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# Merrimack field hockey knocks off Nashua South in D1 play-in game (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/merrimack-field-hockey-knocks-off-nashua-south-in-d1-play-in-game-video/
- Published: 2020-10-20T12:00:40.000Z
- Updated: 2020-10-20T12:00:40.000Z
- Description: NASHUA - There have been years when the Merrimack High School field hockey team has its eye on earning a bye in the Division I playoffs. This season, in a year of oddities, the Tomahawks were looking forward to playing in Monday's play-in game against Nashua South. After playing just three games dur
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, field hockey, Merrimack, Nashua South, playoffs, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

NASHUA - There have been years when the Merrimack High School field hockey team has its eye on earning a bye in the Division I playoffs.

This season, in a year of oddities, the Tomahawks were looking forward to playing in Monday's play-in game against Nashua South.

After playing just three games during the regular season due to Covid-19-related issues, Merrimack was hoping to have an opportunity to play as much as it could. The Tomahawks will get at least one more game, after they defeated South 3-0 on Monday in a Division I play-in game at Stellos Stadium.

Paige Rivet scored two goals and Samantha Cota added another to help Merrimack (3-0-1) advance in the open tournament, where it will play Bishop Guertin on Wednesday, at 3 p.m. at Stellos.

"This was a really good game, both teams really did a nice job," Merrimack coach Ann MacLean said. "I was really pleased with the girls. We have some things we obviously need to work on, but I was pleased."

The Tomahawks hadn't played a game in 11 days, and there were opportunities that MacLean felt Merrimack missed out on that wouldn't have happened had they been in more of a rhythm. The Tomahawks controlled possession for long stretches and were unable to score on any of their nine penalty corners.

"There’s only so much you can do," the coach said. "We took what we had from the last couple of games and tried to work on skills and did some scrimmaging every day with the JVs. Now we have to put this together and look at the film, break it down, and go from there."

Kailey Daddona and Avery Hui each had an assist for Merrimack and goalie Natalia Gonzalez made one save to get the shutout.

South (3-5-1) got a strong defensive game from Lizzie DeRusha, Morgan Preston and Olivia Laro while goalie Courtney Tello was solid in the cage.

"Our defense as a whole (played well)," South coach Ciki McIntire said. "Morgan Preston went in and we told her she was going to be marking up really tight. She did an amazing job. Olivia Laro played well. Lizzie DeRusha is always our rock back there.

"When I pushed her up to be a threat, she sent a beautiful ball in, but we just couldn’t recover. At the beginning of the season, I thought maybe we didn’t have a defense, but I will not say that anymore. They all stepped up and really filled in to do what they need to do."

But South struggled to generate scoring chances without junior Kaitlyn West, the team's leading forward, who was out for precautionary reasons.

"We missed her obviously," McIntire said. "We talked about how when someone gets injured, or in 2020, if someone is not able to play, who is going to step up and be that leader. They embraced that and I think a lot of them stepped up. I’m really proud of them and the growth over the season."

Rivet opened the scoring with 5:45 left in the first quarter, and it looked like that goal might be the only one of the game, despite some near misses from Merrimack.

Twice late in the second quarter, Merrimack's Erin Knauer came close to extending the lead, first on a reverse hit that came across the cage and went wide, and later, on a hard shot that Tello got in front of to make the save.

"We have the kids to get the job done," MacLean said. "I’ve got some really heavy hitters and some skilled girls, but we did a lot of switching of positions. We’ll have to put it all together."

Rivet made it 2-0 with 1:49 remaining in the game, when Hui sent a ball into the circle, and Rivet was able to maneuver around enough to put a reverse hit past Tello. Cota made it a three-goal game a minute later.