Derryfield returns to D2 boys lacrosse final with convincing win over Goffstown

NASHUA - Possession may not be nine-tenths of lacrosse, but the team that controls it has a good chance of controlling the game.

That wasn't the case early in Thursday's Division II boys lacrosse semifinal between No. 1 Derryfield School and No. 5 Goffstown High School.

The Grizzlies won faceoffs and held on to the ball for decent stretches, but when Goffstown wasn't able to capitalize on those opportunities, the Cougars were. Derryfield got out in transition, scoring quickly in the first quarter to go up 5-1 and never looked back in a 14-3 win at Stellos Stadium.

The win sends Derryfield to the D2 championship game for the fifth year in a row - and its sixth-straight title game overall - where the Cougars will face No. 2 Winnacunnet, which knocked off No. 3 Portsmouth in overtime in the semifinal.

"I think they played with a lot of energy and passion," Derryfield coach Chris Hettler said. "They’ve had a goal to get back to the championship game. We had an idea of what Goffstown wanted to do. We had the keys to stopping them on defense and the guys executed the game plan. It was a real team win."

Henry Howe led the Cougars (18-1, No. 4 in the NHHSS Coaches Poll) with five goals and an assist, including a run of three straight goals in the third quarter that put the game away for Derryfield.

"Henry played really well," Hettler said. "He saw areas in their defense where he could just slide into and catch it. It was not only where he was sliding to, but to have the presence to just shoot it right away. He was pinging corners."

Jon MacLean added three goals and four assists while John Anderson had two goals and an assist and Chas Dean also scored twice. Matt Weimers had a goal and an assist and Ryan Etzo also scored while Antonio Imbriano and Will Mancini each added an assist.

Avry Truex made 10 saves for Derryfield, while Goffstown's Grady Chretien had seven. The Grizzlies (13-5, ARV) got goals from Nick Mason, Griffin Cook and Austin Taylor.

"We didn’t get off the bus," Goffstown coach Josh Lewis said. "They were on fire and all amped up, good to go, then all of a sudden … they didn’t wake up. I don’t know what it was. We didn’t play the game we were supposed to play. I don’t know why, it just happened."

The Grizzlies had the upperhand on faceoffs, with Andrew McCarthy and John Erwin combined to win 13 of 18, but Goffstown had 13 turnovers in the first half.

"We didn’t capitalize with it," Lewis said. "That’s all stuff we talked about and worked on and practice for, we just didn’t put the pieces together."

On the game's first possession, Mason had two opportunities to give Goffstown the lead, but his first shot was deflected and the second rang off the post. Derryfield quickly went the other way with, getting a goal from Howe just 1:14 into the game to go up 1-0.

"Nick Mason had two good shots on net in the first minute," Hettler said. "One of those goes, and they’re feeling good about themselves, and it’s a different game. I thought that’s one thing we did really well is run, get out in transition, use our speed, use our stick skills. Get a little cushion to get going and put them on their heels."

It was 2-1 Derryfield after Mason scored with 6:29 left in the first, but after winning the faceoff, a turnover by the Grizzlies turned into a fastbreak for the Cougars. Imbriano found Weimer in transition for a 3-1 lead and MacLean tacked on two more goals in the final three minutes, including one where he scooped a groundball and was one-on-one with Chretien, scoring with one second left in the quarter.

Derryfield stretched the lead to 8-2 going into halftime, the same spot the Cougars were in in the season-opener, when they had a 7-1 lead at halftime and had to hold on for a 9-6 win.

"I reminded the boys, we were up 7-1 the first time we played these guys," Hettler said. "Yes, it’s a different season, but we need to keep the foot on the pedal. That first six minutes was really important, getting the first goal to go up 9-2, and then getting it to 10-2. We were playing good defense, too."

Add it all up and the Cougars will go for their fourth straight title against Winnacunnet on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.