> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Windham field hockey hangs on to beat Concord, advance to D1 semifinals (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/windham-field-hockey-hangs-on-to-beat-concord-advance-to-d1-semifinals-video/
- Published: 2022-10-25T16:50:07.000Z
- Updated: 2022-10-25T16:50:07.000Z
- Description: WINDHAM - When Sophia Poulin interviewed for the head coach position of the Windham High School field hockey team, she was told the Jaguars had a goalie who was a difference maker. While the first-year coach saw flashes of that throughout the regular season, Poulin got the full show in Sunday's Divi
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Concord, field hockey, playoffs, slider, Windham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

WINDHAM - When Sophia Poulin interviewed for the head coach position of the Windham High School field hockey team, she was told the Jaguars had a goalie who was a difference maker.

While the first-year coach saw flashes of that throughout the regular season, Poulin got the full show in Sunday's Division I quarterfinal.

Annie Mitchell had nine saves, most of them on penalty corners, and No. 3 Windham did enough defensively to keep No. 6 Concord at bay, hanging on for a 2-1 win over the Crimson Tide. The win sends the Jaguars back to the final four, where they will face No. 2 Exeter at 5 p.m. Thursday at Exeter in a rematch of last year's D1 title game.

"What I heard when I interviewed for this job, John Hall, our athletic director, told me the goalie is a powerhouse for this team," Poulin said. "You’ll see her shine, and I don’t think we got to see that most of the season because so many of our games were played pretty offensively. I love that I got to see her do what she can do. She really showed off the skills she does have. We’re lucky to have her."

Mackenzie Suech had a goal and an assist for Windham (14-2-1) while Ava Sanchez also scored and Sophia Ponzizi had an assist. Both goals came off penalty corners after the Jaguars made an adjustment going into the second quarter.

"We use the first few (corners) to see how the defense is coming out," Poulin said. "What we knew about Concord and what we saw in the first quarter was that was our golden shot, executing off our corners. This is how you’re scoring, I only want those straight shots. You’re going to pass it and the corner is not going to get off. It’s what put us over the edge."

Sanchez scored with 12:22 left in the second quarter by doing just that. Suech put the ball in play right to the junior and she blasted a shot into the back of the goal to make it a 1-0 game.

Concord (12-6) bounced back from the score, getting some great chances as the quarter went on, but Mitchell was able to come up with some big saves.

The sophomore made a pad save on a quick shot by the Tide, and on a corner moments later, she made a diving save and then moved to her to make another stop.

Windham made it 2-0 with 3.1 seconds left in the half, when Ponzizi took a long shot on a corner and Suech redirected it into the goal.

The third quarter belonged to Concord, as the Tide had eight corners, seven coming in a three-minute span. But Windham's defense held and Mitchell was able to make stops when the Jaguars needed her to.

"I was very happy with the way they played," Concord coach Nicole Armaganian said. "They left everything out on the field. I felt like we dominated the first half.

"We’ve been struggling all season to find the back of the net and we struggled again (Sunday). It wasn’t from a lack of effort and it wasn’t from our attempts. We got plenty of corners and it just didn’t go our way."

The Tide cut the lead in half on a goal by Aidah Smalley with 6:26 remaining and Concord was able to keep the ball in Windham's side of the field for long stretches after that, but couldn't get another good chance to tie the game.

"We knew it was going to be tough," Poulin said. "The regular season stats don’t matter. If you’re in the quarters, it’s because you deserve to be in the quarters. (Concord) put up such a fight and I’m impressed with how far they’ve come and the season that they had. They had an amazing season and we adapted our game (Sunday) well from what we were seeing from them."