CLAREMONT- Friday’s game was a lopsided match in favor of Stevens if you looked at time of possession and shots on net, but in the score column it was the Lady Cardinals who came from behind to pick up the big win. Stevens’ Sydney Miller scored a goal in the second half as well as the winning tally four minutes into overtime, which was the difference in the game.
“Today we took a big step with this win,” said Miller after the game. “This is really what this team is all about… no quit.”
Derryfield grabbed the lead off a floater from 20 yards out that kept drifting, eventually finding the far top corner to take the lead into the half 1-0.
Before that goal, the Cardinals were getting quality looks on net that was started by Jenna Pond’s rocket from an impossible angle deep in the corner that grazed the goal. Miller and Audrey Puksta both had good strikes too, but Derryfield held onto their lead. Brooke Bonneau, and Alexis Aiken were controlling the middle of the field, which kept the attackers headed full throttle toward net but the Cardinals had no luck finding the net.
Stevens opened the second half with a bit more urgency and held a 6-1 lead in shots early. With that aggressive play, a corner off the foot of Julia Belaire ended up ringing the post, but once again, the Cardinals had nothing to show for their efforts.
“I think we kept our shape pretty well today and although it was a bit frustrating to not get on the scoreboard, our tactics put us in position to get some great looks on net,” said Stevens head coach Tom Belaire after the game. With play getting tight in the Derryfield end of the field, Stevens was awarded a direct kick from 25 yards out after a hard tackle. Miller stepped into the shot and bent a perfect kick into the upper far corner to knot the game 1-1.
The shots kept up for Stevens as they were dominating play late in the game. Tanner Brown, Miller, Puksta and Bonneau were all looking for the go-ahead goal with good looks at net. The best chance for a Stevens score came off the foot of Puksta as she had a semi-breakaway, but the Derryfield keeper came off her line to cut down the angle and make the save in the dying minute, sending the game to overtime.
With overtime barely two minutes old, a Derryfield breakaway looked like trouble for the hometown team. Stevens keeper Kaitlyn Chamber had a pretty quiet day but here she started to creep off her line to cut down the angle and when she noticed one touch too many, she made a move on the ball. She ended up in control of it, shielding the player away with her back.
“I knew I had to make a play on the ball and I just wasn’t going to let her score,” said Chambers after the game.
That spark and a quick release out of goal gave Stevens numbers for a counter-attack. With Belaire and Brown on the wings and Bonneau and Puksta blasting down the middle of the field, the ball ended up on the foot of Miller and she turned and fired on net from just inside the 18 for the game winner with 6:00 showing on the clock for a 2-1 Stevens win.
Stevens outshot Derryfield 16-4 and had a 6-3 edge in corners also. “I think we had our best game of the year today,” said coach Belaire after the game. “We kept our flow where we wanted it to be and our spacing was outstanding today as well.”
Stevens improves to 4-1 with the win and will Face Fall Mountain (2-1) Tuesday at 7:30 in Claremont for the annual Charity Cup game. The teams are raising money for the NH 9/11 Stair Climb. The 2018 New Hampshire 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is a way to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters, police, and EMS who selflessly gave their lives on 9-11-2001. This game is one of the biggest and best rivalries in NH and this year should be no different.
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