Girls Varsity Basketball Puts up a Fight Against Goffstown
“Losing is difficult, especially when the game is very close and it could go either way. Even though we lost, I think the Goffstown game showed us that we are capable of competing and potentially winning even with our small numbers and inexperience,” explained Captain Madeline Alphonse (‘19). Oyster River fell short to Goffstown by just 11 points with a loss in the final minutes of the fourth period on January 10th.Oyster River fought hard for a lead the entire game. Goffstown had multiple breakaways, only to be countered by OR points. Right after the half ended, the Bobcats were down 18 to 17, resulting in an even closer game. Yet late in the third, Goffstown broke the tight score, and were up 31 to 21. The Bobcats continued to work hard, keeping their starters on for the majority of the time. OR had many consecutive passes, but still were down 27-38, late in the fourth period. Attempting to make a comeback as the clock ticked down, they were able to score six more points, two of which, from free throws by Alphonse. Unfortunately the Bobcats took their seventh loss of the season and ended the game 33 to 44.“It was disappointing [to lose] at first but we just had to realize that going into the game we didn’t think we would do as good as we did. We have improved so much from the start of the season that if we were able to play them again we would have a great chance of winning,” said Carissa Miller (‘21) (pictured above), one of the few freshmen on the varsity team. The team has struggled on a losing streak this year and the past year. They have had issues with with having enough numbers for varsity and junior varsity teams, with many varsity players also swinging to play in junior varsity games.The Bobcats appeared to have a great team dynamic, having multiple accurate passes, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to shoot. The players on the bench, were constantly cheering for their teammates, many of them on the edge of their seats for this nailbiter. Kate Lenhard (‘19) pictured above, completed many passes, and contributed to the extremely close game.“I think our team chemistry has been a tricky thing for us this year. We haven’t been playing together for very long and that’s proven to be a challenge on the court. This being said I do believe that we are becoming closer and working together much better in recent games, that shows a lot of hope and potential for the future,” said Alphonse. Luckily for the Bobcats, their team seemed extremely solid while fighting to defend Goffstown. The four juniors of the Bobcats were prominent, and held the team together in terms of dynamics. Karlie Stevens (pictured above), Kate Lenhard, Madeline Alphonse, and Abby Craig worked well together.Natalie Durant (‘18) (pictured above) serves as captain alongside Alphonse. The captains play a huge role in leading the team. “The captains I think really help the team keeping our head up and not getting down even when we are losing which really helps our team. That was a huge part of that game. I don’t think we would have done as good as we did if our captains didn’t keep us from getting down,” explained Miller.“Goffstown was really swift and had some good shooters and well as people who could drive to the basket well. I think playing man to man could have countered that and also our shots just didn’t fall so trying to take more open shots,” said Mia Hricz (‘21). Goffstown is currently is 13th place according to the Division II standings, with a record of five wins and six losses.“My hope are for us to win against Kingswood and Timberlane from all of the progress we have made,” said Hricz. Sadly, OR did not win against Kingswood, but look forward to playing Windham on Tuesday. The Bobcats are looking to break their streak and work towards a common goal. Hopefully, during the next home game more fans will be there to support the Bobcats in changing their record (fans Alex Crosbie and Max Lewis pictured above). Yet Alex Crosbie (‘19) added, “I don’t think my presence at the games makes a difference, but I definitely think that at the position that they’re in right now, they can’t do anything but improve.” The Bobcats’ future for the season is looking a little brighter after close games like these. “A big team goal is to grow and become a strong team and have lots of patience on offense,” explained Hricz.
