> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Derryfield boys lacrosse peaked at right time on the way to fourth D2 title in a row
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/derryfield-boys-lacrosse-peaked-at-right-time-on-the-way-to-fourth-d2-title-in-a-row/
- Published: 2019-06-13T15:00:23.000Z
- Updated: 2019-06-13T15:00:23.000Z
- Description: Every high school team is different, and despite bringing back a solid core of seniors for 2019, Derryfield School boys lacrosse coach Chris Hettler knew that this year's mix of Cougars wouldn't put together the same season as the program's previous three championship teams. But while new players ha
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, boys lacrosse, championship, Derryfield, playoffs, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

Every high school team is different, and despite bringing back a solid core of seniors for 2019, Derryfield School boys lacrosse coach Chris Hettler knew that this year's mix of Cougars wouldn't put together the same season as the program's previous three championship teams.

But while new players had to learn how to mesh with returning veterans throughout the regular season, Derryfield kept winning games.

The Cougars stared the year 12-0, extending their winning streak to 65 games, the second-longest such streak in New Hampshire history, and the eighth longest streak in the nation. But not all of those wins came in ways that Derryfield had come to expect.

While the Cougars were still able to produce on offense - they scored 12 or more goals nine times during the regular season - there were plenty of bumps in the road, at least until the playoffs started.

"They peaked at the right time," Hettler said. "Last year, I felt like we plateaued early. This group was going to go up (all season) and they did. They figured out how to play together."

Derryfield played all of its playoff opponents - St. Thomas, Goffstown and Winnacunnet - in the regular season, winning those three games by an average of three goals, scoring 9.7 per game and allowing 6.3.

But in the postseason, the Cougars flipped a switch. The average margin of victory jumped to nine goals with Derryfield outscoring those three opponents 38-9, capped with a 9-1 win over Winnacunnet in the D2 title game.

"I feel like going into the last regular-season game, we started to focus up," Derryfield senior Jon MacLean said. "We know what to expect because we already played these teams this season. We started hitting our peak right at the end of the season and that’s what we needed to do."

The offense was all able to get on the same page in the postseason, while defense turned in some of it's best work, according to Hettler.

"Everything we’ve done over the last four years, they put it together in these three games," the coach said. "I couldn’t think of a better way for them to play over those three games and just dominate over those in the defensive end. It’s about as well as I’ve seen them play."

Defense was where Derryfield was most consistent all year, and that shouldn't be a surprise considering the Cougars had co-D2 defensive players of the year in Alex Neville and Max Horton, plus goalie Avry Truex, who was a first-team all-state selection and a four-year starter.

The Cougars allowed an average of 3.9 goals per game during the regulars season and allowed six goals or more in a game just five times. The one goal allowed in the championship game was a state record, and it came after Derryfield had shut out Winnacunnet for almost 45 minutes.

"They played phenomenal (Saturday)," MacLean said. "That’s probably the best defense I’ve seen this year and we saved it for the last game."

While MacLean led the offense, both during the regular season and with three goals in the championship game, Derryfield got contributions from all over its lineup. Seven different players had double-digit goals during the year, with six of them scoring 20 or more.

And in the first half of Saturday's final, the Cougars got their 4-0 lead by getting goals from four different players.

"That’s the way it’s been all season," Hettler said. "Trust the system we run, find the guy who is open, You don’t have to do it all yourself. But at times, the guys who needed to make plays stepped up and made plays. Guys made plays when they needed to."