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# Gilford field hockey rolls past Newport, into D3 semifinals (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/gilford-field-hockey-rolls-past-newport-into-d3-semifinals-video/
- Published: 2024-10-28T16:00:31.000Z
- Updated: 2024-10-28T16:00:31.000Z
- Description: GILFORD - Of all the teams the Gilford High School field hockey team could have drawn in Sunday's Division III quarterfinal, it got one that it had reason to not take lightly. The top-seeded Golden Eagles allowed just four goals during their undefeated regular season, but three of those were scored
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division III-IV, Division III, field hockey, Gilford, Newport, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

GILFORD - Of all the teams the Gilford High School field hockey team could have drawn in Sunday's Division III quarterfinal, it got one that it had reason to not take lightly.

The top-seeded Golden Eagles allowed just four goals during their undefeated regular season, but three of those were scored by ninth-seeded Newport.

Gilford made a focused effort to keep the Tigers from sustaining any offensive pressure and continued to put some on Newport's defense, even after taking the lead, on the way to a 3-0 win. The victory sends the two-time defending champions back to the D3 semifinals, where the Golden Eagles will play either No. 5 Hopkinton or No. 4 Berlin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.

Grace Southworth had two goals for Gilford (15-0) and Liv Keenan also scored, giving her team the lead with 6:30 left in the first quarter. Riley Coutts and Catherine Fay each added an assist and Madi Breton made one save in the shutout.

"Our defense was really locked in (Sunday)," Keenan said. "They have really strong players up front, so we had to be all in. Once we scored two, we played straight, hard defense."

Southworth's first goal came midway through the second quarter to make it 2-0 and give Gilford some room to work with against a Newport team (7-8-1) it had beaten twice this year. The first of those games was a one-goal win back in early September, when the Golden Eagles were still trying to figure things out about this year's team.

"We’ve come a long way since the first time we played them this season," Gilford coach Joy Southworth said. "I think the biggest change for us is that we’ve meshed as a team and we work as one unit."

That's how Gilford played defensively, keeping Newport from sustaining anything offensively, even when the Tigers had one of their six penalty corners. And if the Golden Eagles weren't slowing down Newport's attack, the Tigers were doing it to themselves.

"I think sometimes when we play a pretty long game, because we have that speed and we have those drives, it’s just a matter of shifting as a team in our formation up the field," Newport coach Haley Cotrupi said. "If we don’t have that quick touch, we get caught dribbling and playing with it too long and not getting a scoring opportunity or testing out the goalie. Gilford has an amazing team and some of that goes to them. It’s not for lack of trying."

Goalie Bree Robertson kept Newport in the game, making 18 saves, including a handful in the fourth quarter that kept the Tigers within striking distance. But Grace Southworth's second goal with 7:32 remaining put the game out of reach.

"If they score one, it’s 2-1, and then it’s stressful," Keenan said. "I think up three (goals) is a good place to be. We just had to be really decisive with our shots and go for it, not think about it."