EXETER – There were signs of disappointment on their faces but none of anger or regret for the Concord High boys’ soccer team after the Tide fell, 2-0, to the top-seeded Bedford Bulldogs in the Division I boys’ soccer semifinals on Wednesday.
For the seniors, it was their fourth trip to the final four, and they’ve experienced both sides of the coin at this stage. Their two wins in the semis preceded championship titles in 2015 and 2017.
But the Tide (13-4-2) knew the challenge that awaited them at Exeter High School’s Bill Stadium on Halloween. No. 1 Bedford (17-1-0) had a single loss in the regular season and defeated Concord, 4-0, in the capital at the end of September.
The Bulldogs had a first-round bye, shut out No. 8 Portsmouth, 4-0, in the quarterfinals, and didn’t hold up under the lights against Concord.
“We gave everything we had tonight,” Concord coach Scott Dunlop said. “I have nothing to be ashamed of, I have no regrets. This group gave everything they had. We had a plan coming in that was working for 35 minutes and we were in the game. I was pleased … coming back here and pushing (Bedford).”
Only four teams have avoided shutouts against Bedford all season. One of those teams, Manchester Central, will meet Bedford in the D-I final on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Exeter High. The No. 2 Little Green knocked out No. 3 Hanover, 4-0, in the first semifinal on Wednesday.
Fully aware of the relentless offense Bedford would bring, the Tide leaned heavily on their defense anchored by senior goalkeeper Liam Devanny, who finished with 10 saves. The times that Concord pushed into the other end, they struggled to get their offense set and had to take any chance available to threaten a goal.
Liam Bennett, the swift-footed midfielder/defenseman bound for the University of New Hampshire, was looking for those chances. He nailed a set kick 60 yards from midfield to the goal line, where Bedford keeper Aidan Wisherd, anticipating a deflection, made the save with a knee.
Bennett had other close calls, but none snuck through. His goal from about 40 yards off in the semifinals against Pinkerton, his first of two in that quarterfinal match, gave him – and his coach – some comfort in taking those long shots when they presented themselves.
“I had some confidence in myself and coach was telling me to shoot anytime because we only get so many chances in this game,” Bennett said.
Concord was first to put a shot on goal, but the Bulldogs didn’t allow them much more activity in the first half. While Bedford settled its offense in one end, Concord scrambled to hold possession on the other side.
Austin Edwards gave the Bulldogs a lift with about five minutes left in the first half. Edwards collected a pass near the top of the box and stared down the center of the goal. He ripped a shot off his right foot, narrowly dodging a Tide defender, and watched the ball zip past Devanny lunging to the right of the net, giving Bedford a 1-0 lead.
Devanny continued to impress in goal as he has throughout his Concord High career, making saves that showed his athleticism as well as fearlessness as he charged attacking strikers in full sprint.
“Our defense was probably the best it’s been all year, but it’s also the best offense in the state attacking us for 80 minutes,” Devanny said. “There’s nothing much we could do besides what we did, and I’m proud of what we did.”
Bennett started at defense and later moved up to midfield when the Tide needed to turn up the pressure on offense. The Bulldogs seized the opportunity with one of Concord’s stars more or less out of their way and peppered Devanny with shots, sometimes as many as two or three in succession.
Finally, with about 4:25 left, Ryan Sledjeski sent a quick shot past Devanny to make it 2-0 and effectively put the game out of Concord’s reach.
For the second-year players and newcomers, ending the season with a loss is a new experience. But it is one that Bennett, a four-year varsity player, says is good for them to have.
“I know what four final fours is,” he said “It’s a great experience for these guys and their work ethic was really good tonight and I am proud of them.”
While Bennett expressed his pride in the team, Dunlop shared his feelings about the seniors and their place in program history.
“The seniors were tremendous, four straight final fours, they’ve been tremendous assets to this program,” Dunlop said. “They’ll be legends in my mind in this program.”
(Nick Stoico can be reached at 369-3321, nstoico@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @NickStoico.)