After dozens of runs up the wing, long through balls, sophomore forward Jaeden Kennedy finally broke through for Bow on a long looping volley from outside the box with 25 minutes left in the second half.
The third-seeded Falcons (10-3-3) faced a familiar foe in the Division II semifinal as they drew No. 2 Oyster River (9-2-5) on Tuesday night at Bill Ball Stadium. and won with that lone goal, 1-0.
Kennedy’s worldie was just the moment of brilliance the Falcons needed in the second half. The team had grown frustrated, frankly, both sides were. Bow was dominating and unable to score, and Oyster River couldn’t seem to break away on counterattacks.
“I thought I had a good footing, and it was kind of the perfect opportunity, there was like no one, I saw the gap and I took it,” Kennedy said.
Bow fell to the Bobcats in mid-September in a tough away game, 1-0. Up until the semifinal, Bow’s defensive line had solidified and proved itself to be one of the strongest units in the state, only allowing one goal in the previous four matches, including a 3-1 win over Coe-Brown in the quarterfinals.
After No. 1 Hollis-Brookline thrashed No. 4 Milford, 5-0, on the other side of the bracket, the Division II championship stage was set for a rematch of last year’s, when Bow lost 1-0 in the final to the Cavaliers.
Senior defender Charlotte LaRochelle said that the team will have to stay settled if the championship follows a similar course to the semifinal. She said Kennedy’s goal was a big relief for the defense, but the team will have to know how to control the chaotic game state ahead.
“Working on slowing it down, doing well under pressure and the uncomfy,” LaRochelle said.
Bow stayed disciplined and played a very smooth first half against Oyster River. The midfield connected well to build up quickly. The short passing and through balls were on point from the defensive and midfield lines with sophomores Marissa Reyes, Autumn Betteridge, junior Madison Pfister, junior Brylie Gelinas, freshman Jolee Trudel and freshman Celia Roberge.
The hold-up play by forwards was effective through most of the half as senior forward, Ashley Wallen, junior Anna Zerba and sophomore Ava Popielarz served well to break the Bobcats’ lines with overlapping runs on the wing.
Despite firing off seven shots on target, none of Bow’s shots were particularly difficult for Oyster River’s senior goalie Anne Michaud. The first half ended tied, 0-0, but the game’s sway was still in Bow’s favor.
Head Coach Jay Vogt said that although the second half was more challenging, it was something his team expected as the clock wound down.
“I thought it would come down, probably, to one goal. We got one,” Vogt said. “I thought we had more opportunities throughout the whole game than them, but they’re tough, they’re always good.”
After Kennedy’s goal, the feeling that Bow was closer to scoring was validated. However, finishing out the endeavor was no easy task. The goal gave them the confidence they needed to get back to their possession-based style.
Oyster River pushed to stay alive, both with the ball and with physicality. After a few tough challenges and shoves, yellow cards were issued to players on both teams, but tensions did not escalate much further.
Bow also showed their toughness and composure down the stretch by playing keep away and managing the clock.
Now, the Falcons will have to defeat a foe from years past and will try to upset the two-time defending champion Cavaliers. They lost to Hollis-Brookline, 3-0, over three weeks ago and will have to come up with a way to turn it around.
Vogt said the most important thing for his team will be maintaining its defensive shape and being comfortable in transition so it does not get stuck in the back.
LaRochelle, a leader for the defense, agreed. She said the team works hard every practice, but their chemistry is as high as ever, and if they can all work in sync, they can get the job done.
The Division II championship match will kick off at 5 p.m. on Friday at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.