Telegraph photo by TOM KING Nashua South's Manny Alvarez, left, and Jesi Hantula (6), shown here in early action vs. Merrimack, are two talented seniors that will be missed by the Panthers, who fell in the state semifinals on Wednesday.

BEDFORD – The experiment in the Nashua High School South laboratory has to be called a rousing success.

It created a freshman, Rory Olsen, who has now scored two tourney game-winning goals in a week.

First he beat rival Nashua North on Monday, but Saturday night he scored with just over five minutes remaining in regulation to give the Panthers a hard-fought 1-0 win over Merrimack in the frosty Division I quarterfinals at Bedford’s GPS Field.

“Rory’s a freshman who has come up huge all year long,” said South coach Tom Bellen, his 11-1 team taking Region Four and now moving on to Hampton Wednesday to face Region One winner Winnacunnet in the semis. “He was an experiment in the beginning of the year. It’s worked out to be a masterpiece. He’s been great. A kid that age, he doesn’t know to be scared. … He’s in a great spot, great touch, great finish. What else can you ask for.”

It was getting close to overtime, which the Panthers wanted no part of. Manny Alvarez started the winning play from the left wing, found Jesse Hantula – who hit the crossbar in the first half – and Hantula touched it ahead to Olsen. Breaking in, Olsen did the rest, beating solid Merrimack keeper Aiden Laporte (six saves) with a low shot.

“I hoped for the best,” Olsen said. “I feel I do better under pressure. Tom tells me just to take my time, get my touch and slow it down.”

The 4-4-1 Tomahawks kept pushing back every time the Panthers would try to take complete control. In fact, Rami Aldrich took a corner kick with under three minutes to play but the ‘Hawks couldn’t convert. Still, they made South work for it, although keeper Leo Kopicko (one save) didn’t face much sustained pressure.

“I told the boys I couldn’t be more proud of them even if they had won the game, the way they approached the game with passion, with energy,” Merrimack coach Mark Papp said. “They’re a good team. … That (goal) happened right at the attacking edge of the field.”

“We were scrapping all game,” Bellen said. “We had some good chances, we were up there. I think we controlled most of the game, but Merrimack was aggressive and physical, they have some speed. We didn’t have anything easy.”

Nothing has been easy for the Panthers in this tournament, as they’ve had to win three one-goal games. They also got banged up a bit last night but their depth came through, and they avoided the upset that favorite Manchester Central couldn’t, as the Little Green fell to Windham.

It’s Windham-Hanover in one semi, and next up for Nashua are the Warriors.

“And their little field,” Bellen said. “Not my favorite, but we’ll make it work.”

That’s what the laboratory is for, and it’s produced great results so far.

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