Field hockey: Stark’s Lauryn Guevin, Brady’s coach Kelly Owen and Laura Yap win awards; All-State rosters released

John Stark’s Lauryn Guevin keeps the ball away from Souhegan’s Sophia Merenda during Thursday’s D-II semifinal in Exeter. Guevin scored twice in a 4-1 victory. Guevin was named the Division II Offensive Player of the Year.

John Stark’s Lauryn Guevin keeps the ball away from Souhegan’s Sophia Merenda during Thursday’s D-II semifinal in Exeter. Guevin scored twice in a 4-1 victory. Guevin was named the Division II Offensive Player of the Year. CHIP GRIFFIN / Photos By Chip

Bishop Brady’s Laura Yap (left) keeps the ball away from Hopkinton’s Autumn Meier (right) and Lauryn Vetter (17) during a game at Hopkinton Middle High School on Oct. 13. Bishop Brady won 6-0.  Yap was named the Division III Defensive Player of the Year.

Bishop Brady’s Laura Yap (left) keeps the ball away from Hopkinton’s Autumn Meier (right) and Lauryn Vetter (17) during a game at Hopkinton Middle High School on Oct. 13. Bishop Brady won 6-0.  Yap was named the Division III Defensive Player of the Year. JEFF SULLIVAN / SullivanEventPhotography.com

Bishop Brady field hockey coach Kelly Owen stands under a new sign honoring her 30 years of coaching. Owen was named the Division III Coach of the Year.

Bishop Brady field hockey coach Kelly Owen stands under a new sign honoring her 30 years of coaching. Owen was named the Division III Coach of the Year. Courtesy

By DAN ATTORRI

Monitor staff

Published: 10-28-2023 1:03 AM

Winning the championship is the ultimate goal, but some end of season awards have already been doled out. The New Hampshire Field Hockey Coaches Association announced All-State rosters and major award winners on Wednesday, with John Stark and Bishop Brady taking home some early hardware.

John Stark sophomore midfielder Lauryn Guevin was named the Division II Offensive Player of the Year a day before she scored a pair of goals to help the Generals (15-1) defeat Souhegan, 4-1, in the D-II semifinals. Guevin and her top-ranked Stark teammates will take on No. 2 Kennett in today’s championship game at 1:30 p.m. at Bedford High School.

After an 11-4 season and a trip to the quarterfinals, No. 4 Bishop Brady scored a pair of awards, with senior midfielder/defender Laura Yap named the D-III Defensive Player of the Year award and head coach Kelly Owen selected for D-III Coach of the Year. Yap anchored a Giant defense that allowed just 12 goals in 15 games (an average of 0.8 goals per game) and had eight shutouts. Bishop Brady High School’s field hockey field now bears the name The Kelly Monahan Owen Field, an honor bestowed upon Owen on Sept. 30 in her 30th season as the program’s head coach.

In D-I, Concord junior defender Nadia Hanna was named to the First Team, while junior forward Ally McGonigle was named to the Second Team.

John Stark took home the most selections out of any area program, with Guevin named to the D-II First Team along with junior defender and teammate Adie Bolduc. Stark junior Jillian Fredette and sophomore Caylin Worthen were named to the Second Team. Senior midfielder Hailey Brisson, senior goalie Edie Fischer and sophomore goalie Addy Pelletier earned Honorable Mentions.

Bow senior midfielder Maia Kimball was named to the D-II First Team, junior goalie Kayla Croscut was named to the Second Team, and senior defender Sabrina Bernard, junior forward Ella Gray and freshman forward Shire Kelley received Honorable Mentions.

Merrimack Valley junior midfielder Kaiya Mercier (Second Team), MV sophomore midfielder Lauren Bailey (Honorable Mention) and Pembroke senior defender Treic Thomas-Guerzon (Honorable Mention) rounded out the area D-II selections.

Yap was the only local First Team pick in D-III, but three of her teammates – junior forward Kimble Rose, junior midfielder Payton Bryson and sophomore goalie Ava Archambault – were named to the Second Team. Senior forward Carly Fuller (Honorable Mention) also received accolades.

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Hopkinton junior defender Kelsey Sullivan (Second Team) and freshman forward Ryan Barrett (Second Team), and Kearsarge senior defender Lily Hoegler (Second Team) and freshman defender Ava Nolan-Waddell (Honorable Mention) were the other area athletes earning D-III selections.

Rosters and awards were voted on by the coaches of their respective divisions.