Varsity Insider

The top two seeds (Otter Valley and U-32) were eliminated from the Division II high school field hockey tournament. That leaves No. 3 Windsor and No. 4 Milton at home for its semifinal games.

I was at Milton’s quarterfinal victory over Spaulding on Friday. Lots of positives for the Milton side: strong defense, controlling midfield and a finishing offense.

As mentioned in the game story, Milton has made a dramatic turnaround. The Yellowjackets went through winless seasons in 2007 and 2008. After Friday’s win — its first Div.-II playoff triumph since 1995 — the Yellowjackets can continue its “Cinderella” story, as coach Tiffany Stuart said, in Tuesday’s home semifinal game against Woodstock.

It will be Milton’s first semifinal at home since its 1982 championship season.

Windsor, which won three Div. II titles in the 90s’ and early 2000s, will play Springfield.

For Friday’s field hockey playoff roundup, click here.

For complete tournament results, click here.

They’re three undefeated teams in Division II football. Two of them will meet in Colchester as the Lakers play host to the U-32 Raiders tonight at 7.

At 3-0, the Lakers possess a dominant running game led by Devon Grammo and complemented by Alex Kozlowski. U-32 (3-0) counters with its own ground assault headlined by Elias LaCount.

CVU also has a unbeaten record in Div.II. The Redhawks face new divisional rival Middlebury (2-1) at home Saturday.

The Essex Hornets take their ‘Air Raid’ offense to Bennington for a potentially high-flying affair with Mount Anthony, which also employs a similar spread formation. The rest of tonight’s schedule.

The threat of the swine flu seems to be on the  minds — either in the front or the back — of most people these days, especially school officials.

Some schools have taken steps to try to ensure there is no outbreak of the flu in the classroom and precautions have even extended to the playing field.

The Vermont State Athletic Directors Association discussed the issue during its Fall meeting this week in Montpelier. Windsor Athletic Director Bob Hingston raised the issue, noting that it seems unhealthy or inconsistent that some athletes were taking out their mouthpieces and shaking hands with the opponent.

U-32 Athletic Director Amy Molina said she would hate to see games end without some kind of acknowledgement of sportsmanship by both teams, even if it is a chant.

Following Champlain Valley’s 2-0 win over Colchester recently , the two teams lined up for the traditional post-game hand shake designed to promote sportsmanship among student-athletes.

Instead the CVU players raised their elbows and exchanged elbows with the Lakers.

CVU coach Kate McDonald said she saw it as a way to try to help ensure some players, who might be ill, did not pass it along.

That idea gets a “High Five,” or a “High Elbow” from this corner. You can never be too safe.

At any level, scoring on a bicycle kick during a soccer game has a high level of difficulty.

Friday afternoon, U-32′s Jordan Black-Deegan accomplished the feat during a 3-0 win over Randolph. Thanks to U-32 coach Joe Ferrada for providing the details. Read all of Friday’s soccer roundup