By Paul Howe
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
SUNAPEE — The Sunapee and Newport girls soccer teams squared off in the opening round of the Division IV playoffs on a chilly night in Sunapee on Thursday.
The Lakers found the back of the net five times in the first half and held on to the ball for long periods of time against their neighbors and will advance in tournament play. Newport’s dreams of a huge upset were ended quickly as the Lakers appear to be peaking at the right time.
Liz Tshcudin (2), Brynn Smith (4), and Sophie Hubert (1) all found the back of the net while All-State defender Vanessa Pollari is on a mission after breaking her leg during last years playoff run. Assists from Liz Tschudin (3) and Izzy Correa (1) spelled doom for the young Tigers.
“This is a game the girls have been looking forward to,” said Sunapee coach Myles Cooney. “Last year we lost a tough final game here in Sunapee to Littleton in penalty kicks. We need to play smart and tough in the back, be mentally prepared through the midfield, and have an attacking mindset up top.”
Sunapee will head to Littleton on Sunday looking to avenge last years championship game loss that went into an extra round of shoot-outs to determine a winner.
“We have been inconsistent this season in many ways, but the big games seem to bring out the best in this team,” Cooney said. “I am hopeful Sunday will be one of those days. But hope doesn’t get you very far, it’s up to the kids, they know what they have to do to find success.”
Sunday’s game is set for 2pm.
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