Nashua South's Orrison Carr pushes forward despite the harrassment by Windham's Matt Partington during Wednesday night's Division I seminfinals in Manchester. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

MANCHESTER – There was no way the soccer gods could deny the area an All-Nashua Division I boys soccer final.

Or could they?

The Nashua High School South Panthers probably felt secure when Damien Rodrigues’ second goal gave them a 2-0 second half lead over Windham, who seemed offensively challenged throughout Wednesday’s second Division I semifinal at Manchester Memorial’s Chabot McDonough Field.

Guess again. The Jaguars got a goal just inside of 10 minutes and put on a furious rally before they ran out of time, as South prevailed 2-1. The win sets up a title bout between the No. 1, 16-1-1 Panthers and No. 3, 15-2-2 city rival Bishop Guertin here Saturday night at 6:45.

“I was shaking, I can’t lie,” South goalie Antonio Pancine said of the Jaguar pressure. “I aged 67 years, I can’t lie.”

“I’m just happy the back line, they were able to hold it down toward the end,” Rodrigues said, “especially with Windham getting all the chances.”

It will be South’s third title game in the last five years as they won back-to-back in 2021-22. BG’s last title was back in 2004.

“To be fair, I think we did a pretty good job of weathering the storm,” Bellen said. “I think we have a little more firepower than than them, I think at the end of the day that’s what worked out.”

The first half was quiet and finished scoreless as the No. 4 Jags were playing a defensive style. But in the second half, the combo of Rodrigues and fellow sophomore Kevin Araujo clicked for two goals. The first came just over eight minutes into the second half, but it produced a change as Windham (13-3-3) became more offensive in nature.

“Sometimes that wakes you up, you know you have to get forward, you just can’t sit, and that makes you play,” Bellen said.

Windham let loose forward Adam Brabazon, and he had three point blank shots on the Panther goal in a furious sequence, two saved by Pancine and one by defender Max Friday with the keeper down. Brabazon left the box shaking his head.

“Max Friday, give him props,” Pancine said. “Max Friday has a key role in our defense. He did his part there.”

But the Panthers felt safe a few minutes later when Rodrigues took a pass from Araujo in the right corner and hit a pinpoint blast past Jags keeper Damian Grzejka with 13:50 left. The two just had their mojo working.

“We were definitely looking to combine with each other a lot more,” Rodrigues said. “We had our heads up a lot more … Me and Kevin, we’re great friends on and off the field. We’re with each other 24-7. That bond has built up over time.”

“They’re too sophomores that are going to be around for awhile,” Bellen said. “People, they know about them, they’re not happy about having to play against them two more years. They come up big, game after game after game. What can you say? They don’t melt under pressure, they work hard.”

Nashua South’s Nico Frioni hugs his teammates while Windham’s Cole Partington offers congratulations after Nashua South’s 2-1 win over Windham Wednesday night in the Division I semifinals at Manchester Memorial. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

But Pancine and the Panthers were all working hard in the final 10 minutes. Brabazon got his revenge off a corner kick when he banged one home in the 71st minute and the Jags were trailing just 2-1 with just under 10 to play. And they kept the pressure on, but Pancine (eight saves) was up to the task.

“He’s come up big in the playoffs especially, made a couple of big saves,” Bellen said. “Blocking some stuff, not giving away any balls. He’s only a sophomore, he’s still learning the game.”

“That second one, we were aware they’d probably get one,” Windham coach Mike Hakey said. “We thought if they only got one, we win this game. Anytime we score two, the result goes our way.”

They almost got that second to force overtime. With just under five minutes to play, the Jags had a golden opportunity, a free kick following a takedown just outside the box – the Panthers were lucky it didn’t happen a foot forward or it would’ve been a penalty kick – for Michael Tommasi. But Tommasi opted to pass the ball to the middle rather than take the shot, and that subsequent kick went wide. The Panthers dodged two bullets.

“They earned the right playing to the final whistle,” Hachey said. “I would have loved to have seen them play on Saturday, but it wasn’t to be.”

What is to be is an all-Nashua final. Here in Manchester.

“Listen, let’s bring it to Stellos,” Bellen said. “They won’t do it, but it would be dynamite to have everybody come watch that game in Nashua. … We’ve got our work cut out for us. It should be a good one.”