Pinkerton girls soccer tops Bedford to win second straight D1 title

EXETER – Courtney Velho was just trying to hit a teammate in the head.

Fortunately for the Pinkerton Academy senior, she found something even better – the back of the net.

Velho’s free kick with about four minutes to play in Sunday’s Division I girls soccer championship took a funny bounce that fooled the defense of No. 1 Bedford and gave No. 3 Pinkerton a 2-1 win over the Bulldogs at Bill Ball Stadium. For the Astros, it’s the second straight championship after winning the program’s first last season.

“Someone said the other team was more focused on the call, that they weren’t paying attention, so I just kicked it,” Velho said. “I was aiming for people’s heads, but it went in. I’ll take it.”

Julia Bousquet also scored for Pinkerton, heading in a corner kick by Melanie Roberge early in the first half to give the Astros (16-3) the lead. Pinkerton had threatened to score another one, but the Bulldogs defense – led by goalie Lauren Johnson – came up with big plays and eventually Bedford gained momentum and held it for a long time.

“It was a game of ebb-and-flow,” Pinkerton coach Steve Gundrum said. “We were better for 20 minutes, and then they were better for the next 50 until they scored. Then we picked it up and scored. It was a matter of who scored, then the momentum changed to the other team.

“One could argue that they deserved to win the game, and you know what, I could see their argument. Then again, we put the ball in the net when we had. Both teams were pretty good. We were fortunate to come out here and win.”

Bedford (16-2-1) got its lone goal from Brianna CoCo with under 14 minutes to play when she put in a rebound off a shot by Saylor Clark.

Velho had been shadowing Clark all game, and to see the Bedford senior get away from her and then come back to score the game-winning goal was a bit of redemption.

“I was man-marking her the entire game,” Velho said. “It feels great, and knowing I’m not going to be here next year, I leave a legacy, kind of. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Pinkerton took control of possession early in the first half and put pressure on Bedford’s defense. The Astros got a pair of corner kicks in the first five minutes, but couldn’t capitalize, with Bulldogs goalie Lauren Johnson plucking the second out of the area.

But moments later, Pinkerton got another corner, and this time the Astros found the back of the net, as Bousquet got open in the box and headed in a kick by Roberge in the ninth minute.

The Astros didn’t let up after the goal, as Erica Parent headed another corner wide just five minutes later. After Pinkerton’s Nicole Alves was taken down just outside the box, Roberge put the ball in close, but Bedford was able to clear it out.

The Bulldogs finally started to get the offense going in the final 10 minutes of the half, getting their best opportunity off a free kick by CoCo.

The ball ended up at the feet of Clark, and her shot to the far side looked like it was going in, but Pinkerton goalie Reagan Kolinski made a diving save, getting a piece of the shot with her left hand.

“I shifted to the right at first, because that was the way it was going, but I had to shift quickly to the left because she changed the directions with the ball,” Kolinski said. “I wasn’t really set, so it was harder, but I got my hand on it.”

After Bedford tied it up on CoCo’s goal, the Bulldogs had a couple of chances on corner kicks, but Kolinski was able to make a save on each, punching the ball out on the second. Pinkerton took possession after that, setting up Velho’s goal.

The kick came from about 30 yards out and seemed to fool some of Bedford’s defenders, as it took a bounce into the far corner of the net.

The Bulldogs had one more great opportunity, as Olivia CoCo put a shot on goal that was going in, but Kolinski leapt up and knocked the ball away at the last moment. The final whistle sounded seconds later and the Astros mobbed the goaltender in celebration.