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Following a tough loss to Bow on Wednesday, the Portsmouth High School boys lacrosse team found itself facing a potentially greater challenge in undefeated St. Thomas Aquinas. By the end of the first quarter it was clear that Portsmouth was capable of rising to the challenge.
Portsmouth (9-2) scored six goals in the first quarter and went on to beat St. Thomas 16-8 in Division II, dealing the Saints their first loss of the season. Ian McDonald scored six goals for the Clippers and Peter Hamblett had four goals with eight assists.
“(The team) showed that they were better and they proved to themselves that they were better,” said Portsmouth head coach Chad Vischer. “St. Thomas is a talented team and quite frankly I think we are going to see them again somewhere down the line and I expect a much harder game in the future.”
For the Saints, Friday’s game served as a sort of wake-up call.
“Biggest slice of humble pie we’ve ever had to eat,” said St. Thomas defenseman Joe Karsonovich. “As far as the season goes, this is the toughest one our defense has faced, the toughest game our defense has played. It’s just how it goes sometimes.”
Jackson Kaspari, a senior and team captain, started in net for the Saints. Kaspari was coming off a stellar performance against Goffstown on Tuesday in which he had 15 saves and didn’t allow a goal in the first half. Karsonovich, also a captain, said Kaspari did everything he could against Portsmouth.
“As leader of the defense, I take responsibility for the things that were going on in front of the goal,” Karsonovich said. “(Portsmouth) was getting way too many goals within what we call our ‘front porch.’”
Before Friday, St. Thomas (8-1) had allowed eight goals at the most in a game. The Saints held two teams, Keene and Timberlane, to one goal.
“It’s hard to say when you give up 16 goals that you’re a defensive team, but we’re a defensive team,” said St. Thomas head coach Barry Katz.
The Saints lagged just as much offensively as they did defensively early in the game, mustering only one shot on goal in the first quarter. Senior Ian Preston scored St. Thomas’ first goal, which came with 3:07 remaining in the first half. The Clippers and Saints reached the end of the half with a Portsmouth leading 8-3.
“On our offensive end, we struggled all day,” said Katz. “We struggled with different personnel, we struggled with being patient with the ball. Part of the problem is we were down on defense so much, that the offense felt like they had to rush it. And (Portsmouth’s) goalie played tremendously; he made some huge saves.”
Portsmouth goaltender Myles Onosko may have had some more help from his defense than Kaspari got from his, but Onosko also made several athletic saves that very easily could have been goals. Onosko stopped 13 shots in the game.
Had it not been for the lapse on offense and defense in the first half, St. Thomas could have kept this game within closer reach. In the second half, the Saints scored five goals to Portsmouth’s eight.
Both teams are in action again Monday. The Saints will look to put the loss behind them when they visit rival Oyster River, while Portsmouth hosts Spaulding.
“We were riding high off the Goffstown win, maybe a little too high this time,” Karsonovich said. “We got a lot to work on (and) we can’t rest on what we’ve done. It’s all about what we are going to do next.”
post originated from http://www.fosters.com
Portsmouth (9-2) scored six goals in the first quarter and went on to beat St. Thomas 16-8 in Division II, dealing the Saints their first loss of the season. Ian McDonald scored six goals for the Clippers and Peter Hamblett had four goals with eight assists.
“(The team) showed that they were better and they proved to themselves that they were better,” said Portsmouth head coach Chad Vischer. “St. Thomas is a talented team and quite frankly I think we are going to see them again somewhere down the line and I expect a much harder game in the future.”
For the Saints, Friday’s game served as a sort of wake-up call.
“Biggest slice of humble pie we’ve ever had to eat,” said St. Thomas defenseman Joe Karsonovich. “As far as the season goes, this is the toughest one our defense has faced, the toughest game our defense has played. It’s just how it goes sometimes.”
Jackson Kaspari, a senior and team captain, started in net for the Saints. Kaspari was coming off a stellar performance against Goffstown on Tuesday in which he had 15 saves and didn’t allow a goal in the first half. Karsonovich, also a captain, said Kaspari did everything he could against Portsmouth.
“As leader of the defense, I take responsibility for the things that were going on in front of the goal,” Karsonovich said. “(Portsmouth) was getting way too many goals within what we call our ‘front porch.’”
Before Friday, St. Thomas (8-1) had allowed eight goals at the most in a game. The Saints held two teams, Keene and Timberlane, to one goal.
“It’s hard to say when you give up 16 goals that you’re a defensive team, but we’re a defensive team,” said St. Thomas head coach Barry Katz.
The Saints lagged just as much offensively as they did defensively early in the game, mustering only one shot on goal in the first quarter. Senior Ian Preston scored St. Thomas’ first goal, which came with 3:07 remaining in the first half. The Clippers and Saints reached the end of the half with a Portsmouth leading 8-3.
“On our offensive end, we struggled all day,” said Katz. “We struggled with different personnel, we struggled with being patient with the ball. Part of the problem is we were down on defense so much, that the offense felt like they had to rush it. And (Portsmouth’s) goalie played tremendously; he made some huge saves.”
Portsmouth goaltender Myles Onosko may have had some more help from his defense than Kaspari got from his, but Onosko also made several athletic saves that very easily could have been goals. Onosko stopped 13 shots in the game.
Had it not been for the lapse on offense and defense in the first half, St. Thomas could have kept this game within closer reach. In the second half, the Saints scored five goals to Portsmouth’s eight.
Both teams are in action again Monday. The Saints will look to put the loss behind them when they visit rival Oyster River, while Portsmouth hosts Spaulding.
“We were riding high off the Goffstown win, maybe a little too high this time,” Karsonovich said. “We got a lot to work on (and) we can’t rest on what we’ve done. It’s all about what we are going to do next.”
post originated from http://www.fosters.com
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