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# Souhegan field hockey makes one goal stand up in playoff win over Goffstown
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/souhegan-field-hockey-makes-one-goal-stand-up-in-playoff-win-over-goffstown/
- Published: 2020-10-27T12:00:48.000Z
- Updated: 2020-10-27T12:00:48.000Z
- Description: GOFFSTOWN - The Souhegan High School field hockey team would like the remaining Division II semifinalists to know that the revenge tour isn’t done and that they better be ready. The Sabers set the pace early Monday and controlled play throughout as they beat Goffstown 1-0 in a quarterfinal-round gam
- Author: Michael Abelson
- Tags: Division II, field hockey, Goffstown, playoffs, Souhegan, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

GOFFSTOWN - The Souhegan High School field hockey team would like the remaining Division II semifinalists to know that the revenge tour isn’t done and that they better be ready.

The Sabers set the pace early Monday and controlled play throughout as they beat Goffstown 1-0 in a quarterfinal-round game.

The game’s lone goal came 4:35 into the fourth quarter when senior Ava Van Ballegooyen sent the ball home from five yards in front of goal. Souhegan thought it took the lead earlier in the quarter, but an apparent goal by Catie Summers was disallowed.

“We’d been pushing the whole game,” Van Ballegooyen said. “We knew we had to get our sticks low, get them in the circle because there were so many off the post. I saw the ball and made sure to keep my head so I didn’t whiff, and I hit it into the goal.”

The score belies how much Souhegan controlled the pace of play. The Sabers drew 17 penalty corners during the game compared to just five by Goffstown and outshot the Grizzlies 8-1.

Goffstown did threaten once in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, but the Sabers defended well and successfully bled away the rest of the clock. It was the Grizzlies lone threatening scoring opportunity during the game as the Souhegan midfield kept Goffstown from establishing any passing rhythm.

Despite the possession advantage, Souhegan was held off the board thanks to strong defending and goaltending from Goffstown. Jadien Lacerte had five saves in the first half for Goffstown and Madeline Sage stopped two in the second half as the Grizzlies split the game in goal.

“We knew that Goffstown was going to put up a super strong defensive battle,” Souhegan coach Kelli Braley said. “Having seen them two times in the regular was helpful but also scary. One of the toughest things to do is beat a team three times. We knew they were going to have to take some chances to score on us.”

After losing in last year’s D2 final to Hanover, and just missing the program’s first state title since 2007, the Sabers have taken the “revenge tour” moniker seriously, making shirts with the phrase emblazoned upon them in bright red.

On the field, Souhegan has backed up its own expectations. The Sabers have won games 1-0 and games 10-0 and have only given up three goals the entire season.

“Revenge tour is our theme of the season because last year we made it to the championship game and lost,” Van Ballegooyen said. “So we thought for motivation that ‘revenge tour’ would be a great theme to keep us motivated.”

All that remains now is two more games. Up first will be a date with Oyster River on Thursday. The Bobcats have won their five previous games and beat Pelham 2-1 to advance to the semifinals.

The winner of the game will play the winner of Kennett and Merrimack Valley to determine the division champion.