The Hollis Brookline-Derryfield hockey team celebrates its 3-1 Division III tourney win over Sanborn-Epping Wednesday night at Conway Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA — Finally.

It’s been a few years of frustration for the Hollis Brookline-Derryfield hockey team, this year included.

They suffered tough tournament losses the last two seasons, and this shortened season became even shorter thanks to a pandemic pause.

But all of that was a distant memory on Wednesday night, after the Warriors ousted Sanborn-Epping, 3-1, in a Division III preliminary round game at Conway Arena.

“It’s very satisfying,” HBD coach Joel Sanborn said after what is believed to be the co-op program’s first tourney win. “Especially for these kids. Last year in overtime, and two years ago in double overtime. This is the first one. It definitely feels good.”

The Warriors won this one with constant pressure in the Sanborn-Epping zone, as they pummeled visiting goalie Josh Stevens with 36 shots, 34 of which he stopped. Quinn Silivio’s goal with 16 seconds left was an empty netter that clinched the Warriors’ win.

“We’ve got some speed,” Sanborn said. “And you know what? The boys are a little hungry. Hopefully we can keep that rolling.”

“They had a little bit more experience, a few more upper classmen than us,” S-E coach Kevin Merrick said. “If our goalie wasn’t as good as he was it would’ve been a different score.”

The two teams tied 1-1 during the regular season, and Sanborn-Epping grabbed an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Aidan Jenkins, assisted by Joe Costanzo and Josh Radjavitch just 3:22 into the game. He got a rebound and put the puck into an open area that Rylan Morgan had no chance to stop.

But the Warriors knotted things up on a goal by Sal Vella, assisted by Silivio and Paul Vachon during a flurry at 8:41, and things were 1-1 after one. It stayed that way until Cole Giersch beat Stevens for what proved to be the game-winner at 8:28 of the second, assisted by Jesse Gertz.

HBD continued to keep the pressure on, but the visitors rode a shot of adrenalin to pressure Morgan late but he made a couple of big saves in his total of 16 to preserve the win in amazingly what was a penalty-free game.

“Rylan stood up tall coming down the stretch,” Sanborn said. “We talked about it between periods. They don’t score, they’re not going to win. Keep ’em off the board is what I say. … From last year to this year that (Sanborn-Epping) team has made huge improvement.”

“At this point, we lack that goal scorer,” Merrick said. “We do have depth, but we lack that guy who can put the puck in the net on a consistent basis.”

Now for the Warriors it’s on to Concord’s Everett Arena Saturday to take on Pembroke-Campbell in the quarterfinals. The Warriors were supposed to play P-C twice, but those games were cancelled when HBD had to go on pause.

“The tournament’s always fun, it’s always a little more pressure,” Sanborn said. “After this year we’ve had I think the boys were up for it and ready to go.”

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