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# Manchester's penalty stroke gives Windham field hockey OT win over Bedford (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/manchesters-penalty-stroke-gives-windham-field-hockey-ot-win-over-bedford-video/
- Published: 2022-10-04T21:10:50.000Z
- Updated: 2022-10-04T21:10:50.000Z
- Description: BEDFORD - Sophie Manchester had never attempted a penalty stroke in a game. When the Windham High School field hockey team was awarded on in overtime Monday against Bedford, Sophia Ponzini wanted her teammate to change that. As the teams and the officials were preparing for the stroke, Ponzini pulle
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Bedford, field hockey, slider, Windham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

BEDFORD - Sophie Manchester had never attempted a penalty stroke in a game.

When the Windham High School field hockey team was awarded on in overtime Monday against Bedford, Sophia Ponzini wanted her teammate to change that.

As the teams and the officials were preparing for the stroke, Ponzini pulled Manchester back into the circle and told her to take it.

Manchester didn't let the Jaguars down, as her shot found the netting with 2:47 left in OT to give Windham a 4-3 win over Bedford in a Division I contest that will likely have implications on playoff seeding.

"It was my first one in a real game," Manchester said. "We’ve done a lot of practice on them. My teammates believed in me, they pushed me. It just happened really fast."

It was the third goal of the game for Manchester, who scored twice in the first half to help Windham (10-1-1, No. 3 in the NHHSSports Coaches Poll) take a 2-1 lead into halftime. Ponzini added a goal and an assist, as she scored early in the third quarter to give the Jaguars a 3-1 lead.

But Bedford (8-3, No. 6) came back, getting a goal from Amelia Macdonald just 1:32 after Ponzini's goal to cut the lead back to one. The Bulldogs looked like they might tie it later in the quarter, but Windham goalie Annie Mitchell (15 saves) came up with a pair of saves on a penalty corner to keep it a 3-2 game.

"We are so grateful for Annie Mitchell," Windham coach Sophia Poulin said. "It’s part of the mindset she brings to the game. She’s got that positive attitude and she’s focused on the game. She feeds the energy of everyone else on top of her skill."

Bedford tied it on a goal by Anna Putney with nine minutes to play and the Bulldogs had a chance for the win on a corner in the final minute, but Mitchell again came up with a save.

After the teams traded possession in the opening minutes of overtime, Windham was able to take control, getting four corners in a row. Bedford goalie Addison Wolfinger made three saves, but on the last one, a Bulldogs player knocked over Windham's Kenzie Suech in the circle and the Jaguars were awarded the stroke.

"We called for Ponzini to take it," Poulin said. "There was some sort of push that happened. It was such a scramble, I’m still trying to figure it out."

Instead, Ponzini, who recently committed to play at UMass-Amherst, had a different idea.

"(Manchester) was playing very well and she definitely had positivity in her to go up to the stroke mark," Ponzini said. "She was rejecting me. She didn’t believe in herself, but whenever we do it in practice, she makes every single stroke. I was like ‘no, you’re doing it.’ I pushed her into the circle."

Manchester didn't have time to think about it too much.

"It’s so good to have such a strong leader," she said. "I was so surprised. I was like 'our D1 commit just asked me to take it.' Every player has their own technique. It’s just depends on how the goalie plays during the game and you just do what you’re most comfortable with."

Through the first quarter, it looked like Windham might have trouble holding off Bedford, never mind have a chance to win in overtime.

The Bulldogs kept the ball in the Jaguars' end for most of the quarter and finally went ahead on a goal by Regan O'Brien with 56.2 seconds to go in the frame.

Windham regrouped in between quarters and started to change the field in the second, tying the game on Manchester's first goal with 8:11 to go until halftime.

"Something we’re working on as a team is adapting," Poulin said. "What I feel like our struggle is that we’re playing to the level of our competition and we haven’t found our game yet as a team. It takes a minute to find that.

"Bedford plays such a great passing game and such a great defensive game. I told the girls, they are going to have three people on you at all times and we have to figure a way around that."

Manchester's second goal came with 18.4 seconds left in the half and gave Windham a 2-1 lead.

"I think we needed to spread out and play our game," Ponzini said. "We’re a good team, I think when we play our game, we play well. We just needed to get out of our heads.

"I think we just relaxed a little bit and let go."