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# Strong start to second period gets Pinkerton boys hockey past Bishop Guertin
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/strong-start-to-second-period-gets-pinkerton-boys-hockey-past-bishop-guertin/
- Published: 2019-01-31T14:22:00.000Z
- Updated: 2019-01-31T14:22:00.000Z
- Description: HOOKSETT - The second period has typically been when the Pinkerton Academy boys hockey team has played its best this season, according to coach Sam Littlefield. That tendency continued in the Astros’ 3-1 triumph over Bishop Guertin Wednesday night at the Ice Den.
- Author: Alex Hall
- Tags: Division I, Bishop Guertin, boys hockey, Pinkerton, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

HOOKSETT - The second period has typically been when the Pinkerton Academy boys hockey team has played its best this season, according to coach Sam Littlefield.

That tendency continued in the Astros’ 3-1 triumph over Bishop Guertin Wednesday night at the Ice Den.

After building some momentum late in the first period, Pinkerton (11-1) scored the game’s first three goals inside the opening six minutes of the second frame.

“Honestly, it’s a trend for us right now,” Littlefield said. “We kind of get a reality check in the first (period) so when the second period comes around, we realize, ‘Oh, we’ve got to pick it up.’ We just wish that would happen a little sooner in the game.”

Astros senior co-captain Gennaro Marra scored twice and assisted on teammate Mason Drouin’s power-play goal over the first 5:09 of the second period.

Marra intercepted the puck in the Bishop Guertin zone before scoring from the slot 49 seconds into the middle stanza to tally the game’s first goal. Drouin doubled the Astros’ advantage 4:52 into the period.

The Astros mustered a flurry of four shots on goal over the final two minutes of the first period after being outshot, 10-1, prior to the outburst.

“I would say we came out with a lot more energy,” Marra said of how Pinkerton opened the second period. “We kept our feet moving. (Got) pucks towards the net. That’s basically it.”

The Cardinals (6-6) cut Pinkerton’s lead to 3-1 at the 7:56 mark of the second period, when sophomore Derek Amaral scored from the doorstep. Amaral, who played at the junior varsity level last year, came 15 seconds after Bishop Guertin’s second of three power-play opportunities expired.

“He’s worked his way up,” Cardinals coach Gary Bishop said. “He came off the JVs and he’s one of our top six guys right now.”

Bishop Guertin created its share of chances in the third frame to get back into the contest. Mike Schaaf hit the post and also sprung Aaron Pratt for a short-handed breakaway but the latter’s shot went wide right of Astros senior goaltender and co-captain Dakota Robinson (33 saves).

The Cardinals outshot the Astros, 13-10, in the third period and 34-23 overall.

Bishop said there were about eight or nine rebound chances that his team did not get to.

“We get to those, we put a couple of those in, it’s a different game,” Bishop said. “We outshot (Pinkerton). For about a six-minute span, we didn’t do what we should have done.”

Junior netminder Evan Butler made 20 saves for the Cardinals, who have lost three straight.

The Astros have beaten Bishop Guertin, Londonderry (4-7-1), Bedford (9-1-1) and Exeter (6-4-1) since falling at defending Division I champion Hanover (9-2) on Jan. 12.

“We’re happy with our record and we bounced back nice from Hanover,” Littlefield said. “It’s just putting a few things together and hoping we can continue to get better for the rest of the season.”