Nashua Eagles midfielder Josue Assantha moves quickly to the ball during the first half of Saturday night's home opener vs. Boston Street at Rivier's Merrill Field. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Boston Street did it again.

And that was much to the chagrin of the International Soccer Club of Nashua’s Eagles.

Cruz Ortiz hit a long header over the reach of Nashua keeper Joseph Sturzo with less than three minutes left to ruin the Eagles’ well-attended home opener, 2-1, Saturday night at Rivier University’s Merrill Field.

Boston was the team that eliminated Nashua 1-0 in last June’s United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) New England Conference semifinals. This year’s damage is that it drops Nashua to 0-2 in the UPSL New England standings.

What made it frustrating for Nashua was, down 1-0, it got the equalizer in the 65th minute on a bang-bang header by Vanilton Xavier off a perfect corner kick, his second of the year. But with under 10 minutes left, the Eagles’ Conner Elliott had a clean look at the goal from 20 yards out, all alone, and fired it high.

“I think we picked it up in the second half, we had some momentum going forward,” Eagles coach Eusebio Marote said. “We had that chance, if we put it away I think it’s a different game. But it is what it is. Can’t do much about it. Going forward, when we get those opportunities to score, got to put it in the back of the net.”

And that’s what Boston Street did. Luis Sartor blasted one from 30 yards out that was so quick 25 minutes into the first half that Sturzo had no chance on.

But the back breaker came when it looked like both teams were going to have to settle for a 1-1 tie when suddenly Ortiz took a feed in the air that it appeared Sturzo was going to try to grab. But Ortiz was able to head it past the oncoming keeper and the Eagles’ hearts sank.

“We kind of let them back into it in the second half, they tied it up but the boys kept grinding,” BS coach Ed Yepes said. “We made a couple of changes. … It was a great ball in, we put the work to get the ball in and get the end of it. We got the result, grinding out the rest of the game.”

“Their first goal was a good shot, their second was whoever wanted it first,” Marote said. “Tough call (for Sturzo on coming out), it’s part of the game. All we can really do now is try to move on to the next one.”

Which is at Worcester next weekend.

“I think this team has been great, everyone understands what they need to do,” Marote said. “A lot of new additions that will help us a lot going forward. I’m excited, I’m still excited, it’s unfortunate we haven’t been able to grab any points in the last two games, but I’m hoping that we can change that.”

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