Fast start lifts Derryfield field hockey past Con-Val, 6-0

MANCHESTER, NH – Derryfield School jumped out to a 5-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 6-0 win over visiting Con-Val (1-4-0), Tuesday afternoon.

With the win, the Cougars improved to 2-1-2 on the young season and ran their unbeaten streak to three games. The six goals were more than Derryfield had scored in its first four games combined. Rookie Head Coach Katie Bulk feels her club is hitting its stride as it heads into the heart of its Division II schedule.

“Against Kingswood and then today, I really feel we’re starting to put it together. Even the 15 minutes we played against Souhegan before we got shut down (due to weather), they’re definitely starting to gel and vibe,” she said.

Derryfield settled matters early, scoring three times in the opening quarter. Sophomore Ava Kosakowski opened the scoring 2:39 into the game, converting a feed from senior Captain Kennedy Overhoff.

The Cougars wasted no time extending the lead to 3-0, as sophomore Tyl-Elle Fulton and Charlotte Smith scored on back-t0-back corners just 81 seconds apart.

“It was really nice to see the effort throughout, but it was really good to have that first quarter to start with,” said Bulk.

Overhoff took over in the second quarter, scoring twice, as Derryfield took a 5-0 lead into intermission. Overhoff turned in a dominant performance, spearheading the Cougars’ offense with smooth stickhandling and crisp passes. She and fellow mids Laurie Best, Chloe Bremberg and Fulton owned the center of the field and kept Con-Val back on its heels from start to finish.

“(Overhoff) controls that center of the field, which is so crucial in games like this,” said Bulk. “She’s that distributer and she’s got great people working off her like Laurie (Best) and Chloe Bremberg and our center-forward Sarah (Stonaker). That kind of triangle in the middle works really well together.”

Derryfield’s domination was thorough. The Cougars held a 25-1 edge in shots on goal and a 13-0 advantage in corners. That made for an easy afternoon for junior goalie Jess Avalon, who notched the shutout.

The margin of victory could easily have been significantly wider were it not for the play of Con-Val goalie Ronia Foecking. The junior finished with 24 saves, including stopping Overhoff on a penalty stroke in the first half. Foecking made 13 saves in the second half, as Derryfield continually buzzed the net.

Derryfield’s lone goal in the second half came off the stick of sophomore Santya Singh, with 9:57 left to play. Foecking made a kick save on a bid by Bremberg but Singh was sitting on the doorstep to knock home the rebound.

Derryfield will look to extend its unbeaten streak next week, with games Monday at home against Plymouth (1-3-0) and Thursday on the road at Milford (0-4-0).