Souhegan's Illari Pendleton (10) deflects the ball away from Hollis Brookline's Sammie Ward during Thursday night's Division II clash in Hollis. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

HOLLIS – September’s just begun, so it’s waaaay too early to label a Division II girls soccer game between local rivals a big game, right?

Guess again.

Make no mistake about it, the Hollis High School girls soccer team definitely needed its 1-0 win over the Souhegan Sabers Thursday night. A loss would have had the Cavaliers in a bit of a pickle, dropping them to 0-2 and a little unsure of where to turn.

“This was an important one and a big one for us psychologically and emotionally,” Cavs coach Peter Clarke said. “Get them to trust and believe that we can do this again.”

The Cavs no longer have the keys to the limo in Division II, as Bow comes in as a defending champ and HB’s semifinal victim from a year ago, Milford, also one to watch. And there’s no doubt the Sabers are much improved; games with HB used to be shooting galleries for whoever was in the Souhegan goal. Last night Sabers keeper Camielle Brichto certainly saw plenty of action with seven saves, helping to hold HB to co-captain Sam Disco’s breakaway goal from right wing just over a minute into the second half.

“It’s always tough when you have one go against you right out of the half,” Sabers coach Steve Hansberry said. “It can break the momentum, break the swing. But I thought the girls did a great job battling through it, getting a little electric look at the end.”

That would have been a ball that just rolled wide of the goal mouth as time expired off the foot of Saber Evie McGregor from the right side. Mya Blackmon got the shutout with three saves.

But the key is elsewhere on the field for HB, as the Cavs try to get in rhythm with each other.

“I think we did a better job tonight of getting different players involved up front,” Clarke said. “Encourage them to get out of their grooves a little bit and work with each other. We all have to learn to trust each other this year, as things are going to develop in a different way than they have traditionally.”

Souhegan’s Emmie Curran, left, and Hollis Brookline’s Adrienne Thibault race to the ball during Thursday night’s Division II clash in Hollis. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Clarke made one adjustment in the last week, moving Disco out from midfield and putting her up front, and it paid dividends with her speed – the Cavs have plenty of that. And the other change for HB was having Kai Swart back from injury after missing the team’s opening loss at Pembroke earlier this week.Swart assisted on Disco’s goal.

“Having Kai Swart at midfield brought a new level of assertiveness that we may have been lacking the other night,” Clarke said. “And experience. She’s a senior, been in championship games. … that’s a gamechanger.”

Brichto could be the same for Souhegan. She made a lunging fingertip save to rob HB’s Livi Ward and also crashed into the Cavs’ Caroline Jones to thwart a breakaway attempt.

“Tough cookie, willing to come out, she had a great year last year, so we’re really excited that she’s back and stronger than ever,” Hansberry said. “We have a great back line in front of her. We’re excited.”

So is HB, because as Clarke said, this Cavs team now knows it can do it together.