After a huge win in Exeter against John Stark, the young Falcons team faced another Division II heavy hitter in Souhegan in the state championship match. The team fell short, but also showed why they might be back sooner rather than later.
A strong second-half push by No. 1 Souhegan (14-1-1) led to the Sabers scoring a late winner to beat No. 2 Bow (15-1-2) in the championship, 2-1.
Bow head coach Sarah Vaughn said she was proud of her team, and frustrated by the way the two goals against them occurred. But most of all, she wished the team could have won it for Bow’s singular senior, Josie Johnson, who’s moving on to play college field hockey in the fall at the University of New England.
“I’ve had three years with Josie, and I mean, she’s been my sidekick, she’s been my believer in turning the program around,” Vaughn said.
The scoreless first quarter didn’t faze the Falcons, but to win, they needed to step up their offensive production. Sophomore forward Peyton Vaughn carried the ball with speed on the right wing multiple times, looking for a stick.
After Souhegan cleared the ball from Vaughn’s cross, Bow maneuvered it back into the circle and stacked the area in front of the goal. A pass by sophomore midfielder Elise Jacques rebounded off the goalie, and Vaughn buried it into the back of the boards.
Souhegan stepped it up as well and tied it with a penalty stroke shot by junior forward Oriannah Dart only a few minutes later.
Souhegan head coach Kelli Braley thought Bow’s control of the first half was impressive, but at halftime her team made the adjustments necessary to win it in the end.
“When it came down to it, just making sure we simplified and executed was what we needed,” Braley said.
Already the game echoed Bow’s semifinal tie against Stark, and its match against Souhegan earlier in the season. Both games remained tied through large parts of the game, and the state championship was no different.
In the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter, Souhegan wore down Bow’s defense.
Souhegan earned seven consecutive penalty corners, which ate up about eight minutes of game clock. The Falcons’ defense read all of the plays right and didn’t allow a clear chance until the last corner.
Freshman Mariellah Dart fired a shot off from the edge of the circle to sneak the game-winner in with only a few minutes left.
The Falcons will return next year with this team, except for Johnson. They were a few more goals away from winning the championship, and with an entire postseason run under their belts, they will look to apply that experience for next year.
“The future is bright,” Vaughn remarked.
