Souhegan field hockey gets the job done in win over Plymouth (video)

AMHERST - The Souhegan High School field hockey team knew it might take awhile to break through during Thursday's game against Plymouth.

All the Sabers had to do was stick to the game plan and they did just that.

Karina Kruchynska scored two goals in the second half and Souhegan kept Plymouth from sustaining much offensive pressure for most of the afternoon to come away with a 3-1 win over the Bobcats in a Division II game.

"We stuck to the game plan," Souhegan coach Kelli Braley said. "It took us a while to break through. Plymouth is a solid team, top to bottom, which is always the biggest challenge. If you get a couple of superstars on a team, it’s easier to shut down. They’re solid throughout, so it took us a while. Once we did, we found our groove. I think our game got better as it went on. Our passing got cleaner, our spacing was better. It all went pretty well."

Kruchynska netted both goals off penalty corners, the first of which broke a tie with 8:27 left in the third quarter. The second gave the Sabers (5-1) some breathing room with 2:06 left in the game.

Natalie Lawhorn also scored, giving Souhegan a 1-0 lead with 1:15 remaining in the first half. The Bobcats (3-3) were able to answer that goal right away, as Audrey Fields scored with 18.5 seconds left until halftime off an assist from Claire Eccleston.

"That was huge," Plymouth coach Ashley Laufenberg said. "If we hadn’t gotten it, then we’re down going in (at halftime), so starting the second half fresh was big. If not, we’re digging out of a hole. It’s great that’s how we started the second half, but Souhegan did come out firing right away. We handled it well, all things considered. We had our opportunities, we had a couple of corners in the second half, but we were missing wide, just a couple of touches."

Lawhorn also had an assist for Souhegan and Tatum Zampella had two helpers. Maya Wingsted made three saves for Plymouth.

The Sabers were able to keep the ball in the Bobcats' end for most of the first half, but were unable to get many good chances. Souhegan had a good look off a corner early in the second quarter, but Wingsted made the save and Plymouth cleared the ball.

With time winding down in the first half, the Sabers got the ball in the circle, and Lawhorn seemed to surprise Plymouth's defenders with a shot through traffic that found the back of the cage.

But the Bobcats came right back in the final minute of the half and tying the game when Fields got a stick on a ball sent into the circle by Eccleston.

"We get a little complacent after that," Braley said. "They caught us back on our heels a little bit, but we responded well. We kept the ball in their end in the third and fourth a little bit more."

Souhegan came out strong in the second half, with Kruchynska's goal giving the Sabers the lead, but just like in the first half, Plymouth came right back. The Bobcats got a corner of their own, but Souhegan goalie Annie Raduazzo broke up the play and the Sabers cleared the ball.

Plymouth had another chance on a corner with about nine minutes remaining, but a shot went wide of the goal, and Souhegan was able to keep possession for long stretches the rest of the way.

"I think the girls are walking away pleased, because Souhegan is a very good team and they’ve always had a good program," Laufenberg said. "Just to be able to battle pretty much neck and neck with them was big. The fact we had the opportunities and just missing was good, but not what we want in the end."