Team | 1 | 2 | Final |
---|---|---|---|
Londonderry | 7 | 9 | 16 |
Exeter | 4 | 3 | 7 |
She failed to score a goal in her final three regular season games. That was the longest stretch she had gone without scoring all spring.
But Kuhn has been red hot in the playoffs, leading her team with seven goals in two games.
Kuhn scored twice in Pinkerton’s 7-6 victory over Concord in the Division 1 semifinals yesterday at Southern New Hampshire University.
Pinkerton advanced to the Division 1 title game, where it will play undefeated Londonderry, which won its semifinal game 16-7 over Exeter yesterday.
“I did have a little bit of a tough time shooting,” Kuhn said about her final three regular season. “It was kind of a mental lapse but I had a great game against (Manchester) Central and it pulled me right back up.”
Against Manchester Central in the quarterfinals of the tourney, Kuhn scored five goals — her single game high this season.
Pinkerton coach Bryon Murphy explained that Concord did a nice job defending offensive star Kacie Connal one-on-one.
“When the other team shuts Kacie off and tries to keep the ball away from her, Vicki needs to step up and be the person,” Murphy said. “She did a pretty good job. They were denying Kacie the ball by putting someone one-on-one with her.”
Kuhn, who is the first person in her family to play lacrosse, scored her second goal yesterday less than 1 minute into the second half to put Pinkerton ahead 4-2.
“It’s really important to get on the board right away,” Kuhn said. “I felt it and took it.”
Pinkerton went ahead 7-3 with 11 minutes, 9 seconds left in the contest but Concord made it interesting by scoring three unanswered goals to cut the Astros lead to 7-6 with :40 remaining.
“You don’t like to see a team come back strong at the end but we just kept running,” Kuhn said.
Senior Cori Rees added: “We had a little bit of a breakdown. But we kept the lead and it’s going to be a good game against Londonderry.”
Kuhn said she feels like more of an offensive leader than she did at the beginning of the season.
She has scored 32 goals so far, which puts her second on her team in goals scored behind Connal (40 goals).
Kuhn spent the offseason playing for the Granite State Elite club team.
“The difference from last year to this year (for Kuhn) is basically a whole different person,” Connal said. “I know she worked really hard in the offseason. She’s been great.”
Rees added about Kuhn: “She just hustles her way up and down the field until she’s about ready to collapse. Our offense runs through her and Kacie. They are pretty much our go-to people.”
Rees also played well. She scored one goal and assisted on another.
Rees is a defender but she hustles up and plays offense, too. She has 12 goals so far. Rees said she played up on offense some last year, too.
“But definitely this year I’ve done it a lot more,” she said. “I get pretty tired. (Doing it) depends on whether some of the midfielders are tired or if I just feel like going up. I can call one of them back if I want to go up and it’s fine. I definitely gone up more this year and scored more goals.”
Diana Kraus made nine saves for Pinkerton.
“She’s better when she’s busy,” Murphy said. “If there are bouts of offensive being played, sometimes a bad goal sneaks up on her.”
LONDONDERRY WINS 16-7Goals: L — Sarah Austin 2, Marcie Marino 4, Jenny Thompson 3, Josie Bezeredy 3, Dana Boyle 2, Ashley Borjeson 2
Assists: L — Bezeredy, Leah Walter, Borjeson, Boyle, Marino 2
Saves: L — Libby Curran 5
268C Mammoth Rd.
Londonderry, NH 03053
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