Souhegan gets a little help in win over Portsmouth

AMHERST – The Souhegan High School boys soccer team had nothing to show for a dominant first half against Portsmouth on Tuesday until the Clippers helped out.

Portsmouth scored a goal late in the first half on just its second shot of the game, and with less than two minutes to go before halftime, the Clippers put one in their own net to tie the game. Cameron Quinn netted the game-winner midway through the second half for Souhegan, as the Sabers won 2-1 to stay unbeaten in Division II.

“We had, I don’t know how many shots, but their goalkeeper was amazing,” Souhegan coach David Saxe said of the first half. “Our one goal was an own-goal, so we had tons of work to do (after halftime). We even got better in the attacking third at the end of the game.”

The Sabers sent a number of shots at the Portsmouth goal. Some went over the net, one hit the crossbar and goalkeeper Jacab Lehoux stopped the rest, including a penalty kick by Quinn early in the game.

While Souhegan (5-0-1) was unable to capitalize on its opportunities, Portsmouth did on its lone chance of the first half.

[To see more photos from this game, go here.]

With less than four minutes to go, Alec DelVallee sent a pass from midfield deep into the Souhegan end. Braden McNeil outraced the Sabers’ defense and sent a shot from left to right that beat a diving Ben Brown to the far corner of the net.

Souhegan continued its push and kept play in the Clippers’ end, and when a Portsmouth player tried to kick the ball back to Lehoux, he struck it into the net to tie the game.

The Sabers continued to control play in the second half, and Quinn gave Souhegan the lead with 24 minutes to go in the game. Portsmouth had few opportunities to tie the game, as the Sabers tried to extend the lead, but Lehoux remained solid in net, stopping a shot by Grant Peret that Saxe thought the goalie had no chance at.

“Grant looked like he had it and he made a beautiful reaction with his hand,” Saxe said. “We played very well. If we can get the intensity up, we can be better. Some other teams play with such amazing speed and ferociousness. We don’t have that yet.

The Sabers play the first of four straight road games on Friday, when they head to Laconia to face the Sachems.