Bedford wins first boys soccer title

Friday, November 18, 2011

Joe Marchilena photo The Bedford High School boys soccer team poses for a team photo in front of the scoreboard at Southern New Hampshire University. The Bulldogs defeated Lebanon 1-0 in the Division II final for the school's first boys soccer title.

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Joe Marchilena photo Bedford's Erik Martel covers his face after scoring the game-winning goal against Lebanon in the Division II boys soccer final.

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Joe Marchilena photo Bedford's Marco Ibanez holds up the Division II boys soccer championship plaque after the Bulldogs defeated Lebanon 2-1 in the final.

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Joe Marchilena photo Bedford's Sullivan Holt, left, hugs teammates Erik Martel (No. 10) and Casey Schehl after Martel scored the game-winning goal against Lebanon in the Division II boys soccer final.

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Joe Marchilena photo The Bedford High School boys soccer team poses for a team photo in front of the scoreboard at Southern New Hampshire University. The Bulldogs defeated Lebanon 1-0 in the Division II final for the school's first boys soccer title.

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There was plenty of celebrating done by the Bedford High School boys soccer team following its 1-0 victory last Wednesday over Lebanon in the Division II final.

While joy was the overriding feeling on the turf at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, relief wasn’t far behind.

The Bulldogs did it. Despite the expectations of being last year’s runner-up, despite the pressure of being the undefeated top seed, despite playing a scoreless game late into the second half of the semifinal and final, the Bulldogs did it and it was time to let loose.

“I can’t believe it,” senior co-captain Evan Powlowsky said. “It’s the most amazing feeling. I was so nervous coming into this game. This is my last year and I didn’t want to let it pass after last year.”

Last year was a 2-1 loss to Hanover in the championship game, a loss that came on a late goal. This time, it was Bedford that did the heartbreaking.

With three minutes left in a scoreless game, Lebanon turned the ball just over its side of midfield. Not the worst place to make a mistake, except when that mistake ends up on the foot of Erik Martel.

From the moment he got the ball, Martel knew he had the opportunity he needed.

“The ball was there,” Martel said. “I thought, if I turn and there’s space, I’ll take the space.”

There was space and Martel raced by a Lebanon defender toward the goal. Keeper Austin Mansell came across the goal, preparing for the shot. Martel drew his right foot back and crushed the ball, sending it in the direction Mansell had come from. Mansell couldn’t get a hand on it, and the ball snuck inside the far post.

“I got by them and took the shot,” Martel said. “It felt good. Nice solid impact and I hit the right part of the ball. It wasn’t quite top shelf, but I hit it well.”

Bedford (19-0-1) killed off the final 2:50 by doing what it had done for most of the game – possessing the ball. The Bulldogs controlled play for the majority of the game, and coach Stuart Pepper felt it was again only a matter of time before Bedford cracked Lebanon’s defense.

“We didn’t give them an inch,” Pepper said. “From our backs to our midfielders running their hearts out to our strikers, if there was any one thing that was going to win it, it was being patient. It came to fruition. That’s where we’ve matured. Last year, we’d have panicked and maybe lost the game.”

Both teams hit the post during a scoreless first half. During the break, Pepper told his team to keep doing what it had all season long.

“Stay the course,” he said. “We made some corrections, but we stayed patient. And pass the ball. That’s what we do, we pass the ball.”

Bedford poured it on in the second half, but every inch the Bulldogs got, the Raiders quickly made it up. Shots either went wide of their mark, or were right at Mansell.

“We knew they were slowing down,” Martel said. “We kept going at them the whole time, trying to break them down.”

While it’s the first title for the boys soccer program, it’s the second one for Pepper. In 2004, he helped lead Hollis/Brookline to the Class I title, the last time a team that wasn’t Hanover took home a championship.

“It was nice to win the first one, but for us to have come from where we have and to win it a second time, it’s very special,” Pepper said. “It isn’t more special than the first one, but it is special.

“Winning a championship is tough. We’re the No. 1 team and we deserved to be the No. 1 team, it just isn’t something that happens and we were fortunate to do it.”