RallyNorth.net

Sat, Nov 06, 2010 07:00 PM @ Londonderry

Team	1st	2nd	Final
Exeter	1	0	1
Londonderry	0	0	0

Londonderry loses to Exeter in title game

Saturday, November, 06 By Christopher Smith
Staff writer

MANCHESTER, N.H. — "Stonewall Derhak, stonewall Derhak," the Londonderry students chanted with 6:21 remaining in the first half when Londonderry junior keeper Kelsey Derhak made a nifty diving save to her left to keep the score tied 0-0.

"I just tried to read the angle," Derhak said about the stop. 

Derhak, who earned her nickname during this year's Mack Plaque, was very strong in net during the Division 1 title game against Exeter yesterday at Southern New Hampshire University, making eight saves. 

But the junior keeper had difficulty handling one shot by Exeter's Aby Short just 23 seconds after making her splendid diving catch.

Short, assisted by Alyssa George, scored the game's lone goal and No. 1 seeded Exeter posted a 1-0 victory over No. 6 Londonderry to claim the Divison 1 title. 

"Phenomenal, phenomenal," Londonderry coach Derek Dane said about Derhak's title-game performance. "The defense calls her 'Stonewall Derhak.' Phenomenal. (She was) composed. She's the heart in the back. She keeps us organized."

Short's goal came after a corner kick. Exeter took six corners to Londonderry's three.  

"We talked about the fact that they scored goals off corners," Dane said. "If you look at all their tournament games, they scored a goal off a corner. We worked on defending their corners. And unfortunately we gave them one on a corner. It was a corner, it got knocked back out and the girl finished it. It wasn't for a lack of trying. They (Exeter) won the game but they know they had to play. We gave it an effort."

Exeter beat Londonderry 3-0 during the regular season on Oct. 8. 

After that loss, Londonderry went 6-0-1 entering this championship game. 

But Exeter, which repeated as champions, certainly was the dominant team in Division 1 this fall. It finished 18-0-1. Its only tie was 2-2 against Timberlane on Sept. 30. Exeter outscored it opponents 64-10 and posted 11 shutouts, three of which came in the postseason.  

Exeter beat its three Division 1 tournament opponents, Concord, Winnacunnet and Londonderry, by a combined score of 8-0. 

Dane's termed this season as a successful one for Londonderry. 

"Most of the games we started at least three freshmen," Dane said. "There were some games that we started four freshmen. (This year was) hugely (successful). I joked about it as a bridge year — the bridge to the future. Well, the bridge worked. I wouldn't have predicted we be here. I would have told you we would have been No. 6 but to be No. 6 and to get to the final, I'm very pleased. Fantastic group. Worked hard for it — very hard for it. ... They played well. Phenomenal effort. Couldn't finish one." 

Exeter outshot Londonderry 27-14. Meanwhile, nine of Exeter's 27 shots were on net while four of Londonderry's were on goal. 

Londonderry super sophomore Lydia Simmons received a free kick with approximately 10 seconds remaining but it was blocked by the Exeter defense.  

"It was a big blur," Simmons said about taking it. "(But) we came this far. ... Throughout the (next few) years it's just going to get better and better."

Simmons was quick to compliment Derhak's effort. Derhak made four of her eight saves in the first half. 

"She played unbelievable," Simmons said. "At the beginning of the game she was (nervous). ... She was like, 'I don't know what to do.'  We were like, 'You do what you can do and we'll do the rest.' She was very nervous and she came out and did unbelievable." 

Derhak said she felt the pressure but her nerves subsided once she stepped out onto the field. 

"She saved us back there," senior defender Dana Sailor said. "We really owe everything to her. It was really an unlucky ball. We couldn't save every shot. But she held us in it."