Weare News : soccer

Stark edges Pembroke before losing to Bedford

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:06:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Heather Doucette isn’t one to show her emotions. A group of 10 players changed that. The John Stark girls soccer mentor stood at midfield following her team’s 4-1 loss to Bedford in the Class I quarterfinals, embracing 10 seniors before they walked off the field one final time on Saturday, Oct. 31.

“It was really hard. We grew up together and figured out what kind of squad we were going to be,” said Doucette. “I try to be cool most of the time, but it broke my heart seeing it end for them.”

On Thursday, Oct. 29, Lauren Macklin gave her team a 1- 0 victory over Pembroke Academy in the preliminary round of the tournament when she scored with 11:24 remaining to break a scoreless tie.

Macklin waited patiently before stepping around two PA defenders and firing into the corner of the net to propel her team to the win.

The Generals were overmatched by No. 2 Bedford in the next round, falling behind 3-0 in the first half of play. Macklin cracked the scoreboard with 14:17 remaining when she pounded home a loose ball in front of the net, but the Bulldogs responded little more than a minute later to quash any hopes of a comeback. Stark had a prime scoring opportunity in the first 10 minutes of play when Macklin came streaking into the goalie box looking to put a shot on net.

Bedford goalie Aubrey Ouellet had other ideas, attacking the ball and kicking it out of harm’s way before Macklin could pull the trigger.

“They came out on fire and were tackling very tough,” said Bedford’s head coach, Michelle Winning, whose team advanced to a second consecutive semifinal game.

“They don’t give up, and they are a very physical team.”

John Stark loses seniors Macklin, Kayla Hubbard, Emily Pineault, Mia Fournier, Jessica Constant, Sydney Getzin, Megan Gosselin, Angela Beaulieu, Sadie MacLean and Molly Dussault.

Doucette admitted there are a lot of holes to fill next season, though she said with a strong offseason commitment the team can continue its recent tradition of postseason success.

“I felt like we were going against a giant, but we were going to take them on,” said Doucette of her team’s game against Bedford. “We had two more games in our heads. We weren’t ready to say goodbye to our seniors quite yet.”

A semifinalist last year, Stark sets sights higher in 2009

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:58:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

For the time being, the John Stark girls soccer team is undefeated, but Heather Doucette still sees plenty of room for improvement.

The Lady Generals knocked off Kearsarge, 3-2 in overtime, to kick off the Class I regular season on Friday, Aug. 28, but the team’s mentor wasn’t satisfied.

“We’ve got a lot to work on,” said Doucette. “They have the potential of being a very strong and competitive squad, but you just never know.”

Following a semifinalround playoff setback last year, the 2009 Generals field a combination of veteran leadership and young talent.

Two freshmen in particular, Rachel Russell and Becca Titcomb, have impressed Doucette during the weeks of preseason training.

Doucette said Russell brings versatility and quickness to the midfield and front line, while Titcomb is also waiting in the wings ready to break into the starting lineup during her first season.

Molly Dussault, a senior, is a first-year starter at goalie, and she has transitioned well into the role after years of pushing older teammates as a backup.

Seniors Emily Pineault and Laura Macklin return as offensive threats on the front line, while senior Allison Harris has stepped seamlessly into the role of center-midfielder.

Kayla Hubbard remains a familiar face in the defensive backfield, returning for her third year as a starter. Doucette said her team has confidence on offense knowing Hubbard is behind them at sweeper, brushing aside potential mistakes.

The on-field chemistry pleased Doucette during the season opener, though that should continue to develop, too.

“We have some very exciting players who aren’t used to playing our style of play,” she said. “We weren’t as composed as we should have been, and a lot of that has to do with getting to know each other.”

Stark played in a Seacoast tournament recently, and Doucette said the girls handled the ball with more maturity and composure than in past seasons.

Historically, the Generals have snuck up on teams while making deep runs in the tournament, so it is strange for the squad to be viewed as a division favorite.

Yet after nearly playing in last year’s title game, Doucette said her team is not satisfied with another close call.

“They saw that they needed to change some of the style of play, so they want to make sure we’re definitely doing this as a unit,” said Doucett. “They want to get back, and they’re on a mission to do that.”

Stark’s playoff run includes pair of upset road wins

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:28:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

It’s funny, said John Stark girls soccer coach Heather Doucette. Each season of the mentor’s six-year tenure, the Lady Generals have reached the postseason, and each year the competition inevitably looks past them.

Big mistake.

