Lebanon
The Raiders are lethargic and trailing, 6-1, midway through the first half to a Gilford squad that arrived an hour late for the schools’ NHIAA Division III clash. Ecker has kept her cool all spring and amid the worst campaign of her 23-year tenure, but she’s had enough.
Yesterday’s practice was lousy. The end of today’s warmup was uninspired. It feels as if a significant downhill slide is gaining momentum.
“It’s a tough season; I get it,” Ecker snaps in an irritated tone after calling time out. “But it’s going to feel a lot worse walking off the field knowing you didn’t try your best.”
For a coach whose tone and message is consistently positive, this is the equivalent of shouting in church. The players are clearly jolted, and even more so when Ecker replaces starters Ashlyn Taber and Izzy Peress with reserves Megan Gradijan and Emma Hansen. The Raiders don’t have much depth. Ecker doesn’t substitute often, and she almost never does it to send a message. But one has clearly been delivered.
Riding to the rescue is Gradijan, an unassuming freshman without flash, but possessing solid fundamentals, speed and a nose for the goal. She sets the Golden Eagles’ defense back on its heels, scoring twice in fewer than three minutes, the second tally capping a run from midfield. Suddenly, it’s Gilford calling time out, and by halftime the score is 7-7.
“That’s the way you elevate your game,” Ecker says during intermission. “But we shouldn’t have to go down to get up.”
Lebanon controls second-half play, but misfires on offensive chances, a bleak flashback to how it lost its last two games in double overtime. Then Katie Berthasavage, the first sophomore co-captain under Ecker and a nonstop hustler, picks another draw control out of the air and scores her fifth goal of the sunny afternoon to put the hosts up, 14-13.
Two minutes later and with seven minutes remaining, the Gilford goaltender flubs a clearing attempt from her crease, the ball traveling only a few feet. Hannah Bunten scoops and scores her third goal of the day and the Raiders, despite having only once practiced how to stall in the offensive end, run out the clock for a 15-14 triumph.
“I thought this was going to be another game I was going to feel terrible about,” says goaltender Elizabeth Jones, who finished with 13 saves and her second consecutive strong performance. “But Megan came in and lifted our energy. It’s easier for me to focus on the ball when everybody is positive.”
Ecker, who wraps her children, 7-year old Kait and 9-year old Ty, in a fierce hug after the game, is drained and relieved.
“Even more than the win is that they’re evolving into lacrosse players,” the coach says. “At that first timeout, I thought maybe we’d given up on the season. I got a little nauseous thinking that we still have a week and a half left and I’ve lost them and how am I going to pull them out of it?”
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.