After collecting the number three seed in Division I and a first-round bye in the tournament, the Pinkerton Academy field hockey squad advanced in the tourney with a dramatic overtime edging of sixth-seeded Keene in quarterfinal-round play in Derry on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Carly Young’s pretty rebound goal off an Abby Amato shot with 4:48 left in overtime handed the hosts a 2-1 win that propelled the academy crew into a semifinal-round match with their arch-rivals from Londonderry High Thursday afternoon, Oct. 29, at Exeter High School.
The Lady Astros snagged a 1-0 lead on an Amato goal with 14:41 remaining in the first half, and Pinkerton kept Keene without a shot in the first half as it maintained its one-goal lead.
But where the hosts were the stronger of the two squads in the first half, Keene exerted considerably more offensive pressure through much of the second half and kept its host without a shot on net or a penalty corner for some time.
The Lady Blackbirds finally bagged the tying goal they sought – off a penalty corner of their own – with 7:53 left in regulation time.
Keene ended up with four shots on net and six penalty corners during the second half, and the Lady Astros had four shots on net and five corners during that period. But the score remained at 1-1 when regulation time expired, and it was on to overtime.
Both contingents had offensive forays during the first 10 minutes of the 15-minute extra stanza, but none was productive until the game-winner was potted by Young.
On that decisive play, Amato thumped a shot on Keene goalie McKinley Croteau from the right side of the slot in front of the Blackbirds’ cage, but Young was standing uncovered to the left of the net and she disposed of the rebound past Croteau to send her team into celebration mode.
The forthcoming match with seventh-seeded Londonderry – which upset number two Timberlane in double-overtime while Pinkerton was disposing of Keene on Sunday – is even more significant from the PA standpoint because the Lady Lancers bested Pinkerton by a 2-1 tally in overtime in late September during Mack Plaque play.
