In continuation of the midterm series, the Monitor now takes a look at area girls soccer teams and the success they’ve achieved thus far.
Once again, teams in Division II boast some of the best talent in the state, but other area teams are having plenty reason to hold playoff hopes near and dear.
A brief examination on the teams:
Record: 6-3-0.
Key wins: Pinkerton.
Outlook: The good news, Concord won its six games by an average of 1.6 goals, three of which were shutouts. It has outscored its opponents, 14-11. Where reality hits, however, is that the back half of the schedule is much more difficult than the front. The Tide held their own against reigning state champion Exeter in a 4-1 loss but will look to carry the success they’ve experienced against tougher opponents like Salem and Timberlane.
Record: 8-0-0.
Key wins: Hollis-Brookline, Merrimack Valley.
Outlook: Bow has the best start of any team within the girls Division II standings and shows no signs of stopping. It faced minor adversity in its game against Hollis-Brookline, when the Falcons faced their first halftime deficit. They managed to rally, however, behind three second-half goals to keep their undefeated streak in tact. Key matchups in the back half of the season include showdowns at Pembroke and Milford.
Record: 2-3-2.
Key wins: Plymouth, Spaulding.
Outlook: Coe-Brown’s highlight of the season so far was its 2-1 victory over Division I Spaulding. Since then, the Black Bears have only played one game and their next four games are all postponed. With nearly a month of rest – CB’s next game isn’t until Oct. 14 – the second half of the schedule will be a busy one but also difficult, with games against Merrimack Valley and Bow.
Record: 4-3-1.
Key wins: Hollis-Brookline, Merrimack Valley (tie).
Outlook: The Generals played perhaps one of their best games of the season when they forced a tie with state runners-up Merrimack Valley on Sept. 25. John Stark’s record indicates an up-and-down first half of the season, but if it can use the tie against the Pride to string together some consistency, it has potential to dominate the second half of the season.
Record: 3-1-3.
Key wins: Milford (tie), John Stark (tie).
Outlook: In the grand scheme, ties are always better than losses, and if the Pride can turn some of these tight games into wins instead, look out Division II. MV was slated to play in the state championship a year ago, but because of a COVID-19 outbreak, the game against Milford never happened, and MV ended the season wondering what could’ve been. The Pride started the season against the champs and forced a 3-3 draw. Games against Pembroke and Lebanon highlight the remainder of the season.
Record: 7-0-0.
Key wins: Milford, John Stark.
Outlook: The Spartans are in a special class this season as one of two remaining undefeated teams in Division II. A majority of their games haven’t been close, including a 5-1 walloping at Hollis-Brookline. The highly anticipated match against undefeated Bow takes place on Oct. 15 and holds serious playoff implications if the two teams continue to run the table.
Record: 2-5-0.
Key wins: Prospect Mountain.
Outlook: The Red Raiders have gotten off to a shaky start since their season-opening win at Mascoma Valley. On the wrong side of four shutouts this season, Belmont’s offense has a chance to stir things up with games against Berlin and Inter-Lakes.
Record: 2-5-1.
Key wins: Prospect Mountain, Somersworth.
Outlook: A glance at the Giants’ second-half schedule might cause some initial worries, with matches against three of the division’s top teams in Hopkinton, Derryfield and Hillsboro-Deering. Sprinkled in there, however, are games where Brady can be competitive and bolster the win column. Its losses have been close, with two of them only by a two-goal differential.
Record: 5-3-0.
Key wins: Campbell, Bishop Brady.
Outlook: The Hillcats are holding steady as a playoff contender ahead of the 2021 postseason. Their three losses are a minor cause for concern, however, as they came against fellow top-tier programs in Hopkinton, Trinity and Derryfield. HD has a rematch against Hopkinton on Oct. 2, though, and looks to knock off the Hawks from the list of unbeatens.
Record: 8-0-0.
Key wins: Campbell, Hillsboro-Deering.
Outlook: Hopkinton remains the standard for all of Division III, and it hasn’t shown signs of releasing its iron grip on teams any time soon. The Hawks have six shutouts on the year, and in their other two games they won by at least three goals. A matchup of undefeated teams takes place on Wednesday when Gilford (6-0-0) travels to Hopkinton in a critical match for both teams. In order for the three-time defending champions to make it to the playoffs, they simply have to maintain the success they’ve had so far.
Record: 5-3-0.
Key wins: Campbell.
Outlook: Kearsarge holds ground as one of the most solid middle teams in a tight Division III playoff race. The Cougars have tight losses to the division’s frontrunners in Gilford and Trinity, but their win against Campbell to start the season proved evident the talent they have.
Record: 5-1-0.
Key wins: Newport.
Outlook: It’s hard to gauge how good Concord Christian will be in the second half if you look at its first-half record. The Knightsmen in their five wins outscored their opponents, 45-1. Yes, they only allowed one goal scored in their five wins. Where the difficultly in examination lies is CC’s lone loss: A 6-2 bout against defending state runners-up Sunapee. Matches against Portsmouth Christian and Newmarket should give CC a good look at where it stands among other teams in the division.
Record: 0-7-0.
Key games: Holy Family, Wilton-Lyndeborough.
Outlook: The Panthers have struggled this season, but there are always merits in making it out onto the pitch each time. The aforementioned key games were one-goal losses. Pittsfield, vying for its first win, returned to action on Tuesday against Newmarket.