N.H. girls soccer: Guimaraes, Penachio rally Winnacunnet past Portsmouth

HAMPTON — The best players often shine brightest in the biggest moments.

Trailing by a goal with less than 25 minutes remaining Thursday, the Winnacunnet High School girls soccer team turned to one of its best players to spark a comeback.

Senior captain Sophia Guimaraes, who scored the game-winning goal in last year’s Division I state championship victory over Pinkerton Academy, again delivered when the Warriors needed her most in their Division I showdown with Seacoast rival Portsmouth.

After Winnacunnet fell behind 1-0 in the second half, Guimaraes scored the equalizer with 18:20 remaining and buried the game-winner with 5:51 left in regulation to lift the Warriors to a 2-1 comeback victory.

“That’s senior leadership right there,” Winnacunnet coach Nick O’Brien said. “She recognized the moment, recognized what was needed for the team and was able to finish her chances. She stepped up when we needed her.”

Both goals were set up by sophomore Joya Penachio.

“Joya and Soph combined well twice and proved to be the difference makers in the end,” O’Brien said. “They were able to execute when it mattered most in those final minutes.”

Winnacunnet pulled even with 18:20 remaining when Penachio drove down the right side and sent a crossing pass into the middle of the box. Guimaraes beat her defender to the ball and finished inside the far post to tie the game at 1-1.

“I knew we were down 1-0, so I had the mindset that we needed a goal,” Guimaraes said. “I saw Joya carrying the ball up the field like she usually does, and I made my run because 99 percent of the time she’s going to beat her defender. She played a perfect ball to me, and I was able to finish it.”

The Warriors took the lead for good with 5:51 to play as Penachio delivered a cross from the left side to Guimaraes, who finished from 10 yards out with a shot into the upper-left corner.

“I used the last bit of energy I had and saw Joya up the field again,” Guimaraes said. “She played it to me, I took one look at the keeper and just blasted it. I didn’t really know what else to do, but it ended up going in. It felt great.”

Penachio missed nearly all of last season after suffering an injury in the Warriors’ season opener. O’Brien said having her back has made a significant difference.

“She brings a lot, both on and off the field,” O’Brien said. “She’s a tough kid, she’s very technical, and she means a lot to this team. When she gets going, she’s fast. She’s quick. She’s a strong player and brings a lot to our attack.”

The victory was Winnacunnet’s sixth straight since a season-opening 2-1 loss to Bedford.

After a scoreless first half, Portsmouth grabbed a 1-0 lead with 33:20 remaining when freshman Alex Brandt pounced on a rebound in front of the net. Brandt’s initial shot was stopped by Winnacunnet goalkeeper Julianne Banks, but the ball deflected back to Brandt, who buried the second chance for the game’s opening goal.

“When you’re down a goal with 20-something minutes left, and it’s also the first goal you’ve given up in a while, a lot of teams can hit the panic button,” O’Brien said. “I’m proud of how we responded. We have a lot of veterans on this team who have been through a lot, and they were able to guide the team back into it.”

O’Brien called Portsmouth a “very well-coached, well-organized team.”

“Soccer’s a funny game,” O’Brien said. “I’d say the momentum swung a little bit, but you never really know in those final 10 minutes. The girls kept pressing and executed the way we wanted to play down the stretch, and we were able to walk away with the win.”

Portsmouth fell to 4-2-1 despite playing without several regular starters because of injuries.

“I loved the effort and grit we showed today,” Portsmouth coach Rick Hugener said. “Winnacunnet came at us hard, but our girls never quit. Even after they got back into the game, we kept competing and created a few chances late. I’m proud of the heart and resilience we played with all afternoon.”

“We can play with the top teams,” Hugener added. “We can compete with anybody. We just went toe-to-toe with the defending state champions and lost 2-1. Obviously, I’d rather have a tie or a win, but I’m proud of how our girls played. It shows the grit of this team and how they’re coming together as a unit. It’s still fairly early in the season, and we’ve had a lot of players taking on positions they normally don’t play because of injuries. They’ve really stepped up.”

O’Brien credited defenders Maddy Kontos, Molly Houlihan, Maeve Ouellette-Mavet and Leah Costa for helping protect Banks, who finished with eight saves.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: N.H. girls soccer: Guimaraes, Penachio rally Winnacunnet past Portsmouth