Portsmouth boys lacrosse knocks off Derryfield behind solid defensive effort (video)

MANCHESTER - Chad Vischer thought that if the Portsmouth High School boys lacrosse team could get a two-goal lead against the Derryfield School, the Clippers might be able to maintain it throughout Saturday night's game.

Portsmouth got that lead late in the second quarter, but by the time the teams were going to halftime, the Cougars had knotted the score back up at 4.

Fortunately for the Clippers, their defense was up to the task in the second half. Mike Durkin gave Portsmouth the lead with 7:10 left in the third quarter and Portsmouth made it stand up, as it held Derryfield scoreless in the second half for a 5-4 win in a Division II game.

It's the first time the Cougars have lost to a division opponent since the 2015 championship game, and just the third time Derryfield has lost to another team in the division since moving up after the 2014 season.

"Great game," Vischer said. "That’s exactly what I thought it was, a grind out. When we were up by two in the first half, I thought we could maintain that. Not that we’d get to four or five, but I thought we were going to be able to score. When they came back, my stomach … I thought that was it."

Durkin finished with three goals for Portsmouth (9-0, No. 8 in the NHHSS Coaches Poll) while Dom Maldari and Houston Heidenger each added a goal. Skyler Mikalietes made 10 saves, including one on Derryfield's final shot in the last minute of regulation.

The Cougars were a manup after Durkin was called for an illegal hit with 1:56 to play, but after Derryfield (8-1, No. 6) worked the ball around for an open look, Mikalietes was able to stop Chili Cabot in close to give the Clippers possession.

Portsmouth was able to run out the clock, using both its timeouts in the final minute when the Clippers ran into trouble. During the final timeout, Vicher asked for a stick check on Derryfield's Chas Dean in order to buy his team a little more time, but officials deemed Dean's stick to be illegal. Cougars goalie Jaxon Snyder picked up a penalty in the final seconds as well, leaving Derryfield two men down.

"It’s an extra timeout," Vischer said of the stick check. "Our ones were in, they were running and tired, and I was not looking for a stick check. It was not to get Chas, who is a great player. I told my kids in the timeout, we’re doing this to get you an extra 30 seconds."

Derryfield got a goal and an assist each from Dean and Chabot, while Ryan Etzo and Cole Giersch also scored. Snyder finished with 11 saves, including a pair early in the third quarter that helped keep the game tied.

"Both goalies played outstanding," Derryfield coach Chris Hettler said. "It was two teams who matched up well. In the end, Portsmouth made one more play than we did. I thought both defenses did a great job collapsing and not giving a whole lot of opportunities to either team’s studs. The star players for both teams were really held in check."

Durkin put Portsmouth on top with 5:01 remining in the first quarter, but Dean tied it with 14.2 seconds left in the frame. Durkin made it 2-1 just 32 seconds into the second and Chabot tied it, scoring off a feed from Dean with 7:35 to go until halftime.

Maldari scored to give the Clippers a 3-2 lead moments after a Derryfield penalty expired, and Heidenger found the back of the net on the manup to make it 4-2 with 3:41 left in the half.

Etzo got the Cougars back within one goal with 2:03 to play in the half, and after Portsmouth looked like it might close out the half with possession, Derryfield was able to get the ball down low quick and scored when a shot by Giersch deflected off Mikalietes's stick with 30.1 left to go before halftime.

Portsmouth opened the second half by firing off a handful of shots and forcing Snyder to make some saves.

"The kid is really good," Vischer said. "We were telling our boys where to shoot, but then he changed his game, so we tried to change our game a little bit."

Durkin scored what proved to be the game-winner with 7:10 left in the third, but moments later, Heidenger was called for a penalty, giving Derryfield a manup opportunity. Mikalietes was up to the task, making two saves to help the Clippers kill it off; the Cougars finished the game 0 for 6 on manup, while Portsmouth was 1 for 6.

"We do it again, we give them that many opportunities, we’re going to have trouble," Vischer said. "We were winning the groundball game, but I don’t know that we were possessing the ball after. We got it and they were quick to jump. They’re so disciplined and they know what to do."

And now some of Derryfield's younger players have a taste of what it feels like to drop a game to a rival.

"We feel like we could see them again in the playoffs," Hettler said. "I think it was a great day for our younger guys to get a taste of what it’s like to be in a close game. It stinks to come out on the losing end, but I think if there’s anything valuable in a loss, it’s an opportunity for these guys to see what they can do and get better from it."