It's the 16th time in the last 17 seasons that BBA begins the postseason at home and the Bulldogs appear to have jelled at the right time.
"We were moving a lot of people around trying to find the right lineup on the field," DeForest said. "We've finally found a rotation that seems to work for us."
Sophomores Daisy Sullivan (seven goals, four assists) and Jordan Harmon have taken on leading roles in attack while junior Emma Hallett, formerly a dynamic defender, has emerged as a go-to central midfielder.
The last time the Bulldogs saw the Rebels was the 2010 postseason when South Burlington pulled the 10-over-2 upset at Applejack Field. But plenty has changed since.
The victor will face the winner of No. 2 Champlain Valley and No. 15 Brattleboro on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Eagles firm at No. 4
ARLINGTON -- Gunning for a fourth consecutive championship-game appearance, Arlington (8-4-1) bears the No. 4 seed in this year's Division IV tournament. The Eagles host No. 13 Twinfield (2-11-1), their semifinal foe last fall, in the opening round Wednesday at 3 p.m.
A 4-2-1 record in October -- with both losses coming against top-seeded Proctor (13-0-1) --
"We're feeling pretty confident," coach Dan Wood said. "If we play like that we like our chances ... the last Proctor game was an even game."
The Eagles had the defending champion Phantoms, unbeaten in two years, a goal away from their first defeat before conceding a last-minute penalty kick. They could meet again in the semifinals, a sixth meeting in two years.
"We're not taking anything for granted," said Wood.
Senior Rayleen Sherman keys the Arlington attack with 18 goals, while sophomore Molly Elwell has 12. Mazie Holton and Jennah Lacoste anchor a defense that kept free-wheeling Proctor in check last week.
A potential second round matchup would see Arlington host either fifth-seeded Mt. St. Joseph (8-5-1) or No. 12 Rochester (3-10-1).
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