St. Thomas boys hockey holds off Nashua North-Souhegan for win (video)
NASHUA - Andrew Leach had already seen this before.
The St. Thomas High School boys hockey team had taken a 3-1 lead in the third period Saturday against Nashua North-Souhegan, just like the Saints had done in the season opener Wednesday against Londonderry.
In that game, the Saints allowed five unanswered goals in the final eight minutes to fall to the Lancers. That wouldn't be the case this time.
Although the Saber Titans scored to make it a one-goal game, St. Thomas was able to hang on for a 3-2 win at Conway Arena in Nashua.
"We're coming off a game where we did take the foot off the gas against Londonderry," Leach said. "It was huge for us to have the guys buy into it, keep the forecheck deep, and that third one was huge.
"We've got a young team with two seniors. These are kids, you give up a lead in the third against Londonderry, and it's going to mean more than it should. It's real nice to come back and play hard and let them believe that Wednesday is past us."
Ryan Gaulin, Baxter Kimball and Hunter Saxton each had a goal and Tom Beliveau made 22 saves for the Saints (1-1), who bounced back after a North-Souhegan got a big momentum swing in the second period.
St. Thomas got the puck in deep in the Saber Titans' end, as Saxton got the puck to the right of goalie Sean Chipman. But after Saxton's initial shot, the puck was covered in the crease by someone other than Chipman and the Saints were award a penalty shot.
Chipman made the save on Saxton's attempt, and 37 seconds later, Robbie Duarte scored the first of his two goals, putting North-Souhegan up 1-0 at 3:20 of the second.
The Saints went back to work after the goal, putting several shots on Chipman, who finished with 30 saves, before Gaulin was able to flip the puck into the top of the net to tie the game at 10:39 of the second.
"The forecheck started out slow in the first period," Leach said. "We talked about it and came back much better later in the game. We were getting the pucks deep, winning the races and battling down low."
St. Thomas took the lead in the third, after North-Souhegan (0-1) took a roughing penalty, when a centering pass from Joe Grella deflected off a skate in front of the Saber Titans net. The deflection appeared to catch Chipman by surprise, as it went in between his legs, and Kimball was given credit for the goal.
Saxton made it a two-goal game less than two minutes later when he redirected a shot by Eric Keilty up into the back of the net with 6:22 left to play.
"We capitalized on the power play opportunity in the third and that was huge for what we’re trying to do long term for sure," Leach said. "The guy who took the penalty shot for us is the same guy that scored the game-winning goal, so everything came full circle on that one."
Duarte got the Saber Titans within one at 12:11 of the period when he was able to control the puck off the boards and beat Beliveau to the corner of the net. But North-Souhegan took another penalty with 1:05 to play and the Saints were able to run out the clock.
