Salem is certainly a familiar foe for the Goffstown field hockey team.

Three years ago, the Lady Grizzlies lost to the Blue Devils in the state championship and fell to them again in the playoffs the next season.

So when they took the field at Salem on Monday, Sept. 15, the girls understood the contest would serve as a pretty clear indicator of their progress.

Though GHS lost, 4-2, and its record doesn’t necessarily reflect it just yet, the squad is exhibiting the experience it gained from a tough 2007 campaign in which it missed the postseason altogether.

“They’re well coached, and they’re still a fairly young team, so I think they’re going to improve game by game,” said Salem coach Carol Merchant. “I think they actually played us a lot tighter than the score necessarily reflects. I think everybody in the league respects them, and they’re definitely a worthy opponent that can give teams trouble in the tournament.”

The key, said Goffstown’s coach, Jess Brown, is reaching the tournament. To do that, they need to start winning in the near future.

So far, Goffstown has lost at Nashua South, 2-0, and at Concord, 3-0. Those are two of the Class L elite. The team also dropped a tight 1-0 contest at home against 4-1 Merrimack.

“It’s been a tough start to the season,” said Brown. “We’ve just had a hard time getting the ball into the net. We’ve been able to play (competitively) with everyone so far, we just haven’t been able to score.”

Despite the recent loss to the three-time defending state champs, the locals showed their mettle.

After falling into an early 3-0 hole, the Lady Grizzlies clawed back and, with just under 14 minutes remaining in the first half, Chelsea Geshel found the back of the net.

The Blue Devils rebounded, notching another goal, but Goffstown and goalie Patricia Larivee shut the Salem offense down in the second half, while Emma Sobolov tallied GHS’s second goal.

“It was good to be able to climb back into the game against an always-good Salem team,” said Brown. “We’re still really young … We only have four seniors, so we’re pretty junior and sophomore heavy.”

The four seniors – Sobolov, Kaitlin Lee, Sarah Smith and Anne Makowiecki – captain this year’s squad, while juniors Ashley Barss, Haley Fortin, Lindsay MacPhail, Geshel, Amanda Makowiecki, Caroline Garrison, Elizabeth Greiner, Emily Fanning, Larivee and Sydney Gamache also contribute.

Filling out the 2008 roster are sophomores Tori Gamache, Shayna Moran, Shannon Lockwood and Alexandra Stout.