Varsity Insider

Considering she is a first-team all-state player, set her school career scoring record last year as a junior and is on pace to threaten the 100-goal plateau, it should come as no surprise Rice forward Brittany Pfaff is having a major impact on the Division I girls soccer scene. But that impact has come as much in the win-loss column as it has on the scoresheet, where the speedster has 11 goals in five games this year and 78 tallies in her career.

Rice is off to a 4-1 start, and Pfaff’s offense has been crucial to every victory. She had four-goal games in wins over Middlebury (5-2) and Mount Abraham (7-1), and she did all the scoring as the Green Knights beat last year’s D-I finalists, Essex (2-0) and Burlington (1-0).

The one time Pfaff was shutout? Rice lost to Champlain Valley 2-1.

By contrast, another all-stater, Burlington goalkeeper Stephanie Jaques, has given up just one goal (Pfaff’s on Thursday) in the Seahorses’ first four games, but that has translated into only one victory.

With the Seahorses having scored just one goal, Jaques and the rest of the BHS defense boast a goals-against average just over 0.2 — and a .500 winning percentage after a 1-1-2 start.

The Burlington High School girls soccer team won its first championship in program history in 2008. The Seahorses knocked off defending Div. I champion Essex in a penalty shootout — which complemented the BHS boys victory earlier in the day — on their home turf.

Now, a year later, the Seahorses look to defend the crown when their season opens today at home vs. Div. II Montpelier.

But they will have to win without three big-time contributors from last year: Janelle McCann and sisters Anna and Sara Kikut. McCann left for prep school and the Kikuts are enrolled at Green Mountain Valley School, where they are lighting up the scoreboard.

And Essex, the D-I finalist, lost perhaps the state’s finest player in Natalie LeClair to graduation (She’s playing at Div. I Richmond).

Of course, the players I mentioned were all offensive-minded and both teams relied heavily on goalie play and defense. While Burlington has its top goalie back (Stephanie Jaques), the Hornets have their ultra-athletic fullback returning (Katie Polakowski).

At any rate, I expect both teams to be in contenders, plus you can’t count out CVU or a Brittany Pfaff-led Rice squad.

What do you guys think?