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Windham comes up short in bid to repeat as Division 2 champs

BEDFORD - For the third straight year, Windham field hockey played in the Division 2 state title game and for the second straight year, it found itself playing in a do-or-die overtime session

Last year, the Jags scored early in the first overtime to win. But this year, they couldn't repeat the magic.

Top-seeded Windham lost 2-1 to No. 2-seeded Lebanon in double overtime at Bedford High School.

"It was an extreme effort by my team," third-year coach Amanda Ward said. "I told them on the way home they had nothing to be ashamed of. I truly believe it was a very evenly-matched game. The coach from Lebanon came up (afterward) and said either team could have won."

Windham trailed 1-0 at halftime before Jags senior Justine Levesque tied it 1-1 with just about 10 minutes remaining in regulation. It went unassisted on a penalty stroke.

Levesque had a fantastic season, scoring 35 goals, which is a single-season program record. The previous record (28) was held by fellow senior Courtney Sweeny. 

Sweeny's 28 goals came as a junior in 2013. 

Ward said about Levesque's season,  "She was determined. She set a goal for herself. ... Throughout her career, she has scored those key goals, but this year, she unleashed. She poured her heart and soul into it."

Levesque scored four goals in three playoff games this year. She does have a knack for scoring clutch goals.

She had Windham's lone goal in the 2012 title game, a 3-1 loss to Lebanon. She also scored the first goal in a 2-1 OT victory over Merrimack Valley in the 2013 title game. Last year's championship game goal also knotted the contest 1-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining.  

Ward — who played at Plymouth State — took over as head coach when this group of seniors were sophomore in 2012. She was the JV before that. So she's been with these seniorss from Day 1 and has taken the team to three straight championship game appearances.  

"These seniors mean so much to me," Ward said. "The last four years, it's just been an incredible team. I've seen so much growth and development."

Abigail Lagos stopped 12 shots for the Jaguars.

Windham's run
Windham has made three Division 2 title game each of the past three years. Here is how the Jaguars have done:
2014: Windham lost 2-1 to Lebanon in double OT. Justine Levesque scored to tie it 1-1 in the second half.
2013: Windham beat Merrimack Valley 2-1 in OT. Justine Levesque tied it 1-1 in the second half and Courtney Sweeny scored the game-winner about 2 minutes into OT.
2012: Windham lost 3-1 to Windham. Justine Levesque scored the Jags' lone goal.