Merrimack Valley 2, Lebanon 1
Key players: MV – Joey Oliver (goal), Gavin Wheeler (goal), Lucas Godoi (assist), Bishow Thapa (defense), Andrew Baldwin (defense), Eli Wormald (defense), Owen Piper (defense), Addo Lakhdaria (defense), Trevor Simonds (goalie)
Highlights: Merrimack Valley went up first when Oliver was able to finish a ball that was bouncing around in the box. Lebanon’s Otto Bourne won a ball and dribbled through some defenders and took a beautiful shot that he buried bottom corner to tie the game, 1-1. Both teams had chances throughout the rest of the game, but with about 15 minutes to play, Godoi sent a free kick into the box that the Raiders’ goalie dropped and Wheeler was able to finish it to put the Pride up 2-1. MV’s defense held off a strong Lebanon attack down the stretch to knock off the defending champions.
Coach’s quote: “That was a great win against a great team. They are always well-organized and well-coached. It was nice to see the guys come out tonight ready to play and get a quality win. Gavin Wheeler has been great for us all season, they man marked him the entire game so we had to switch things on out attack. I am very proud of how we played together as a team.” – MV’s Ken Fuller
Records: MV 8-4-1; Lebanon 9-4-0