Telegraph photo by TOM KING Nashua North-Souhegan's Anne McIntosh gets ready to fire a shot as Keene's Jonah Murphy swoops in during last week's Conway Arena Holiday Hockey Tournament. The Saber-Titans resume their season Saturday, hosting Bow.

They took a shot, and they scored.

Those who organized the return of the Conway Arena Holiday Hockey Tournament were rewarded with a good, competitive event that was well attended.

“I thought it was awesome, I thought the teams were evenly matched this year,” co-tourney director Jason Foss said. “It could have been anyone’s tournament.

“I think if anything, to specify some other rules, maybe have some more games. But it was nice and quick, families loved it because it was quick. I think that’s the biggest thing. You don’t want to take up too much time.”

The games were 20 minute halves instead of three 15 minute periods, and thus not nearly the usual ice time was needed. It was also likely necessary to cut down on the ice time so players wouldn’t be too fatigued; some teams seemed to be noticeably tired or slower on their feet on Day Two.

“Twenty minutes is a lot to be out there, as the kids are used to 15,” Foss said. “But 20 minutes for the parents and those traveling, it’s awesome.”

There are the expectations that the tourney will continue again next year, as long as the parental support is there.

“There’s a crew of parents who get together and help out a lot,” Foss said. “There’s a real good relationship between North and South as far as the parents helping out. They all combine.

“But oh definitely (a return). Lisa Gingras (Nashua athletic director) did a great job of empowering the parents to help make it run. She can’t clone herself, and there’s a huge tournament (the Chick-fil-A basketball at South) down the street.”

North-Souhegan parent/co-director Paul Catalano said the there were several meetings with Gingras over the summer and fall to get things organized after lack of such helped move the event to Keene last year.

“There was quite a lot of conversation back and forth to really drive home the fact that this (tourney) needs to be home, this needed to be our tournament again,” Catalano said. “Parents are willing to step up and run it, and that’s where her concerns were.”

It seemed as though expenses were met via donations, raffles, and gate receipts to help pay for the ice time.

“It was awesome,” Foss said.

XXXXXXX

Had Keene and Hollis Brookline-Derryfield finished regulation with a tie, Foss was set to have the teams play at least one, perhaps two, five-minute sudden death overtime periods, and then go to a shootout. The coaches were even discussing a 3-on-3 on the overtimes. It didn’t get that far, as Keene came away with a 2-0 win with two second half goals.

XXXXXXX

If you wanted entertainment, the Chick-fil-A boys final between Thornton Academy and Goffstown offered plenty of it, with Goffstown’s Myles Green hitting a late 3-pointer to send the game to overtime, and then Thornton’s Jack Pyzynski hitting a buzzer beating 3-pointer just over the halfcourt line to win it in the extra session.

The crowds were super, and the atmosphere and the Belanger Gym was surprisingly loud for a tourney final that didn’t involve a local team.

As for the girls tourney, it helped put a stamp on the Merriamack girls being not only an up and coming team but also a team to really watch in Division I. The Tomahawks come out of the break hosting Winnacunnet Friday at 7 p.m.

XXXXXX

The Bishop Guertin girls will have a tough return to New Hampshire Division I play from their three game experience against tough competition in the Naples (Fla.) Shootout. The Cardinals face none other than arch-rival Bedford on the road Friday at 6:30 p.m., and the Bulldogs seem to be back to contender status as they blew by Nashua South, 61-37, in their lone regular season game.

Cards coach Brad Kreick was almost in awe at the Naples field, that included Tampa Bay Tech, ranked No. 5 in the nation, Westlake High from Atlanta, No. 10 in some rankings, and Germantown Academy (Pa.), ranked 11th.

“Every game was a war, start to finish,” Kreick said. “We play in highly competitive tournaments for a reason, as playing against some of the best competition in America is part of the growth process of our team.

“Every game, every possession in (the Naples tourney) is a battle and will prepare us for the intensity and pressure that comes with the state tournament in March.”

Thus, it’s safe to say the Cards got a lot out of the event.

“We’re coming home from Naples a far better basketball team,” Kreick said. “We believe the lessons learned here will prepare us to be at our best come tournament time in March.”

