On Sunday October 30, as the game clock hit zero at the Bedford High School turf, the Souhegan Sabers Field Hockey Team walked off the field with their heads high.

After falling to John Stark Regional High School in the NHIAA Division II Field Hockey Championship 0-1, the team’s spirits were low, but they wouldn’t let this defeat keep them down. 

As they were coming off the field, some with smiles, some with tears, they all knew that they had played their hardest. 

They came into the game with an almost perfect season of 13-0-1, same as Stark, who they had tied with previously this season. They were ready to compete, but the excitement of the game and an early goal by Stark put a pin in those plans.

Maddie Lim, a midfielder for Souhegan said, “I think our team played very well. At the beginning we came in wanting it, but I think we didn’t execute it as well as we could have, but it was definitely a good game.”

This want to win showed in the second half, the ball staying primarily on Stark’s side of the field. The team gained multiple corners and had many shots, but unfortunately were fighting against unlucky hits and tough referee calls.

But the want for the win didn’t just include the players. A packed fan section filled with parents, siblings, friends, and students were all cheering the team on and bringing in energy that pushed the players forward until the final seconds. 

The team’s want to win wasn’t just for the gratification, but for their head coach, Kelli Brailey, as well. 

“A lot of us wanted to win for Kelli, to give her the championship because after all these years of coaching she has made it to the championship but has never won.” 

And Kelli herself was very confident in the team and their playing, stating after the game that, “Going into the game I felt really excited to be there again as this was our 3rd trip to the championship in 4 years. My team this year was very strong skill wise and we had just played a semi final game where we started down and then scored 4 goals to win so even though Stark scored first in the Championship, I knew we had a shot to come back. Unfortunately, some penalties came and we were not able to execute some of the set plays we had worked on and we couldn’t find the back of the net.”

As this season ends, this team will disperse and go their separate ways, some training for next year while others go on off to college or whatever else their future holds. But even though this was not the Sabers’ day for victory, the fight will continue, and next year the Sabers will be ready for what’s to come.