N.H. girls soccer: Bedford spoils Winnacunnet title defense

HAMPTON — The last time the Winnacunnet High School girls soccer team stepped onto the field, it was celebrating a Division I state championship.

Just 293 days after its one-goal victory over Pinkerton in the title game, Winnacunnet opened its championship defense with a 2-1 loss to Bedford on Friday, Aug. 28.

While disappointed with the result, Winnacunnet head coach Nick O'Brien said the season opener offered plenty of opportunities for growth.

"It's the first game," O'Brien said. "Obviously, we're disappointed to lose, but at the same time there's a lot to work on. There was some good, but there's a lot to work on. We're moving on, and there are a lot of good lessons to take from it."

Winnacunnet carried a 1-0 lead into halftime before Bedford rallied with a pair of second-half goals. The Bulldogs tied the game on a penalty kick with 32:15 remaining and scored the eventual winner with 6:46 left.

"I think it was just a hard-fought game, and we didn't give up until the end," Bedford coach Michelle Winning said. "We kept pressuring and pressuring, and we just started winning everything. We started winning every ball, and that was the difference."

The victory was an encouraging start for a Bedford team that returned a young roster.

"It's a great way to start the season," Winning said. "They're the defending champs, and they're a very strong team. I thought we were playing well enough. That game could have gone either way."

The Warriors opened the scoring in the 22nd minute.

Emma Sommerville found the back of the net on an assist from Joya Penacitro, giving Winnacunnet a 1-0 advantage.

"It was a great goal," O'Brien said. "That was one of the bright spots where we were able to find space for her, and she was able to finish."

Bedford drew even early in the second half when Maddie Diaz converted a penalty kick, placing her shot just inside the right post beyond the reach of Winnacunnet senior goalkeeper Julianne Banks.

The Bulldogs continued to apply pressure and eventually broke through for the winner when Elyse Olsen scored with 6:46 remaining.

"That's the scariest part of the whole game when you go up a goal, because you know they're coming at you," Winning said. "They started to press everybody forward, and we just kept going with grit."

Despite the setback, O'Brien remains confident his team will learn from the opener.

"I felt like we were just a step slow today," O'Brien said. "It's a long season. While it's a setback now, it provides some good lessons. We'll learn and move on. There are things to build on."

Winnacunnet returns to action Tuesday, Sept. 1, when it travels to Salem.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: N.H. girls soccer: Bedford spoils Winnacunnet title defense