TOURNEY TIME: They’re Brawlin’ today at Conway Arena; Nashua Hoop tourney Friday

Nashua North-Souhegan's Andrew Cullinane reaches for the puck against Alvirne-Milford's Braywood Atwood during a game last season. The two will see each other Thursday through Saturday at the Conway Arena holiday tourney. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)
NASHUA – The presents have been opened, the egg nog has been poured and that can only mean one thing:
It’s tourney time.
No, not those kind of high school tourneys in which state championships are decided.
Holiday tourneys, and that will keep high school basketball and hockey athletes at Souhegan and Milford playing after all the presents and packages have been opened.
The holiday tourney season starts Thursday, Dec. 26 at Nashua’s Conway Arena, with the fourth annual Backyard Brawl Hockey Tournament that is run by the Hollis Brookline athletic department. It was thought at first that when the Hollis Brookline-Derryfield co-op became a tri-op with Merrimack as the new lead school that it may not take place.
But HB is keeping it going with two mini games each day – Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Thus Merrimack-HB-Derryfield, Alvirne-Milford, Nashua North Souhegan and Nashua South-Pelham will be playing in what is now a four-team affair.
“It’s on,” Hollis Brookline athletic director Brian Bumpus said recently “Conway’s been great, understanding of our situation (forming the tri-op), and we’ll go with the four teams.”
The games are two 25-minute halves, and the standings are kept with a point system: a point for winning a half and winning the game. If there is a tie in an individual half, the teams split the point.
The tie breakers to determine a champion, in order, are goals against, goal differential, Penalty minutes, and a coin toss.
The schedule Thursday will be Nashua South-Pelham vs. Alvirne-Milford at 1:10 p.m., and then MHBDS vs. North-Souhgan at 2:50 p.m.
On Friday, Alvirne-Milford takes on MHBDS at 1:10 p.m. with a highlight of the tourney being Nashua North-Souhegan facing Nashua South-Pelham at 2:50 p.m. The teams normally did not play in this event in the past when it was six teams.
Saturday’s games will be in the evening, with North-Souhegan facing Alvirne Milford at 5:20 p.m. and then Nashua South-Pelham facing MHBDS at 7 p.m. to wrap it up.
Last year Nashua South-Pelham just got by North-Souhegan in the overall standings via tiebreaker (goals allowed) to win it. That was partly due to a team (Monadnock co-op) opting out at the last minute before the tourney started, giving South Pelham a win via forfeit. The Kings only played two games but allowed the fewest goals. But after the event, the North-Souhegan skaters who went 3-0 gathered on the ice to take a team photo.
“When you win a Christmas tournament, that’s what you do,” Nashua North-Souhegan hockey coach Chris Zarlenga said with a bit of a grin.
Meanwhile, the Kings are looking forward to defending their title.
“We’re thrilled the holiday tournament is still going to happen,” Kings coach Jordan Sarracco said. “It’s a great tournament that gives the local teams a chance to prove who’s the best in the area.
“The kids really enjoy playing in it, and they’re ready to defend our championship from last year.”
NASHUA HOLIDAY BASKETBALL TOURNEY
Wait a day and then things really heat up because right down Riverside Drive from Conway will be the third annual Nashua Holiday Basketball Tournament at Nashua South’s Belanger Gym, for both boys and girls hoop on Friday and Saturday.
Last year it was a special event as the finals were both North vs. South, with the Panthers winning both the girls and boys titles over their rivals.
Souhegan will compete in the boys event but not the girls; new Sabers girls coach Greg Cotreau opted to have his team compete in the Manchester tourney at Central, “We just need as many games as we can get,” he said, “And Central can get us more games.”
Alvirne takes Souhegan’s place in the girls event that has Nashua North, South, and Milford. The Spartans, who won the girls title in 2022, take on South at noon in one semifinal and then North will face Alvirne at 1:30 in the other.
In the boys event, Nashua North and Souhegan will tangle at approximately 3 p.m. with Milford facing Nashua South at 4:30. North won the event in 2022 with South winning it last year. Neither Milford nor Souhegan has won a game in the first two years in the boys tourney.
The girls finals will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday and the boys at about 4:30. Consolation games will be at noon and 1:30.
“It’s good, we love it from the Nashua district standpoint, we enjoy doing it,” North boys coach Steve Lane said. “This year it’s going to be super competitive because Souhegan and Milford are both very, very good. There’s going to be four games that are going to be highly competitive throughout the weekend. Looking forward to it.”
“It’s a huge opportunity,” South girls coach John Bourgeois said. “I think there’s going to be some really good competition. Alvirne’s coming into it this year, Milford’s a really good basketball team, North is better this year. There should be really good competition, should be a lot of fun, but it definitely helps get a lot of playing time and things we’re working on. … It’s early in the season and we’re still learning.”
Nashua South basketball players celebrated last year after beating rival North in the finals of the Nashua Holiday Basketball Tournament. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)
OTHER TOURNEYS
BOYS HOCKEY
Elsewhere today, Bishop Guertin will travel to Providence College to play in the Prout School tourney today, Friday and Saturday. The Cards will first take on Smithfield, R.I. Thursday night at 7.
BOYS & GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bishop Guertin, Merrimack girls teams are playing in the Derryfield School’s Cougar Classic on Friday through Sunday.
Hollis Brookline will play in the Lowell Catholic Tourney on Friday, while Merrimack will be in the Westford (Mass.) Academy Tourney beginning Friday. The Alvirne boys have three days of hoop up at the Portland, Me. Expo, playing in the annual Hoops Showcase Tournament. Games are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Bishop Guertin boys will be competing in the Malden Catholic Tourney, taking on host Malden Catholic at 3 p.m. on Friday and will play Saturday, opponent/time tba.
The Saber girls get at least one more game playing in the Queen City Holiday Tourney at Manchester Central beginning on Friday. They face Trinity at 6 p.m.; if they win it they’ll play Saturday at 6; if they lose it they’ll play Saturday at 1:30. They’ll also play Sunday depending on those first two results. The finals are Sunday at 6 p.m. but games begin at 1:30.