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# John Stark makes early goal hold up to beat Souhegan in D2 field hockey final (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/john-stark-makes-early-goal-hold-up-to-beat-souhegan-in-d2-field-hockey-final/
- Published: 2022-11-01T01:30:31.000Z
- Updated: 2022-11-01T01:30:31.000Z
- Description: BEDFORD - While the John Stark Regional High School field hockey team was warming up, coach Dennis Pelletier noticed that senior Courtney Cranshaw was hitting the ball well. That warmup carried into the game for the Generals. Cranshaw scored the game's only goal less than three minutes in and No. 1
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, championship, field hockey, John Stark, playoffs, slider, Souhegan, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

BEDFORD - While the John Stark Regional High School field hockey team was warming up, coach Dennis Pelletier noticed that senior Courtney Cranshaw was hitting the ball well.

That warmup carried into the game for the Generals.

Cranshaw scored the game's only goal less than three minutes in and No. 1 John Stark's defense did the rest, keeping No. 2 Souhegan off the scoreboard in 1-0 win Sunday in the Division II championship game at Bedford High School. It's the first title for the Generals in field hockey.

"Courtney was hitting the ball so well in warmups, I was like ‘Cranshaw, it’s your day today,’" Pelletier said. "She found that opening and finished it. She’s definitely had ups and downs, but this year, she came through and did a great job for us."

The goal settle the Generals (16-0-1) down and allowed them to play from a head all game, something they hadn't been able to do in the regular season against Souhegan. It was also something that the Sabers hadn't experienced for most of the year, trailing only one other time, in the semifinal against Portsmouth.

"We did talk about that in practice, that we’ve done it before, if it happens, it’s not a big deal," Souhegan coach Kelli Braley said. "We scored two goals in a minute and 30 seconds in that semifinal. It was something we could do, we had the skill to do, but it just didn’t fall our way."

Cailyn Worthen got an assist on the goal, which came just 2:33 into the first quarter, and Edie Fischer made 13 saves for John Stark.

That included several late in the first half, when Souhegan (15-1-1) made one of its best pushes to try to tie the game. Fischer was all over the circle, and on the ground, trying to keep the Sabers from tying the game.

"I think in that time, my head was telling me just save the ball, that’s all you’ve got to do," Fischer said. "It’s not a matter of the right footwork or anything like that, just get the ball out. I think that got in my head at that time. I was just all over the place."

Annie Raduazzo had six saves for the Sabers, who probably had their best scoring chance late in the first half, when Ella Barrett put the ball across the front of the goal, but no one was at the far post to tip it in.

“We kept it down there for a bit,” Braley said. “We had a couple of really good opportunities where if we had that extra person on the post, that’s a tap in and it’s a totally different game at that point.”

The Generals had a pair of penalty corners to open the second half and nearly made it a two-goal game, but a shot was just wide of the cage.

Braley called a timeout with 4:56 left in the third to set up a play on a corner, but Bolduc was able to get out quickly to deflect a shot and a call against the Sabers ended the opportunity.

John Stark coach Dennis Pelletier used a timeout of his own with 6:10 remaining to help set up the Generals defense for down the stretch, putting in more defensive players upfront to try to keep Souhegan at bay.

“I don’t think I changed what I was doing until the fourth quarter, at least until I called the timeout,” Pelletier said. “Ava Friberg has been relentless when she gets on the field. Her and Caylin (Worthen) and Jillian (Fredette) don’t stop. Being able to put pressure on them from the forward line on down, that’s what I talk about when I say team defense.”

Souhegan was able to get a couple of corners late, but couldn’t do much with them and the Generals held on to win the program’s first field hockey championship.