Rockets back in business

Photos: Hampshire vs. Burlington Central

Burlington Central girls soccer is back in business.

After a sluggish start to the season the Rockets have come roaring back to prominence and on Thursday they took their biggest step forward yet with a convincing 4-1 win over Hampshire in Big Northern Conference East Division action.

The victory keeps Central (5-4, 3-0) undefeated in conference play and deals the Whip-Purs their first league defeat.

"The program has been down for a little while," said Central coach Mike Gecan. "But we are starting to get back to where we want to be. This is a huge win for us. We are starting to play very well. I can feel that passion, that hunger, that confidence coming back."

The Rockets took control from the start. Freshman Cali Andrews opened the scoring just over seven minutes into the game when she beat two Hampshire defenders to the ball in front of the net with a slide kick to put Central up 1-0. Heather Krup followed that with another goal just over six minutes later to extend Central lead to 2-0.

"The biggest difference has been in our attitude," said Gecan. "We came out hungry tonight and played our best soccer of the season. Communication was a big key. We are such a better team when we are talking to one another. That plays such a big part in being able to possess the ball."

Hampshire (8-3-4, 3-1) showed signs of life when Helena Van Eck cut the deficit to 2-1 on a goal with 13:52 left in the first half. However, the Rockets grabbed the momentum back just before the half when Maddy Stoneman scored with 35 seconds left.

"That was a big goal," said Gecan. "We had lost out edge for a little bit. But that gave it right back to us. And it all happened because of hustle and heart. That was the difference."

The second half became a possession game for the Rockets which they controlled for the majority of time. The Whips did have a golden opportunity to pull closer with just over 11 minutes left in the game when they got a free kick just outside the box.

But the play was broken up in front of the net by the Rockets defense and cleared down the field. Moments later, Stoneman added a second goal to secure the win. Caitlin Solberg had a solid game in the nets for the Rockets with 12 saves.

"We can't make any excuses," said Hampshire coach Patrick O'Brien. "They flat out beat us. I don't think we were able to match their intensity right from the start. We had a couple communication problems on the defensive end on their first two goals and it was an uphill battle from there."

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