By RUSSELL JONES
The West Rutland boys soccer team improved to 5-4-2 on the season after defeating Sharon Academy 3-0 on Friday, Oct. 4.
All in all, they are putting together a nice season for a young team that is moving on without the top scorer in Vermont high school soccer history.
Friday was the West Rutland Senior Game and with just over eight minutes gone from the first half, junior Tyler Serrani fired a rocket from 30 yards out. The ball soared just out of reach of Sharon’s goalkeeper Ben Rodis and just under the upper corner post for the first score of the game.
Seven minutes later, junior Tim Blanchard sent a shot into the low corner to give the Horde a 2-0 lead going into halftime. Blanchard added another goal before the end of the game.
Kyle Laughlin, who has been solid in the net for the Phantoms all year, picked up his fifth clean sheet of the season. He plays aggressive in the box, killing attacks before they have the chance to become scoring threats, which nearly cost him a goal against Sharon.
A free kick was awarded to Sharon after Laughlin touched the ball with his hands outside of the box, but he snagged the ball out of the air keeping the move from costing them a point.
The Horde has three games left in the season. They will take on Long Trail, a team they played to a draw early in the season, on Oct. 10 before a big rematch with unbeaten Proctor, the second team they played to a draw, on Oct. 12.
