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# Portsmouth boys lacrosse explodes in 3rd quarter to beat Exeter (video)
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/portsmouth-boys-lacrosse-explodes-in-3rd-quarter-to-beat-exeter-video/
- Published: 2023-04-27T16:55:21.000Z
- Updated: 2023-04-27T16:55:21.000Z
- Description: PORTSMOUTH - Zac Amend had already spearheaded a third-quarter comeback by the Portsmouth High School boys lacrosse team. But when the junior finally gave the Clippers the lead, he did so with some authority. Having scored twice to tie the game at 5, Amend got the ball with some space and saw Exeter
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Spring Sports, boys lacrosse, Division I, Division II, Exeter, Portsmouth, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

PORTSMOUTH - Zac Amend had already spearheaded a third-quarter comeback by the Portsmouth High School boys lacrosse team.

But when the junior finally gave the Clippers the lead, he did so with some authority.

Having scored twice to tie the game at 5, Amend got the ball with some space and saw Exeter's Sean DeLello closing out on him. Instead of firing a shot, Amend went at him, putting a shoulder into DeLello before putting the ball in the back of the net to give Portsmouth its first lead.

Nick Smith won the ensuing faceoff, raced down the field and scored just seven seconds later, and the Clippers took all the momentum, outscoring the Blue Hawks 6-0 in the quarter. The lead got as many as five before Portsmouth had to hang on late for an 11-9 win over Exeter in a matchup of two undefeated teams from Division I and II.

"We knew it was going to be a close game, so at halftime, no one was down," Amend said. "We knew we were in this game and we were going to come out hot. I think keeping the energy high was the key to winning this game."

Amend finished with five goals, all in the second half and four in the third quarter, while Keigen Delisle had three goals and an assist.

They teamed up for five of the Clippers' six goals in the third and the pair scored back-to-back goals in a 19-second span in the fourth quarter that gave Portsmouth (6-0, No. 5 in the NHHSSports Coaches Poll) an 11-6 lead with 4:39 remaining.

But the Blue Hawks (5-1, No. 2) made things interesting. Smith won every faceoff in the second half, but the Clippers struggled to close out the game, turning the ball over four times in the final four minutes. Exeter cut the lead to two on two Nick Sullivan goals in the final minute, but ran out of time to complete the comeback.

"Some things we need to improve on when you’re up four or five goals with five minutes to go and you let them get within two," Portsmouth coach Chad Vischer said. "We were able to make those mistakes now, because we’re going to see that again later on in the season when it means more than just pride. That’s a pride game, for us to beat a team that’s always been our superior. We’ll take it."

Baden Paterson and James Buchan each added a goal for Portsmouth while Briggs Catino and Lucas Patten each recorded an assist. Kai Paterson made 14 saves and Smith won 19 of 23 faceoffs, including all 13 in the second half.

Sullivan finished with three goals and Gabe Albert had three goals and an assist to lead Exeter. Marshall Lasewicz had two goals and an assist while Evan Delorie also scored. Ethan Bernich made six saves while James Bernich came in late in the fourth quarter and made two saves.

Exeter coach Matt Brewster declined to comment after the game.

The teams went back and forth in the first quarter, trading possessions, shots and goals, with Delisle scored with 43.1 seconds left to tie the game at 2 going into the second. But the second quarter belong to the Blue Hawks.

Exeter was able to keep possession for all but a few seconds of the first four minutes of the quarter, but had nothing to show for it when Kai Paterson came up with a save. But Portsmouth was unable to clear and Albert came up with a groundball alone in front of the goal and scored to make it 3-2 with 7:48 left in the half.

Smith won the faceoff for Portsmouth, but Amend took a quick shot, Ethan Bernich came up with the save and the Blue Hawks went back on offense. Paterson made another stop and again the Clippers couldn't clear, but this time, a shot in close rang off the post.

The Blue Hawks controlled the groundball and Lasewicz scored with 5:42 to go in the quarter to make it 4-2\. Sullivan added a manup goal with 2:59 remaining until halftime to make it 5-2, but Portsmouth got it back on a manup goal of its own from Baden Paterson with 50.1 left in the half to make it a two-goal game.

"I think that goal we got at the end of the second quarter was very big," Vischer said. "That was big, because if we’re down 5-2, if they get the ball to start, 6-2 is ugly."

Amend and Smith took over right from the start of the third quarter, with the former scored 1:24 into the half to make it 5-4\. Exeter took a pair of penalties early, and although the Clippers weren't able to capitalize, they maintained possession until Amend tied the game with 7:30 left in the third.

Smith got the faceoff again, and although Ethan Bernich made a save, Portsmouth got the ball back, setting up Amend's go-ahead goal.

"They weren’t marked up on me, so I got the ball and I saw (DeLello) running at me, and I didn’t think he’d expect me to go low and get him," Amend said and smiled. "I got lucky there a little bit."

The Exeter bench yelled for a ward as the shot found the back of the net, and before anyone could settle in, Smith put Portsmouth up 7-5.

"That kid, he’s a unique kid," Vischer said of Amend. "That move where he laid into that kid’s shoulder and popped up, it’s amazing, because he is not a big kid. He just bounces around and it’s crazy how he does that. They were playing really good defense on Zac and really frustrating him in the first half."

Amend added another goal to make it 8-5 with 2:24 remaining in the quarter and Delisle scored for a four-goal lead with 1:31 to go until the fourth.

Exeter finally stopped the run when Lasewicz found Albert for a manup goal with 8:56 remaining, but Delisle and Amend scored back-to-back to give Portsmouth an 11-6 lead with 4:39 to play.

But the Blue Hawks weren't done, as they were able to get the ball back. Kai Paterson came up with a save, but another failed clear led to a goal by Lasewicz with 2:16 to play.

It looked like Exeter cut the lead to three moments later, when an Exeter player knocked the ball out of Kai Paterson's stick and trickled into the goal, but officials ruled he was still in the crease when contact was made and waved it off.

Sullivan did make it a three-goal game with 50.3 seconds remaining, and after another faceoff win by Smith, the Clippers failed to keep the ball in the box, turning it over with 31.8 remaining. Sullivan made it an 11-9 game with 17.5 seconds left, and although the Blue Hawks got the ball back after another turnover, time ran out.

"We kept saying the game’s not over, we’ve got to keep going, (but) we might have let our foot off the gas," Amend said. "I got a little nervous to be honest. This was a big statement for us to say we’re legit."