BOW – A seven-goal and two-assist performance by attacker Ella Gray, and eight saves by goalie Gianna Trott moved Bow swiftly through the first round of Division III playoffs with a big, 18-3, win over Kearsarge on Tuesday afternoon. 

“It’s very rewarding, and it gives the team a lot of motivation to keep pushing and hopefully make it far,” Trott said about starting the playoffs with a big win. “I like to talk to my defense a lot, especially about things to work on, things that we do good, and just to control the ball.”

Gray notched a hat trick within the first eight minutes of the game to build a 3-0 lead for the Falcons. After that, the team did not stop attacking and, in total, seven different players put points up on the board for Bow. Head coach Chris Raabe was happy with the groove the team found.

The attack in transition, ball movement across the field and into the circle, and the fast pace of Bow’s offense were smothering the Cougars at times. The Falcons also shored up the turnover issues they had earlier in the season.

“We’ve been working on that instead of just running through the midfield, trying to move the ball quicker through the midfield with passing,” said Raabe.

No. 5 Bow (13-3) has come a long way since its loss to John Stark, 9-7, two weeks ago and extended its win streak to five with the win. However, Bow will now face No. 4 John Stark (13-2) in the quarterfinal round, away from home on Thursday at 5 p.m.

“We did not pass and catch in that game, we were throwing the ball away. I think we had like 19 turnovers. That’s too many to win a game, so just looking to possess the ball a bit more,” coach Raabe added.

For No. 12 Kearsarge (7-8), the season was a success in many ways. It improved its record by three wins compared to last season and returned to the playoffs after missing out last year.

The team played with heart and intensity, according to head coach Katherine Stearns, and did not give up the fight. Freshman midfielder Katie Walkinshaw scored two goals for the Cougars, and junior goalie Stella Syvertsen had 12 saves against Bow’s high-flying offense.

The intensity of facing an experienced and quick team like Bow got the better of the Cougars, but over the past few years, Stearns has built a culture that she believes will continue to prosper into the future. With six seniors graduating, a bulk of the team will stick around and have another shot next year.

“I think it’s just continued education. The postseason is so intense, and if you don’t do it often enough, it’s a world you don’t understand,” Stearns said. “They showed up today, that was the most important thing.”

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com