By Chris Paul
In the regular season ending game between cross-town rivals Pinkerton Academy and the Londonderry High School hockey teams, the Astros pulled off a 2-1 overtime win, and handing the Lancers their seventh loss of the season.
The loss gave the team an 11-7 season record and the number five seed heading into this week’s Division I playoffs.
In the Wednesday night, Feb. 23, game at the Tri Town Arena in Hooksett, both teams played hard right from the start and despite a number for hard checks by both sides, just one penalty was called in the four periods played.
Astros senior forward Aidan Curran put his team on the board with just over three-minutes left in the first period. The goal was assisted from fellow senior Ryan Leighton and junior Willem Peterson.
Trailing by one, the Lancer squad stepped up their offense in the last three minutes of the period and LHS junior Ben Padykula very nearly tied the game just before the period-ending buzzer on a blistering shot near the blue line, but was denied by Pinkerton junior goaltender Damien Carter.
In the second period, the Lancer squad thought they had tied the game with a shot from junior Logan Bower and a follow up by junior Jack Patti, but the referee deemed Patti to be in the crease.
After another game tying save by Carter in the PA net, a bit of a scuffle ensued between the rival squads, but the period ended with PA still clinging to a slim one-goal advantage.
Early in the third period, Londonderry committed the lone penalty of the game, freshman Brett McKinnon was sent to the box at the 11:44 mark in the third.
The Lancer team tied the game with a goal by sophomore Mike Maloney with under a minute left in the game. The game-extending goal was assisted from junior Drew Cameron with the LHS goalie being pulled for a man advantage.
It didn’t take Pinkerton long to score the game winner in overtime, despite a hard press from the Lancers to start the period.
The Astros celebrated the victory at 4:21 in OT when junior Lorenzo Corsetto scored an unassisted on a hard forecheck and Londonderry turnover.
The Lancers were given a bye in the first round of the NHIAA playoffs and will start the tournament, on Saturday, March 5, with a trip to Hanover to play the Marauders at Champion Rink in West Lebanon starting at 3:20 p.m.
The Hanover High School squad finished the season at 12-5-1 and gained the number four seed in the tournament. Londonderry suffered a close 4-3 loss at home to the Marauders in their only meeting this season.