Ranger danger: Lake Region wins second straight soccer title

copyright the Chronicle November 8, 2017

 

by Brad Usatch

 

SOUTH BURLINGTON — They were tried and tested, but in the end the Lake Region Union High School Rangers left Munson Field at South Burlington High School just as they had arrived: as the reigning Division II soccer champions for the state of Vermont.

Up 2-0 in the second half, the top ranked Rangers (15-2) weathered a two-goal rally by the sixth-seeded Harwood Union Highlanders (10-4-1) before Brady Perron seized the championship with a golden goal header just 5:57 into the overtime period.

It has been an incredible run for a talented group led by senior snipers Riley Urie and Brady Perron. The Rangers ran the table last year (18-0) to win the school’s first ever soccer title in the team’s first finals appearance since 1978. In 2015 they also finished the regular season undefeated before falling to U-32 in the semifinals. Over the past four seasons, Lake Region has racked up a combined record of 62-6, capped by a pair of silver championship bowls for the display case.

In addition to the team’s offensive stars, this year’s seniors include goaltender Liam Kennedy who came up with a number of big saves on Saturday, starting fullbacks Noah Royer, Bradey Kerr, and Gabe Riendeau, and forward Chad Royer.

“Most of us have been together since we were like seven years old,” Kennedy said, “so we’ve grown together as a team. It’s great. It’s amazing. There’s no better feeling than this, especially in our senior year.”

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