RUTLAND - The No. 11 Richford Rockets’ defied the odds, rising above a season marked with adversity to win the D4 Vermont girls’ soccer state championship, played at Rutland High School on Saturday, Nov. 2, against the undefeated No.
1 West Rutland Golden Horde. The Rockets fell 2-0 in the first half, but senior Kyrielle Deuso was the spark the team needed to ignite an incredible comeback. Dueso netted a hat trick to lead the team to the title win.
The championship is the first for the school’s varsity soccer program but not the first for several on the team. Several of the athletes were part of the 2024 Vermont D4 softball state championship team, which won against West Rutland in June. On Saturday, the teams battled on Rutland's beautiful turf field, with the Rockets carrying the play early.
However, West Rutland scored the game's first goal on a direct kick with 24 minutes remaining in the first half. The Golden Horde built off the momentum, applying consistent pressure to Richford's defense. In net for the Rockets, Vanessa Tessier made two outstanding saves in the following minutes to prevent additional goals, and senior Mikayla Chagnon, who has been the bedrock of the Rockets’ defense, repeatedly rebuffed West Rutland attacks.
A second direct kick for West Rutland almost resulted in another tally, but Tessier made the play, silencing the opportunity. With just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half, the Golden Horde scored a top-shelf goal, taking a two-goal.
