By Christopher Shaban
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NEWPORT — With an eye on a second state title in two years, the Sunapee Lakers keep doing the things that got them there last year.
On Monday, the visiting Lakers held off a determined Newport Tigers squad with a patient offense and a defense that is too often overlooked. With Sunapee holding a slim lead early, their keeper, Miah Hamm left the game with an injury and did not return. The back line just kept doing what they’ve been doing all year and just guarded their zone with a swarming defense.
“We have played together so long and are such a close team, we all seem to know what to do and where to go even before the play happens,” said senior Emma Tuohy.
The Lakers put up six on the score board today against a tough and much improved Tigers squad but it wasn’t a cakewalk. Newport’s 8th grade goalie made a beautiful one-handed save on an early break away and the ever tough Riley Skarin used her hard nosed play to remind Sunapee that she was near. Elizabeth Tschudin, Brynn Smith and Abby Pollari,the schools all-time scoring leader, found the back of the net for Sunapee before the break to grab a 3-0 lead.
“We didn’t take Newport lightly, we used spacing and a great game pace plus a very patient attack to find the shots we wanted today,” said Sunapee head coach Myles Cooney.
Sunapee’s back line was just superb today as Tuohy, Vanessa Pollai and Sophia Varian blanketed the Newport rushes to give the freshman backup keeper, Annalise Rowell support.
“We have team dinners and really like each other, we have great chemistry and I think that helps on the field,” said Tuohy after the game.
Smith and Izzy Correa would add goals while Tschudin would add an exclamation point with an absolute laser from 24 yards out for the 6-0 final.
Sunapee has outscored their opponents 43-2 on the season and will have a first round bye when playoffs start while Newport stands at 3-3 with three games to play before the postseason.
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