Goffstown field hockey controls play from start to finish in win over Derryfield (video)

GOFFSTOWN - Playing a regional schedule this season for the Goffstown High School field hockey team meant taking on a handful of teams from Division I.

So when the Grizzlies took the field Thursday for a Division II preliminary-round game against Derryfield, they were ready to go.

Goffstown kept the pressure on the Cougars' defense for most of the game, and had four players score goals in a 4-0 win. The win sends the Grizzlies to the quarterfinals, where they will host Souhegan, which defeated Hollis Brookline in the prelminary round.

Grace Taylor had a goal and an assist for Goffstown (5-4-2) while Jess Vo, Maggie Jorczak and Bethany Dubreuil also had a goal each and Makayla Strickulis and Alyssa Gabbidon had an assist apiece. Jaiden Lacerte and Maddie Sage split time in goal, but neither saw a shot.

"The girls didn’t just play a good game, they played a complete game," Goffstown coach Jess Brown said. "I thought it was a very strong 60-minute game by us. Four different people scoring, multiple corners, and it felt like a lot of play happening above our defensive end."

The Grizzlies managed to keep the ball on Derryfield's half of the field for most of the first 10 minutes of the game and came close to breaking through, even having a goal waved off in the early moments on a dangerous play.

Goffstown got on the board early in the second quarter, when Vo redirected a pass by Taylor into the far side of the goal, giving the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead just 2:29 into the frame. Dubreuil made it 2-0 just 2:31 after that and Goffstown continued to put the pressure on the Cougars.

The Grizzlies finished the game with 17 penalty corners, but only one of their goals came off a set play.

"This has been season-long effort, that we keep working creating and finishing scoring opportunities, not just on set plays," Brown said. "It was nice to see them (do that). It was nice to see that it was scoring opportunities that they were finishing."

Jorczak scored to make it 3-0 with 3:22 left in the first half and Taylor added a goal with 3:35 to play in the third quarter. The Grizzlies also had two goals waved off in the second half.

Derryfield coach Kelsey Federico felt that, given the length of time Goffstown spent in the Cougars' end, that her defense played well. Goalie Paige Davis finished with six saves.

"I think we really came through defensively," she said. "We have a lot of development to do on our forward line and in the midfield. I’m really proud of their efforts in terms of distributing the ball. We competed with them for sure in the first quarter, and toward the end of the game. What we needed to work on was just our forward movement, and Goffstown did an excellent job just stepping to the ball."

After playing 10 of their 12 regular-season games against teams from D1, the Grizzlies had a greater sense of urgency heading into the playoffs, according to Brown.

"It’s probably been good for us in a sense, because there hasn’t been a game for us to relax," she said. "It’s not only worked on our skill, but also on the mental part of our game. I feel like that might have helped us going into (Thursday)."

For Derryfield, it was just the third game of the season.

"We could have benefited from a little more development with an actual season," Federico said. "It’s hard to play on a grass field after playing on turf all season. No matter what, I’m proud of their efforts. Not a normal season for us in the slightest bit."