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EXETER – The John Stark Generals had their opposition, Hanover, beaten before the end of the first half on Tuesday night at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter. Now, John Stark is one win away from the first-ever three-peat in D-II field hockey history. “As the first-year head coach coming into it.
This is the same team, though, that's been here for three years the upperclassmen, I love that I get to be a part of it and bring them to the last game,” said head coach Cassidy Huckins. One powerful goal by sophomore midfielder, Addison DeCew, and two goals scored shortly after by senior forward, Jillian Fredette, in the second quarter saw them ahead 3-0 at the half. “The first half was so impressive, and we had that energy.
We got three right off the bat,” said Huckins. “Second half, they scared me a little bit because Hanover came out even stronger, and they wanted to win. We did too, but they had a good fight the whole game.
” The Generals came out of the gate with strong offensive play, drawing four corners and multiple shots on target in the first quarter. In the second, Hanover’s goalkeeper, Harper Rogers-Rosenthal, had just come up with multiple saves in the circle but John Stark earned their fifth penalty corner. From that corner, John Stark attempted the same play they had tried and failed with the previous four times and, finally, broke through with a powerful shot by Addison DeCew rattled the back of the goal, assisted by Adison Bolduc.
Shortly after, senior forward Jillian Fredette scored two of her own in a jam-packed circle to add to the lead and suddenly the Generals were ahead three to none. “I feel like we trust each other so much as a team. We were able to build on that, hype each other up.
After that first goal, we were able to bring up the energy,” said Jillian Fredette. Article continues after..
. Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Despite the big lead, the game was not perfect for Stark. In the second half, the Bears began to play for their survival.
Early in the third quarter, the Bears’ sophomore midfielder, Joia Collins scored a goal that brought them closer after a good save by John Stark’s sophomore goalkeeper, Rowin Ledy. Goalkeeper Rowin Ledy’s work was not done there as in the fourth quarter she came up with a few more big saves from Hanover's penalty corners—and had eight in total. Once again, the defense for Stark clutched up and cleared the ball from the circle well to stay ahead.
Stark’s defenders, Ryann Telgen, Emily Fredette and Kaitlin Dennis, got their sticks between Hanover’s shots and their goalkeeper throughout the game and limited Hanover’s attacks on the sides. Jillian Fredette was a part of the past two championship-winning teams for John Stark, knows what it takes to win, and hopes that her team can pull it off again. “Coming in with energy, coming out hot in that first quarter, scoring right off the bat.
That seemed to help us the past two years, we scored in the first quarter,” Fredette said. “We've been working so hard. And again, it's a different team, but we have the same potential we always have, and then we have the drive that we always had,” said one of the Generals’ captains, Adison Bolduc.
The Hanover Bears had pulled off the only upset of the D-II playoffs so far against second-seeded Oyster River in the quarterfinal round last Friday. Hanover was trying to reach their first final since becoming champions in 2019. John Stark had proven its grit and defensive prowess against Merrimack Valley in a, 1-0, win in the quarterfinal.
In the semifinal, Stark faced an unlikely opponent. The two teams had boasted strong defensive play that had kept their opponents scoreless in the playoffs, but Hanover was outmatched. “We weren't really that nervous coming in, because we've been here before.
We know what we have to do to get the same results as last year and the year before that,” said Bolduc. In the end, the No. 3 Generals won, 3-1, over the No.
7 Hanover Bears and will advance to the championship against No. 1 Hollis-Brookline, who beat fourth-seeded Bow, 3-0. The championship game will be held at Bedford High School on Saturday, Nov.
2nd at 7 p.m. “People didn't think we would get this far.
Honestly, they didn't. Some people left last season, players. Teams didn't think we'd make it this far, and we showed them different,” said Huckins.
“And yes, the pressure's on, but I think we do good with pressure, and we're ready for it.” Alexander Rapp can be reached at [email protected].
