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# Windham field hockey outlasts Bedford to advance to D1 final (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/windham-field-hockey-outlasts-bedford-to-advance-to-d1-final-video/
- Published: 2021-10-28T16:05:55.000Z
- Updated: 2021-10-28T16:05:55.000Z
- Description: EXETER - The Windham High School field hockey team didn't have to look too far back to know that no lead is safe in the playoffs. So despite being up by three goals early in the second quarter of Wednesday's Division I semifinal against Bedford, the Jaguars were prepared to have to battle all the wa
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Bedford, field hockey, playoffs, slider, Windham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

EXETER - The Windham High School field hockey team didn't have to look too far back to know that no lead is safe in the playoffs.

So despite being up by three goals early in the second quarter of Wednesday's Division I semifinal against Bedford, the Jaguars were prepared to have to battle all the way to the end.

And in this case, beyond.

After watching No. 2 Bedford tie the game just moments into the second half, Sophia Ponzini scored with seven minutes left in the third quarter and No. 3 Windham stopped a Bulldogs' penalty corner with no time left on the clock to take a 4-3 win at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.

With the Jaguars advance to the final for the sixth year in a row, the last four in D1, where they will go for their third-straight title against No. 1 Exeter at 11 a.m. Sunday at Bedford High School.

Ponzini led the Jaguars (15-2-1) with three goals while Ava Sanchez also had a goal and Cecilia Ponzini, Ella Reeners and Kenzie Suech each had an assist. Annie Mitchell made four saves, including one in the fourth quarter on a penalty stroke that kept the Jaguars up by a goal.

"They were awesome," Windham coach Katie Blair said of her players. "It was a great game, Bedford gave us a heck of a run. I’m very happy to be playing in the championship. It was great execution. Most of the goals were scored on corners and both offensives did a good job of executing on them. Props to Bedford, they did well. We’re happy we’re the ones who scored four."

Windham was also the one who scored four in last year's championship game against Dover, when the Jaguars had to rally from a deficit twice, including in the fourth quarter.

So even when Sophia Ponzini's second goal made it 3-0 less than five minutes into the second quarter, Windham was expecting Bedford (16-2) to come back.

"When you’re up 3-0, you feel like you are on top of the world," Windham senior Amy Lanouette said. "We did it so quickly, and I think we tried to stress not to get complacent, but we had moments of complacency, which Bedford capitalized on. I think our ability to take the score as 0-0 mentality and keep pushing, we found a way."

But Bedford picked up momentum late in the half, as Sydney Gagnon scored twice, with Regan O'Brien recording an assist on each, in the final 3:19 to get the Bulldogs within a goal before the break.

The momentum carried into the second half, as the Bulldogs got a penalty corner early, and Isabelle McStowe scored with 11:35 remaining in the third quarter to tie the game.

"They put one away, they put two, and they definitely had the momentum," Lanouette said. "The foot was definitely on the gas pedal. Then in the second half, they scored early. It threw us back on our heels a bit. I think was a regrouping moment that we had to have."

Lanouette gathered the Jaguars in front of their goal after the third score to try to regroup.

"We knew it was not done," Blair said. "These games are crazy. Until the clock hits zero, the game is not done, so we emphasize that you’ve got to keep going, you’ve got to keep scoring."

Sophia Ponzini got that message, as she hit a reverse shot that Bedford goalie Abigail Williams got a piece of, but the ball bounced backward into the goal, giving Windham a 4-3 lead with 7:00 left in the third quarter.

"I love doing reverse hits," she said. "I love pulling it around people and hitting them in. I thought the goalie had it but luckily it went in."

After scoring twice in last year's championship game, Sophia Ponzini has five goals in her last three playoff games.

"Ponzini is an animal," Blair said. "The kid is completely insane. I can’t say enough about her and she’s only a sophomore."

With the lead regained, the Jaguars started to get back more on defense and limited the Bulldogs' chance the rest of the way. Bedford finally got the ball deep enough to get a corner with a little more than five minutes left and play was stopped with 5:03 remaining for the penalty stroke.

But the attempt by Maxine Morse was handled by Mitchell to keep Windham up 4-3.

"Annie is a beast," Blair said. "She’s a freshman. We’ve repped them a bunch of times and I’ve seen her make the saves at practice. I had full faith in her."

Bedford had another chance to tie it, as the Bulldogs got a corner in the final minute, and Windham was called for an infraction on the first two tried. On the third attempt, with no time left, the Jaguars were able to clear the circle, ending the game.

"It was really nerve wracking," Ponzini said. "They have big hitters and their corners are very skilled. I was nervous they would get by us, but they didn’t."