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# Derryfield boys lacrosse holds off St. Thomas in battle of D2 unbeatens
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/derryfield-boys-lacrosse-holds-off-st-thomas-in-battle-of-d2-unbeatens/
- Published: 2023-04-22T22:08:55.000Z
- Updated: 2023-04-22T22:08:55.000Z
- Description: MANCHESTER - There was one important thing that Chris Hettler had to say to the Derryfield School boys lacrosse team at halftime of Friday's game against St. Thomas. Enjoy the moment. The Cougars needed two goals late in the second quarter to take a two-goal lead into the break, but it was the first
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, boys lacrosse, Derryfield, St. Thomas, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

MANCHESTER - There was one important thing that Chris Hettler had to say to the Derryfield School boys lacrosse team at halftime of Friday's game against St. Thomas.

Enjoy the moment.

The Cougars needed two goals late in the second quarter to take a two-goal lead into the break, but it was the first time they'd been within striking distance of the opponent this season. Derryfield carried that momentum into the second half, opening with a 3-0 run, and the Cougars held off the Saints for a 12-6 win in a matchup of teams at the top of the Division II standings.

Alex Murray led the Cougars with four goals and Chili Cabot had three goals and an assist, including a buzzer-beater to end the third quarter and give Derryfield a 9-5 lead.

Tate Flint also had a pair of goals while RJ Proulx had a goal and two assists and Quinn Silvio had three assists. Ethan Flanagan and Brady Doldo added a goal apiece for the Cougars, who have averaged 17.2 goals over their first five games and led by an average of 10 goals at the break in the first four.

"I told the guys at halftime to embrace being in a fun game," Hettler said. "We haven’t been in one yet and I thought it was a credit to the way St. Thomas came out. They were physical, they were smart, they slid really well. I thought we were rushing things a little bit. It felt like we wanted to score three goals on every possession."

That was evident, as Derryfield (5-0, No. 4 in the NHHSSports Coaches Poll) went almost eight minutes without a goal after opening the scoring 1:22 into the game. St. Thomas tied it up with 7:41 remaining in the quarter on the first of Finley Detolla's four goals and that's where it stood until Murray and Chabot scored late in the quarter.

The Saints (3-1, No. 9) didn't blink, as Jackson Estes and Anthony DiMartino each scored to open the second quarter and knot things back up at 3.

"The guys came out and competed really well," St. Thomas coach Scott Singer said. "It was a nice physical battle all the way around. Some tough plays here and there. We really struggled on our clear from our end, and I think that was a big difference maker for us."

St. Thomas had five turnovers in the second quarter, including one that led directly to a goal by Proulx that gave Derryfield a 5-3 lead with 3:06 remaining in the first half. The Cougars had a chance at more before the break, but the Saints' defense held up until the final seconds, when Max Murry and Estes were each called for a slash.

Derryfield started the third quarter with the ball, up two players, and Murray scored just 16 seconds in to make it 6-3\. Chabot and Flanagan added back-to-back goals just 1:12 apart to give the Cougars their largest lead at 8-3.

"We got a call that dictated the end of the half, but that’s something that’s out of our control," Singer said. "We can’t make the calls. I thought our guys responded and we moved on. The boys were fine and came back out and competed."

Detolla got the Saints back within three, scoring twice in the third quarter, including a manup goal with 3:14 left to cut the lead to 8-5\. But with time running out in the quarter, St. Thomas turned the ball over in front of Derryfield's goal, and Fowler alertly picked the ball up and got it to John Kramer.

Kramer moved it toward midfield before sending a long pass to Chabot near the goal, who caught it and released a shot just before the buzzer. The ball found the back of the net to make it 9-5 Derryfield going into the fourth.

But the St. Thomas defense would hold up, keeping the Cougars off the board for the first seven minutes of the quarter. Detolla scored with 9:25 left to make it 9-6, but that would be as close the Saints would get, in part because Derryfield was able to draw out possessions.

"We weren’t planning to stall at that point," Hettler said. "I told the guys we had to play to win, we’re not going to kill eight minutes right now. We’ve got to play to win, but if they’re going to stay in a zone (defense), then we’ve got to be patient."

After keeping possession for more than three minutes, Flint scored a manup goal with 4:49 remaining to make it 10-6, and Doldo and Murray added two more goals in the final 2:14 finish out the scoring.

"Proud of the guys of facing a little bit of adversity and working through that and finding a way to get a good win," Hettler said. "The offense was disciplined when it needed to be and the defense made some good stops when the game was kind of in the balance."