Field hockey: No. 3 John Stark tops No. 6 Merrimack Valley in D-II quarterfinals, 1-0
Published: 10-26-2024 12:07 AM
Modified: 10-26-2024 12:37 AM |
WEARE – John Stark senior forward Jillian Fredette carried the ball up the right wing and sent a driven pass into the middle of the circle to junior forward Caylin Worthen who shot through the legs of Merrimack Valley’s goalkeeper, Taylor Gionet, and scored. The first-quarter goal was all the Generals needed to advance to the Division II semifinals.
“It's just one of those things where Jill can just easily bring it down that right side. It's just smooth. And Caylin's in the right spot at the right time, at all times. So it was a great goal by all I didn't even know it was coming,” said head coach Cassidy Huckins.
The John Stark Generals (14-3) came away with the win, 1-0, over the Pride in a hard-fought game that tested the tactical and physical acuity of both teams. The heavy-hitter match-up was played at New England College on a slick turf field that carried the ball far in the cold.
“It feels great. I’m so excited. We’ve been working so hard, and we’ve had so much growth over this season, and I'm just excited that we can all be happy and do it together,” said the Generals’ senior captain Adison Bolduc after the game.
The third-seeded Generals finished the season with 13 wins and only three losses. All season, they showed defensive grit — only conceding goals in seven of their 16 games — and powerful offensive prowess, outscoring opponents 47-11.
On the other side of the pitch stood the sixth-seeded Merrimack Valley Pride who finished the season a step below with an overall record of 11-6-1. The Pride had not been as consistently dominant as the Generals but had proven that they were competitive with the best in the division.
“This was the best game we've played as a team. Every line of play, our forwards, our midfielders, our defense played lockdown defense, forwards were going to the ball,” said Pride head coach Jen Colgan. “They were a little physical at times, which I love, finding the line between being composed and being aggressive. It just felt like we left it all in the field and we lost to a really good John Stark team.”
Earlier in the season, John Stark beat Merrimack Valley, 3-2, in a thrilling game that went into overtime. To win the quarterfinal away from home, Merrimack Valley looked to recreate some of the fourth-quarter magic that had led them to tie the game earlier in the season.
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Despite generating four penalty corners and shooting nine on target, the Pride fell short of tying the game. Their defense held John Stark well with multiple players coming up with big stops, yet Stark’s defense capitalized on a very early mistake and locked down. Sophomore goalkeeper, Rowin Ledy, shut down all of the Valley’s attacks and kept a clean sheet with eight saves.
“We didn't get the chance to execute on the opportunities, and we didn't have as many opportunities as them, but on the opportunities that we did, we couldn't quite push it through,” said Colgan.
The Generals will move on to play No. 7 Hanover, who upset Oyster River 1-0 in the quarterfinal, at Exeter High School’s Bill Ball Stadium on Tuesday.
“We played them at the beginning of the season, so I know that they've grown a lot too, and I know they're gonna come out hard, but I think if we come out harder. We've got a good chance,” said Bolduc.
Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com