Last year, Bill Nardino’s young team overachieved. This year, his squad overwhelmed.

Nardino’s Derryfield School team, with only three seniors, defeated Wilton-Lyndeborough, 2-1, on Nov. 8, taking home the Class S girls soccer title.

The Cougars allowed a goal to the top-seeded Warriors and headed into the intermission facing a 1-0 deficit.

Yet because Derryfield finished with the second-highest goal total in New Hampshire girls soccer history, Nardino said he knew a comeback was just a matter of time.

“I’m really proud of how we responded, but I knew we had it in us. The girls never gave up, even after the early goal,” said Nardino. “I don’t think it was ever an issue. Honestly, I think they are too young to even get into that mindset.”

With 17:19 remaining in the contest, Camille Smith notched the game-tying goal on an assist from MacKenzie Logan of Windham, and Smith returned the favor just 1:13 later, finding Logan for the go-ahead goal. The pair is certainly familiar with finding the back of the net; their coach said they became the first teammates in New Hampshire history to score 25 goals for the same team in the same season.

Smith also added 20 assists this year, the sixth-highest total in state history, two spots behind teammate Aislinn Smith’s 22.

Camille Smith is one of Nardino’s departing seniors, but the coach predicts a promising future for the remaining members of his team.

“It’s great for the girls to see what it takes to win the big games,” Nardino said. “Most of all, 17 out of 20 players return with self-confidence, faith in each other and the goal of repeating as state champions. Every (opponent) is going to give you their best game and want to knock you off. I look forward to seeing how they respond to these new challenges.”

The group included a number of players with Neighborhood ties – Anna Stuart of Goffstown, Carla Nyquist of Dunbarton, Cameron Lencki of Hooksett, and Bedford players Alexandra Donovan, Sophia Moser, Kaitlin Fink, Brittany Potter and Kimberly Pollock, a sophomore who Nardino said has started every game the past two years, heading the defense as a center back.

“She’s been a key player and leader in practice and games,” he said. “She’s the type of student-athlete every coach looks to as a role model to the rest of the team.”

The remainder of the championship roster includes Lauren Bradley, Andrea Green, Kelsey Durant, Grace Alenson, Catalina Benech, Anna Mokas, Mimi Coppinger, Tessa Greer and Amanda Van Duren.

En route to its 17-3-0 record, Derryfield averaged 5.1 goals per game and racked up 12 shutouts, including three in the playoffs. Two of the losses were to Class M powerhouse Campbell. The other was to Wilton-Lyndeborough.

After finishing last year at 10- 7-1 with eight freshmen among the 16 players on the roster, Nardino said it’s been a surprising climb to the top.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Nardino said. “I don’t think they realize that they shouldn’t be this successful this early.”