LACONIA, N.H. – Stevens and Hopkinton have faced each other twice this season, with each team winning once, and on Sunday they were locked in a knock down, drag-out fight with the big prize being the NH D-III championship.
Regulation time wasn’t enough and the removal of fans behind the Hopkinton bench did nothing to temper this battle but in the end, it was the Hawks scoring the knockout out punch early in overtime to grab a come from behind win 2-1.
Frantic, exciting and fast paced best describes the opening half of the game as both teams were racing up and down the field with shots being fired like right and left jabs at a boxing match.
Audrey Puksta and Ellie Grenier had good hits on net while the Cardinals’ Kaitlyn Chambers absorbed everything fired at her. Once again the Stevens backs were dominant as Leeann McCarthy, Alexis Aiken and Zahna Rice smothered the Hawk attackers as Tanner Brown and Ashlynn Marsh closed space very quickly as the waves of Hawks kept coming.
The Cardinal attack featured Puksta, Jenna Pond, Julia Belaire and Grenier, with Brooke Bonneau taking space in the middle of the field as Jenna Bonneau had some hard physical minutes in the midfield area also.
McCarthy took a ball deep in the Cardinal territory and flew up the sidelines.
“I saw some openings and just kept carrying the ball and all of a sudden I’m deep into the corner,” said McCarthy after the game.
That rush produced a corner kick for Stevens and Marsh’s hit was true as Puksta nicked it toward net, where Sydney Miller had set up camp. Millers hit found the back of the net as Sydney had scored in every Stevens playoff game, and gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead as the huge following from Claremont erupted.
That blow to the chin of Hopkinton woke up their attack as Chambers was targeted with shots o’ plenty including a point-blank hit but kept the score clean as Stevens entered halftime leading 1-0.
The Hawks kept a minimum of 5 defenders back during the half but that would change for the next 40 minutes.
The Hawks came out strong with 4 defenders and multiple shots toward the Stevens net as numbers were in favor of Hopkinton. The best save of the night belonged to Chambers as her leap managed to get a finger on a shot destined for the top corner. The first-half back and forth action had turned into a Hawk attack as they were desperate to tie the score and were wearing down the Cardinals’ defenders.
As Aiken was running from sideline to sideline and Rice and McCarthy were trying to mark waves of attackers, a Brown clear ended up on Bonneau’s foot and she plowed down the middle of the field with Pond and Grenier on the wings and Puksta and Miller racing off the wings toward net looking for a dagger of a goal. A deflected ball rattled around the Hawk defenders and Puksta’s goal was ruled no good because of an offside call, that would’ve given the Cardinals a 2 goal lead.
“That call was huge because it would have really given us a big momentum shift,” said Stevens coach Tom Belaire after the game.
Instead it seemed to ignite the Hawk offense even more as it kept the score 1-0 with under 15 minutes remaining.
With the Stevens’ defensive legs wobbling from the continued pressure, Grace Clark tied the game 1-1 with a semi-breakaway that drifted into the low far corner with 13 minutes left in regulation.
That score would carry into the overtime period as Hopkinton had taken all the momentum and were looking to finish off the Cardinals.
The final blow came with just over 2 minutes off the clock in the overtime as Chambers had no chance with a move that was lethal and final giving the Hawks the win 2-1.
“I thought we had a chance after they scored to tie the game, our momentum picked up but they were just too fresh and strong back there,” said Belaire after the game. “There are no words to ease the loss but this season was magical and we lost to a really good Hopkinton team.
“I know we gave everything we had tonight,” said McCarthy as tears rolled down her cheeks following the awards presentation. “ I am so proud to be a Cardinal, I can’t even put it into words.”
As Bonneau, Aiken, Miller and McCarthy gathered at midfield for an extended hugging session, they emerged to be greeted by a huge crowd of Stevens’ supporters waiting on the sidelines.
“I know we gave it all we had,” said Bonneau, still limping after a hard hit to her ankle late in the first half.
“In all the years of coaching, I can honestly say I am most proud of this team and what they have accomplished this year,” said coach Belaire after the game, “100% proud.”
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