Merrimack's Ryan Warrington, left, pressures North-Souhegan goalie Zack Veilleux duirng Thursday's Holiday Backyard Brawl tourney game at Conway Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – You have to love it when a plan comes together.

The Hollis Brookline-Derryfield Holiday Backyard Brawl hockey tournament may have been put together at the last minute, but the schedule certainly worked out as the Warriors and Merrimack High School will vie for the title today at Conway Arena.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool, huh?” Merrimack coach Dan Belliveau said after his team scored three shorthanded goals to beat North-Souhegan, 5-2. “I don’t know if Coach (HBDS Joel) Sanborn had anything in mind when they did the schedule, but very grateful to them and the other schools for putting this together on such short notice. It’s always fun to play holiday hockey.”

Ironically, Sanborn and Belliveu were a year or two apart playing hockey at the unified Nashua High School back in the 1980s. Sanborn’s Warriors had fun Thursday as well, blanking Alvirne-Milford 4-0.

With the point system awarding single point for winning each 20-minute half and one for the game, Merrimack (2-0) has the max six points, while the Warriors (2-0) have 5.5 points.

The two will face off at 12:50 p.m. North-Souhegan and Alvirne-Milford will play in what amounts to a consolation game at 2:20 p.m. at Conway.

The Tomahawks (2-1 overall) were quick to the puck when they were down a man. “We work on it,” Belliveau said. “I like to see kids tighten it up defensively, for sure, especially on the penalty kill, I don’t want to be out there all the time looking for (shorthanded goals), but sometimes we’ll make that call.”

“You can’t do that,” North-Souhegan coach Bill Kotsifas said of giving up the shorthanded tallies. “I don’t know what we’re doing, but we’ll fix that. We’ve given up four in the two (tourney) games. Maybe we should start declining penalties.”

The ‘Hawks got a goal and two assists from Brayden Guagliumi, plus two goals from Eliot Medlock. Guagliumi he began the shorthanded parade 6:31 into the game for a 1-0 Merrimack lead before North-Souhegan’s Will Dodge evened things about three minutes later. However, Merrimack, which pressured North goalie Zack Veilleux (27 stops) all game, grabbed a 2-1 lead on a Ryan Warrington goal at 10:54, assisted by Quinten Piccolo. That was the lead at the half.

It was a lead they never lost, with sophomore scoring sensation Medlock scoring the first of his two shorties at 4:14 of the second half for a 3-1 Tomahawks lead.

“If we can feed him the puck, he’s going to do the right thing,” Belliveau said. “Either he’s going to make a good pass or put it in the back of the net.”

He scored another at 16:50 of the second to make it a 5-2 game and ensure Merrimack would get not only the point for the game, but the second half as well. The Saber-Titans actually got a power play goal – Merrimack took six penalties – by Ryan Ducharme, assisted by Dodge. Ducharme lined up a shot from just inside the blue line that beat a screened Merrimack goalie Matt Licata, who otherwise was solid with 14 saves.

That made it 3-2 but Tomahawk junior Owen Miner, assisted by Guagliumi, created a two-goal cushion again at 14:50 (4-2).

In the penalty-filled opener, the Warriors got three first-half goals to pretty much decided it. They had four different goal scorers, but Jesse Gertz led the way with a goal and two assists while Aidan Rowe, who scored the lone second half goal, had his tally plus an assist.

Jack Lager opened the scoring nearly nine minutes into the game, assisted by Issac Winsor. Paul Vachon also had a goal and an assist.

“I think the kids are moving the puck really well,” said Sanborn. We’ve got a good mix this year, we’ve got some kids with some grit. It’s kind of what we’ve been missing in the past.”

Admirals coach Dave Thibeault wasn’t too thrilled how the game went, except for the tough play of goalie Trent Scarbro, who had 31 saves.

“Penalties definitely hurt the team, just ruins the flow of the game,” Thibeault said. “First period the kids didn’t even show up. Better effort the second.

“They were intimidated, watching players with the puck, not hitting. It wasn’t a good effort in the first, except for our goalie.”

Neither finalist will be intimidated, that’s for sure, as the tourney has worked out fine for them.

“Throwing it together in the last couple of weeks, it’s more than I can ask for,” Sanborn said.

“It’s always fun,” Belliveau said. “It’s better than staying home and eating Christmas cookies, you know?”

Instead, the treat will be for the fans on the ice. A well-planned treat, it turns out.

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