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# Derryfield boys lacrosse hangs on for season-opening win over Goffstown
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/derryfield-boys-lacrosse-hangs-on-for-season-opening-win-over-goffstown/
- Published: 2019-04-10T14:39:49.000Z
- Updated: 2019-04-10T14:39:49.000Z
- Description: MANCHESTER - The Derryfield School boys lacrosse team needed to get off to a good start in Tuesday's season opener against Goffstown. After a lackluster scrimmage a few days before, the Cougars were able to control play for most of the first and got the lead they wanted, taking a six-goal lead into
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, boys lacrosse, Derryfield, Goffstown, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

MANCHESTER - The Derryfield School boys lacrosse team needed to get off to a good start in Tuesday's season opener against Goffstown.

After a lackluster scrimmage a few days before, the Cougars were able to control play for most of the first and got the lead they wanted, taking a six-goal lead into halftime.

Then the weather went sideways in the second half, and that lead turned out to be a good thing for Derryfield in more ways than it was expecting.

The steady rain that had fallen in the first half intensified as the game wore on, eventually turning into hail, and then to snow, and Goffstown was able to take advantage of the sloppy conditions. But while the Grizzlies won the second half, the hole was too much to climb out of, as the Cougars held on for a 9-6 win in Division II action.

Chas Dean led Derryfield (1-0, No. 4 in the NHHSS Coaches Poll) with three goals and Jon MacLean added two scores for the Cougars, who got out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter and led 6-0 early in the second.

"I loved the first quarter, the whole first half actually, the guys played with a lot of energy," Derryfield coach Chris Hettler said. "We stepped up in the faceoff circle. Connor O’Brien was doing really well and then got popped and had to sit out. Guys stepped up.

"Jon MacLean and John Anderson did a great job in the faceoff circle, and Max Horton and Alex Neville were huge on the wings, getting groundballs and controlling the pace. The defense was tremendous all game. Ryan Caparrelli made his first start in net and did a good job there. He was calm, collected on clears and made some big stops when we needed him to."

O'Brien and Anderson also had a goal apiece while Henry Howe and Ryan Etzo also scored and Caparrelli made five saves.

Goffstown (0-1, ARV) got three goals from Nick Mason and Griffin Cook added two goals and an assist while Konnaugh Donovan also scored and Grady Chretien made 10 saves.

But the slow start to the game ended up costing the Grizzlies.

"The first quarter, it was almost like they never got off the bus," Goffstown coach Josh Lewis said. "Then halfway through the second quarter, they woke up and started playing their game. The fire got lit and they started playing. Second half, we came out, both sides running and gunning, ready to play."

Derryfield won the game's opening faceoff and Chretien came up with a save on the first shot of the game, but the Grizzlies turned the ball over before being able to set up their offense. It was one of eight turnovers in the first quarter for Goffstown, which didn't register a shot until early in the second.

"We were on defense pretty much the entire time in that first quarter," Lewis said. "Whenever we got it on offense, they were very aggressive, very physical and jumped right out on our guys. I think they were intimidated by that because we haven’t seen it this year."

Etzo and MacLean scored a pair of goals less than a minute apart early in the second to make it 6-0, and Howe made it a seven-goal game with 6:24 remaining in the half. Goffstown was able to maintain possession following Howe's goal and broke through on Mason's first goal with 1:49 left in the half.

Dean scored his third of the game to open the second half, putting Derryfield up 8-1, but as the rain started to come down harder, and then turn to hail, Goffstown bounced back. The Grizzlies scored three goals in a span of 2:33 to make it 8-4 and that's where it stood going into the fourth.

By then it was snowing, and Derryfield was able to maintain possession for most of the final quarter, with Anderson making it 9-4 with 7:08 to play. The Grizzlies added two goals in the final four minutes to finish out the scoring.

"We have a certain style we want to play and the weather turned it into more of a conservative, one-on-one type of game, which is not what we want to play," Hettler said. "We want to play a team game, and it forced us into slowing things down and mucking things up. I would have almost rather had it rain. The first half showed what we’re capable of when we’re playing well. Just happy to build on that going into Winnacunnet on Friday."

The Cougars travel to Hampton to face the Warriors at 4 p.m. on Friday while the Grizzlies are scheduled to host St. Thomas, also at 4 p.m. on Friday.