Junior goalie Brooke Nelson sealed one of Concord field hockey’s most significant playoff upsets of the past few years with three big saves in a shootout against Dover.
On Tuesday afternoon, No. 11 Concord (6-7-3) traveled to the Seacoast to play No. 6 Dover (10-4-2), the team that knocked the Crimson Tide out in last year’s quarterfinal, for this year’s Division I preliminary round.
Concord held on to a 0-0 draw through six periods of open play and tested Dover in a cinematic shootout to win the game, 3-2.
“I think I’m a representation of my team, and I just gotta stand up for them and I’m doing everything for them,” Nelson said after the game. “I couldn’t have done it without my three goal scorers.”
Concord’s junior goalkeeper Brooke Nelson made three saves in the D-I prelim shootout against Dover to advance in the playoffs. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
The Crimson Tide rushes in to the circle to celebrate with junior goalkeeper Brooke Nelson after her game winning save. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Concord sophomore Emma Barry (R) shakes junior goalie Brooke Nelson’s (L) helmet with joy after the win surrounded by the team. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
Dover took the lead in the shootout first, but the Tide remained focused on the next shot.
Consecutive makes by senior midfielder Amy Desrochers and sophomore Emma Chrabolowski, and a save by Nelson in between, tied the shootout at 2-2.
After two misses in the fourth round, it all came down to two shots. Concord was shooting first, and senior defender Lexi Magee stepped up to take it.
She faked right and moved swiftly left, leading the gear-encumbered Dover goalie in pursuit of the ball, and she managed to turn on a dime and shoot from a narrow angle to go ahead.
“What was going through my mind is, I have to score this for my team, and that this is it,” she said.
After already making two saves, Nelson was in a position to win it for the Tide. The margin of error was tight; one mistake, and the shootout would continue.
She aggressively stepped up, but waited for the Dover shooter to make a move, and as soon as she was close enough, Nelson kicked the ball out of the circle and was rushed by her team.
The earlier, regular-season matchup between the two resulted in a 0-0 draw in Concord, and the playoff game played out to a similar tune.
After a grueling four quarters in the preliminary round, the teams remained tied, 0-0. After a nerve-wracking back and forth during 20 minutes of overtime, neither team found a way to break through the deadlock, although both came close.
Concord senior midfielder Anya Kendziora (R) battles with Dover’s Molly Angers (L) for the ball. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Concord’s senior forward, Elliana Wing (L), dribbles past Dover’s Meredith Toland. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Concord sophomore forward Emma Barry (R) shoots on target in the first half against Dover. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
Concord resisted through Dover’s six penalty corners, and as a collective, blocked or saved 10 shots on goal throughout the game.
The Tide knew how to pick their chances on offense and generated six shots on target, but also had many shots sail wide.
Desrochers, Concord’s senior captain and leader in the back, said the shootout was magical. She felt proud of her team for sticking through the long game and finishing strong to stay alive.
“I think everything we do in practice, like I said, carries on to the field the next day, and it’s really exciting to see us execute the stuff that we’re working really hard to fix,” Desrochers said.
The team had practiced shootouts all season and was well prepared for any eventual situation thanks to head coach Nicole Armaganian. Still, Armaganian had her heart beating out of her chest by the end of the game.
Her team was much smaller than Dover’s. With only two girls on the bench and two sophomores shooting in the end, it was a nerve-inducing start to the playoffs.
“These girls are all heart. They are all grit and they are all heart,” Armaganian said. “It’s the epitome of teamwork when they play.”
With the win, the eleventh-seeded Crimson Tide will play away at No. 3 Londonderry (13-3) on Friday at 3 p.m.
The two teams faced off less than two weeks ago in a game that ended 1-0 in Londonderry’s favor. Concord will have to show up with a similar intensity and energy, according to both Desrochers and Armaganian.