In the Junior Varsity match, Coach Sparks moved players around the field in different positions as she tried to find the best spot for each girl. The first half was a hard fought back and forth battle, that closed the first 40 minutes with 0-0 score. Despite some good opportunities, the Souhegan girls were not able to tally a goal, while Bedford was able to notch 2 goals for the win.
The Varsity match was full of exciting moments. Before the game even started, the locker room was full of excitement and a bit of anxiety. The reality of stepping onto the field with 5 Freshman in the starting lineup against a very strong Bedford team was hard to overlook. I am not 100% sure, but I don't think that any prior SHS squad has put that many Freshman on the field, especially in an opening day match.
Any anxiety and jitters quickly vanished when Kelsea Bemis took a pass from Erin MacDonald and buried it in the Bedford goal with only 19 seconds elapsed. Kelsea added to the lead about 20 minutes later when she made a great run and used the outside of her foot to place a shot perfectly pass the Bedford keeper. Bedford was able to put themselves on the board with a well placed corner kick that bent directly into the far corner over the outstretched arms of Holly Bourassa.
We challenged the girls at halftime to step up the intensity, and not let down in the second half. The entire group took that to heart and continually kept pressure on the Bedford defense. A second well struck corner kick by Peyton Kent found Maddie Learned who was able to record her first SHS varsity goal, and bring the score to 3-1. The team played right to the last second to secure the win for the Sabers.
Needless to say, the coaching staff was extremely proud of the entire team for a great win, and we are excited at the potential of this years' group. In the words of the Bedford coach..."holy cow can your kids run.."
