Trinity girls gearing up for postseason run

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Sarah Bradley heads the ball
Senior Captain Sarah Bradley heads the ball during the second half of Thursday’s 1-0 win over Campbell.

MANCHESTER, NH – The Trinity High School girls soccer team extended its unbeaten run through the 2021 season with a 1-0 home victory over a pesky Campbell squad Thursday evening, but some significant challenges await in Trinity’s quest to hoist its first title since 2001.

The Pioneers now sit in second place in Division III with a 10-0-2 record, their only two blemishes coming via draws at White Mountains Regional High School on Sept. 24 and against cross-city rival Derryfield on Oct. 1.

Captained by Sarah Bradley, Lexie Spradling, Skyler De Petrillo, Lauren Riley and Emma Service, Trinity’s ability to control the middle of the field and keep opponents on their heels most of the game makes them a formidable foe, said Campbell head coach Rob Fuller.

“Their high press puts you under a lot of pressure. They’re menaces up there. They make it really difficult on you,” he said. “They haven’t lost a game and I think they’ve only given up I think four goals all year. They’re going to be tough in the playoffs for sure.”

And while Trinity head coach Mike Martinez expressed confidence his team can compete with most of the top teams in the state, he said taking down D-III favorite Hopkinton (currently 13-0-0) is likely to be a monumental task for any team that shares the same pitch with the Hawks.

“Hopkinton has an embarrassment of riches. You know, they have at least five or six high-level players, so for anybody, that’s going to be a large undertaking,” he said. “Gilford is similar to Saint Thomas. We matchup in that we have the defense to match their offense, so I’d say us, Derryfield, we’re all in that mix, but definitely the second tier behind Hopkinton.”

Competing against Campbell Tuesday, Martinez said he was happy to see his team control the ball for most of the game.

“My goalie touched the ball twice, and that’s pretty much the way most of our games have been,” he said. “We’re definitely a defense-first team, but the girls have turned themselves into a possession-based team and we continually apply pressure. It’s just finding that goal that’s been a challenge for us.”

Trinity now prepares to host 5-4 Raymond today at 3 p.m., followed by a road trip to Berlin on Monday and then a return home to close the regular season with back-to-back matches against 3-11 Conant and 5-7-1 Inter-Lakes on Tuesday and Friday, respectively. Both matches are currently scheduled for 4 p.m.

About this Author

Ryan O'Connor

As a longtime journalist in Southern New Hampshire, Ryan O'Connor has written for several local online and print publications covering everything from school board meetings and local high school sporting events to major crime stories and New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary (yes, the last two are mutually exclusive). In addition to spending time with his beautiful wife and four amazing children, Ryan enjoys attending and serving at church, golfing as much as possible, home brewing, playing softball and snowboarding when time allows.