It all comes down to Friday night for girls' soccer around the Granite State. It has been one wild fall, and we have four terrific championship games taking place that we will have full coverage of. 

 Today we take a look at all four championship matchups in the last girls' soccer Thursday Thoughts of the season. 

 Today's column is brought to you by our friends and partners at Nashua Community College!

 NCC is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, November 16th from 5-7 pm!

 

Division I

Division II Standings and Statistical Leaders

#3 Bedford vs #1 Exeter

 It is no surprise to see two of Division I's most dominant teams all season long face off for the title on Friday night.  

 Bedford was one of the strongest defenses in the state this season, allowing just five goals in total in both the regular and postseason. This has been the backbone of their success and will be one of the main reasons why they could win a championship on Friday. 

 Zoe Santos leads the Bulldog defense in net and the defensive line of Nieve Humphery, Sari Stein, and Araceli Cloutier keep great shape and have terrific chemistry. The strong nucleus in the back is what has gotten Bedford so far. 

 Michelle Winning preached from day one about everyone playing a role, and at this point, everyone knows what they need to bring to each game to be successful. 

 Offensively Grace Crowder and the Morris sisters, Lana and Kyleigh Morris provide both creativity and fluidity on that end of the field. The unselfishness of this team has gone a long way. 

 This group still has a sour taste in their mouths from last season when they fell short, and now they have a chance for redemption. 

 Back on September 16th, Exeter made a huge statement by taking down Bedford, the same team they get to take on once again Friday night. 

 While the defense is solid, it is the Blue Hawk offense that has stolen the show this season. They have tallied 85 goals through both the regular season and playoffs so far and can certainly add a few more on Friday. 

 Emma Smith has had a Player of the Year caliber season for Exeter and will be in the mix of everything offensively, 35 goals and counting for the senior forward. 

 Smith will be a focal point of the Bedford defense, they will throw everything including the kitchen sink to keep her contained. While Bedford can opt to take her out of the game, there are many weapons the Blue Hawks possess. 

 Taylor Seaman, Callie Neils, and Lauren Roeder are known to get involved upfront and make things even tougher on opposing defenses when they have to account for so many threats, especially from far outside the box. 

 The runs this offense has generated this season have been a site to see. The question is how many of those special runs will we see on Friday? 

 These team match-up as even as can be. No weak links, no mismatches, and holes on either side of the field. 

 This could come down to a game of inches, and possibly some free soccer. We're in for a classic between these two. 

 

Division II

Division II Standings and Statistical Leaders

#4 Pembroke vs #3 Pelham

 Last year's runner-ups and last year's dark horse team will get a chance to earn some hardware on Friday. 

 It is getting repetitive, but here it is one last time, when Pembroke beat Bow back in September the switch flipped. It flipped so much that they beat Bow again on Wednesday night, again in thrilling fashion. 

 It didn't take overtime, but some late-game heroics from Ryley Leblanc sent the Spartan faithful into a frenzy and gave Pembroke even more momentum for Friday night. 

 Enough can't be said about the play of freshman goalkeeper Laila Al-Shawafi all season long, especially in the semifinals. It was big save after big save. The composure Al-Shawafi has for a first-year starter is uncommon, especially this late in the fall. She continues to keep the Spartans in games and is a big reason they are playing on Friday. 

 Even with their backs against the wall most of the game against Bow, Pembroke still found a way. Whether it be Jaylin Ladd, Taylor Renna, Bailey Gatchel, or Kyla Chase, someone always seems to be making a big play for this team. 

 This team believes in one another and is confident as they can be going into the championship game.

 Pelham has been amongst the best in the division all season long. It was no easy road to the finals, going to PK's with Coe-Brown in the quarterfinals, and coming away victorious in extra time over Hollis-Brookline in the semifinals. 

 Taking down Hollis-Brookline, a team that had their number all season, was a huge win for a Pythons team with championship aspirations. It is hard to beat a team three times in one season, and Pelham showed that to be true with a big extra-time win. 

 The story of Pelham starts with Ashlyn Walsh, who is the leading scorer in Division II by a mile. Her presence alone opens up a lot for this offense. When you have a player that is good for 2-3 goals a game, it gives others open opportunities. 

 Carlee Sloan and Grace Riley took advantage of those open opportunities and ran with them. When this group has a chance to score they rarely let it slip away. 

 Can Pelham turn this game into a scoring contest? That may be the key to walking away victorious. Get a goal early and set the tone. 

