Exeter shuts down Windham to return to D1 field hockey final (video)

EXETER - It was a moment that looked like it could shift Thursday’s Division I semifinal between the Windham and Exeter high school field hockey teams.

It did, just not in the way everyone might have expected.

With a little over three minutes left in the first quarter, Addison MacNeil picked up a green card and was sent to the sideline, leaving the Blue Hawks down a player. Windham had the ball just outside Exeter's 25-yard line, looking to take advantage of the extra-player situation, but when the Jaguars went to pass back to gain some momentum, the Blue Hawks' Danica Caron stole the ball and went in on a breakout the other way.

Caron carried in on Windham goalie Annie Mitchell and sent a well-placed shot on goal, finding the back of the cage to give No. 2 Exeter all it would need. MacNeil added an insurance goal with 3:11 remaining and the Blue Hawks knocked off No. 3 Windham 2-0 at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.

"Definitely frustrating to be sitting on the sideline watching, but I jumped right out of my chair," MacNeil said of the first goal. "I had to sit right back down. I was just very hyped to know that when I went back out there, we would have a little wiggle room. We just had to keep playing our game."

Exeter's game was to not give Windham many opportunities inside the circle, as the Jaguars had just five penalty corners and forced Blue Hawks goalie Peyton King to make just four saves.

"We had chances, just the execution on it," Windham coach Sophia Poulin said. "I think that comes with playing on turf. They’re so used to the even field, they’ve adapted to that game and they get so low in the circle and they’re protecting their feet at any cost. It’s hard to pull a corner against a team like that. They’re a strong defensive team and a strong offensive team."

The Blue Hawks (16-1-1) had eight corners, but like Windham (14-3-1), were unable to capitalize on any of them. Mitchell finished with four saves, including two late in the first half that kept it a one-goal game.

Exeter opened the second half with a couple of corners, but couldn't get a shot off, thanks in part to a solid defensive play by Windham's Sophia Ponzini on one of them.

The Jaguars were finally able to sustain pressure to open the fourth, as King had to make a save early in the quarter, setting Windham up with back-to-back corners. But on the second, a shot by the Jaguars went wide of the cage.

With about six minutes left, it looked Windham's Sarah Adamske was going to have a scoring opportunity, but Exeter's Lindsay Ducharme made a great defensive play to keep the ball out of the net.

Moments later, MacNeil buried a shot to give Exeter a 2-0 lead with 3:11 remaining to send the Blue Hawks on their way back to the D1 final for the second year in a row.

"We knew going into the fourth quarter, they’d be gunning for it," MacNeil said. "We knew they’d want a goal. They’re a very good team. We knew they’d have a super high-intensity and we just had to keep our heads level.

"It was very exciting to be able to go out there and put one in and send us to the next round."

Exeter will have a chance for back-to-back titles Sunday at 1:30 p.m., when the Blue Hawks will face No. 1 Winnacunnet, which beat No. 4 Dover 3-2 in overtime, in the other semifinal.

"It's very exciting," MacNeil said. "My freshman and sophomore year, we were not a playoff-contending team. This year, we’re very well-rounded. We know how to communicate with each other and listen. It’s a good year."