Six C.O.E. Teams Go Through to State Cup Finals

U-13 Jamie Sherburne Making

One of Many Runs Through the Classics' Defense

U-13 Megan Ethier lets loose a Volley on the Classics' Net, Tori Sailor Waiting for the Rebound

U-16 Leah Gundrum Blocking a Cross

U-16 Aubrey Ouellet Making a Big Save

The NH State Cup group stage came to a close last weekend and, when the dust settled, six of the seven C.O.E. teams that had entered were through to the finals. The U-12 boys and the U-16 girls have earned their second consecutive trip to the finals with the U-18 girls going for the sixth consecutive time. Joining these teams for the first time will be the U-11 girls (playing up at U-12), the U-13 girls and the U-15 girls.

Two games are worth noting from this past weekend because of the quality of the C.O.E.'s attacking play. The U-16s and U-13s both had must win games against their Classics' counterparts and the Classics' athleticism and physical style of play are well suited to frustrate sides such as these that like to get forward. In both games, the girls matched the physical intensity and threatened to score for long stretches. Not surprisingly, the U-16s poured in 5 goals and, although the U-13s only managed 2 goals to the Classics' 1 goal, the truth is that players like Tori Sailor, Jamie Sherburne and Megan Ethier spent long periods of the game marauding into the Classics' defensive 1/3rd of the field.

Now, onto the Londonderry West Fields complex and the Seacoast sides that await!