LISBON — Coach Julie Petrie was angry with her team. After her Lisbon High School field hockey squad practiced hard over the past couple days, the Greyhounds went out against a short-handed Traip Academy team and played a bit lost in the first half.
Trailing 1-0 at the half, Petrie fired her team up, then watched as the eighth-seeded Greyhounds battled back with two second-half goals for a 2-1 win over the No. 9 Rangers in a Class C South preliminary on Saturday.
A pair of goals by Sydney Plourde, including the game-winner with 3:33 remaining in regulation, sends Lisbon (3-10-2) to top-seeded and unbeaten St. Dom’s on Tuesday at 3 p.m. for a Class C South quarterfinal.
“We needed to play like we had nothing to lose, and I felt that Traip shouldn’t be out-hustling us,” Petrie said. “We have had some ups and downs in the second half this season, and now or never was our motto for this game. This was our season, and they had to understand that.”
Traip, which has played a player down throughout the second half of the season due to injuries, claimed a 1-0 lead with 5:04 remaining in the first half when Reilly Eddy tipped a pass from Elly Young past Lisbon goaltender Mikaylia Harnden. The score came 10 minutes after an apparent goal by Eddy was waved off, with the referees not seeing Eddy’s tip off a long-distance shot.
“This is my first year ever playing, but it is tough and we fought really hard today,” Eddy said. “We won a lot of tough games this year, playing short. We kind of got used to playing that way.”
“They played with a lot of heart, a team that played with really nothing to lose,” Petrie said of the Rangers, who finished the season with a 4-10-1 record.
Lisbon began wearing the Rangers down in the second half, especially after Plourde scored her first goal 5:49 into the second frame. Savannah Czechalski earned an assist on the play, sending a pass across to Plourde, who managed to beat Traip goaltender Nicole Roberts (11 saves).
“We weren’t passing our hustling in the first half, and after coach’s talk we came out and were aggressive. We didn’t give up and got after it,” Plourde said. “That first goal brought our attitude up. We were down and nervous, so when the ball went in, it relaxed us and the momentum was on our side.”
Traip called a timeout right after Plourde tied the game, and the Rangers buckled down on defense, looking to force a 7-on-7 overtime.
However, Lisbon made overtime unnecessary. Mallory Fairbanks battled two Ranger defenders to gain control just inside the 25 before sending a hard, low shot that had Roberts diving toward the left post. She managed to get her blocker on Fairbanks’ try, with the ball nicking the post and sitting still for Plourde.
“I thought Mallory’s shot was going in, but I was able to follow it in and put the shot in,” Plourde said.
“We do a lot of drills where we just get after it, stay feisty and be tenacious. I was glad that Sydney was where she needed to be,” Petrie said.
Traip refused to give up, earning a pair of penalty corners with the clock reading zero. But, Morgan Fenderson made the clear for Lisbon, ending the contest and sending the Greyhounds on to Auburn.
Petrie feels her team can surprise the Saints.
“We know they are a great team, and as the eight seed no one expects us to do anything,” Petrie said. “Our record doesn’t show our strength, and we have had some tight games this season. We are hoping that we have saved one of our top games for the end of the season.”
“We are going to just play with heart and hustle. We feel that we can be right there with them,” Plourde said.
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