Cougars do it all – except score

MANCHESTER – For the Campbell High School girls soccer team it seemed like just a matter of time.

It dominated long stretches of Friday night’s Class M final against Fall Mountain of Langdon. It had a 31-5 advantage in shots and a 10-3 edge in corner kicks as the scoreless game entered the second 20-minute, sudden-death overtime.

Campbell’s Shawna Trunca, who led the Cougars with 30 goals this season, appeared to end it with six minutes left in the first overtime, quickly trapping and unloading a shot from 12 yards away.

It was perfectly struck just inside the right post. But Fall Mountain goalkeeper Christine Surber, who finished with 16 saves, flashed over to deflect it away.

Then, four minutes into the second overtime, Fall Mountain got its chance.

Morgan Green pushed a though pass into the Campbell penalty area, connecting with Jordan Ferland in stride. She hit a right-footer into thenet to give the Wildcats their second consecutive Class M title.

“Campbell is very good and very aggressive,’’ Ferland said. “It’s hard when you see a team coming down on you time after time to get your adrenaline up.

“But when our goalie made that save in overtime that was an eye opener, we really needed to step it up.’’

Campbell coach Bob Gannon, who watched Trunca end a 1-0 semifinal victory with a goal in the second overtime, knew sooner or later Fall Mountain would get its chance.

“That’s what we were afraid of,’’ Gannon said. “We had our chances and had we capitalized it would have been different.

“But they took the break, they took it in, they scored and they earned it.’’

For a moment, Trunca thought she had scored the game winner.

“I thought it was in,’’ Trunca said. “Their goalie made a tremendous save. She played well all night.’’

Fall Mountain had one of its best scoring chances in the first 15 seconds. Freshman forward Katie Doyle was alone, 15 yards to the right of the goal, and hit a shot just inside the right post. But Campbell sophomore Shannon Lavigne (four saves) lunged at the ball and made the save.

Campbell nearly got on the board 15 minutes into the second half when Trunca, closely marked the whole game, drilled a 30-yard shot off the crossbar.

“That girl can sure shoot,’’ Fall Mountain coach Bruce Ferland said.

“But I think that was part of the reason we were still in the game, we didn’t give them many shots inside the box.’’

Two minutes after Trunca hit the crossbar teammate Olivia Planty rolled a shot just wide of the right post.

“It’s tough to take,’’ Gannon said. “That shot by Shawna, I thought it was in.

“Overall I couldn’t have been any prouder of my kids and the heart they showed all season.’’

The Cougars will be back. They had just one senior, Stephanie Loeb, in the starting lineup last night.