NASHUA – The shots that normally had fallen didn’t land. The fortuitous bounces weren’t there. And the same kind of improbable strike that sent the Pembroke girls’ soccer team through to the finals was the same one that cost the Spartans from winning their program’s first championship.
No. 4 Pembroke (15-3-1) executed the game plan it wanted, but Ashlyn Walsh blasted a shot from 40 yards away that sailed in a high arc over Spartan goalkeeper Laila Al-Shawafi in the 16th minute to lift No. 3 Pelham (16-2-1) to a 1-0 victory to claim the NHIAA Division II title on Friday night at Stellos Stadium in Nashua.
“We have been the fortunate receiver of one good shot from outside the box,” said Pembroke head coach Jess Kaufman Desrochers, referring to the game-winning goal scored by senior captain Ryley Leblanc in a 2-1 upset victory over No. 1 Bow in the semifinals. “Pelham got it today. And we couldn’t answer.”
The Spartan defensive line of senior Katelyn Armstrong, and juniors Abby Shaughnessy, Mackenzie Hawkins and Tia Bocci held up against the powerful Falcons in Tuesday’s semifinal, and did an even better job in Friday night’s championship, not allowing Pelham to send forwards and balls in behind the defense.
Pembroke freshman goalkeeper Laila Al-Shawafi made 10 saves, many of them on solid attempts, but the Spartans didn’t require the same level of heroics from Al-Shawafi that was needed in the semifinal. On the other end of the pitch, Pembroke forced Pelham senior goalie Hannah Deschene to make five saves, a big improvement after only getting one shot on goal against Bow in the semifinals. The first goal Pembroke scored in the semifinals was an own goal.
“We definitely got more pressure in the box, but at times we failed to connect all three of our lines,” Kaufman Desrochers said. “But our defense stood up. Laila made lots of saves. We did get opportunities in the box, and dangerous opportunities in the box. Pelham just really packed in and was in our face, and we didn’t capitalize on those opportunities.”
Leading 1-0 at halftime, the Pythons pressed early in the second half, with their best opportunity coming in the 52nd minute when Armstrong had a hard foul on Pelham midfielder Maddie Cote, setting up a dangerous free kick just outside the 18 yard box.
Cote’s shot went over the net and Pembroke countered, with sophomore forward Lindsey Jones sending a nice cross through the box to fellow sophomore Bailey Gatchell, whose header was just inches over the crossbar in the 56th minute.
The Spartans came even closer in the 68th minute, with Leblanc’s strike hitting the crossbar and Gatchell there to collect the rebound at close range. But, her one-timed touch once again went over the net.
Pembroke continued to press, drawing a free kick and a corner inside of five minutes, but to no avail.
“Any other game on any other day those have gone in for us,” Kaufman Desrochers said. “But today was the day that they didn’t.”
The loss makes Pembroke the D-II runner-up for the second year in a row. The Spartans have gone 33-4-1 during that span. Top-seeded Bow has only lost four games in the past two seasons, and Pembroke is responsible for three of them.
That, and the knowledge that Pembroke properly executed its game plan, might ease the sting of the loss in time, but that offered little consolation after the final whistle blew at Stellos on Friday night.
“We had to bottle up a few different players. And we did it, save for that one lucky shot,” Kaufman Desrochers said. “It just breaks my heart for the girls.”