Londonderry field hockey able to hold off Bedford for win

LONDONDERRY - In Londonderry High School’s second field hockey game of the season Wednesday, the Lancers came to win, despite the humid and hot conditions.

After coming off a big win over Manchester Memorial, Londonderry knew that Bedford would likely be a close matchup. And the Lancers were right, as Londonderry picked up the win 2-1. 

“I think definitely like standing a little more, conditioning-wise, " said Londonderry head coach Nichole Treadway when asked about her thoughts post-game. “We were running out of gas. But that is what happens when it is cool and then all of a sudden it is an 80-degree, humid day. I would love a little more stamina. 

“Also, we have been working on our defensive stamina, but I thought our passing looked great and our girls had a lot of grit. Our girls did not give up at all, and that is something I am really happy with. That is something we have been working on a lot.”

From the start, Londonderry’s strong passing skills and speed on the field were impressive. Practicing on the grass at home daily seemed to be to their advantage Wednesday afternoon, as the Lancers were able to glide the ball well. 

Londonderry (2-0) dominated on offense during the first quarter but was unable to score. Bedford (1-1-1) was mostly on the defensive but collectively picked up some momentum towards the end of the first quarter. 

But the score remained 0-0 after the first 15 minutes of play. 

Londonderry came out of the huddle with excitement to open up the second quarter and scored within 90 seconds, as Ava Windisch scored off a feed from Maya Silvestro. Bedford tried to clap back, and had moments of speedy breakaways, but was not able to score during the first half. 

After the half, Bedford felt the pressure to add points on the board, and a little over five minutes into the third quarter, Sydney Davidson scored the Bulldogs first goal off a penalty corner. 

About three minutes later, Londonderry returned and scored again on a corner, this time by Alison Chambers, but not without controversy.

The refs discussed the possibility of taking the goal back due to how high the ball was scored. In field hockey, the ball must cross the goal line at a height of 18 inches or less, which is equivalent to the height of the board in the back of the net.

After a brief discussion, the refs decided the goal was good, and Londonderry maintained its lead over Bedford, 2-1. 

“I definitely wanted to put another one in just to seal the deal but both officials agreed it was a goal so I trust that”, said Treadway. 

The last 15 minutes were a test for Bedford, as Londonderry had multiple offensive corners. Bedford goalie Irene Tsai made numerous key saves that prevented Londonderry from scoring again. 

However, Bedford was unable to add another goal, and Londonderry prevailed, 2-1, for its second win of the year. 

Bedford will have a little bit of a break before its next game, as it will play at Timberlane on Sept. 6. Londonderry will have a quicker turnaround until its next game, as the Lancers will travel to the Seacoast to play Winnacunnet on Friday.