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# Hollis Brookline field hockey survives against Plymouth to return to D2 semis
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/hollis-brookline-field-hockey-survives-against-plymouth-to-return-to-d2-semis/
- Published: 2024-10-26T13:00:08.000Z
- Updated: 2024-10-26T13:00:08.000Z
- Description: HOLLIS - The Hollis Brookline High School field hockey team found out Friday there was more than just a first-round bye that came with being the top seed in the Division II playoffs. It also comes with pressure, and playing its first game in a week against a Plymouth it had just beat by four goals,
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, field hockey, Hollis Brookline, playoffs, Plymouth, quarterfinals, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

HOLLIS - The Hollis Brookline High School field hockey team found out Friday there was more than just a first-round bye that came with being the top seed in the Division II playoffs.

It also comes with pressure, and playing its first game in a week against a Plymouth it had just beat by four goals, the Cavaliers felt it.

But in the fourth quarter, No. 1 HB overcame it, as Addison Marchant deflected a shot by Nyah Jernberg into the goal with just under nine minutes to play, and the Cavs made it hold up to beat the No. 8 Bobcats 2-1.

The win sends HB (16-1) to the D2 semifinals for the second time in three years, where it will face No. 4 Bow (14-3) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.

"The pressure was definitely on us as the No. 1 seed," HB coach Greg Cochrane said. "They’re playing games and we’re waiting. We’ve got our feet up and they’re playing. They definitely used that to their advantage. They came out strong and gave it to us a little. I thought we bent, but didn’t break, and just kept our resiliency and fought back."

Brooke Bouchard had the first goal for the Cavs, as she scored off a penalty corner with 4:13 remaining in the first half. Emily Tebbetts picked up an assist on the score.

It looked like HB would take that lead into halftime, but in the final seconds of the second quarter, Plymouth (10-8) got the ball into the circle and got a corner. Carys Mitchell scored off an assist from Carlotta Contini with no time on the clock to tie the game and give the Bobcats the momentum.

"We were so glad to have gotten that in right before the half, but we were also like, shoot, we wanted to ride that," Plymouth coach Ashley Laufenberg said. "That was probably one of our best executed corners of the year timing wise and the importance of it."

The Bobcats were able to carry that momentum into the second half, and while the Cavs had a couple of scoring chances early and the lone corner of the third quarter, Plymouth goalie Alexis Lucas made a couple of key saves and her teammates were able to keep the ball in HB's end for stretches.

"It was definitely the vibe of no pressure," Laufenberg said. "You come in as an underdog, or undercats as we were calling ourselves, you get to have fun. You don’t have the first seed thing. We got to play before, so the jitters got out in that first round with our home crowd.

"We come here with the mindset of, well, they’ve already beaten us once (5-1 on Oct. 15), why don’t we just show them what we can do. They never let down, from that first whistle all the way through the last."

For the Cavs, in between quarters, Cochrane reminded them of what they wanted to be doing on the field and they were able to execute it in the fourth quarter.

"We got trapped on one side of the field and they did a really good job of shutting down our transfer game and that affected us," he said. "The girls stayed tough and true and they prevailed."

Marchant's goal came off another corner with 8:58 to play, and HB had a chance to add an insurance goal moments later, but Lucas made a save on a breakout by Tebbetts.

The Cavs made the one-goal lead stand up this time and move on to the next round feeling like they're more battle tested.

"The last few games we played into the regular season, a lot of it went the way we wanted, so this was a good tune up," Cochrane said. "You don’t want this game, because it was a nailbiter, but as a coach, you do because you want your guys to be battle tested. We got punched a little bit, but we needed this."