Fast start, quick response help Oyster River field hockey beat Hollis Brookline (video)

DURHAM - The Oyster River High School field hockey team is always looking for a quick response whenever a goal is scored.

Late in the third quarter Thursday against Hollis Brookline, the Bobcats got one and kept the tide from turning.

Right after the Cavaliers got on the board, Oyster River went back down the field, got a penalty corner and scored what proved to be the game-winning goal just 90 seconds later in a 3-2 win over HB in a Division II contest.

With the teams tied for second in the division going into the game, the win gives the Bobcats the advantage in trying to get a first-round bye in the postseason. It also snapped the Cavs' 10-game winning streak.

"We’ve had the mantra ‘one more’ all season long," Oyster River coach Anne Golding said. "I’m proud of the team effort. That is going to continue to be our mindset moving forward. We’re a team and we’ll do this as a team. Nothing to be mad about and we’ll move on to the next."

Eliza Farwell scored two goals in the first half for the Bobcats and Maggie Aldous added the game-winner with 49.4 seconds remaining in the third quarter, just a tick more than 90 seconds after HB had cut the lead in half on the first of Nyah Jernberg's two goals.

"I pay attention to momentum," Golding said of the sequence late in the third. "Is my team still grinding? Are they still showing up where they need to show up in a defensive recovery? Are they still able to get up the field in an offensive transition?

"They were still doing that and that third goal happened when it happened. I would expect that from this group. We want 90 seconds, where it’s in and we got an offensive opportunity of some kind. Then we just try and finish as a team."

The Bobcats (11-2, No. 8 in the NHHSSports Coaches Poll) had to do the same in the final seconds, as the Cavs (10-3, No. 6) did whatever they could to tie the game up.

Oyster River goalie Harley Kachadorian made three of her six saves in those final moments, including back-to-back stops on HB's Sabrina Hill just before time expired.

Hill got the ball low, near the post and at an awkward angle. In the time it took to get her stick around, Kachadorian, who had just made a save, was able to get into position and keep the ball out.

"She did a fantastic job," Golding said. "That position is a specialty position. It’s challenging and hard for a lot of reasons. You’re team is up 2-0 and then you get scored on, but then we bring it back to the team. It’s not her getting scored on, it’s the team getting scored on. It’s not just Maggie’s goal, it’s the team’s goal. I think that helps her know she’s supported. I think that helps her in those moments."

The 2-0 lead for Oyster River was something HB hasn't seen from an opponent in quite some time. During the Cavs' streak, they allowed just two goals total, recording eight shutouts.

"I didn’t love the way we started," HB coach Greg Cochrane said. "The moment got a little big for us and we felt the pressure. The bus ride was very quiet here, which is not typically how we operate. The girls are usually a little looser, so I was concerned with the start of the game and it started slow for us. Credit to Oyster River, they came out absolutely flying. We just didn’t match it."

The Bobcats came out of halftime looking for more, getting two penalty corners early in the third quarter, but the Cavs were able to defend them and started to find opportunities at the other end.

Jernberg finally finished one of those chances on a shot that hit Kachadorian, but still found its way into the netting.

But Oyster River came right back, getting a corner right after the goal. At first, it looked like HB was going to get the ball out, but the Bobcats kept it in and Aldous sent the ball past a diving Rae Kline (seven saves) to make it 3-1.

"That goal hurt," Cochrane said. "We gained a little momentum and we watched that momentum go away real fast. Again, credit to Oyster River for coming out and matching a little bit of momentum on our end to cancel that out."

HB came out strong in the fourth quarter, getting a pair of corners early, but couldn't finish. The Cavs finally got within one gain with 8:27 to play, as Jernberg scored on a corner to make it 3-2.

"We had our spots and our opportunities," Cochrane said. "I was proud of how resilient and how we fought to bring this game to a respectful, competitive game, because it could have gotten away from us."