> ## 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.

# Nashua South girls lacrosse beats Pinkerton to advance to D1 semifinals
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/nashua-south-girls-lacrosse-beats-pinkerton-to-advance-to-d1-semifinals/
- Published: 2023-06-03T03:53:14.000Z
- Updated: 2023-06-03T03:53:14.000Z
- Description: NASHUA - On a day when temperatures were in the low 90s at game time, and the turf heat at sun-baked Stellos Stadium in Nashua was into the 100s, the No. 4 Nashua South Purple Panthers fired up their offense in the second half and forged their way to the Division 1 girls lacrosse semifinals for the
- Author: Richard MacDonough
- Tags: Division I, girls lacrosse, Nashua South, Pinkerton, playoffs, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

NASHUA - On a day when temperatures were in the low 90s at game time, and the turf heat at sun-baked Stellos Stadium in Nashua was into the 100s, the No. 4 Nashua South Purple Panthers fired up their offense in the second half and forged their way to the Division 1 girls lacrosse semifinals for the first time in well over a decade, beating the No. 5 Pinkerton Academy Astros 9-8.

While both teams were looking to play an up-tempo game, the sweltering conditions in the first half forced a deliberate, methodical, low-scoring stanza that saw outstanding goaltending, the teams trading a few goals, and a number of unforced errors in the heat. The teams sparred back and forth, and found themselves knotted at 3-3 with 1:30 to go in the frame.

That’s when Nashua South used a timeout to strategize and held the ball to get at least one good look at the goal before halftime. The Panthers executed coach Ciki McIntire’s tactical plan to perfection. After a minute of possession, the Panthers put their motion offense to work with Morgan Uzdanovich (three goals, one assist) delivering a pinpoint, below-the-goal-line feed to Maddy Matylewski (two goals) who caught it loaded in the crease to rifle a shot past Pinkerton’s goalie, Sarah DiClemente, sending South to the locker room with a 4-3 lead and the team visibly fired up.

But it was Pinkerton who came out charging in the second half, changing the game with a fast-paced, game-changing run. Astros coach, Katie Bourque’s keys to the game were “draw control, possession, and fast tempo” and her team took the field down a goal but ready to take command from the second half whistle. The Astros stampeded to a four-goal run, dominating the draw circle and controlling the offensive tempo in the first seven minutes of the second half, taking the lead 7-4 and seemingly having all the momentum.

The Panthers held fast, coach McIntire explaining that she was holding on to her timeouts for down the stretch and “hoping the players would kind of work through” Pinkerton’s run and recognized that with respect to draw control “there was a little bit of time where we weren’t winning it and we tried to make some adjustments.”

Facing a three-goal deficit, the host Panthers turned the tables on the Astros, winning draw controls, playing stout defense lead by Brynn Tefft, Abbey Benotti and Maddie Berthiaume who time and again kept the high-octane Pinkerton offense out of the critical scoring area, forcing bad shots and causing numerous turnovers.

Lights-out goaltending down the stretch by Panthers junior Keira Walsh proved critical to the South fortunes. Goal by goal, the Panthers worked their way back and tied it 7-7 on a lightning-quick free possession goal by Ella Benzekri (three goals, one assist) with 8:59 remaining.

After South won the next draw control, a brief offensive possession and then a ferocious Astros’ ride, Matylewski picked up a loose ball 5 yards in front of the cage, beat two defenders to the goal and fired it past DiClemente, who had no chance to stop the junior attacker’s shot to the upper left corner.

On another free possession at the 3:13 mark, Uzdanovich used a great first step and a stick fake to finish off the scoring for the Panthers, taking a 9-7 lead after their five-goal run. South’s defense held firm the remaining few minutes behind Tefft and Maizie Barker. Pinkerton notched a coast-to-coast clearing goal, with Anna Perkins finding the back of the net with just 12 seconds left. South controlled the ensuing draw and ran the clock out at Stellos, sending the Panthers to Exeter’s Bill Ball Stadium to face top-seed Bedford in the D1 semifinals Saturday at 5 p.m.

Walsh, who had 8 saves on the day, some of which were point blank, will need to be sharp on Saturday for the Panthers to have a chance.

McIntire said Walsh has been “clutch all season” and Walsh, saying she will be ready for the challenge, recognizes that her high-quality  
saves are “exciting and fun, and brings the spirit up and keeps us in the game.” With the top-ranked, top-seeded Bulldogs on tap for Saturday night, Walsh just said South needs “to play the game and keep going.”