Derryfield girls lacrosse cruises past Bow, clinches top seed in D3
MANCHESTER – The Derryfield School girls lacrosse team ended the regular season on about as high a note as it could have asked. The Cougars utilized a second-half surge to earn a 16-9 home victory over Bow Thursday, securing the No. 1 seed in the NHIAA Division III playoffs.
Bow (12-2) ended the first half on a 3-0 run to trim Derryfield’s lead to 8-7. The Cougars (13-1) responded by scoring the first seven goals of the second half and limiting Bow to just two goals over the final 25 minutes.
The loss marked Bow’s first since a 17-15 setback at Hopkinton on April 18.
Derryfield led by at least one and as many as eight goals in the second half.
Madi Kochanek scored five of Derryfield’s goals over the team’s 7-0 run and won four of the first five draws of the second half. She finished with five draw controls overall.
Kochanek, who finished with nine goals and an assist, did not take any draws in the first half. Cougars coach Mellissa Catenza said she felt the midfielder could provide a spark in that area over the last 25 minutes.
“I was just pulling it back to the girl behind me and just trying to place it where I thought was best for our girls,” Kochanek said.
Catenza credited her team’s seven-goal outburst to start the second half to her players taking a more relaxed approach and working through plays on offense.
Kochanek said the Cougars’ defense played a big role in their ability to put the game out of reach in the second half.
Emma Gagne scored Bow’s first goal of the second half with 9:12 remaining. Derryfield limited the Falcons to just four shots on goal over the final 25 minutes. Maggie Cissel made seven saves for the Cougars, two of which came in the second half.
“Our transition (was) one of the biggest things we were working on (Thursday) – just doubling the ball in the midfield and just working really hard to not even let them get down into our end,” Kochanek said. “And I think that really improved in the second half and that’s (what) changed our game.”
Bow coach Chris Raabe felt the Falcons could have done a better job taking care of the ball and fighting for ground balls.
Freshman Olivia Strong had a hat trick for Derryfield. Teammates O’Neill Galinson, Nicole Mayer, Isabell Plotsker and Sydney Socha all scored once.
Gagne finished with a team-high four goals for Bow. Maggie Vogt and Taylor Darrell both scored twice and Olivia Krause tallied one goal for the Falcons. Krause also logged 15 draw controls.
While Bow ended its regular season with a loss, Raabe doesn’t suspect the setback will affect her team in the playoffs.
“This does not make or break us,” Raabe said. “We’re going to see each other again anyways so I’m not too worried about it.”
Catenza said the game will help the Cougars key in on what they need to fix heading into the postseason.
“It shows us what we still need to work on – what mistakes we continue to make that we need to stop making,” Catenza said.
