Lexi Insana was defenseless as her teammates tackled her down to the ground in celebration.
The freshman midfielder happened to be in the right place at the right time during Bow’s quarterfinal match against Merrimack Valley on Sunday.
She had drawn up from her usual spot in the middle of the field as the Falcons’ offense was making another run. Lyndsey LaPerle had sent in the centering pass to a open Madison Roberge, but her shot was blocked by the Pride’s goalkeeper McKenzie McDonald.
McDonald’s play on the left side of the net had the other half of the goal wide open, and Insana played off the ricochet brilliantly to score the deciding goal in No. 2 Bow’s 1-0 victory over No. 10 Merrimack Valley.
Insana’s goal came in the 56’ of the game and was the peak of bountiful chances for the Falcons. They opened the game up with several scoring opportunities from their usual suspects in LaPerle and her sister Bella, as well as Roberge and Juliette Tarsa. Whether it was the LaPerle’s crossing in passes from the wings or Bow’s midfielders driving up the center of the field, its offense was the unstoppable force.
The immovable object was the stingy MV defense. Led by McDonald in net, the senior goalkeeper was the driving force for the Pride all throughout the match. In just about every imaginable way, McDonald prevented the Falcons from scoring more than just their one goal.
“I think her play speaks for itself,” MV coach Kylee Yam said, “She controlled the back and came up with some epic saves. Scrambling for everything, getting rebound after rebound, she’s really the rock in our back.”
If McDonald wasn’t handling shots on goal, its because her defenders in front of her were blocking shots in any way they could.
Bow and MV met earlier in the regular season with the Falcons winning that one too, a tight 2-0 contest, and their coach Jay Vogt knew that Sunday’s match would be more of the same.
“They defend well,” he said. “If you look at all their games and all the scores they’re all low and competitive. We had to create chances and there were some we didn’t finish.”
Insana’s chance came off the tail-end of 10 minute stretch where the Falcons would manage to get the ball into the goalie box, have the shot defended and then on McDonald’s send off kick they would intercept it at midfield.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
With Lyndsey LaPerle charging up the far left side of the field, she nearly stepped out of bounds before her centering pass was sent off. Roberge missed and Insana lacked the hesitation that perhaps most freshman would have as she fired the ball into the back of the net.
“This has happened a couple of times this season where I kind of hang back and (the ball) pokes out and I one-touch it in,” she said.
Her goal opened up even more chances for the Falcons as the chase for another goal to put the game out of hand with the clock dwindling down was present.
That one scoring chance turned out to be the only one they needed, however, and that’s all the difference. Insana’s goal now sends Bow to its twelfth consecutive semi-final where No. 3 Hollis-Brookline awaits. The Falcons previously defeated Hollis-Brookline 3-2 back in September – ironically enough, the game after they defeated MV.
The semi-final game will be played on Thursday, Nov. 4 at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter. The match is slated to begin at 4 p.m.