Williston Observer

Members of the Nordic 17 Premier Girls team were awarded their New England Championship medals by Olympic Gold Medal and World Cup Champion Mia Hamm (center, in black). The team included Redhawks Laura Jennings, Paige DuBrul, Audrey Morehouse and Haliana Burhans. (Observer courtesy photo)

Champlain Valley Union High School soccer players Haliana Burhans, Paige DuBrul, Laura Jennings and Audrey Morehouse helped Nordic Soccer Club’s 17 Premier Girls team net the first win by a Vermont youth soccer team at a National Youth Soccer championship.

The team recently returned from the Y League National Finals, held at the IMG Academy in Florida.

After an initial 3-0 loss to New York Magic in their opening game, Nordic rebounded with a close 1-0 victory over TSF Academy from New Jersey. Burhans scored the game’s lone goal midway through the second half.

In their final group game, needing a win to advance to the semi-finals, Nordic fell short to a FC America team from Orlando, Fla., 7-2. Burhans tallied her second goal of the tournament, with an additional goal from Allyssa Tenney.

Nordic finished the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Quickstrike FC from New York, with Burhans adding to her tally of three goals in four games.

Nordic 17 Premier Girls qualified for the Y League National Finals after winning the New England Division of the Y league this past summer.

—Observer staff report

The 1-0 Champlain Valley Union High girls basketball team was in Barre Wednesday night, hoping to get a start on a repeat of last year’s double victories in the two-day tournament, with Spaulding High the host.

The second and concluding evening is Friday.

Coach Ute Otley’s Redhawks got the new season off to a swisheroo of a start Friday at Bremner Gymnasium with a 50-31 decision over visiting South Burlington High.

Despite the loss of several key performers from last season’s

Division 1 finalists, the youthful Redhawks showed exceptional balance in putting away the Rebels.

Junior Emily Kinneston led the scorers with nine points, while freshman Sadie Otley, in her varsity debut, became the leading helper with seven assists. Junior Amanda Lougee popped for eight points, as did Laurel Jaunich, another freshman. Lougee worked inside to haul down seven rebounds.

CVU has road games at Mount Mansfield Union on Dec. 28 and South

Burlington High on Jan. 3 before the next home game Jan. 7 against Mount Mansfield.

—Mal Boright,
Observer correspondent

Its season-opening three-game losing string snapped Tuesday with a victory at Burlington High, the Champlain Valley Union High boys basketball team can look forward to Friday night’s (6:30 p.m.) home clash with 1-2 Bellows Free Academy of St. Albans.

The initial victory of the season also marked the return to action of veteran senior forward Brad Bissonette from a bout of illness. He led the scorers with 19 points, followed by twin brother Scott Bissonette with 14 as the Redhawks rolled to a 50-40 triumph over the 1-1 Seahorses.

CVU used a quick start as a recipe for victory, grabbing a 14-4 lead by the end of the first period.

Last Friday, the Redhawks fell to Vergennes Union High for the second time this season as the unbeaten (4-0) Commodores rolled into Hinesburg for a 52-44 win.

Inside operator Lucas Aube paced CVU’s offense with 13 points.

—Mal Boright,
Observer correspondent

Hornets visit CVU hockey girls Saturday

With their scheduled contest with Rice Memorial High last Saturday canceled, the 0-1 Champlain Valley Union High girls’ hockey team opened a two-game homestand Wednesday with Rutland High providing the opposition.

Coach Ben Psaros’ Redhawks return to the Cairns Arena home ice on Saturday afternoon at 2:25 p.m. with the Essex High Hornets.

In their lone outing thus far, CVU journeyed to Missisquoi Valley Union on Dec. 12 and fell 8-0 to the Thunderbirds.

—Mal Boright,
Observer correspondent

CVU Nordic ski team hoping for action Dec. 27 

Among those in ski country eyeing the sky and hoping for a blizzard or two are members of the Champlain Valley Union High Nordic ski team.

With races Dec. 19 and 22 races canceled, the Redhawks and coach Sarah Strack are looking to Dec. 27, when they are slated to host an event at Sleepy Hollow.

However, Strack sees the possibility of the races being moved to Craftsbury if the Northeast Kingdom facility can accommodate the event.

—Mal Boright,
Observer correspondent

The Northern Vermont Baseball Umpires Association is looking for new baseball umpires for the 2013 season.

The association officiates high school, middle school, Babe Ruth, AAU and Legion games in Chittenden and Addison counties. Umpire training will start at the end of January and runs for six weeks.

For more information, contact Randy Yandow at 343-4041 or e-mail [email protected]

—Observer staff report

By Ginger Isham

The following recipe is about 30 years old. I made these cookies for my children and now for my grandchildren. My daughters made them in grade school as Valentines for their friends in place of paper valentines. They would cut out large hearts and small hearts and put a small heart in the corner of a large one and use pink icing as glue, sometimes adding small cinnamon candies and sprinkles. I made them recently to tell the story of our farm using maple leaf, evergreen tree, chicken, cow and heart cookie cutters.

Sugar cookie cutouts (seven ingredients)

1 cup sugar (I use little less)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring

pinch of salt

3/4 cup soft butter

2 and 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat in and/or stir in 2 and 1/4 cups flour. I sprinkle the other 1/4 cup on counter when rolling out the dough. Chill for 1-2 hours or overnight. Let set a few minutes at room temperature when taken out of refrigerator. Roll out 1/3 of dough at a time on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle leaves and trees with green sugar sprinkles, use natural sugar for cows and chicks and colored sprinkles for hearts. Bake in 350-degree oven for 10 minutes until cookies are just little brown on edges.

Mandarin Marmalade Cookies (seven ingredients)

1 large egg

1 cup sugar (I use 3/4 cup)

1 cup soft butter

1/2 cup orange marmalade

One 10-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained and chopped

2 and 3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream the butter, sugar and egg. Stir in marmalade and oranges until batter is smooth. Add flour and baking powder. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake in 300-degree oven for 20-22 minutes until bottom begins to brown. Before baking, you can add part of candied cherry or nut on top.

Ginger Isham lives with her husband on a fifth generation family farm on Oak Hill Road.