Telegraph photo by TOM KING Alvirne's Bertrand (16) and Nashua South's Julianna Martin battle for the ball during the second half of Thursday's 1-1 tie at Stellos Stadium.

NASHUA – They simply ran out of time.

The Nashua High School South girls soccer team was hoping for its first win of the season on Thursday, and its game with unbeaten Alvirne looked headed to overtime tied 1-1.

But alas, for health and safety reasons, Nashua has a two-hour time limit, and it was decided not to play an extra sudden death session that might have decided the outcome. Thus, 1-1 was the final.

No problem. Panthers coach Lauren Keating was thrilled with how her now 0-5-1 team performed after injuries had necessitated a few key position changes.

“Honestly, I’m really proud of today’s result,” she said. “Every single person on the team had to step up. We had several girls playing out of position, new positions, everybody had to switch around throughout the game. I thought their ability to adjust was incredible.”

The game was scoreless for the first 54:47 before the Panthers’ Vanessa Reeder scored from the right wing for a 1-0 lead. But the 4-0-1 Broncos, who got four stops by netminder McKinley, prevented a South win with a goal by Kelly Perry at the 70:23 mark.

That play was started by a long throw in by Alvirne’s Jaime O’Connor, and Perry converted a pass in traffic by Marissa Juliano and found the far corner. It was just out of the reach Panthers keeper Haleigh Swabowicz (five saves).

“It’s like a corner for us,” Ruigrok said of O’Connor’s throw-ins, as she comes up from her defender position to make them. “That (South) goal definitely woke them up. We had a great 10 minutes, then completely fell flat on our face until they scored.

“I told them it was a nice comeback, they had a real desire to win. But we need to play a complete game. We’ve had such a dynamic offense this year. … We just weren’t on our game today.”

Indeed, it’s been a different season for both teams. While the Panthers have struggled – they lost 3-1 to Alvirne earlier in the week – the Broncos have greatly improved. Last year they focused on possession and now this year they want to attack.

They have three strikers who can score – Juliano, Paige Boudreau and Madeline Bertrand. But for the most part, they were kept in check.

“They (South) played a great game, a lot better than Tuesday,” Ruigrok said.

South’s positioning cost it some offense .For example, speedy freshman wing Soraya Ross had to play mainly in the back.

“She played every position on the field,” Keating said. “I put her at midfield, then outside back, a couple of other girls had to play defense.

“Every single girl on the team, wherever I have to put them, they do it. They ask how they can get better. That’s the attitude that’s great.”

Ruigrok was expecting overtime at the end. “I had no idea,” he said of the two-hour limit. “I was under the impression we always played overtime.”

And likewise, the Panthers didn’t think they’d still be winless after three weeks, a blow that is cushioned by the fact there is an open tournament.

“Nothing this year,” Keating said, “has gone as planned.”

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