutland last week.
Most intriguing first-round matchup: No. 9 Colchester (5-11) at No. 8 Harwood (4-7). The Highlanders have won four of their past five games and served up a 12-7 win over the Lakers three weeks ago.
Longest trip: No. 12 Lyndon (0-9) at No. 5 Woodstock (6-7). 85 miles / 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Fun fact: Three of Hartford’s top scorers were all standouts for different schools during highly successful campaigns this past winter. Thetford star Addie Caldwell and Windsor sharpshooter Audrey Rupp faced off against each other in the D-III basketball final at the Barre Aud, while Madison Barwood was an ice hockey star for Hartford.
