The Nashua North boys soccer team is all smiles after beating rival Nashua South 2-0 on Thursday night at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – They had waited for nearly 11 months for the moments they enjoyed on Thursday night.

For the Nashua High School North boy s soccer players, their season was just made.

“It feels so good,” North junior Arthur Santos, who scored the only goal the Titans would need, said. “The feeling of being part of this team, such talented players, and witness this moment, and beat this team, especially 2-0, it was a great game.

“Props to South, really good team. But I think we wanted this more.”

They had revenge on their minds, for certain, after losing last year’s Division I semifinal in front of a large Stellos Stadium crowd on a goal in the final minute.

Last night, in front of another big crowd, though not as large, it was a case of North (6-2, five straight) cashing in on a couple of opportunities, while South failed to do the same for theirs. Panther junior Santiago Somorrostro hit the crossbar not once but twice, and missed another high over the goal. There were other chances as well, as after a scoreless first half the Panthers were pushing hard.

But nearly 17 minutes into the second half, North junior Arthur Santos rolled a shot toward the goal that seemed an easy save for capable South keeper Ansh Khanna. But the ball rolled off his fingers into the net, and the Titans had the 1-0 lead.

And basically the win, North’s sixth straight to stand at 7-2.

“We had the better opportunities, the better chances,” South coach Tom Bellen, whose team has now lost two in the last week to fall to 6-2. “It’s the first time we’ve been shut out in a long time, too.

“Look, we’ve been on the other side of it, too, where we’ve won a game we probably shouldn’t have. But this one hurts, because it’s a rivalry against North. I thought the kids played great, it might have been one of our better games of the year, even with the loss. It’s unfortunate we had the play going and that one slips through.”

Ironically, Santos never saw it go in.

“I was blocked off, there was a defender in my way,” he said. “As soon as I saw my team celebrating, I knew it went in. That stuff happens in a game sometimes.”

“We prepared very hard, we knew this game was on the schedule and the boys circled it from last year,” North coach Jeremy Zelanes said. “They got after it today, they enjoyed playing out there, they worked hard, and we got the win that we’ve been looking for.”

North’s defense – the Titans are one of the top defensive teams in Division I – was led by Andrew Lennox and Jonathan Lopez – came through.

“Credit to our back four, and I sound like a broken record,” Zelanes said. “They’ve played so hard this season. I think in soccer what we look for is that mistake. Unfortunately for (the Panthers) and we capitalized on it.”

Nashua South’s Santi Somorrostro tries to push the ball ahead against Nashua North’s Brady Martin as fellow Panther Jadiel Bomfim looks on during the Titans’ 2-0 win on Thursday night at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

South’s best player last night was Somorrostro, who nearly scored a minute in, hitting the upper corner bar on a shot that may have skimmed the fingers of North keeper Geovanny Quintanna (five saves). He moved the ball like a player possessed.

“He’s at another level,” Bellen said. “When he’s on, he’s on.”

South had to sacrifice defense to push ahead and with two minutes left, North, like the good team it is, got the clincher as Cam Rodrigues, off a feed from Preston Thompson, fired a rocket that Khanna (three saves) had no chance on.

After the goal, the North team ran down the sideline to just in front where the South student body was in the stands as a taunting move. After the game, the Titans were addressed by Nashua athletic director Lisa Gingras.

“I wasn’t happy about that, that’s not how we coach here at North,” Zelanes said. “We expect better from these guys. But I certainly don’t want to take anything away from the win. But going down and taunting fans is not acceptable. … Especially in Nashua, we’re all one big soccer community here.”

With another game to remember.