Whether it was offense or defense, the Bow High girls’ soccer team knew it could depend on Lauren Goyette.
The senior attacking midfielder made life difficult on opponents with tenacious effort, good vision and a scoring touch around the net. She had four goals and six assists for the Falcons as they earned the top seed in Division II with a 14-1-1 record and marched to the semifinals. Goyette, the Monitor Girls’ Soccer Player of the Season, leaves the program in a tie for 15th in all-time scoring, but her greatest asset on the pitch couldn’t be measured.
“She’s the heart of the team,” Bow coach Jay Vogt said of the two-time First-Team All-State selection. “There’s somebody in there that can bring energy when we need it, can calm things down when we need it. She’s very smart and someone the players can look to.”
Goyette was a four-year starter for Bow, which produced a 68-8-1 record and two championships during her career. When looking back at her time with the Falcons, winning is the first thing that comes to Goyette’s mind. But more importantly, she recalls the fun with her teammates along the way.
“The championship wins were fantastic. Those are things I’ll always remember, but also just the team spirit,” Goyette said. “Girls’ varsity soccer at Bow High School is just the nicest group of girls and we’re all very well-connected. I’ll just remember the feeling of being on such a great team.”
Goyette says she started playing the sport in first grade, but the 1-0 loss to eventual champion Hanover in the D-II semifinals earlier this month could be her final match of organized soccer. She’s hoping to attend either Columbia University or Harvard University next fall, and plans to focus on applied mathematics rather than soccer.
“She’s a very smart kid and does exceptionally well in the classroom,” Vogt said of Goyette, who was also picked to play in the 2018 Twin State Lions Cup featuring some of the top seniors from New Hampshire and Vermont.
Given her academic prowess, perhaps it should be no surprise that Goyette always enjoyed the mental aspect of the game.
“I think communication and leading the team in the middle is the most important because you have a good view of everyone who is around you,” Goyette said. “Being able to instruct the people around you to make a run or make a good pass is really important.”
Vogt said her leadership on the pitch was admirable, and it also carried into the locker room.
“She makes sure that everybody is involved, that everybody feels part of the team. She treats everybody the same and she makes sure everything is coordinated,” Vogt said. “She’s as important to us off the field as much as she is on the field.”
Goyette credits one of her youth coaches, Chris Pearson, with developing her skill set early and teaching her the nuances of the game. And with teammates like Kayleigh Marshall, a fellow star senior who endured a season-ending knee injury while chasing down a loose ball, Goyette said it’s easy to remain passionate about the sport.
“She always had drive and passion and she would do anything for the team,” Goyette said of Marshall. “You could see it, especially on her last play.”
Goyette also plays for the basketball team and won a title with the girls’ tennis team last spring, but she has delivered her last play for Bow soccer – and she’s come a long way since stepping into a starting role for the 2015 Division III champions that finished 19-1.
“She’s gotten better each year, she’s scored some big goals for us. She’ll run from penalty box to penalty box to win balls,” Vogt said. “She just does everything she can to help the team win.”
And it worked – a gaudy 68 times in 77 tries during her phenomenal Bow career.
(Jason Orfao can be reached at jorfao@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @JasonOrfao.)