Wins over Merrimack and arch-rival Pinkerton Academy last week – with the latter victory in Mack Plaque play – helped the Londonderry High boys’ soccer team bump its Division I record up to 5-2.
Coach Todd Ellis’ Lancers pushed their season record on to 4-2 – while placing the host Merrimack High Tomahawks directly on the .500 level at 4-4 – with a 3-1 defeat of that opponent on its home pitch Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The match was scoreless at halftime, but the locals received second half tallies from Nate Gaw (assist to Andrew Mitchell), Mitchell himself, and Cody Woods in bagging the win.
Net-minder Jeff Baroody was good for five saves in the Londonderry cage as he and his teammates got a good tune-up in anticipation of their Mack Plaque match with Pinkerton over the weekend.
“Great team effort today from start to finish,” said Ellis.
And the Londonderry bunch bagged a Mack Plaque win on Saturday, Sept. 27 by besting the Pinkerton Academy Astros by a 2-1 tally at LHS.
The visitors busted a scoreless tie in the second half when Pinkerton received its lone goal from Cole Perry with a header in front of the net. The assist came from Andrew Brochu on a perfect backwards kick from the corner on a mis-directed corner kick.
The home team answered back with goals from Woods and Tommy Cranmer. Elijah Ellis and Andrew Mitchell were credited with assists.
Play had been back and forth during the tight but scoreless first half, with the academy side finishing those 40 minutes of action with six shots on net to the Lancers’ four.
LHS keeper Baroody contributed eight saves to the victory over the 5-3-1 Pinkerton crew, and his offense smacked 10 shots on PA goalie Hayden Pavao.
Two of the upcoming battles facing teams with similar records are on Oct. 2 with the 5-2-1 Bedford Bullbogs and then on Oct. 6, versus the 5-2 Alvirne Broncos. Both of those contests will be at home.