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Stevens girls soccer teammates watch as St. Thomas Aquinas scores during a shootout to decide the outcome of their 1-1 tied Division III semifinal at Manchester Memorial High School in Manchester, N.H., on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. St. Thomas Aquinas scored five goals to Stevens’ four in the shootout, making the final score 2-1. (Valley News – James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. -
Maddy Minckler, of Stevens, right, challenges Maia Scanlon, of St. Thomas Aquinas during their Division III semifinal at Manchester Memorial High School in Manchester, N.H., on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Lexington Smith, of St. Thomas Aquinas is at left. The Saints won 2-1. (Valley News – James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. -
Kiley Bundy, right, celebrates with her Stevens teammates, from left, Faith Norton, Payton Ferland, Addison Derosier and Maddy Minckler after scoring to against St. Thomas Aquinas to tie the score at 1-1 in the second half of their Division III semifinal at Manchester Memorial High School in Manchester, N.H., on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. The tie sent them into two periods of overtime and St. Thomas Aquinas won 2-1 after a shootout. (Valley News – James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. -
Stevens Head Coach Tim St. Pierre signals for his team to position for defense in the second half of their Division III semifinal with St. Thomas Aquinas at Manchester Memorial High School in Manchester, N.H., on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. St. Thomas Aquinas won 2-1 after a shootout. (Valley News – James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. -
Stevens goalie Audrina Pelton stretches for a shot that fell outside her grasp during a shootout with St. Thomas Aquinas to decide their 1-1 tied Division III semifinal at Manchester Memorial High School in Manchester, N.H., on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. St. Thomas Aquinas scored five goals to Stevens’ four in the shootout making the final score 2-1. (Valley News – James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. -
Kiley Bundy -
Gwen Ambrose
MANCHESTER, N.H. — The Stevens High girls soccer team ended its season Wednesday night, losing, 2-1, to St. Thomas during an NHIAA Division III semifinal extended to penalty kicks at Manchester Memorial High.
Katherine Dornan’s fifth and deciding shot beat goalkeeper Audrina Pelton, sending the Saints (17-0-2) to their third consecutive title game. St. Thomas has been the runner-up each of the previous two seasons. Fourth-seeded Stevens (14-3-2) last reached the championship round in 2018, also finishing as runner-up.
“I figured we could get a corner kick or restart goal and win, 1-0,” said Stevens coach Tim St. Pierre, whose team lost its regular-season meeting with STA by three goals. “If they scored, overtime and PK’s could be inevitable. I liked our chances.”
The Saints held a decided shot advantage during the first half, although St. Pierre characterized many of the efforts as unthreatening. St. Thomas coach Patrick Hureau credited Pelton with a strong performance.
The Saints opened the scoring midway through the second half, Caleigh Bronson striking from the left wing. Stevens answered when Kiley Bundy received a Bella Bovell pass and chipped a shot over STA netminder Gennevieve Bolduc.
Stevens’ Bovell, Maddy LaVarnway, Bri Marsh and Bundy scored in the penalty-kick round.
WHITINGHAM, Vt. — Jacoby Patterson managed the Raptors’ lone goal on a snow-covered field in the Vermont Division IV semifinals.
The Raptors finished 10-6-1 under first-year coach Soren Smith and are 24-10-1 during the past two seasons. Rivendell suffered its only loss of last season in the division finals, its second consecutive playoff exit at that stage.
BURLINGTON — The third-seeded Yellowjackets (9-6) used two Gwen Ambrose goals and single strikes from Annie Preece and Piper Vivian to down the seventh-seeded Thunderbirds (5-11) at Burlington High.
Mackenzie Kleefisch had two assists and Hannah Tenney one for Windsor, which faces top-seeded Montpelier on Saturday at the University of Vermont. The Solons (14-2) knocked Windsor out of last season’s semifinals.