Portsmouth hockey scores late to beat Souhegan

NASHUA - Al Brandano didn't like the way the Portsmouth High School boys hockey team started Saturday's game against Souhegan.

But the Clippers coach certainly liked how it ended.

Portsmouth fell behind 2-1 after one, but roared back to take the lead in the second before the Sabers tied it. After killing off a five-minute major in the third, Portsmouth's Reed Williamson scored the game-winning goal with 1:33 left in regulation to give the Clippers a 4-3 win in Division III action at Conway Arena.

Aaron Rancourt and Jack Alden each had a goal and an assist for Portsmouth (2-0-1) while John Witkowksi also scored and Cody Mallory added two assists. Brady Marchewka made 31 saves, allowing just one Souhegan (2-1) goal after the first period.

It was the first period that had Brandano frustrated with his team.

"I was concerned with the long bus ride, because we have a tendency to come out flat, and we were true to form," the Portsmouth coach said. "We were really flat and it’s incredibly frustrating because I know what they’re capable of."

Souhegan opened the scoring with 10:19 left in the first on a goal by James Wilson, off an assist by Riley Connor, but the Clippers were able to tie it up on Rancourt's goal six minutes later. But with 19 seconds left in the period, Jonathan Ehrlich beat Marchewka with a shot through traffic for a 2-1 Souhegan lead.

"We went into the locker room and knocked some heads around figuratively," Brandano said. "We put the pressure on them and they self-evaluated and knew what they had to do. They're good like that. They took it to (Souhegan).

"Souhegan was really effective at keeping the puck in our zone. They kept dumping it in and our defensemen were tiring. They have a good strategy in playing the game, using their off-wing to go to the net. Fortunately, out goaltender was up to the task."

But before Marchewka had a chance to rise to the occasion, the Portsmouth offense did, as Witkowski and Alden scored 50 seconds apart in the  first 1:50 of the period to put the Clippers up 3-2.

That could have been a backbreaker for the Sabers, but they regrouped and eventually tied the game when Ehrlich burred a rebound into the open net with 4:28 left in the second.

"That can really put the nail in the coffin for you and to the kids' credit, they didn't pack it in," Souhegan coach Dan Belliveau said. "We came back and tied it and I think had a pretty good battle. They played a decent game."

Souhegan appeared to be in great position to get the win when Portsmouth's Andrew Trout was assessed a five-minute major and game-misconduct for a hit from behind with 8:50 left in the game. The Sabers had several chances during the power play, but twice they hit the post, and Marchewka and the Portsmouth penalty kill stepped up.

"That was a surprise," Belliveau said. "I have to use the word flat because that’s what it was. We've been working on our power play quite a bit, and it was really clicking for us."

Brandano felt that killing off the penalty swung momentum toward the Clippers.

"The interesting part of that penalty is when you break it up, the team morale falls," he said. "It's like nothing can go in and they just start to shoot from anywhere because they get frustrated."

With under two minutes to play, Portsmouth won a faceoff and pushed ahead into the Souhegan zone. There was a scrum in front of the net and Williamson was able to pop the puck up and over the shoulder of goalie Connor McCall.

"It was a direct result of some hard work on their part," Belliveau said. "You've got to give (Portsmouth) credit, they were working really hard all game long and it paid off in the form of a goal at the wire. They were digging at it and it just popped up over the goalie's shoulder."