Alex Hulfachor and his Nashua South teammates will have to wait an extra 10 days at least to start their season as Nashua athletics has been put on a two-week pause. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA — The roller coaster world of local high school sports during the pandemic continues.

For example, take the Nashua High School North-Souhegan co-op hockey team. Before tryouts were set to begin at Souhegan, that school’s sports program was put on pause back in mid-December, so the skaters from Nashua North skated for 10 days without their teammates from Amherst.

And now, Souhegan will be off pause on Monday – but those hockey players will now practice without their North teammates.

That’s because on Tuesday Nashua athletic director Lisa Gingras announced the North and South winter sports teams were placed on a two-week pause thanks to rising COVID numbers in the city and the fact there were some individual positive cases with a couple of the Titan or Panther teams.

Gingras said she ultimately made the decision Tuesday afternoon after consulting with city health and school officials.

Teams resumed practices after the holiday break on Monday, and did practice Tuesday as athletes and coaches had already begun practices before the decision was made, Gingras said.

Gingras said that with the local increase in positive test numbers, and the fact a couple of teams had individual positive cases and were in quarantine, that it was better to be safe.

“Yes, and everything’s been addressed and situations are all under control,” Gingras said. “It just felt better to take the break, regroup and come back.”

Games were originally set to begin on the weekend of Jan. 15-16, but now teams won’t return to practice until Jan. 19. Competition, Gingras said, won’t begin until Jan. 25.

“That way teams can get five practices in before they play games,” she said.

The pause wipes out boys and girls basketball games scheduled for Jan. 15 between Nashua South and Bishop Guertin, plus Nashua North and Windham. Also, on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and Friday, Jan. 23 the North and South basketball teams were set to face each other.

North-Souhegan hockey isn’t slated to have its first game until Feb. 1 thanks to the Amherst pause, but the Nashua South-Pelham was set to open up on Jan. 16 against Hollis Brookline-Derryfield at Conway Arena. Instead, the Warriors will host Merrimack that day, also at Conway Arena. There were a couple of North-South swim and ski meets and also a North vs. Windham and South vs. Concord wrestlng match on the schedule that were cancelled as well.

“I feel bad we brought them back Monday and now have to pause them again,” Gingras said. “But at least they were able to get a couple of practices in.”

SOUHEGAN SET TO RETURN

Meanwhile, Souhegan athletic director Kelli Braley said the school’s winter sports tryouts and practices will begin on Monday with the idea of starting competiton the week of Jan. 25.

Remember, the Sabers never began practices on the NHIAA allowed date of Dec. 14, so tryouts will need to be held for teams, etc. They had informal skills and drills workouts in late November/early December.

“There will be tryouts, practices, and reconditioning,” Braley said. “Our coaches have been great engaging with the kids and the trainers have had three workouts a week via zoom.

“Hopefully they won’t come back to us too deconditioned,” Braley said of the student-athletes.

As for scheduling games, Braley was working on that late Tuesday, and anticipates skiing might be the easiest sport to start competing. And, she confirmed the Souhegan hockey players can begin practicing Monday with new Saber-Titans coach Bill Kotsifas while the North players sit out practice for two weeks.

Braley said there weren’t enough numbers for a winter spirit (cheerleading) team, and that a couple of gymnasts will compete individually.

“We’ll just be crossing our fingers pretty much for things to go smoothly and everyone to stay safe,” Braley said.

Braley said student athletes should constantly check the school/athleteics web site for updated information.