Pembroke girls soccer bounces back with win over Merrimack Valley

PENACOOK - The Pembroke Academy girls soccer team showcased its resolve en route to a 2-1 victory at Merrimack Valley on Thursday.

The Spartans (8-1) entered the contest coming off its first loss, a 3-2 setback against Hollis Brookline last Friday. Five minutes into Thursday’s game, Pembroke found itself down by a goal to the Pride (5-5).

The Spartans did not back down. They recorded the equalizer in the seventh minute. After Kayla Paquin scored the go-ahead goal with 19 minutes remaining, Pembroke withstood heavy pressure from the Pride to secure the win.

“We were just talking about as a team how we suffered our first loss of the season against a good team, Hollis Brookline,” Pembroke coach Jess Kaufman said. “And we were watching - and we know everyone else was watching - to see how we reacted in this game, a big game.”

With the score knotted at 1-1 coming out of halftime, the Pride had a clear possession edge over the final 40 minutes. Merrimack Valley bombarded the Spartans’ back line throughout the second half, logging three shots on goal and a corner kick.

The Spartans weathered the barrage and pulled ahead when Paquin, a senior, capitalized on one of the Pride’s few second-half mistakes.

Merrimack Valley senior captain Kaitlynn Belanger won a battle for the ball in the air but her kick forced Pride goalkeeper Madison Merchant into action to prevent an own goal. Merchant (seven saves) got her hands on the ball but it proceeded to bounce out of her grasp while Paquin was lurking in the penalty box. Paquin then sprinted to the bouncing ball and fired it into the Pride goal with 19 minutes left.

“She always works really, really hard,” Kaufman said of Paquin. “I don’t know how she does it. She’s so small but such a dynamo. ... She just was able to be there, to play that mistake and to finish it in so that we could kind of have that insurance, although 2-1 is a really tricky situation to be in. They were pressuring us up until like 30 seconds left in the game.”

Despite Paquin’s goal, Pride coach Nick D’Agostino said his team did a good job limiting her opportunities in the contest.

“Everyone knows how talented (Paquin) is and she’s a very good player and she’s scored a lot of goals,” D’Agostino said. “We didn’t man mark her but we made sure we kept an eye on her.”

Merrimack Valley kept the Spartans on their heels following Paquin’s tally but could not put the ball past Pembroke goalkeeper Katelyn Young (three saves).

“They played well in a sense,” D’Agostino said of his players. “They worked hard. They wanted it. It was just a couple little bounces.”

Merrimack Valley opened the game’s scoring with a goal by freshman Alyssa Woodman. Pride senior captain Emily Knouse sprang Woodman for the goal with her through pass from the midfield.

Pembroke notched the equalizer in the seventh minute, when junior Maddie Bailey scored on a high shot to the left corner from about 20 yards out.

The Pride had the opportunity to take a 2-1 lead four minutes before Paquin netted the game-winner. Following a corner kick, the Pride saw senior captain McKayla Palhof’s shot in the box denied by a Pembroke defender on the goal line and Knouse’s rebound attempt deflect off the near post.

“The girls really responded and rose,” Kaufman said.