EXETER – The defending champions, No. 1 Hollis-Brookline (19-0-0), became undefeated champions once again after a 1-0 win over the No. 2 Bow Falcons (14-4-1) thanks to an early goal by junior midfielder Marleigh Kreick.

“We just tried to outrun them, outwork them the outsides. They did a really good job checking in, outside backs did a really good job supporting back and, all in all, everyone worked super hard. We couldn't have done without each other,” said Kreick.

The Falcons had one more mountain to climb in Exeter to become champions having won the quarterfinal and semifinal matches with a pair of comebacks and overtime goals by senior forward Lexi Insana against lower-seeded Merrimack Valley and Kingswood.

Despite proving they were a top contender and the better team, Bow’s wins had been shaky at times, something the Falcons could not afford against the Cavaliers, a team that only allowed five goals all season and scored in bunches. Hollis-Brookline’s roster also boasts senior forward McKenna Maguire, who scored four and assisted on one in a decisive 5-0 semifinal victory over No. 4 Coe-Brown. The Falcons had lost to the Cavaliers, 4-1, a month earlier and needed a defensive masterclass to win it all.

“Our strategy was to try to get someone else besides McKenna to beat us. And we did it,” said Bow head coach Jay Vogt. “That was a great shot that they scored on, but we defended well, we did what we wanted to. We just didn’t create enough opportunities.”

The first 20 minutes of the game ran smoothly for Bow, who managed to creep into the Cavaliers’ box, but Kreick made a shifty run up the middle and shot a bullet into the bottom left corner from 25 yards out to go ahead first. 

Bow’s senior defender and captain Abby Foote was tasked with marking Maguire, and did so effectively throughout the game, but it freed up space for Kreick in the middle.

Six minutes later another warning shot came from the Cavaliers when Kreick hit the crossbar after she picked up the ball from a similar spot. The Falcons needed to find answers on how to slow the game and regain possession – where they had dominated in previous games – but going down a goal early had not discouraged them before.

The Falcons tried it all offensively, quick build-up through the midfield, counter-attacks, long balls, but every time there was a Hollis-Brookline defender to cut off lanes. 

Maguire almost scored one-on-one at the end of the first, but Bow’s sophomore goalie Gwen Barrieau dove to cut her off and keep the scoreline close. 

“They will find their way out, and they made sure they settled down and figured out how to move the ball around a little bit,” said the Cavaliers’ head coach, Peter Clarke. “We got attacking again, and then we could kind of stay in our groove.”

Sophomore forward Cara Van Dyke, senior Lexana Farr, and Insana played well through the wings and up the middle, but couldn't seem to get junior strikers Ashley Wallen or Meldina Becirovic the ball in dangerous areas. 

The Falcons’ back line improved and held well in the second half but still allowed a few shots from Maguire and Kreick to imperil their hopes. Barrieau had eight physically demanding saves in the box to keep her team in it.

“It was really a tough game, with the intensity of this and the pressure,” said Clarke. “I could see my kids feeling the pressure, haven’t lost in two years, and all of a sudden, here's somebody standing us up a little bit.”

The Cavaliers’ midfield, composed of sophomore Kai Swart, junior Molly Reardon and Kreick, stopped most of Bow’s attacks short, allowing the back line to sit deep securely.

The stifling of Bow was not because of a lack of effort, and the Falcons chased the ball across the field until the end, but Hollis-Brookline's defense produced another clean sheet to win it all.

“We've talked all along that to always believe in yourselves, to never give up until the whistle blows,” said Vogt. “It wasn’t good to get scored on early, but I felt like we just kept playing and we’ve been used to that kind of in playoffs. We felt that we were strong enough, mentally, to stay in the game and find a way to score, just it didn't happen today.”

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com