You can bet Friday night will have that tourney feel at Bedford, after BG routed the Bulldogs in Nashua early last season.

Remember, the fallout from that game and events in Bedford girls hoop circles soon after led to the abrupt dismissal of former Bulldogs coach Sue Thomas.

XXXXXXXX

Still on basketball, remember some local hoop teams haven’t opened their regular seasons yet. Both Nashua North and Bishop Guertin boys used their respective holiday tournament games as more or less a preseason, as they will play their first games that count on Friday.

North is at Concord at 6:30 p.m. while Bishop Guertin hosts Bedford at 7 p.m.

Keene, Goffstown, Timberlane, and Concord also have yet to play regular season games.

Incidentall, North doesn’t have its first home game until Friday, Jan. 17 vs. Alirne. Besides being at Concord, North is at Bedford next Tuesday and at Merrimack on Jan. 10.

XXXXXXXX

Some teams didn’t come out of the Conway Tourney with good health, a sign more or less of the competitive nature of the tournament.

“It’s hard to tell the kids, all of them (to be careful),” Keene coach Chris McIntosh, whose team should be a Divsion II contender. “All of them. They all play hard. Hopefully we can heal up a few guys and get back out there.”

Nashua South-Pelham may lose key forward Johnny Pinksten for a few games due to a game misconduct/disqualification he took vs. Alvirne-Milford. And the Nashua North-Souhegan team lost its entire first line to injuries after two games.

“These guys, next guy in line, time to step up,” Saber-Titans coach Matt Osgood said.

North-Souhegan is at Bow on Saturday, but ironically Nashua South-Pelham doesn’t have a game until Jan. 11 at Bishop Guertin. The Cardinals start their post-holiday season today at Manchester Central-West at 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering after watching them last week when Keene and Merrimack play each other in Division II, the contenders square off in Keene on Jan. 18 and Keene travels to face Merrimack on Feb. 12.

The Tomahawks don’t play until they head to Somersworth/Coe-Brown next Wednesday, while Alvirne-Milford plays today, hosting Division III contender Kennett at Skate 3 at 6:10 p.m.

And the team that opened up a lot of eyes at the Conway event, runnerup Hollis Brookline-Derryfield, resumes play Saturday, heading up to face Berlin Gorham. The Warriors had already started out 2-0 in Division III.

“The back half of us is really young,” Warriors coach Joel Sanborn said. “I think it’s not (the finals loss) is not a bad taste for us to have going into the season.”

XXXXXXX

Monday will be a big day at Nashua South as there will be an official opening of the newly renovated atheltic weight room, which underwent a makeover courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, via South alum Nate Tejada.

Tejada, if you remember, is the popular former South athlete who battled Hodgkins Lymphoma last spring and then recovered to not only play in the New Hampshire-Vermont Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl football game in August but is currently wrestling for Springfield College. He is expected to be on hand for the grand re-opening at 2:30 p.m.

The Bishop Guertin High School girls basketball team went 1-2 in the prestigious Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout.

Guertin had three types of games: First, a lopsided 70-49 loss to nationally ranked Miami Country Day on Saturday, then Monday a tough 65-63 overtime loss to Mercy Academy of Louisville, Ky., and then the Cardinals wrapped up the tournament Tuesday with a dominant 68-17 win over Barron Collier of Naples.

That game seemed like almost an in-state regular season game for the Cardinals in the battle for seventh place in the tournament’s National Division.

The Cards had 13 players enter the scoring column, led by freshman Meghan Stack’s 11 points. Erin Carney and Addi Smith added 10 apiece while Hannah Muchemore chipped in with nine.

The Cardinals on Monday missed a 3-pointer on their final possession that would have won the game vs. Mercy.

Guertin, which fell to national power Miami Country Day 70-49 in the opener on Saturday, was up 15-13 after one quarter, 29-24 at the half but trailed 45-35 heading into the fourth quarter. BG rallied to tie it at 57 with five seconds left and also rallied to tie the game in OT at 63 after being down six early in the extra session.

Bri Wilcox led Guertin with 16 points, after a 19-point performance in the opener.

Guertin, 3-2 overall, 2-0 in Division I, resumes regular season play at Bedford on Friday night at 6:30.

Newsletter