“It seems a phenomenon to me in that every year we work hard and make it to the tournament, and every year we still seem to surprise other teams,” said Doucette. “John Stark is moving in a different direction, and yet we still don’t have the same respect that teams like Hanover, St. Thomas and Hollis-Brookline get.”

This year’s victims included 11-3-2 St. Thomas, the same foe the Lady Generals took to double overtime before falling in the Class I finale two years ago. The locals went on the road to beat this year’s No. 7 seed in overtime, 3-2, to open the tournament. Next they traveled up I-89 to the Vermont border, where they knocked off No. 2 Lebanon, 1-0, also in overtime.

But that run ended in the semifinals, when Stark gave third-seeded Hanover everything it could handle before falling, 1-0, at Nashua’s Stellos Stadium on Nov. 4.

Though she credited a tough regular-season schedule with providing her players the mental edge necessary to piece together their fine playoff run, Doucette said that didn’t make the finalfour loss any easier.

Still, two days after the finish, the coach said she caught some of her players already talking about next year.

If this season is any indication, 2009 should carry plenty of excitement.

After all, the Lady Generals suffered a handful of setbacks that could have deflated their lofty goals, yet they managed to bounce back and play their best when it counted most.

Why should their latest heartbreak be any different? JS loses seniors Brittany Purington, Rachel Quimby, Marissa Johnson and Joan Hamel, who departs after scoring the gamewinner against St. Thomas and assisting on Stark’s other three tourney goals.

But junior Lauren Macklin, who notched two of those tallies, including her own game-winner against Lebanon, returns.

“Joan Hamel is an outstanding leader, both on and off the field, and she’s unbeatable when she’s on and attacking the goal,” said Doucette. “But Lauren has great vision of field, great touch and distributes well. If you leave her alone, she’s going to score a goal.”

Macklin isn’t flashy, which may hurt her chances for Class I Player of the Year honors, but Doucette said opposing coaches have gone out of their way to recognize the junior’s contributions.

Among a solid lot of talented youngsters expected back are junior Alyssa Charest, among the top defenders in the state, and sophomore Melissa Purington, who anchors the midfield.

Also likely to return are Allison Harris, Kayla Hubbard, Katie Cullerot, Emily Whitmore, Megan Goslin, Abigail Peirgross, Emily Pineault and Megan Keim.

“My expectation is they’re going to come in and work hard and set some pretty decent goals for themselves,” said Doucette. “We have talent, but to win in the tournament you need talent and leadership, and if you do that, you’re always dangerous.”

Good John Stark, Bow teams use OT to verify there’s room to improve

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:33:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Bow’s and John Stark’s girls soccer teams couldn’t muster any serious offensive threats through 80 minutes of play.

But it took John Stark forward Joan Hamel only 1 minute, 4 seconds to break through the afternoon shadows that consumed the Bow High School field and a host of Falcon defenders. Her goal gave the Lady Generals a 1-0 overtime win. The Friday, Oct. 10, contest was a battle of Class I postseason contenders; both teams entered the game with eight wins.

Coming off a difficult 2-1 loss to Kearsarge, John Stark’s head coach, Heather Doucette, preached to her team about the importance of a road win against Bow prior to the game.

“(Bow) was obviously fired up for us, and we came out and really needed to utilize our speed,” said Doucette. “They did a good job of keeping us off of our game. This was big for us after a disappointing loss, so I think it gave us some confidence to finish strong.”

During regulation, the majority of play took place near midfield, with neither goalie tested regularly.

Early in overtime, Hamel picked up a loose ball near midfield and carved through multiple Bow defenders, blasting down the sideline and powering a shot into the upper-right corner of the net. “In a tight game, it just takes a mistake or someone to step up,” said Bow’s head coach, Jay Vogt. “It happened so quickly. I’m still not really sure what happened. Obviously it’s frustrating.” Including the loss to the Generals, Bow has been shut out in two of its last three games, a problem Vogt said his squad needs to correct.

“At times we moved the ball, and we did everything until we got to the final third (of the field),” said Vogt. “That’s it. We have to find a way to finish. We just need to create some opportunities and get some shots on net.”

Midfielder Caitlin Heindl and defender Caitlin Pratt played well for the Falcons, while John Stark midfielders Alyssa Charest and Allison Harris were in the middle of the action throughout the contest. The win improved the Generals to 9-4-0 on the season, while Bow dropped to 8-4-0 with the loss.

Despite the win, Doucette said she knows her team, which has scored one or fewer goals five times this season, has to improve offensively.

“Being able to beat a team like this can boost us, but we need to be able to get more creative up front,” said Doucette. “There’s a lot to be done.”

