PROCTOR- Twin Valley’s boys’ soccer team lost only their third game of the season Saturday on the road 2-0 against Proctor. The loss proved to be their most costly, however, losing their bid for the league championship and missing out on the top spot in Division IV standings. After allowing 10 goals all season, Twin Valley allowed five goals in their last two games, while mustering only one of their own in a set of games where one win would have clinched the number 1 spot.

Wildcat coach Buddy Hayford knows the losses were a letdown after a powerhouse season, but with tournament play here, there is no time to look back.

“Its not rocket science, it comes down to simple things and they did them better than us,” said Hayford. “Were not dwelling on last week. We begin our second season now.”

The Phantoms scored their first goal 15 minutes in. Dan Smith ripped a high shot into the upper right corner of the net from 18 yards out to take the 1-0 lead. Hayford was hoping his boys could make it a new game and tie it up in the second half. Proctor would instead double their lead five minutes into the second half on a Dermitt Hughes loose ball shot. After allowing three scores from inside the box against Leland & Gray last week, the Wildcats’box-clearing woes plagued them once again. Twin Valley’s usually stingy defense has faltered toward the end of the season, as well as the offense’s ability to get shots.

Hayford hasn’t lost an ounce of confidence in his team. “They know what needs to be done, and they know they’re good enough to do it, and it’s the wrong time of the season to be letting in goals.”

With the loss, Twin Valley finished the season at 8-2 in league play and 11-3 overall.

TV 4, Twinfield 0

BRATTLEBORO- Twin Valley’s boys’ varsity soccer team began the playoffs the right way, shutting out Twinfield 4-0, and getting back to the style of play that led them to an 11-3 regular season record. Twinfield’s goalie Caleb Benoche was kept busy, and to his credit, kept his team in the game with 16 saves. But Twin Valley’s scoring attack was on, as they scored three times within a 13-minute span in the first half.

At the 16-minute mark Colin Lozito sliced a throughball into the box to Nick Nilsen. The freshman used his speed beating Benoche to the ball and putting one just under the keeper’s arms. Seven minutes later, Tony Tarr scored by rebounding a Lozito shot that hit the crossbar. Tarr bodied the ball in front of the goal and had an easy put-in. The Wildcats’ aggressive play continued six minutes later when Lozito got on the board, taking advantage of Twinfield’s defensive lapse in the middle of the penalty box, taking a throw in from Dal Nesbitt to the house. Nesbitt would find the back of the net in the second half when a sequence of passes from Tarr and Lozito found him in front of the goalie box where he one-timed a screamer into the net.

Coach Buddy Hayford was happy to see his boys iron out their end-of-season wrinkles and win in the postseason. “I was pleased with the shutout and the fact we got back to scoring goals and a sense of normalcy.”

Twin Valley plays Arlington in the quarterfinal game at Sawyer Field in Brattleboro at 3 pm on Friday.