MANCHESTER, N.H. – Normally, one New Hampshire high school team couldn’t be playing their 11th game and the another could be playing their third with both preparing for the playoffs. But this is 2020, so that was the case in a Queen City Derby matchup at Derryfield Park on Friday afternoon.
The Derryfield School and Trinity fought to a 1-1 regulation draw, with each concluding their regular season in what felt like a warmup of sorts for both sides.
Neither team found the back of the net in the first half, with Trinity sophomore Nathan Shipman scoring the contest’s first goal in the 56th minute. There, Shipman stayed just onside as senior Ryan Stultz send a long-lobbed ball over Derryfield’s backline, with Shipman sending it in with header from 20 yards out milliseconds before a collision with Derryfield keeper Logan Goldberg.
Trinity dominated possession for most of the contest up to that point, with Trinity Head Coach Chris Morgan noting that the Pioneers’ lack of finishing in the first half is something could end the season moving forward now that there is no more margin for error.
“We had four or five opportunities at the beginning of the game,” said Morgan. “If you get one opportunity you have to capitalize, because those are rare.”
If Trinity’s goal came from a combination of Shipman’s near-offside and defensive mistiming by Derryfield, it is perhaps ironic that a near-offside and defensive mistiming lead to an equalizing goal from junior Kevin Adie in the 59th minute, shooting across the box for a score that narrowly found the inside of the far post.
“That was a great little ball that was played in, slotted in by Kavin (Fitch),” said Derryfield Head Coach Jeff Cousineau. “(Adie’s) ability to collect it, dribble in and at the keeper set him up for a really good shot.”
The two teams now find themselves in separate regions with the possibility of meeting again in the NHIAA Division III Semifinals on Sat., Nov. 7
Derryfield (2-0-1) will head to Concord to Bishop Brady (5-3-0) for a 3 p.m. matchup on Monday and Trinity (8-2-1) will return to Derryfield Park on Monday for a 6 p.m. showdown against defending Division III champion Campbell (4-2-0).