This time, Stark’s strong finish produces a positive outcome

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:36:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The John Stark boys soccer team had been there. They just hadn’t done that.

After losing a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining and falling to Hollis-Brookline earlier in the week, the Generals held off Milford for a 1-0 victory on Friday, Sept. 19.

Joe Dodson notched the lone goal of the game in the first half, and keeper Matt Bartolotti made Dodson’s strike hold up, making several diving saves throughout the contest.

Milford’s best chance to tie came with 14:34 remaining, when the Spartans sent a shot toward the left post. Bartolotti was up to the task; his full-extension dive knocked the shot wide.

John Stark’s head coach, Mark Bograd, said Bartolotti and Josh Levandowski have split time based on how they’ve looked in practice, among other factors.

“Matt was on today,” Bograd said. “His angles were perfect. One of his biggest difficulties before today had been making a decision. Even if it was the wrong decision, I told him he just needed to make one.”

The coach also said he often chooses based on his gut feeling. “It worked out today,” he said. With the win, the Generals improved to 3-2-1 in Class I. One of the losses was a 2-1 defeat at the hands of 6-0-1 Hollis-Brookline. The Generals have struggled to find a consistent offense, producing seven goals through their six matches.

Bograd said the effort was important for his team’s confidence after the tough loss.

“I told them before the game we were either going to leave the field over .500 or under .500, it was just a matter of which side they’d end up on,” he said. “This was so huge because they were in this exact situation Tuesday.” The Generals tallied with 23 minutes remaining in the half after Steve Johnstone was taken down inside the box, giving John Stark a penalty shot.

Dodson cashed in, easily knocking the ball past Milford’s diving goalie.

Jason Savage delivered a solid defensive game; he broke up a Spartan shot on goal with roughly five minutes remaining to help preserve the win.

Matt Gelinas played well for John Stark after replacing Nick Campono, who injured his head in the first half. Bograd said Campono was taken to the hospital for tests.

The Generals also won their game against visiting Con-Val on Monday, Sept. 22. The hosts shut out the Cougars, 2-0.

John Stark passes first test with one-goal victory at home

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:03:00 GMT

BY GREGOR R-BAUGH

The John Stark girls soccer team won its season opener on Friday, Aug. 29, beating ConVal, 3-2. The team is led by four seniors, but the bulk of players are juniors and sophomores, and head coach Heather Doucette needs those players to continue to perform like they did against ConVal.

Two rapid-fire goals in the first half and a second- half tally – all from juniors and sophomores – kept the Lady Generals in front. Stark worked for an 18-11 shot advantage. “We’re a young team,” said Doucette. “We’ve got some veteran seniors leading, but we also have freshmen who are stepping up.”

Junior Lauren Macklin gave JS the lead with an outside kick three minutes into the first half. Three minutes later sophomore Allison Harris lobbed a shot over the goalkeeper’s head for the second score of the game, putting the Lady Generals ahead, 2-0.

Though ConVal’s senior captain, Ashley Reis, cut Stark’s lead in half before halftime, junior Emily Pineault led off the second half with a goal as JS regained a two-goal cushion.

“Pineault’s been stepping up this year. Her maturity and game speed have increased. She’s a huge asset,” said Doucette. Reis slipped a header past John Stark’s winning keeper, senior Brittany Purington, to cap the scoring.

“It’s always a tough game against (ConVal). They’re a physical team,” said Doucette. “I think we could have dominated out there, but we have room to mature.”

For an encore… – Stark girls must mesh new players with veterans

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:36:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE

Last year, the John Stark varsity girls soccer team surprised everyone by advancing to the championship game for the first time in the program’s history. With four returning starters this year, the possibility of a repeat seems unlikely to most, but not Heather Doucet.

“I think we can have a repeat performance,” said the group’s head coach. “The team is showing all the heart and intensity last year’s squad showed me. We just lack experience at some positions.”

In all, the Lady Generals return seven players from the 2006 squad. Doucet said key players include senior center mid Joan Hamel, sophomore striker Lauren Macklin, senior midfielder Morgan Vogt, sophomore center mid Alyssa Charest and senior captain midfielder Laura Methot.

The biggest factor for Stark may be the schedule. Doucet said the team could absorb as many as six losses against the toughest Class I teams, including Oyster River, Bow and Fall Mountain Regional.

“The way this team’s progressing, we might have less than six losses by then. I have a couple freshmen on this squad that I feel are going to make a difference for us,” Doucet said. “It’s going to be a building year, but the kids have been working really hard.”