Windham's Frederick Barker IV, left, tries to keep his eyes on the puck while being checked from behind by Nashua North-Souhegan's Jevon Anson during Wednesday night's season opener at Conway Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Chalk it up to lessons learned, which is what this season will be about for the Nashua High School North-Souhegan boys hockey team.

Windham’s Josh Martino had a hat trick as the Jaguars bested the Saber-Titans 5-2 in the season opener for both teams Wednesday night at Conway Arena.

The teams were tied 1-1 before Martino gave the Jags the lead for good – with just 3.2 seconds left in the opening period.

Ouch.

“Young team, short bench, first game after only two-and-a-half weeks (of practice),” North-Souhegan coach Chris Zarlenga said. “It couild’ve been worse, and it could’ve been better. There’s a lot to work on, but there’s a lot of positive to come out of it.”

Some of that positive were the two goals by Saber-Titan Conor Prunier, the first at 6:25 of the first to tie it (Nathan D’Silva, Connor O’Neil assists) and in the third to make it a 4-2 game (6:08, Andrew Cullinane assist). Jags goalie Roberto Robles had 22 saves.

The negative was the second period. Still stinging from that late Windham goal to end the first, the Titans gave up second period goals by Martino and Ethan Peluso to give the Jags a commanding 4-1 lead.

“I liked our hard work, first and third period the most, right?” Zarlenga said. “Second period we fell flat. You take the second period out of the game I think we win, come back in the third. It’s just tough to play all three periods with a short bench. … the breakdown in the second period kills you.”

Saber-Titans freshman goalie Dylan O’Neil made 27 saves. Martino’s unassisted goal at 6:53 of the third sealed the deal.

“First game (for O’Neil), can’t really ask for a ton, right,” Zarlenga said. “It’s get your feet wet, get used to the speed, it’s a totally different speed and it’s going to take a while to get used to it.”

Zarlenga feels a couple of months from now, his team will be better for games like this.

“Try to steal some games you’re not supposed to win,” he said, “and win the games you’re supposed to.”

And learn along the way.