 Hannah Deschene has been rock solid in net for the Pythons and will need another big performance to keep Pembroke off the board as much as possible.  

 Pelham has been battle-tested all playoffs. They'll have to dig deep for this one, but they should have more than enough left in the tank to get the job done.

 Whoever can get control of the pace and style of play will have the upper hand throughout this one. I expect a fun one in Division II. 

 

Division III 

Division III Standings and Statistical Leaders

#2 Gilford vs #1 St Thomas

 It has been all chalk in Division III thus far with the two best teams all year in Division III getting one shot to end the year as champions. 

 Gilford was dominant this season, with their lone loss of the year coming by the hands of St Thomas during the opening game of the season. 

 They are a different team since that 7-3 loss and are ready for a different result this time around.

 Besides playing St Thomas early in the season, Stevens was the best team Gilford had seen all season, and they passed that test in a big way with a 1-0 win in the semifinals. 

 The Golden Eagles got it done on both ends of the field, netting one of the best scoring differentials in the regular season (70 goals, 10 against). Margaret Cummings has been rock solid in net, and Vanessa Flanders continues to lead a defense that very few opponents have had an answer for this season. 

 Allison Kenyon continues to do it all for Gilford in the midfield and will certainly have a say in the outcome of Friday's championship game.

 Right alongside her, Millie Caldon has been terrific at distributing the ball. They are one of the best midfield duo's in the division and will need to continue to produce against a talented Saints roster. 

 St Thomas is one game away from winning an elusive title that they have waited over a year to compete for. Last season was a step in the right direction, and now this group looks ready to finish the job. 

 We saw the Saints explode in the second half against a well-rounded Raymond team. This offense can get goals and they can get them quickly. 

 When you have Ella Pottle and Maddie Karsonovich drawing so much attention, that opens up opportunities for players like Elizabeth Flynn and Kate Burrus who have really stepped up in the postseason. 

 Their ability to shoot from far out allows them to make overlapping runs for easier shots inside the 18. There probably isn't a better team in the division at controlling possession than St Thomas. That will be a big advantage on Friday night.

 Abby Rayder commands a sound defense that can collapse on teams and give them minimal opportunities in their own zone. All around this team is as crisp as they come.

 The mental advantage lies with St Thomas, can Gilford breakthrough early and get the Saints on their toes? That may be what it comes down to. Both teams are different than when they first met, which should make this a fun one to watch. 

 

Division IV

Division IV Standings and Statistical Leaders

#7 Portsmouth Christian vs #1 Newmarket

 We got round three of two teams who battled with each other in the southern part of the state this season. 

 As I said last week, Portsmouth Christian was no normal seven seed. They took care of business on the road in Littleton and beat out Concord Christian to get to the finals for the first time in program history.

 This program has been building toward this moment for the past few seasons, and have a real chance to be the last team standing. 

 The Eagles certainly took their bumps and bruises this season, losing a few nail-biters to other contending teams in the division. Their road wasn't easy, and that may help them on Friday night having already faced so much adversity. 

 Lula Wamberg is as prolific a scorer as they come, but Newmarket has had her number this season, holding the Eagles scoreless in both contests. The Eagles will need to find a way to get their top option in space and room to create opportunities. 

 Tatiana Stockbower will need to set the tone in the midfield with her physicality and toughness. Winning 50/50 balls and controlling the pace will be huge for PCA to gain an edge. 

 As for the Mules, despite a late-season loss to Sunapee, Newmarket has put together quite the run. Their regular season schedule was far from easy, and they came away on top over a lot of top-eight teams. 

 Maggie Moore has been the calm, cool, and collected leader for Newmarket all season long, and her presence will be important as ever on Friday night. Her ability to change the game on both ends of the field has been vital to the Mules' success. 

 Olivia Blackadar has really devloped into a key piece for Newmarket in the midfield and adds another dimension to their already strong offensive attack. The hustle she brings provides a great boost of energy for this team. 

 The championship pedigree has been aparent throughout the regular season, and it hasn't gone away all playoffs. 

 This team finds a way to win the close games. They have three one goal wins against playoff teams, and added another on Wednesday with a win over a very good Woodsville team. Winning the close ones matters in November. 

 Newmarket has been in this situation before, this is a new atmosphere for the Eagles. Being the agressors early should be PCA's number one task. 

 The Mules look primed for back-to-back titles, but PCA is going to give Newmarket all they can handle on Friday.