Londonderry shuts out Bedford to move on in the D1 field hockey playoffs

LONDONDERRY – The Londonderry High School field hockey team remembered all too well the last time it played Bedford.

Two weeks ago, the Lancers lost on the road to the Bulldogs 4-3, despite taking an early lead. No. 7 Londonderry flipped that result Thursday, ending No. 10 Bedford’s season with a 2-0 win in the preliminary round of the Division I tournament.

Jackie Curtin and Tianna Federico each had a goal in the first half as the Lancers won their third game in a row. Goalie Sam Harris stopped everything that came her way, but between the Londonderry defense and some unlucky bounces for Bedford, it wasn’t much.

The Lancers (10-5) controlled play for most of the first half, but it was two long breakaways that netted Londonderry its goals. Bedford made adjustments at halftime, and managed to limit Londonderry’s chance, but when the Bulldogs (6-9) got opportunities of their own, they couldn’t capitalize.

“We just couldn’t get any bounces to go, and so much of this game is a bounce here or there,” Bedford coach Steve Connors said. “They were there at opportune times and it just didn’t fall. They played hard. It’s always hard coming to somebody else’s field and playing in the first round. They were excited and ready to play.”

The four goals Londonderry allowed in its loss to Bedford during the regular season was the second most it had allowed all season. The Lancers had nine shutouts before Thursday’s game, including a stretch of six shutouts in a row, and allowed an average of 1.1 goals per game.

“We knew they played an up-forward and I think that’s what beat us last game,” Londonderry coach Laura Federico said. “We didn’t read that well, so we really worked on it a lot. They’re very good offensively in the circle. In the first game we played against Bedford, we were up 1-0 and we ended up losing. We’re learned not to settle and not rely on that.”

Londonderry got on the board early, as Curtin received a long pass that took her behind the Bedford defense. As she came in to the left of the cage, Curtin flipped her stick over and rifled a shot into the far corner for a 1-0 lead with 21:38 left in the first half.

“Giving up that first goal, as much as you can preach it, that one goal doesn’t mean anything and we can come back, it’s a deflator,” Connors said. “They got a little down.”

Bedford fought back in the first half, but it was an aggressive play by the Bulldogs that allowed the Lancers to get the second goal. As an extra player pressing up into the play, Londonderry got the ball to Curtin in the vacant spot in the Bedford defense.

Curtin went in alone on Bedford goalie Mary-Kate Heald as the defense scrambled to get back. Heald moved to her left to cut off Curtin, but Tianna Federico was charging in from the other side. Curtin slipped the ball to Federico and she had no trouble hitting it into the open cage.

“They were beautiful, passing into space,” Laura Federico said. “These girls, you could see them progress all year in that category. They’re comfortable with each other at this stage, and that’s what you want. They knew someone was going to be there.”

Londonderry had a chance to make it 3-0 about 11 minutes into the second half, when the ball made its way into a scrum in front of the Bedford net. Heald and two Bedford defenders tried to knock it away, but the ball came to Tianna Federico on the left side of the cage. This time, she was unable to flip her stick around and knock it home.

“We made adjustments at halftime, and they worked,” Connors said. “They didn’t get inside the circle as much as they did in the first half and we kept them out of the cage.

“There were 36 seconds left, and we’re down 2-0, and they’re pressing the ball and going after the ball like it was the first minute of the game. That’s the stuff that makes a team. They didn’t give up.”

Londonderry moves on to face No. 2 Winnacunnet, the two-time defending champion, in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

“We played them the first game of the season (2-0 win for Winnacunnet), and we’ve both improved since then,” Laura Federico said. “It will be a great game to see. Everyone underestimates us, so we’ve kind of learned to live with that and feed off that.”