FAIRFIELD -- Any number of shots could have gone in here Tuesday in a showdown between two playoff-bound Class B North girls soccer teams.
Two did -- both to Winslow, which got goals from Kyri Meak in the first half and Emily Daigneault in the second to top Lawrence 2-0 to notch its fifth straight win and 10th in 11 games.
"I think our girls have really come together as a group," said Winslow head coach Brian Kimball. "They've worked on working together and communicating and making sure they're moving as one, and we've really seen that."
Lawrence (8-5-1) got the two best opportunities early with Maddie Provost forcing a good save from Winslow's Bella Loubier four minutes in and sending in a dangerous cross four minutes later. The Black Raiders then had two chances of their own, but Zoe Hutchins came up with a pair of saves to keep the game scoreless.
After hitting the post with 29 minutes left and getting a key clearance from Loubier a minute later, Winslow (10-3-1) would take the lead with 26:15 to go. That goal came courtesy of Meak, who snuck in behind the Lawrence defense, received a perfect through-ball and buried it to put the Black Raiders up 1-0.
Meak and Provost would trade a pair of scoring chances over the final 12 minutes of the first half, but Loubier and Hutchins both came up strong again for their respective teams. Then, just when it looked like the pace was slowing down, Daigneault scored with 25 minutes left in the second half to make it 2-0.
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"Our midfield is a huge part of our team, and they've been amazing," Meak said. "They're moving the ball so well and giving us perfect through-balls for our attackers to finish, and they can also score. ... We really focus on transition attacks, and we have a lot of fast players who can move the ball."
Winslow would largely control the game the rest of the way, but Lawrence would produce a solid scoring chance with just six minutes left on a long winding shot from outside the box. It looked as if the shot might sneak just under the bar but Loubier reacted quickly to tip it over and preserve the shutout.
"Bella is having an amazing season this year," Kimball said. "She definitely did really well back there, and Kyri and Davanee Kimball played really well up front. Emily Daigneault, she started out as a center-back last year and now has nine goals as an attacking midfielder."
The win vaulted Winslow from seventh place in the Class B North standings to fourth, though Heal points had yet to be finalized. A fourth-place finish would mean a home quarterfinal game for the Black Raiders, likely against John Bapst (10-4-0) or Oceanside (9-3-2).
Despite the loss, Lawrence is also headed to the playoffs -- a major accomplishment for a Bulldogs program that from 2017-22 went 6-67-1. Head coach Ryan Mountain's team has already notched its first winning record since 2012 and has a shot at its first playoff win since 2011 next week.
"We came out with a lot of shots on goal, and they just didn't go in for us tonight," Mountain said. "Every day, we're improving and getting better, and that's been our message all season. Seeing the development and the progression, this team has come a long way."
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